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Princess Diana's brother reveals real reason he rejected The Crown's request to film at Althorp

Earl Spencer has criticised the Netflix drama in the past

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Eve Crosbie
TV & Film Writer
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Princess Diana's brother has rejected The Crown's request to film at his family home of Althorp, telling the producers: "Thank you but no thank you".

MORE: The Crown co-writer Jemima Khan quits after disagreeing with Diana's portrayal

Appearing on BBC Breakfast on Monday morning, Charles Spencer revealed that he has been approached by producers for the hit Netflix drama - which is set to return this time next year - to film scenes on his family's estate. "They applied," he explained. "They wanted to shoot here. But I don't really do that stuff."

WATCH: Princess Diana's brother talks The Crown and filming at Althorp

Pushed further, he emphasised that he had no interest in allowing the show's cast and crew to shoot at the West Northamptonshire property as he doesn't watch the programme either. "Actually, to be honest, I don't watch The Crown so I just said: 'Thank you but no thank you'."

MORE: 7 major royal moments that will probably happen in The Crown season five

MORE: Princess Diana's surprising connection to Bridgerton

The fifth and penultimate season of the show is currently being filmed across the UK, and Elizabeth Debicki - who has replaced Emma Corrin as the late princess - recently made headlines after being spotted wearing the iconic 'revenge dress' from 1994.

charles crown© Photo: Netflix

Season five of The Crown is currently being filmed

Charles has previously spoken out against The Crown. Following the release of season four, which depicted his late sister and Prince Charles' courtship and early years of marriage, he criticised the show for "playing fast and loose with history".

MORE: Charles Spencer welcomes adorable new family member to Althorp House

"The worry for me is that people see a programme like that and they forget that it is fiction," he told Alan Titchmarsh on Love Your Weekend. "They assume. Especially foreigners – I find Americans tell me they watch The Crown as if they've taken a history lesson. Well, they haven't."

He added: "It is very hard. There is a lot of conjecture and a lot of invention, isn't there? You can hang it on fact, but the bits in between are not fact."

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