The Crown season 6 is revisiting a controversial theory about Princess Diana’s death

Elizabeth Debicki portraying Princess Diana in The Crown
(Image credit: Netflix)

The world is awaiting The Crown season six, with the highly anticipated Netflix instalment set to be the most dramatic yet.

The sixth and final season is scheduled to premiere in two instalments, with the first released on 16 November, and the remaining episodes on 14 December.

And while the sixth season will see new actors coming onboard, particularly Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy as the Prince and Princess of Wales, it is the returning cast members and characters who have been making the most news, namely Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana.

The teaser trailer which dropped last week was centred around the late Princess of Wales, with the first instalment of season six expected to follow the events leading up to her tragic death.

One storyline that The Crown creators have reportedly chosen to include references a controversial theory that Princess Diana was pregnant at the time of the 1997 Paris underpass car crash.

The theory has been a point of controversy for decades, with the claims originally made by Dodi Fayed's father, Mohammad Fayed, who alleged that Diana told him the news herself the day of her death. 

The claims were disputed by coroners, with John Burton, former coroner of the Queen's household, telling the Times that he was present at the examining of her body, and stating that she was not pregnant.

In the 20 years since however, the theory has continued to resurface, with The Crown's reported inclusion of Fayed's claims resurfacing the theory once more. 

Multiple sources have predicted that the royal family, particularly Prince William, will take issue with the storyline.

“This is likely to enrage the Prince of Wales, who has been upset by many Crown storylines that have featured his mother," one source told The Sun. "Hearing the claims about his mother’s pregnancy and the plot will feel like salt in the wound, particularly as so many of them have been debunked over the years.”

The royal family has not commented.

We will continue to update this story.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.