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The final episode of The Crown Season 4, named “War”, isn’t just a masterpiece in television; it’s a hauntingly real portrayal of the intensifying cracks within a royal marriage once perceived as picture perfect. Through a dramatized lens, we witness the unraveling of Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ relationship as a full-blown emotional implosion rather than a slow burn.

One of the most striking scenes of the episode pits Diana’s compassion against Charles’ bitter resentment bubbling over in a narcissistic outburst that left many fans shaken. The episode shows stark contrasts between Diana’s genuine outreach during her New York trip with Charles’ bruised ego and emotional detachment. And, the fact that it’s not fiction but simply a dramatized version of real events backed by testimonies, historical truth, and insider accounts is what highlighted Charles’ narcissistic tendencies.

Charles’ outburst in The Crown was just a reflection of...

On Monday 5 May 2025, BBC Four broadcasts Jonathan Dimbleby: My Father and Belsen!

Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Jonathan Dimbleby: My Father and Belsen” on BBC Four promises to be a poignant exploration of history and personal legacy. In this episode, broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby takes a deep look at his father, Richard Dimbleby, and his important role in reporting on the liberation of the Belsen concentration camp during World War II.

Viewers will see Jonathan reflect on the harrowing experiences his father faced while covering the aftermath of this tragic event. Richard Dimbleby was one of the first journalists to witness the horrors of Belsen, and his reports brought the grim realities of the Holocaust to the attention of the British public. This episode aims to shed light on both the historical significance of those reports and the personal impact they had on Jonathan and his family.

Through interviews, archival footage,...

“Jonathan Dimbleby: My Father and Belsen” is set to air on BBC Four at 10:00 Pm on Monday, May 5, 2025. This poignant documentary offers a deep dive into the historical significance of the Belsen concentration camp liberation, as seen through the eyes of broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby. He reflects on the experiences of his father, Richard Dimbleby, who was one of the first reporters to witness the aftermath of this harrowing event.

The program promises to blend personal history with powerful storytelling, as Jonathan shares insights about his father’s reporting and the impact it had on the world. Richard Dimbleby’s courageous journalism brought the horrors of the Holocaust to the public’s attention, and Jonathan aims to honor that legacy while exploring its relevance today.

Viewers can expect a mix of archival footage, personal anecdotes, and historical context that sheds light on the events at Belsen. This documentary not only...

Journalists covering the war in Gaza — including the 170 who have been killed — will now be recognized by the U.K.’s Royal Television Society (Rts) in a reversal of a decision that sparked two weeks of controversy, anger and debate from across the industry.

“The Rts will be making the Special Award for Journalists in Gaza at the Society’s Programme Awards on March 25,” a spokesperson for the organization said on Tuesday.

The special award was due to be presented at the Rts Journalism Awards held earlier this month, but was rescinded at the last minute. At the time, the organization said it didn’t want to “add fuel to the fire” surrounding the BBC’s “Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone” documentary, which was pulled after it was revealed that the child narrator was the son of a minister in the Hamas government (a move that also generated weeks...

Journalists covering the Gaza conflict will finally be recognized next week by the Royal Television Society (Rts), following a fortnight-long saga that has seen the Rts attract ire from all corners of the industry.

A spokeswoman for the organization said in the past few minutes: “The Rts will be making the Special Award for Journalists in Gaza at the Society’s Programme Awards on March 25.”

These awards recognize TV shows and will take place in a week’s time. The special award was initially meant to be given at the Rts Journalism Awards earlier this month but was scrapped at the last minute, with the Rts saying it did not wish to “add fuel to the fire” around Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, the BBC documentary that was pulled after it was revealed that the child narrator was the son of a Hamas minister.

Hundreds of British media...

Following a week of intense pressure, the UK’s Royal Television Society (Rts) has U-turned on its special award recognizing the work of journalists in Gaza and is “discussing how this will take place.”

The body sparked anger when it scrapped the award, telling jurors it did not wish to “add fuel to the fire” around Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, the BBC documentary that was pulled after it was revealed that the child narrator was the son of a Hamas minister.

But eight days on and following a letter signed by nearly 400 journalists and copying in King Charles, the award will now take place in some form.

“Following the decision to pause the presentation of the award, the Rts met this week as part of the Society’s previously announced review process,” a spokeswoman said. “The Society remains committed to recognizing the work of Journalists in Gaza...

Some of the best-known figures in the UK media sphere have signed a letter requesting a meeting with King Charles over the Royal Television Society’s (Rts) decision to scrap a special recognition award for journalists in Gaza.

The King is the Royal Patron of the Rts and the group of more than 300 people have asked to meet with him and “demanded transparency” about the body’s decision-making process around its journalism awards.

The letter has been signed by BBC heavyweights including Jonathan Dimbleby, Orla Guerin and Fergal Keane, along with the likes of Channel 4’s Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Matt Frei. Dimbleby branded the Rts “cowards” over the move.

The saga started with the Rts’ shock decision to scrap a special recognition award for journalists in Gaza due to not wanting to “add fuel to the fire” around Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, the BBC documentary that...

There are some themes that just work on TV. Grief is one of those.

“Reservation Dogs” and “The Bear,” the first of which wrapped up its third and final season this year and the latter aired its second, began with death. FX’s “Rez Dogs,” which opened with a group of teens mourning their friend Daniel after losing him to suicide, ended with another loss — and another group of pals leaning on one another.

“The Bear,” meanwhile, launched with Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy attempting to move on after his brother’s death. In the second season, he is still coping with the loss as he manages a hectic kitchen.

Loss and mourning always look different, but the emotional theme runs through nearly every category this TV awards season — from dramas such as “Succession” and “Fellow Travelers” to miniseries “Lessons in Chemistry” and comedy “Shrinking.”

One of the biggest examples may be “The Crown,...

King Charles III’s coronation arrives tomorrow (May 6), and networks and streaming services around the world are preparing coverage for the elaborate, generational event at London’s Westminster Abbey.

Millions will watch the pageantry, which is set to cost the British taxpayer at least £100M ($125M) despite several polls showing muted enthusiasm for monarchy both in the UK and abroad. International news channels such as BBC News and CNN will carry coverage but local nets are also clearing schedules ahead of the big day, while in territories such as Hong Kong, pop-up screenings will bring crowds together. The Royal Family’s YouTube channel may also carry the proceedings and SVOD services such as BritBox will stream them in some territories.

In Australia, one of 56 countries where Charles is still monarch through the Commonwealth, most of the main networks will broadcast the event or offer accompanying news coverage. Locally the coronation will take place at 10pm.

Queen Camilla’s son has her back.

The royal’s eldest child, son Tom Parker Bowles, whom she shares with ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles, made a rare comment about his mother’s marriage to King Charles ahead of her and the monarch’s May 6 coronation where they will formally be crowned King and Queen.

“I don’t care what anyone says. This wasn’t any sort of end game,” Tom, 48, said while appearing on Thursday’s episode of “The News Agents” podcast. “She married the person she loved and this is what happened.”

Read More: King Charles III’s Coronation Invitation Confirms Queen Camilla’s New Royal Title, New Portrait Unveiled

Camilla and Charles met back in 1970 and remained close over the following years, even while Charles was married to Princess Diana, whom he welcomed sons Prince William and Prince Harry with in the early ’80s.

Their romance began as...

BBC Chair Richard Sharp has been urged to resign by almost all the plus-1,000 respondents to a staff survey at the corporation as pressure ramps up following the Boris Johnson loan scandal.

The survey, conducted by the National Union of Journalists (Nuj) which represents hundreds of BBC journalists, found 95% thought Sharp should immediately resign. Even more (97%) said revelations over Sharp’s actions and behavior at the time of his appointment and since have caused damage to the BBC’s reputation and 91% said the scandal served to undermine trust in BBC journalism.

Nuj General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet said Sharp has “lost the dressing room.” “Journalists working at the BBC no longer have confidence in their chairman,” she added. “Revelations of Sharp’s role as financial matchmaker for Boris Johnson and his decision to keep his actions under wraps have caused anger and frustration amongst Nuj members.”

Sharp is currently subject to two separate investigations,...

In the wake of Prince Harry‘s big media tour, with the release of the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan and the publication of his (fastest-selling nonfiction book of all time!) book Spare, the public has been wondering if they can expect to hear any response from the palace. Well, according to a new report from The Mirror UK, that time may be upon us. The report maintains the BBC has made an offer to the King for an on-camera interview conducted by Jonathan Dimbleby. Dimbleby was the journalist who helped create Charles: The Private Man, the Public Role, the documentary about Charles’ life that was filmed in the early 1990s. Over 180 hours were shot for the program and Dimbley asked C-3 questions such as “Have you ever been unfaithful to Princess Diana?” An insider tells The Mirror, “Plans are already up and running for coronation coverage at the BBC, including the profile on the monarch.

Despite the Royal Family keeping quiet about Prince Harry’s allegations, he revealed in his memoir Spare that some people had criticized him for his decision to speak out.

After his and Meghan Markle’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey aired in March 2021, Harry explained how his former nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who looked after Harry and William following their parents’ divorce in 1993 until 1999, was among those to react.

According to the Daily Mail, he said that King Charles’ close friend Emilie van Cutsem and one of her four sons, whom he didn’t name, also commented.

Read More: Prince Harry Shows Off Necklace That Broke During ‘Physical Fight’ With Brother William

The Duke wrote: “Several close mates and beloved figures in my life, including one of Hugh [van Cutsem] and Emilie’s sons, Emilie herself, and even Tiggy, had chastised me for Oprah.

“How could you reveal such things? About your family?...

The storylines in the fifth season of The Crown have provoked much backlash, from scenes showing the former Prince Charles trying to force the Queen’s abdication to others suggesting Prince Philip was unfaithful to the late monarch.

Prominent figures, including Judi Dench, have demanded that the drama carry a disclaimer to make clear that the events of the series aren’t entirely factual. While The Crown actor Jonathan Pryce, has called these reactions to the show “hugely disappointing”, claiming that viewers know it’s a drama, not a documentary.

Some of the storylines in season five are pretty close to the truth. Others, not so much.

Here’s a full rundown of what is covered in each episode of The Crown season five, and links to our articles about what’s fact versus what’s fiction in the series.

Episode one: Queen Victoria Syndrome

In the first instalment of the new series,...

Warning: contains spoilers for The Crown season 5.

The Crown and historical accuracy enjoy a fleeting rather than steadfast acquaintance. Peter Morgan’s Netflix drama concertinas history and jumps between time periods to follow emotional and symbolic through-lines rather than sticking to the recorded facts and timelines. “Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatization…” goes the proviso at the top of Season Five. School pupils shouldn’t rely on it to do their history homework, is the general consensus.

That established, below is the timeline of the 1991 – 1997 period depicted in Season Five according to the TV drama, with the odd note on where episodes diverge from what we know to be the real-life sequence of events.

As a reminder, Season four covered ‘The Thatcher Years’, running from Margaret Thatcher’s election as prime minister of Great Britain in May 1979 to her resignation as leader of the Conservative Party in November 1990, after...

The storylines in the fifth season of The Crown have provoked much backlash, from scenes showing the former Prince Charles trying to force the Queen’s abdication to others suggesting Prince Philip was unfaithful to the late monarch.

Prominent figures, including Judi Dench, have demanded that the drama carry a disclaimer to make clear that the events of the series aren’t entirely factual. While The Crown actor Jonathan Pryce, has called these reactions to the show “hugely disappointing”, claiming that viewers know it’s a drama, not a documentary.

Some of the storylines in season five are pretty close to the truth. Others, not so much.

Here’s a full rundown of what is covered in each episode of The Crown season five, and links to our articles about what’s fact versus what’s fiction in the series.

Episode one: Queen Victoria Syndrome

In the first instalment of the new series,...

The storylines in the fifth season of The Crown have provoked much backlash, from scenes showing the former Prince Charles trying to force the Queen’s abdication to others suggesting Prince Philip was unfaithful to the late monarch.

Prominent figures, including Judi Dench, have demanded that the drama carry a disclaimer to make clear that the events of the series aren’t entirely factual. The Crown actor Jonathan Pryce, meanwhile, has called these reactions to the show “hugely disappointing”, claiming that viewers know it’s a drama, not a documentary.

Some of the storylines in season five are pretty close to the truth. Others, not so much.

Here’s a full rundown of what will be covered in each episode of The Crown season five, and links to our articles about what’s fact versus what’s fiction in the series.

Episode one: Queen Victoria Syndrome

In the first instalment of the new series,...

Decades before Taylor Swift sang, “Lately she’s been dressing for revenge,” Princess Diana coined the phrase “revenge dress” in 1994 with one show-stopping look. The memorable look is being recreated on season 5 of “The Crown“, and has already been featured in the show’s trailer. But how did the iconic fashion moment come to pass in real life?

The late Princess of Wales was 33 at the time and publicly separated from her husband, Prince Charles. The couple had separated in 1992, but it was two years later when the next in line to the British throne gave an ITN interview with Jonathan Dimbleby in which he confessed to not being faithful to her during their marriage.

Dimbleby asked if Charles tried to be faithful to Diana when they wed and he replied, “Yes, absolutely,” following that response up with, “until it became irretrievably broken down.”

The moment marked the first time...

Netflix has defended “The Crown” as a “fictional dramatization,” after former UK prime minister John Major called the show a “barrel load of nonsense” and railed that its depictions of his time in office were “damaging and malicious fiction.”

The former prime minister’s comments came after the show was accused of fabricating a smear against King Charles, showing him lobbying Major for a secret plot to oust the Queen.

Major’s office told The Mail on Sunday that the meeting never took place.

Also Read:

‘The Crown': Elizabeth Debicki Portrays a Somber Princess Diana in Season 5 First Look (Photos)

“Sir John has not co-operated in any way with The Crown. Nor has he ever been approached by them to fact-check any script material in this or any other series,” read a statement from his office.

“As you will know, discussions between the monarch and prime minister are entirely...

Netflix faces a number of courtly challenges in the next couple of months, as it prepares to debut both the fifth season of The Crown, and a documentary starring the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Season 5 of The Crown is set to launch on November 5, and already there are rumblings by commentators in the UK that it doesn’t feel appropriate to bring the royals’ real-life 1990s troubles to the screen, so soon after Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022.

Asked about the forthcoming series, Jonathan Dimbleby – one of the UK’s most celebrated broadcasters and a friend of the new King – told the Times: “I don’t have patience with that kind of garbage.”

A biographer of Charles, Sally Bedell Smith, made the point that inaccuracies are more significant now for Charles in his position of monarch. She said: “The show has become a runaway train. But I think it...

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, some of Friday’s 9 (September) TV scheduling has been changed.

The 96 year old monarch died “peacefully” at Balmoral on Thursday afternoon (8 September), according to Buckingham Palace, having spent 70 years as head of state, outlasting her predecessors and overseeing monumental changes in social and political life.

The Queen was Britain’s longest-serving monarch, and her son Charles will be succeeding her as the nation’s new king.

It has been revealed that many channels around the country have changed their schedules following the Her Majesty’s death.

Here’s what we know.

ITV to air Queen Elizabeth II – The Longest Reign at 8.30pm

This tribute will be presented by British presenter Jonathan Dimbleby, charting Her Majesty’s historic 70-year reign. The feature-length documentary will show the role that the Queen played in all areas of her life.

Channel 4 to air Hobby Man at 8pm

In today’s episode,...

Princess Diana’s life and death continue to arouse curiosity and trigger speculation around the world, 25 years after her death in tragic circumstances in Paris.

A new audiobook, ‘Diana – Remembering the Princess’, written by her former bodyguard and brought out as a tribute to the ‘People’s Princess’ on her 25th death anniversary, has breathed fresh life into the controversy over the possibility of Diana’s death being the result of a conspiracy, and how she kept hinting at people who were keen to see that “I was not around”.

Written by Inspector Ken Wharfe, Diana’s police protection officer, and Ros Coward, author of the official book by Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Trust, highlights her initial life, death and what happened after the funeral. It is narrated by Emily Pennant-Rea and Wharfe.

Born on July 1, 1961 at Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk, Diana Frances Spencer was the first wife of Charles,...

The royals of The Crown suffer a huge loss in season four with the assassination of Lord Mountbatten, aka "Uncle Dickie," and no one is hit harder than Prince Charles. In real life, as on the show, Charles was particularly close to this uncle of his, and although some of the specific conversations between them were made up for dramatic purposes, their relationship was largely what is shown on screen.

Charles was actually related to Lord Mountbatten through both of his parents, albeit distantly, since the Queen and Prince Philip are distantly related themselves. As a descendant of Queen Victoria, Mountbatten was related to the Queen, whose line descends from Alice's brother, Edward VII. Technically, Mounbatten and the Queen were second cousins, once removed. His relationship through Philip's side of the family is much clearer: Mountbatten was the brother of Princess Alice, Philip's mother, making him Charles's great-uncle.

In Jonathan Dimbleby...

Pulse Films manager of non-scripted television, Roy Ackerman.

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The Australian International Documentary Conference has selected six candidates to take part in the 2016 Access@Aidc Early Career Mentorship Program..

The filmmakers were selected by Pulse Films.(UK) manager of non-scripted television, Roy Ackerman..

The six 2016 participants are: Ben Croker (Wa), Andrea Distefano (Vic), Brietta Hague (Nsw), Mark Harris (Vic), Nicole Miller (Sa), and Joao Dujon Pereira (Vic).

The program is run in collaboration with Pulse films..

The filmmakers will now have the chance to learn directly from established Australian and international industry professionals in exclusive mentorship sessions during Aidc 2016..

One Access participant will also be selected for a four-week paid internship with Pulse Films in London, including return economy airfare and accommodation, with the winner to be announced at Aidc 2016.s Closing Drinks on Wednesday March 2..

Ackerman said Pulse Films was very proud to offer an internship..

"I've been coming to...

Humans achieved record numbers for Channel 4 on Sunday night (June 14), overnight data reveals.

The new sci-fi series brought in an average audience of 3.45 million (15.6%) at 9pm, with an added 586,000 (3.7%) on +1. This is the highest-rated launch of an original drama series on Channel 4 since records began in 2002.

Earlier, The Secret World of Lego gathered 2.02m (9.6%) at 8pm (460k/2.1% on +1).

BBC One's Countryfile topped the night overall with 5.73m (30.2%) at 7pm, followed by Antiques Roadshow with 5.40m (25.7%) at 8pm and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell with 1.85m (8.4%) at 9pm.

On BBC Two, Dara and Ed's Great Big Adventure interested 693k (3.3%) at 8pm, while BBC at War with Jonathan Dimbleby intrigued 1.09m (4.9%) at 9pm. Protect Our Foster Kids educated 701k (4.6%) at 10pm.

ITV's Euro 2016 qualifier coverage scored an average 4.75m (30.4%) from 4.30pm (138k/0.6%). Catchphrase entertained 2.80m (14.6%) at 7.15pm, followed by All-Star Family Fortunes with 3.53m (16.9%) at 8pm (189k/0.9%). Home Fires...

Radio 4 broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby has admitted to snorting cocaine. The Any Questions? presenter also confessed that he took cannabis on two separate occasions. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, he said: "I had cannabis twice in my early 20s. And once, in America, at around the same age, I did a line of cocaine. "I sneezed it all over the place much to the dismay of the people around who saw it as this precious substance. It tickled my nose, and (more)...

Working with the founder of WikiLeaks has been like treading on eggshells. But he really has changed the world

I've always wanted a walk-on part in a Hollywood movie, but I don't suppose Steven Spielberg will indulge me. The mogul has bought the film rights to two recent books critical of Julian Assange, both of which provide racy accounts of the difficult relationship between the WikiLeaks founder, his comrades and the newspapers he worked with. Now my role as an alleged "Jewish" conspirator against him may, if I'm lucky, go celluloid.

All this would be entertaining, but for anyone who cares about free expression and freedom of information, the catfight between WikiLeaks and the organisations that were longstanding supporters is a shame. At the risk of sounding pious, it's time to refocus on the big issues.

When Index on Censorship began nearly 40 years ago, the issues were perhaps more black...

“A not very fetching leopard-spot effect.” Video screen shot via City University London. On Thursday, September 30—a month before WikiLeaks released its “Afghanistan War Logs” and two months before it roiled international relations with its “Cablegate” disclosures—I attended a debate at City University London between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and David Aaronvitch, a columnist for The Times of London. The proposition under discussion: “Too much information? Security and censorship in the age of Wikileaks.” The conversation, moderated by Radio 4’s Jonathan Dimbleby, offered a fascinating primer on the dysfunctional relationship between safety and transparency, but I confess that I was really there to take the measure of Assange, 39, the Australian-born muckraker whose exploits have earned him legions of fans—and a growing number of very determined detractors. I wanted to like him but didn't. It may have been because of his hair. Here are my notes from the evening.

Charity football match Soccer Aid 2010 pulled in over 5m on Sunday night. The programme, which was organised by Robbie Williams and featured an England team of celebrities and sportsmen taking on a Rest-Of-The-World side, averaged 5.21m (23.7%) for ITV1 between 6pm and 10.15pm. On Sky1, a double-bill finale of espionage drama 24 attracted respective audiences of 616k (2.5%) and 596k (3.1%) from 9pm. BBC One's coverage of the BAFTA Television Awards 2010 was watched by 4.14m (17.1%) between 8pm and 10pm. Earlier on the channel, Halcyon River Diaries brought in 3.62m (20.2%) in the 7pm hour, followed by Countryfile with 5.07m (23.6%). A repeat of Top Gear averaged 1.6m (6.8%) for BBC Two in the 8pm hour, and An African Journey With Jonathan Dimbleby secured 1.42m (5.7%) from 9pm. Documentary Cameron's Black Tory (more)...

A letter written by Britain's late Princess Diana sold for £640 at auction yesterday (03.03.10). The princess - who died in a car accident along with lover Dodi Fayed in 1997 - penned the letter to her reflexologist in June 1994. It was bought by an anonymous bidder at the Dominic Winter auction, which was held in Gloucestershire. The letter, which was written in the same month her former husband the Prince of Wales spoke about his private life in a television interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, revealed she believed in the healing powers of Feng Shui. In the note she explained that a Feng Shui expert had visited her Kensington Palace home, which had led to her rearranging her bedroom...

TV comedian Rik Mayall will receive an honorary degree at Exeter University this week. Other stars including Sir David Attenborough, Jonathan Dimbleby and author Ken Follett are also being celebrated by the university. Mayall will be given his honorary doctorate (more)...