Prince Charles's close friend slams "The Crown," says 'it's all made up'

Joanna Lumley, a close friend of Prince Charles, said that neither she nor the members of the British royal family are fans of the way they are portrayed in the hit series "The Crown."

The Netflix original, which tells the story of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, clarified to its viewers that it is a dramatisation and fictionalisation of real-life events. While fans of the show might believe some parts of it to be true, Lumley said that it is entirely "made up."

"I know the royals, so I know it's all made up," she said, adding that the show is quite "laughable" and "insane."

"All the poor actors who are doing their best to copy them, it's awful. Imagine somebody making up conversations they think you've had. It's so laughable. They've used real people, whom they've copied, and then made up all the conversations. It's insane," she stated in an interview with Australian Women's Weekly.

The "Absolutely Fabulous" star revealed that she hasn't watched the show, and contrary to various reports, the royal family doesn't see it either. "I don't think they watch it and I never watch it," she claimed.

The actress, who was in attendance at Prince Charles's wedding to Duchess Camilla in 2005, also shared that she holds a great deal of respect for his mother Queen Elizabeth II. She said that the public will feel as though they have lost "a mothership" when the 95-year-old passes away.

"When she goes, it will be a huge outpouring of grief. It's losing more than a figurehead; a kind of mothership," said Lumley, who has written a book, "A Queen For All Seasons," about the monarch.

The fifth season of "The Crown," which will cover the monarch's "annus horribilis" and the breakdown of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage among other significant events, is scheduled for release next year. After facing widespread criticism for inaccuracies in its fourth season, "The Crown" had clarified, "We have every confidence our members understand that it's a work of fiction that's broadly based on historical events."