Helena Bonham Carter has waded into the ongoing debate around whether Netflix's The Crown should come with an explicit "fiction" label for viewers' benefit. Bonham Carter recently ended her run as Princess Margaret on The Crown, playing a fictional version of Queen Elizabeth II's (Olivia Colman) younger sister in Seasons 3 and 4. For the past four seasons, the Peter Morgan-created series has revisited the lives of the British royal family while giving focus to Queen Elizabeth II. The series begins with the Queen's ascent to the throne and has followed her through her reign in the 20th century.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Bonham Carter touched down on the topic in a recent episode of the official podcast about The Crown. During the discussion, Bonham Carter noted The Crown has a "moral responsibility" to make sure it's explicitly clear to viewers that the Netflix show is a dramatic rendering of the lives of the British royal family. In doing so, Bonham Carter goes on to say, labeling The Crown as fiction would help viewers distinguish between "our version" and "the version."

"It is dramatized," Bonham Carter explains. "I do feel very strongly, because I think we have a moral responsibility to say, 'Hang on guys, this is not... it’s not a drama-doc, we’re making a drama.' So they are two different entities."

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Image via Netflix

The debate around whether or not The Crown should come with a "fiction" label kicked off when the suggestion was made by UK culture secretary Oliver Dowden, also a member of the country's Conservative Party. As reported by The Guardian, Dowden framed the label as a "health warning," going on to explain in an interview that "it’s a beautifully produced work of fiction, so as with other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that […] Without this, I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact."

Dowden's comments have sparked conversation in the UK, where the press has already reacted strongly to Season 4's depiction of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) as well as Prince Charles (Josh O'Connor) and the late Diana Spencer's (Emma Corrin) marriage (via The New York Times). It's worth noting that The Crown has never portrayed itself entirely factual — something that would be evident to viewers as they watch scenes featuring members of the royal family play out behind closed doors — and where no members of the press would be allowed in reality. Furthermore, The Crown is, in fact, labeled as a "drama" on Netflix, not "documentary" or "non-fiction." As such, one would hope that viewers are discerning enough to distinguish between the categories before pressing play.

At this time, Netflix has not commented on Dowden's suggestion, nor has the streamer indicated if it will put a label on The Crown in the near future.

The Crown Seasons 1-4 are now available to stream on Netflix. For more, read our interview with stars Josh O'Connor and Emma Corrin about the latest season.