Prime Minister Tony Blair took office in 1997, and served for a decade. He is a major player in the final season of The Crown, as Blair (played by Bertie Carvel) tries to modernize the monarchy as depicted in episode six, "Ruritania."
But did the real Blair attempt this? The answer: Yes, he did, though it's unclear how successful he was.
In September 1997, the Washington Post reported, "After the death of Princess Diana, [Blair] has added the monarchy to the list of institutions that need refurbishing."
The paper added, "Blair has tried to set himself up as both the protector of the monarchy and the man who will nudge the royal family gently into the modern age. Even as he was publicly defending Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles for what much of the public viewed as unfeeling actions after Diana's death, his aides were telling British reporters that it was Blair's intervention that helped persuade the House of Windsor to respond more dramatically to the demands of the mourners in the streets."
A decade later, in 2007, the Telegraph reported, "Mr Blair is said to have regarded the Queen and senior members of the Royal Family as out of touch. Early on in his premiership his closest aides were said to have boasted that Downing Street had 'saved' the monarchy when Diana, Princess of Wales was killed in a car crash in Paris in the late summer of 1997."
As episode six of The Crown depicts, Queen Elizabeth was hesitant to do any "modernization" of the royal family. "Any change to Britain's heritage which the Queen considers unnecessary is very upsetting to her," the late Queen's friends told the Telegraph.
"Mr Blair's buzzword throughout his tenure has been 'modernisation'" Peter Morgan, creator of The Crown said back in 2007—foreshadowing his work on the Netflix show. "But the Queen is the figurehead of an institution all about stability and preservation for which modernisation is the antithesis. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Queen has treated him with trepidation."
It's unclear if the former prime minister is pleased with his portrayal on the popular Netflix show. After season five of The Crown, Blair's spokesperson told Daily Telegraph, "It should come as no surprise that this is complete and utter rubbish."
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
