The Crown: No, Australian PM never called the British Queen 'pig'; read details here

A new day, a new controversy surrounding ‘The Crown’ as Australian broadcaster ABC’s flagship current affairs show 4 Corners denies having ever called the British Queen ‘a pig’ as claimed in the new season of the hit Netflix show on British Royal family. 

The episode in season 4 of ‘The Crown’ where Prince Charles and Princess Diana travel to Australia on a royal tour, it has been shown that the-then Prime Minister Bob Hawke (played by actor Richard Roxburgh) is quoted as saying about their visit: “An unelected non-Australian who lives on the other side of the world and, for all their good intentions, is a different breed. You wouldn’t put a pig in charge of a herd of prime beef cattle, even if it did look good in a twinset and pearls.”

It happens in episode 6 of season 4 of ‘The Crown’. Read review of the season here. 

But 4 Corners pointed out that Bob Hawke never said this. The show tweeted, “While we’re loving the fact that you’ve featured us in @TheCrownNetflix, we’re in the business of facts and there are a few things we want to clear up. While we’ve enjoyed your creative license, Hawke did not call the Queen a pig on our show.”

Read the whole tweet thread here:

The current affairs program also pointed out that the interview took place on February 12, not February 26, as stated in a caption on ‘The Crown’. The conversation also took place in Melbourne, not in Canberra, 4 Corners added. 

Among others like royal biographers who have called the depiction of Queen and her family members as factually incorrect, Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, has also raised concerns. 

Watched 'The Crown' season 4? There's a mouse in an episode you don't want to miss