If Netflix's The Crown has taught viewers anything, it's that the royal family does not live a perfect life. Rather, they are normal people with problems, just like anyone else.
It's for this reason that Emma Corrin, who portrays Princess Diana in the series, asked the show's writers to highlight the Duchess' struggles with bulimia in season four. According to People, the actress told Radio Times that she approached the producers after doing some research on the royal, explaining, "We put together a document that we sent to the script team and said: 'Can you include some of this in the writing because we'd love to really flesh out those scenes?'"
"I felt that if we were trying to depict bulimia in an honest way, we had to actually show it—otherwise it's a disservice to anyone who has been through that," the 24-year-old further explained. "I don't think we should shy away from those conversations; Diana was very candid about her experience with bulimia, and I so admire that."
In an October interview with Variety the actress shared that she felt Diana's eating disorder spoke to the trauma she endured. "You can't do justice to everything she was experiencing without including that," said Emma. "It was so symptomatic of the emotional turmoil and all the suppressed emotions that she was feeling."
Emma explained it was only through her research that she truly understood what Princess Diana was put through. She recalled, "Growing up, my general impression was just how enamored people were by her... I had a sense of the tragedy of what had happened to her, and also I suppose her spirit that people speak of—her being this very generous, empathetic person who broke the mold of the royal family."
In fact, Emma believes that having minimal knowledge of Diana's experiences helped to bring her to life onscreen. She said, "In retrospect, I think it made it easier in doing this season, to bring my own interpretation to the character, to her."
Royal watchers can see Emma's portrayal of the Princess when season four of The Crown hits Netflix on Sunday, Nov. 15.