Kate Middleton's Uncle Slams “The Crown”'s Portrayal of His Family: 'Ridiculous and Fantastical'

Gary Goldsmith said his sister Carole Middleton is not as the "manipulative" character portrayed on the Netflix royal drama

Kate Middleton’s uncle is sharing a searing review of how the royal and their family were depicted in The Crown season 6.

Carole Middleton’s brother Gary Goldsmith shared the hot take on the latest episode of the Daily Mail’s The Crown: Fact or Fiction podcast, released Thursday. The podcast examined “Hope Street,” the penultimate episode of the sixth and final season of Netflix’s drama inspired by the lives of the British royal family, and Goldsmith said it was unfair how Carole (Eve Best) and Kate (Meg Bellamy) were portrayed.

The Crown: Fact or Fiction co-host Robert Hardman introduced Princess Kate’s uncle as the "proud and loyal brother of Carole Middleton” and asked him to share his thoughts on The Crown, which premiered in 2016 and has won awards on both sides of the pond.

"I really, really enjoyed the first couple of episodes and the first series of The Crown, but it seems to just drift into this fantasy world. There's so many parts of it that I don't agree with, and I think the narrative and for trying to get headlines and view an audience. So once it started becoming ridiculous and fantastical, it was very difficult to watch, so I stopped,” Goldsmith began. “I think from people around the world watching it, they’re seeing this, and they’re believing the truth, and we’re thinking, ‘Am I watching The Crown or is it Coronation Street?’ ” he continued, referencing Britain’s longest-running soap opera. “I think it’s just made up.”

Related: Prince William Heads Out for His First Public Duty of 2024, Surprising Two Remarkable Friends

“Do you think, would your sister watch it?” Hardman asked the guest.

“I think the family is a bit too classy to watch stuff like that. But I would say, there’s probably someone taking notes, and saying, ‘They’ve said this,’ ” Goldsmith speculated. “I don't understand why Carole hasn't taken legal action cause literally it's that bad. Carole isn't that manipulative, evil person, sat in a dungeon, coming up by ways by which she can actually force her way into the royal family. She's strong-willed, she's got opinions, that's why we've got the kids and family we've got today.”

There was much hype around the premiere of season 6 of The Crown, where Princess Kate was written into the script for the first time in show history to depict her love story with Prince William. Producers took creative liberties in imagining that William and Kate first met as teenagers on the street while Kate and Carole were holiday shopping and that Carole strategically schemed for her daughter to attend the University of St. Andrew’s in Scotland to meet the prince.

The season 6 episode “Hope Street” recreated the infamous university fashion show where Kate reportedly caught Prince William’s eye for in a sheer slip, and imagined that Carole urged her daughter before to “show off those legs” and let it be known that she was single.

“Honestly, you’re worse than Mrs. Bennet,” Bellamy said in character as Kate, referencing the calculating matriarch in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Related: How Did Kate Middleton and Prince William Actually Meet? Fact-Checking The Crown

Goldsmith then praised his niece Princess Kate, saying she worked hard to get into the prestigious school on her own accord.

“First and foremost, Kate did brilliantly well to get into St. Andrews. She's an amazing, an amazing, an amazing girl, but that wasn't noted. It was all to do with 'Kate you've got to be here on this day, wearing these clothes, doing these things, showing your legs', and it's just not my family. It's not the way Carole operates,” he said on the Daily Mail podcast.

"Mum and Dad were the most brilliant people,” he added, referring to their late parents, Ronald and Dorothy. “The thought of Carole suggesting to my mum's granddaughter to show a bit of leg, it is so far away from the truth. It's just ridiculous.”

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

While Princess Kate, 41, has never publicly hinted that she’s seen the show, several other members of the royal family have. Speaking at the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scottish politician Anas Sarwar said that now-King Charles referenced the Netflix show while introducing himself to Parliament members at an event in 2021.

"He came over and went, 'Hello, nice to meet you all. I'm nowhere near how they portray me on Netflix,' " Sarwar recalled, according to the Daily Mail. "I thought that was a really interesting way of how you describe yourself."

All six seasons of The Crown are now streaming.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.