ALISON BOSHOFF: Fergie is forced to DENY claims she ‘made repeated contact’ with The Crown producers

The Duchess of York has to deny claims that she has “repeatedly contacted” the producers of The Crown.

Sources at Left Bank Pictures say Sarah Ferguson, 63, wanted to collaborate with them on a TV adaptation of her novel, Her Heart for a Compass.

During conversations with boss Andy Harries, the subject of her performance was mentioned in The Crown.

Fergie offered to help with information about her character on the show and the inner workings of the royal family.

A source said: ‘She has been in touch repeatedly via emails and on the phone. She gave advice and background information and said she had an inside view that would make her invaluable as a consultant to the show.”

Fergie is said to have pointed to her own experience in the film industry, as producer of the 2009 film The Young Victoria.

Sources at Left Bank Pictures say Sarah Ferguson, 63, wanted to collaborate with them on a TV adaptation of her novel, Her Heart for a Compass. Pictured: Emma Laird Craig as Fergie in The Crown Series 4

During conversations with boss Andy Harries, the subject of her performance was mentioned in The Crown

Referring to the discussions aside in a magazine interview this summer, she revealed that she had complained about her lack of screen time on the show.

She said she had written to Harries to say, “Hello! Where’s Fergie?!’ She added: “I said to him, ‘Why can’t I help my character?!”‘

A few weeks later, she told another magazine that she had indeed spoken to Harries about The Crown.

She said: ‘I saw The Crown and I thought it was beautifully filmed. The cinematography was excellently done. I loved the way they encompassed my wedding.

“I did write to Andy Harries, who produced The Crown, but it was more about the idea of ​​getting Her Heart For A Compass into a movie or TV series than my portrayal.”

However, with controversy over the series and a growing sense that the royal family is actively turning down a show they once grudgingly tolerated, she now seems to feel the need to distance herself from The Crown.

Fergie offered to help with information about her character on the show and the inner workings of the royal family

Referring to the discussions aside in a magazine interview this summer, she revealed that she had complained about her lack of screen time on the show. Pictured: Imelda Staunton plays Elizabeth II in the fifth series

After being contacted about the story, a source close to the Duchess initially said she “thought she might just provide some insight into her character and there was certainly no discussion of compensation.”

A few hours later, the source said the Duchess had “categorically” made no offer to consult on The Crown; and claimed her on-the-record comments confirming conversations with Linkeroever had been misinterpreted in interviews.

Still later, a spokesperson for Ferguson said: “The Duchess was in touch with Andy Harries, who produces The Crown, last year and they had a discussion about adapting her novel, Her Heart For A Compass, into a TV series.

“They haven’t mentioned The Crown, or any idea that would help them in any way with the series. Such a suggestion was made separately by a mutual friend at one point, but was not taken up by either party.’

It comes after Princess Diana’s friends criticized Netflix’s ‘insensitivity’ after crews from The Crown were spotted filming the moments leading up to her fatal car accident – just 100 meters from the Paris tunnel where she died 25 years ago. .

Exclusive MailOnline photos showed footage of a Mercedes in Paris near the scene of the car accident that claimed the lives of her and Dodi Al Fayed.

Netflix crew film just before Princess Diana’s car crashed in Paris in front of The Crown

Bystanders said Netflix crews were filmed between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Wednesday about 100 yards from the Alma tunnel, where the crash occurred in the early hours of August 31, 1997.

The photos show a black Mercedes like the one the couple traveled in that tragic day and was filmed in another nearby tunnel on the same road.

Netflix has maintained that the “exact moment” of the crash will not feature in the controversial drama, which has recently come under fire for sensationalism and inaccuracy.

A friend of Diana said the show’s creators could be accused of “insensitivity” over the shooting in Paris.

Debbie Frank, who was Diana’s astrologer, said it would be “terrible” for Princes William and Harry to see a replay of the moments leading up to their mother’s death.

“Of course it’s terrible for Diana’s children to see that again. It’s insensitive,’ she said.

She added: “I feel Diana’s death and the crash was the biggest shock of our generation. It had such a huge impact on the national psyche.

“I think the creators of The Crown have a right to show a reenactment of scenes leading up to her death and it has a dramatic impact. But relatives would think otherwise.’

Series five of the Netflix show will stream from November 9.