Elizabeth Debicki: The Crown’s new Princess Diana has no idea why she’s always on yachts

Elizabeth Debicki has addressed the biggest question looming over her career: why is she always on yachts?

In the past 10 years, the Australian actor has starred in several projects in which her character’s screen time is mostly spent on a luxury boat.

These include The Night Manager, in which she played the disillusioned girlfriend of Hugh Laurie’s arms dealer, and Christopher Nolan film Tenet, in which she plays the parnter of Kenneth Branagh’s villainous oligarch.

Next up isThe Crown season five, which arrives on Netflix next week. In it, Debicki plays Princess Diana, replacing Emma Corrin in the role as the show enters a new era.

This era is the 1990s, and the first episode follows an unhappy Diana and Charles while they go on their “second honeymoon”, which – you guessed it – involves a yacht.

“It’s strange, right?” she said in a new interview with The Guardian.

“Trust me, I’m the first person to say, why am I always on yachts?”

She continued: “I love being on boats, don’t get me wrong, but I certainly didn’t grow up being a boat person,. I think the first time it happened was Night Manager, and maybe the universe of casting people were like, ‘You know what? She gives good boat.’”

It’s good work if you can get it.

Debicki also hit out at those who criticise The Crown for not having disclaimers at the start of each episode informing viewers that the series is fictional. The most recent celebrity to speak out against the series was Dame Judi Dench.

“I mean, it is clearly fictional,” she said, adding: “I feel like audiences know that, because there are actors, playing parts. I never watched The Crown and thought, this is a documentary, or this is obviously true.”

She continued: “I understand what the show is, and what it’s trying to do. I also understand the reaction to it. I think this is a period of time that’s been told many times over and will continue to be told, and I know the degree of care and respect people enter into these stories with.”

Meanwhile, Lesley Manville, who plays the show’s new Princess Margaret, has explained why she thought she was going to be cast as Queen Elizabeth II when she heard showrunner Peter Morgan wanted her to be in the new season.

The Crown season five will be available to stream on Netflix from Wednesday (9 November).

Find The Independent’s first-look review here.