Tampongate: How 'The Crown' Covered Prince Charles and Camilla's Intimate Phone Call

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty; Dave Benett/Getty

Netflixdidn’t shy away from covering one of the most explosive tabloid stories of the 1990s.

The latest chapter ofThe Crownrevisits some of the royal family’s most painful moments from the early 1990s, including one sensational headline involving then-Prince Charlesand then-Camilla Parker Bowles.

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As Claudia Harrison joked in character asPrincess AnneinThe Crown,the recording sounded like “two teenagers being gloriously human and entirely in love.” Charles and Camilla also took their time to say goodnight — with multiple “love you” exchanges — before hanging up.

Instantly circulated around the U.K. and the world, the scandal was grievously christened “Camillagate” and “Tampongate,” referring to the call’s most notorious line.The Sunday Mirrorreported that Princess Diana thought the conversation was “sick.” InThe Crown,Elizabeth Debickiis distraught as she processes what she’s read.

Before season 5 hit queues,Dominic West(who playsPrince Charles) spoke about recreating the sensitive memory for the show and the sympathy he gained for what the royal went through.

“I remember thinking it was something so sordid and deeply, deeply embarrassing [at the time],” West toldEntertainment Weeklyof his perception of the headlines when the news broke nearly 30 years ago.

“Looking back on it, and having to play it, what you’re conscious of is that the blame was not with these two people, two lovers, who were having a private conversation. What’s really [clear now] is how invasive and disgusting was the press’s attention to it, that they printed it out verbatim and you could call a number and listen to the actual tape,” he continued. “I think it made me extremely sympathetic towards the two of them and what they’d gone through.”

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While Charles and Diana were separated when Tampongate made headlines, their divorce would not be finalized until August 1996.

Season 5 ofThe Crownis now streaming on Netflix.

source: people.com