The final season of acclaimed Netflix series The Crown is set to release this November. Ahead of the premiere of the Emmy and Golden Globe winning series, here are 10 things to know about the show created by Peter Morgan, that focuses on the life and times of England’s longest-reigning monarch, the late Queen Elizabeth. (Also read: The Crown final season to be split into two parts, release dates out. Watch)
About the two parts
The final season The Crown Season 6 will be divided into two parts, which are set to release in November and December respectively. Part 1 arrives on November 16 whereas Part 2 is eyeing for a December 14 release. The official synopsis for the new season, via Netflix, reads: “A relationship blossoms between Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed before a fateful car journey has devastating consequences.
Prince William tries to integrate back into life at Eton in the wake of his mother’s death as the monarchy has to ride the wave of public opinion. As she reaches her Golden Jubilee, the Queen reflects on the future of the monarchy with the marriage of Charles and Camilla and the beginnings of a new Royal fairytale in William and Kate.” See the first trailer here:
Princess Diana’s death
The first Part is set to chronicle the death of Princess Diana that shook the whole world. Elizabeth Debicki plays Princess Diana in the show. During an appearance at the Edinburgh TV Festival, as quoted by InStyle in September, executive producers Andy Harries and Suzanne Mackie said, “The show might be big and noisy, but we’re not. We’re thoughtful people and we’re sensitive people. There were very careful, long conversations about how we were going to do it. The audience will judge it in the end, but I think it’s been delicately, thoughtfully recreated. Elizabeth Debicki is an extraordinary actress and she was so thoughtful and considerate. She loved Diana. There’s a huge amount of respect from us all, I hope that’s evident.”
The cast
The Crown Season 6, Part 2 will consist of six episodes, according to Netflix. The last part will follow Prince William as he tries to return back to his life at Eton following the tragic death of his mother. Photos of Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy as Prince William and Kate Middleton were released earlier this year in April.
Imelda Staunton will play Queen Elizabeth II, having taken over from previous actors Claire Foy (Season 1 and 2), and Olivia Colman (Season 3 and 4). The rest of the cast members for Season 6 include Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Dominic West as Prince Charles, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne and Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles.
Insider details
An insider from the production of the series revealed how the show will trace till the present. “People are always asking Peter [Morgan] if he’s going to write a sequel. He doesn’t need to because those last five or six episodes bring you right up to the present day. You’re actually watching this rehabilitated Queen Camilla figure,” said the source according to The Daily Telegraph.
All three actors will return
According to a report by The Sun, new scenes have been shot featuring the previous two actors who portrayed Elizabeth, i.e., Claire Foy and Olivia Colman. The report further added that a World War II version of Her Majesty will be part of the final season, when she was the teenage Princess Elizabeth. For that segment, she will be played by the actor Viola Prettejohn.
Dame Judi Dench’s criticism
In a letter last year, Oscar winner Dame Judi Dench strongly criticised the hit series for its portrayal of certain figures. In a letter to The Times, she stated, “While many will recognize The Crown for the brilliant but fictionalized account of events that it is, I fear that a significant number of viewers, particularly overseas, may take its version of history as being wholly true. Given some of the wounding suggestions apparently contained in the new series—that King Charles plotted for his mother to abdicate, for example, or once suggested his mother’s parenting was so deficient that she might have deserved a jail sentence—this is both cruelly unjust to the individuals and damaging to the institution they represent.”