When it come to The Crown, we’re feeling torn. We love the series, but we’re also torn, because it feels too soon after the passing of Queen Elizabeth. We know that this is a dramatization, but we also know that this is a country in mourning; a world in mourning.
And that needs to be respected.
So it draws the question – where do we draw the line? It’s a tricky situation. One that we’re fully aware that no one will ever make everyone happy with.
The trailer for season five even makes us wonder, is now the time?
We have known for a long time that this season of The Crown will be controversial – showing one of the most controversial times of the royal families. It’s also going to be controversial, because it shows things that inevitably led to the demise of Charles and Diana, but also the infamous interview that Diana was tricked into.
And it’s definitely something that the royals have every reason to be upset about.
This season is described as, “With the new decade in its stride, the Royal Family are presented with possibly their biggest challenge to date as the public openly question their role in ’90s Britain.
As Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton) approaches the 40th anniversary of her accession, she reflects on a reign that has encompassed nine prime ministers, the advent of mass television and the twilight of the British Empire. Yet new challenges are on the horizon. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong signals a seismic shift in the international order presenting both obstacles and opportunities. Meanwhile, trouble is brewing closer to home.
Prince Charles (Dominic West) pressures his mother to allow him to divorce Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), presenting a constitutional crisis of the monarchy. Rumors circulate as husband and wife are seen to live increasingly separate lives and, as media scrutiny intensifies, Diana decides to take control of her own narrative, breaking with family protocol to publish a book that undermines public support for Charles and exposes the cracks in the House of Windsor.
Tensions are set to rise further, as Mohamed Al Fayed (Salim Daw) arrives on the scene. Driven by his desire for acceptance of the highest order, he harnesses his self-made wealth and power to try and earn him and his son Dodi (Khalid Abdalla) a seat at the royal table.”
The new cast includes Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, 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, Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles, Jonny Lee Miller as John Major, Salim Daw as Mohamed Al Fayed, and Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed – in their interpretation of the Royal Family characters that Peter Morgan first created in 2016.
It’s worth repeating that The Crown is a fictional dramatization of the royal family.
The 5th season of The Crown will debut on Netflix, Wednesday, November 9th. The Crown: The Official Podcast will also return on November 9th.
