We’re just a week away from the highly anticipated premiere of the new season of The Crown. In order to get us hyped up for Season 5, Netflix released today a video that teases the events of the upcoming episodes and introduces the new cast to the roles we’ve already come to know and love. The two biggest additions to the cast are, of course, Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter film series) as Queen Elizabeth II and Elizabeth Debicki (Tenet) as Princess Diana of Wales – this season will depict the historical conflict between Diana and the British Royal Family.
In the video, series creator and showrunner Peter Morgan reminds us that this is an important season of The Crown not only because it will feature the most important modern years of the monarchs, but also because of its symbolism. The Royal Family is frequently associated with antiquated practices, and has been called “irrelevant” more than once. This season will represent some events that helped improve that notion, and the conflict is personified in the image of Diana, who was seen as the future of monarchy due to her unconventional behavior.
Caught in between that conflict is (then) Prince Charles (Dominic West), who represents both traditional values and progression, since he obviously has ties with the 50s-style monarchy and is also married to Diana. It’s a complex relationship whose layers will be peeled off one by one throughout the episodes all the way to the tragic conclusion.
Is Season 5 of The Crown Insensitive to the Royal Family?
In addition, the video also brings the new queen Staunton reminding us that the new cast are also fans of The Crown, and they have been watching the show over the years. The cast also talks about how the biggest challenge to approach those roles – especially in a decade where everything was heavily documented – is to find those quiet and private moments that help convey some emotions that monarchs can never show to the media.
The new season of The Crown hasn’t even premiered and has already sparked controversy. Ever since the release of the first trailer, a portion of the public has accused Netflix of sensationalizing the Charles-Diana divorce and crisis in the Royal Family during the 90s. Netflix had to respond with the obvious, stating that the series is a “fictional dramatization”, as anyone who watches any historical movie or series knows. The series’ stance on the scandal can be seen as criticism to the Royal Family, but as this new video reminds us in its very first second, “no institution is beyond reproach and no member of it either.”
Netflix premieres Season 5 of The Crown on November 9. You can watch the behind-the-scenes video below:
Check out the official synopsis for the season here:
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. Rumours 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.
via Collider