The fifth season of The Crown captures the Royal household at its lowest point. The dysfunctional structure that once only appeared fractured internally is now being publicly scrutinized in the 90s because the bearing of monarchy is declining. The aging Queen Elizabeth (Imelda Staunton) is working with the idea of evolving ancient not only for her country but also for her home. As a parent, the Queen sees herself in a huge dilemma as her kids appear to be chosen to pursue their own paths now and they don’t need her lawyer anymore.
The fifth season of the show tracks Queen’s annus horribilis (worst year) in her power as she finds herself in a weak position while watching her house steam down figuratively and directly. The season also puts into production the affairs of Prince Charles (Dominic West) and Princess Diana’s (Elizabeth Debicki) partition. All through Season 5, Charles can be seen discussing the need for a real change in the monarchy and the importance of modernizing it. The season remains far too compassionate toward the Prince of Wales in every aspect, be it when he admits he feels like an embellishment pack dust as he awaits to be King or when the emphasis shifts to his failed wedding. Elizabeth Debicki’s Princess Diana, on the other hand, gets treated as a weak woman pursuing love and happiness whose dark judgments clearly failed her sooner than the design of the royal household or her husband’s extramarital relationship.
In terms of arrangements, while Imelda Staunton brands as Queen Elizabeth from the get-go, it takes a bit to see Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip given how the performer brings subtleties of the Duke of Edinburgh to his role sooner than any major resemblance. Dominic West despite taking not having much physical closeness to Charles, manages to catch the royal’s style of speaking and in scattered points also nails the voice but it isn’t close as good as Josh O’Connor. As for Elizabeth Debicki, on whom, a lot of this season relaxes, she picks Diana’s style of talking and her mannerisms quite well but does work in the locations where the Princess of Diana is weak and passionate.