In honor of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 96, Netflix’s acclaimed historical series The Crown has temporarily halted production on its sixth season. Elizabeth II ruled for the longest period in British history and among all female heads of state. According to showrunner and series writer Peter Morgan, “The Crown is a love letter to her, and I have nothing to give at this moment other than calm and respect.”
This autumn is predicted to see the premiere of The Crown’s much-awaited fifth season. The show has won numerous accolades; at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, Season 4 even took home the Outstanding Drama Series trophy. Other awards for the season included Lead Actress (Olivia Colman), Lead Actor (Josh O’Connor), Supporting Actor (Tobias Menzies), Supporting Actress (Gillian Anderson), Directing (Jessica Hobbs), and Writing (Peter Morgan). It’s without a doubt one of the most significant Netflix original series, as well as one of the most costly shows ever produced.
The series is undoubtedly one of the greatest dramas currently airing on television, but it doesn’t imply that it accurately portrays historical events. Any series that spans this much of history must indulge in artistic license. Prince Harry stated in an interview with James Corden that The Crown “gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle is, even though the Royal Family has not yet made a public declaration regarding the program, the demands of prioritizing duty and service over family and everything else, and what might result from that, are still there.
The Crown may aid viewers in comprehending the difficulties the royal family faces, but it has frequently strayed from reality. For the sake of dramatic effect, some creative liberties were used in the first season. The argument between Martin Charteris (Harry Hadden-Paton) and Michael Adeane (Will Keen) about who would be Queen Elizabeth’s (Claire Foy) private secretary was made up. In a similar vein, Clementine Churchill, the wife of Winston Churchill (John Lithgow), did not destroy her husband’s portrait.
The portrayal of Princess Margaret, Elizabeth’s younger sister, played by Vanessa Kirby, was highly exaggerated. While traveling abroad for the series, Margaret serves as the Queen’s envoy, although all of the speeches she delivers are made up. Due to their severely poor portrayals in Season 4, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker had to deactivate their social media accounts in real life. The series implies that Charles and Camilla kept in touch throughout Charles’ marriage to Diana, but they did not start dating again until after Charles and Diana’s split. The personnel of the Royal Family making fun of Diana is also greatly exaggerated. It is wholly imaginary for Sir John Riddle, Diana’s secretary, to doubt her intelligence in that scenario.
The Crown’s creators, however, have gone to considerable measures to accurately portray historical information. Many of the sequences in the UK and Africa that were part of the series were filmed on location. For the teachings to sink into your brain, according to set decorator Alison Harvey, “you have to research a decade, distill the style of that decade in your thoughts, and look at millions of photographs of the time.” Around 400 sets every season are analyzed by 24 behind-the-scenes professionals. The historical individuals, occasions, and disputes that The Crown discusses have undoubtedly increased interest in them. It’s a terrific approach to increase historical interest among viewers. The Crown is an excellent place to start if you want to learn more about the British Royal Family, but it shouldn’t be viewed as a teaching tool.