Royal drama’s afoot in the first trailer for The Crown‘s highly-anticipated fifth season which is set to arrive Wednesday, November 9 on Netflix.
Created by Peter Morgan, the Emmy-winning series brings forward a new set of stars to take on roles based on real-life figures. Imelda Staunton steps into the shoes of Queen Elizabeth II in this first look which teases turmoil and division amid the rocky relationship between Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki) and Prince Charles (Dominic West).
By Staunton’s side as Prince Philip is Jonathan Pryce, and Lesley Manville takes on the role of the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret as the family faces some seriously tough times ahead. Set to the tune of The Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony,“ the opening moments of the trailer hear the Queen say, “in light of the events of the last twelve months, perhaps I have more to reflect on than most.”
(Credit: Keith Bernstein/Netflix)
As if to illustrate this point, visuals tease the Queen’s walk through Windsor Castle following the devastating fire that tore through the abode in 1992. “The Royal family is in genuine crisis,” another voice states, as tensions between Princess Diana and Prince Charles are teased. Questions of Britain’s stability arise with the couple’s growing instability.
“For years I’ve called for a more modern monarchy that reflects the world outside,” Charles says. His mother, the Queen, responds, “I don’t think it’s my behavior that’s threatening its survival.” The behavior she refers to is his flirtatious rendezvous with Camilla Parker Bowles (Olivia Williams). “You as future king have a duty,” the Queen reminds Charles.
“People will never understand how it’s really been for me. I never stood a chance,” Diana laments as individuals begin to see her as a threat to the institution. “Remember the one condition, the one rule,” Prince Philip says to Diana, “you remain loyal to this family.” When she corrects him, saying that it means being silent, he adds, “yes, it’s a system, for better or worse, we’re all stuck in it.”
“I won’t go quietly,” Diana says, “I’ll battle to the end.” That means opening up about her hardships within the Royal family in a now infamous interview. All this and more are hinted at in the revealing trailer for The Crown Season 5. Along with Staunton, Debicki, West, Pryce, Manville, and Williams, Season 5 features Claudia Harrison, Jonny Lee Miller, Salim Daw, and Khalid Abdalla.
Inspired by real events, the series serves as a fictional dramatization of Queen Elizabeth II’s story, both political and personal. Season 5 chronicles the period in time during the 1990s when the role of the Royal Family came into question by the public. As teased in the trailer, above, pressures are at an all-time high. How will they explode? Stay tuned to find out when The Crown returns this November on Netflix.
The Crown, Season 5 Premiere, Wednesday, November 9, Netflix
