After six seasons, The Crown no longer reigns supreme.
When The Crown debuted in 2016, it offered a revolutionary peek into the secretive world of one of the most powerful families in the world: the British monarchy. As a Brit, the monarchy was a novelty and the series helped portray the inner workings of a family that was only ever perceived through public events, official ceremonies, and tabloids. The arrival of The Crown marked a significant departure from this historical norm, providing Brits with an intimate glimpse into the lives of the royal family.
Now in its sixth and final season, The Crown delves into the penultimate chapter of a fascinating story that explores the effect of the age of time. As the season unfolds, viewers witness a metamorphosis not only in its central protagonist, but also in the fabric of society that surrounds the royal family. The distant memory of the 50s gives way to the complexities of the 21st century. Yet, amidst this evolution, Peter Morgan, the showrunner, skilfully explores the dichotomy of the show, where even as society and the royal family changes, the Crown remains a constant.
It’s been revealed the show is set to conclude in 2005, with the wedding of Charles and Camilla. The backlash to this decision is completely understandable. Many fans, including myself, envisioned the end of The Crown being the inevitable yet unthinkable death of Queen Elizabeth, with Charles forced to ascend to the throne in the twilight of a life lived in the shadow of his mother. The reason this wasn’t the case was the insistence of the writers that the show be historical rather than “journalistic.”
However, this insistence of sticking to a more satisfying payoff for fans is symptomatic of how the show has dropped the ball with its latest season. Though finishing a 50-year story with a wedding maintains the fairy tale feel that may be associated with the Royal family, it doesn’t engage the real implications of the British monarchy in the 20th and 21st centuries.
The strength of The Crown’s early seasons was its ability to portray the complexity of the world the monarchy exists within, with equal parts family intrigue as well as political and historical events, offering insight into how society evolves. Seasons one and two did this especially well, where depictions of a post-war Britain bustling with new ideas about what the monarchy should be were coupled with depictions of Elizabeth’s transition from heir to monarch and the toll it took on both herself and her relationships.
This balance showcased the inevitability of change in society with new wars, political leaders, and social events counterbalanced with the fact the only constant is the Crown.
By season six, however, this balance is eradicated, with the sole storyline revolving around Charles and Diana’s domestic life. While focusing on their lives post-divorce makes for an interesting narrative, it diminishes the show’s identity by sidelining the social commentary and historical depiction that broadened its appeal.
The story in Diana’s case writes itself, where tragedy strikes a newly liberated princess finally free from the shackles of her marriage, when she’s killed before she fully establishes herself outside of the life that imprisoned her. Charles’ story has devolved to simply being about his attempts to get his mother to accept his new relationship, with his insistence on getting her approval undoing a lot of the character development he achieves in earlier seasons.
It’s this focus on domestic bliss that gave credence to the writers to end the story with Charles and Camilla’s wedding, the ultimate end of the show’s most fleshed out storyline. This exemplifies the show’s departure from historical commentary, with its new insistence on ending with one idea, one story.
By concluding with Charles and Camilla’s wedding, The Crown risks oversimplifying British history by sidelining its rich tapestry of societal evolution and reducing the series’ historical significance to a fairy tale narrative, which overlooks the monarchy’s role in shaping the nation.
Despite these criticisms, the next four episodes of the story will hopefully turn the season around. By splitting the season into two parts, the death of Princess Diana gets the spotlight it deserves, providing the audience a chance to delve into this significant event before the final episodes are released.
Though the show will be ending after this season, I would’ve liked the next instalment to explore the idea of the 21st century and how it weighs on the 20th century’s most enduring monarch and woman. After a 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth should’ve got the send-off she deserved.
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