Fans of the Netflix series “The Crown” have to say goodbye to the TV royals. The last six episodes can be seen from December 14th. Peter Morgan’s (60) TV show has been causing a stir since it started in November 2016. The series retells the life of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) and her family over the decades, from 1947 to 2005.
A special feature of “The Crown” was that the cast of the series changed every two seasons. Some already well-known actors also slipped into the royal roles, others became stars through the series…
In the first two seasons, Claire Foy (39) played Queen Elizabeth II, alongside “Doctor Who” star Matt Smith (41) as Prince Philip and Vanessa Kirby (35) as Princess Margaret.
In the third and fourth seasons, Oscar winner Olivia Colman (49) took on the role of the Queen, Tobias Menzies (49) took on the role of Prince Philip and “Harry Potter” star Helena Bonham Carter (57) took on the role of Princess Margaret. In addition, the adult Prince Charles was played by Josh O’Connor (33) and Princess Diana by Emma Corrin (28) in these seasons. “The X-Files” star Gillian Anderson (55) joined as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
In the last two seasons, Imelda Staunton (67, Queen), Jonathan Pryce (76, Philip), Lesley Manville (67, Margaret), Dominic West (54, Charles) and Elizabeth Debicki (33, Diana) took on the leading roles.
The stars of the Royal TV show have received numerous awards over the years. At the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards 2021, “The Crown” won approximately all seven drama categories, becoming the first series to do so. Among others, Colman, O’Connor, Anderson and Menzies were honored for their performances. In 2017, John Lithgow (78) won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Winston Churchill. In 2018, Claire Foy won the television award for best actress.
“The Crown” has also won several times at the Golden Globes. In 2017 there was the award for “Best Drama Series” and for leading actress Claire Foy. In 2020, Olivia Colman won best actress, and in 2021 the production was again pleased to receive the award in the “Best Series – Drama” category as well as prizes for Emma Corin, Josh O’Connor and Gillian Anderson. Staunton, West and Debicki are also nominated for their “The Crown” roles at the Golden Globes 2024 (January 7th).
However, “The Crown” has also had to take a lot of criticism in the recent past and as it approaches the present. In an interview with The Guardian in January this year, Helena Bonham Carter said that the series was no longer a “historical drama”. Therefore, she is of the opinion that it should not be continued. And she added: “I’m in it and I loved my episodes, but it’s very different now. When ‘The Crown’ started it was a historical drama and now it’s rushed into the present.”
The series has previously been the subject of heated debate. Controversy arose last year when prominent figures criticized the portrayal of characters in the previous season and called for a note to clarify that it was a fictional series. Actress Dame Judi Dench (89) wrote in The Times, for example, that Netflix “seems ready to blur the lines between historical accuracy and gross sensationalism.” She said there was a risk that “a significant number of viewers” would perceive the drama series as historical fact.
For many fans of “The Crown,” the end of the series will still be a sad farewell. However, there is always speculation about spin-offs… So maybe there will soon be even more stars and more prizes.
