The Crown will end with its sixth season, it has been confirmed.
Royal fans were initially sad to learn that the hit Netflix series would end with its fifth season, which was released on the streaming service earlier this year, but show creator Peter Morgan changed his mind back in 2020. He said in an official statement: “As we started to discuss the storylines for series five, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story, we should go back to the original plan and do six seasons.” Yay!
And now, while we have already binge-watched the new season of The Crown, starring Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, attention has now turned to what will unfold in the sixth series. Will we see Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s romance take centre stage, or will the focus still be on Princess Diana? If you too feel curious (I mean, who isn’t?!), then join GLAMOUR as we look at what we can expect in the final season of the popular royal drama.
Who will star in The Crown Season 6?
No central roles in the final season will be recast, so most of the cast of season five are expected to return. That includes Elizabeth Debicki as Diana, Princess of Wales; Dominic West as Charles, Prince of Wales; and Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II. Actors Jonathan Pryce, Lesley Manville, Jonny Lee Miller, Marcia Warren, Olivia Williams, Claudia Harrison, James Murray, Khalid Abdalla, Bertie Carvel and Timothy Dalton are all set to return.
Prince William will have two different actors, Rufus Kampa and Ed McVey, playing him in the final season. Kate Middleton will be played by Meg Bellamy.
Kelly Brook is also set to make a cameo, as she explained on Heart FM (via Daily Star) that she had to give a picture clearance request for one of her pictures from her early modeling days to be used in one of the character’s dressing rooms: “That’s definitely got to be a teenage boy’s bedroom. Could I be on the wall of Prince Harry or Prince William’s bedroom at Buckingham Palace? Was I a pin-up for them back in the ’90s? How old were they then? Well, this is incredible. Of course, I have said yes.”
What will The Crown’s Season 6 plot focus on?
The sixth season will finally depict Princess Diana’s tragic death, with Dominic West telling Deadline in August 2022 that it “will be as tumultuous as it gets.” The publication also reported a lot of “anxiety behind the scenes” of filming that moment, although scenes will focus on the build-up to her passing and the immediate aftermath. The full crash would be seen as too much for many viewers.
“We’ve been dreading getting to this point,” a source added. “It’s fair to acknowledge that there’s a certain anxiety, a palpable sense of being slightly on the edge. I mean, there’s bombshell sensitivity surrounding this one.”
We can also expect to see key events such as the Queen and Prince Philip’s golden wedding anniversary in 1997 and Charles and Camilla’s marriage in 2005. However, the show is unlikely to depict more recent events in the royal family, as producer Suzanne Mackie explained showrunner Peter Morgan’s thoughts in an interview with Broadcast.
“Peter has said it very articulately that he simply can’t write something unless there has been time to gain a proper perspective. I think he’s always felt 10 years is the minimum amount of time that he can see something in a historical context to allow him to really understand it.”
When asked if he may change his mind, she added: “We all know these stories, but what Peter does so brilliantly is get underneath that and understand the landscape in a more nuanced, complex, surprising way.”
When will The Crown Season 6 be released?
Netflix has yet to confirm the release date for Season 6, but we can probably expect a November 2023 date. However, given that filming was paused following the Queen’s passing, we may have to wait a bit longer, until December 2023 or early 2024.
Originally published in Glamourmagazine.co.uk
