The lives of the British Monarchy have been the subject of endless fascination for generations. One would think they are not relevant to the present times, but the celebrity treatment of the Royals, which began with Princess Diana, has truly exploded today. Forget Prince William and the Duchess, Kate Middleton — even their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, are not spared from constant public scrutiny of not just their behaviour, but even their outfits. You’ve got to hand it to the Royals though; their public appearances are always polished, but the inner workings of their family are kept tantalisingly private.
Occasionally, a scandal breaks out, but the finer details are buried deep and stowed away, far from the rest of us. Consequently, there’s a Royal rumour mill that never loses steam, and a slew of ‘inspired’ films and television series that try to offer some perspective on their lives. The latest, and perhaps the most promising endeavour in this regard, is Netflix’s new drama series, The Crown . What makes this series special isn’t that it’s Netflix’s most expensive production yet (they seem to be topping their previous record for spending every three months now), or even that it is written by Peter Morgan, who was also the writer behind the 2006 film starring Dame Helen Mirren, The Queen , as well as Frost/Nixon .
The Crown is special because, for the first time, the Royals seem to have approved of the show — Peter Morgan had revealed at a press conference that they were ‘very, very, aware’ of it, and that it might not be too long before Netflix manages to get the Queen’s opinion on it. The Crown is drama that explores the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, and the first season, which comprises 10 episodes and releases in a few weeks, begins at the very beginning.
The year is 1947, the Second World War has just come to an end, Winston Churchill (John Lithgow) has been re-elected Prime Minister, and Princess Elizabeth (Claire Foy) is getting married to Prince Philip (Matt Smith). In the middle of all this, King George VI (Jared Harris) is ailing — he is frequently coughing blood, which his faithful attenders dismiss as a symptom of “the cold”. It isn’t long before he discovers that it isn’t the cold, but cancer, and realises that he must do all he can, while he can, to prepare his barely 25-year-old daughter for the throne. The Crown explores the impact that adherence to royal duty has over family and relationships, and the immense burden that is placed on a young woman’s shoulders.
Claire Foy plays young Queen Elizabeth, which is interesting because this series would be the second time she’s playing an important English queen on television — she was spectacular as Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall , and her performance in The Crown doesn’t seem any different. Matt Smith is also wonderful as Prince Philip, a man who is caught between the boundless love he has for his young wife, and hating the monarch that she must become.
The Crown is the story of a Princess who became Queen, but make no mistake — it isn’t a fairytale.
( The Crown releases on Netflix on November 4.)
