Shuvrajit Das Biswas
‘The Crown’ is a historical drama web series that airs on Netflix and first premiered on November 4, 2016. It has been created by Peter Morgan who is famous for works like ‘Rush‘ and ‘The Damned United‘. In fact, the idea of the show evolved from one of his films, titled ‘The Queen’, and his play titled ‘ The Audience’.
The series is all about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and the events that unfolded at that time that concerned England. The show is biographical in nature, covering Queen’s life from her younger years till her years on the throne.
There is no use denying that a lot of people are obsessed with the royal family. Even if you are not that interested in the royal family, you are bound to love this show for its accurate portrayal of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. In fact, critics praised this as one of the many virtues of the series, besides the acting, writing, direction, cinematography, and production values. ‘The Crown’ has also won several awards, including Emmys. The Guardian bestowed high praise on it, saying, “Netflix can rest assured that its £100m gamble has paid off. This first series, about good old British phlegm from first to last, is the service’s crowning achievement so far.”
The Crown Cast: Who is in it?
Since the entire show has been re-cast for the new season, the role of Queen Elizabeth II, which was previously played by Claire Foy, has been replaced by Olivia Colman, who recently won an Oscar for her portrayal of Anne, Queen of Great Britain in Yorgos Lanthimos‘ ‘The Favourite’. ‘Game of Thrones’ star Tobias Menzies plays Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Other confirmed cast members include Jason Watkins of ‘Tomorrow Never Dies‘ fame as Prime Minister Harold Wilson, Helena Bonham Carter of ‘Fight Club‘ fame as Princess Margaret. Josh O’Connor plays the role of Prince Charles, while Erin Doherty plays Princess Anne. Marion Bailey of ‘Allied’ appears as Queen Mother, and Charles Dance of ‘The Imitation Game‘ fame plays the role of Lord Mountbatten.
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The Crown Season 3 Plot: What is it about?
Each season of ‘The Crown’ is divided into periods of life of the queen. Netflix officially describes it as a drama that follows the “political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and the events that shaped the second half of the 20th century.” In the first season, the events up to the year 1955 were covered. We see Queen Elizabeth’s marriage, and Princess Margaret deciding not to marry Peter Townsend after all. Winston Churchill is the acting Prime Minister during this time.
Season 2 picks up from the end of the first season and includes the Suez crisis of 1956 and the retirement of Harold Macmillan, the Queen’s third Prime Minister, in 1963 after the political scandal surrounding the Profumo affair. We also get to see the birth of Prince Edward in 1964.
Season 3 is expected to explore a wide gamut of issues particular to the time like the Apollo 11 moon landing and the Aberfan disaster. Harold Wilson is the acting Prime Minister at this time, and we will get to see that as well, along with the important investiture of Prince Charles in 1969. Another milestone moment that we will witness in the upcoming season is the decolonization of Africa and the Caribbean.
Season 4, on the other hand, might see Princess Margaret and Roddy Llewellyn’s eight-year affair that led to the Princess divorcing Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1978. This season will also introduce Princess Diana. As is evident to the fans, the show has a great deal planned for the future, so there is a definite cause for anticipation and excitement.
The Crown Season 3 Release Date: When will it premiere?
‘The Crown’ Season 2 premiered on December 8, 2018. Viewers have nothing to worry about because as we mentioned, the series has already been renewed for Season 3 and Season 4. Further good news is that, ‘The Crown’ Season 3 is all set to premiere on November 17, 2019. Don’t forget to mark your calendars.
Should You Watch The Crown?
If you love period pieces and the power dynamics play a big role in them, you will totally enjoy ‘The Crown’. The Hollywood Reporter best analyzes the show, saying “With its literate affluence and clear-eyed treatment of the compromises and conditions of power, The Crown is positioned to appeal to fans of both ‘Downton Abbey‘ and ‘House of Cards‘, and I was consistently impressed with how Morgan kept the story interesting even in episodes without big historical events. The coronation and Elizabeth’s 1953 world tour make for rich hours, but Morgan is as confident building an episode around Elizabeth studding a prize horse or the Queen Mum’s trip to Scotland. I found the first season of The Crown to be surprisingly bingeable”.
Talking about power structures, it is important to note that Morgan has always been fascinated by the clashes between processes and institutions and the power struggle that lies underneath all this. Therefore, in Netflix’s bold foray into a prestige drama, this show packs all the punches of a costume drama with the wiles of a power struggle that would be understandable universally, even when removed from the British empire.
The Crown Trailer:
Here’s the ‘The Crown’ Season 3 trailer to get you excited.
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