Behind the scenes of The Crown
Hold on to your tiaras, Season 5 of The Crown is launching. Here’s what we know…
It’s that time of year again, no, not Christmas, but our annual, “shout at the telly, but can’t stop watching,” season as Series 5 of The Crown launches on Wednesday. The Netflix show has now worked its way up to the 1990s – the Royal Family’s worst decade, as we previously discussed. Here’s what we know from behind the scenes:
Dominic West says the King gave his blessing
Actor Dominic West takes on the role of Prince Charles this season and he said the King actually gave him the go-ahead to play him. According to The Telegraph, Dominic tried to resign as ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, thinking him playing Charles on-screen might not sit well with the now-monarch. But, he says, he got a letter from the palace refusing his resignation. “You do what you like, you’re an actor. It’s nothing to do with us,” the letter said, according to The Wire star. “I think that’s probably how [the King] regards it.” He also told the Radio Times that Charles and Camilla jokingly called him, “Your Majesty,” when they met him at a function last year, showing they’re being good sports about it.
The series covers “Tampongate”
Yes, The Crown is going there. It was one of the scandals of the 1990s and the TV series isn’t shying away from the phone call which was secretly recorded and sold to the press, revealing Charles and Camilla’s very intimate conversation. Dominic says the call was “sweet, tender and gauche… Most people, if they’re lucky enough, will have had conversations like that with people they love,” he says. He also thinks Camilla was very poorly treated. “The research showed me how badly Camilla was treated. I don’t think that would happen today. It happened for many reasons, one of them being she’s a woman.”
Elizabeth Debicki had doubts
Australian actor Elizabeth Debicki certainly looks the part as Diana, but she reveals she had doubts about taking on the role. “In the very beginning that did overwhelm me, the idea of this kind of collective [of Diana disciples] out there,” she tells this month’s Vogue, for which she’s on the cover. “It’s a trap, right? A swampy quagmire. So, I would stand over the kitchen sink and say, ‘I cannot do this.’” She tells the fashion magazine she doesn’t follow the Royal Family and hasn’t met them, although thinks Harry “seems fun”, but appreciates the impact Diana had. “Anyone who works on the show has a sense of how extremely difficult it is to be born into that,” she says. “The rules are sort of decided for you as well: less is more. Although, of course, Diana broke that rule. She broke the fourth wall, reaped the benefits, but the consequences came hard and heavy.”
It’s “the beginning of the end”
The 1990s were a nightmare for the Royal Family, with the fire at Windsor Castle, Charles and Diana’s divorce, as well as that of Andrew and Sarah, then, of course, the death of Diana in 1997. Netflix released a video of the cast (above) discussing this season and how explosive it is. “It does start with people questioning, do we need a monarchy,” says Imelda Staunton, who plays the Queen. “There’s all the big, epic stories going on” says Lesley Manville, who plays Princess Margaret, “but then there’s all the little quiet dramas going on underneath.”
The next season ends on a positive note
The show has come under criticism for “crossing the line” between fact and fiction with Dame Judi Dench calling it “cruelly unjust.” So much so, that Netflix has put out a disclaimer on the series, labelling it a “fictional dramatization, inspired by real-life events”. However, according to The Telegraph, despite all the tragedy, Season 6 – the final one - does end on a positive note for Charles. “The last episode will depict the wedding of Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles in April 2005, highlighting what proved to be a notable turning point for the monarchy and leaving viewers with a feel-good, positive image of the institution,” the newspaper states.
Kate and Wills get back to work
After a half-term break, the Prince and Princess of Wales had an action-packed week. Kate even braved a rainy Saturday afternoon in Wigan to cheer on England men’s team win their Rugby League World Cup quarter final. Standing out in a red Alexander McQueen coat, she was attending her first match as patron of the Rugby Football League.
On Thursday, Kate and William visited Scarborough. This wasn’t just any royal day out, but a ‘Community Impact Day’, the first in a new strategy to help create a lasting legacy in the places they visit. Some £345,000 had been raised between their Royal Foundation and the local Two Ridings Community Foundation.
The couple said on social media: “The young people we’ve had the pleasure of meeting today will play a key role ensuring this funding gets exactly where it needs to go and makes a difference to communities across Scarborough now and way into the future.”
A tuxed-up William also attended The Tusk Conservation Awards at Hampton Court Palace on Tuesday, spoke to his Earthshot finalists on Friday and at the risk of the Royal List sounding like Craig David, the busy pair announced the return of a very special Carol Service on 15 December to be broadcast on ITV this Christmas Eve. We can’t wait to see Kate playing the piano again.
Mike’s ready to rumble in the jungle
In other TV news, Mike Tindall was finally confirmed to be taking part in I’m a Celebrity, which launches on ITV tonight. The ex-England rugby star is tipped to be one of the most popular contestants and his royal rellie Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi is cheering him on. Princess Beatrice’s husband posted a series of emojis under Mike’s social media reveal including a spider, caterpillar and sick face.
Talking to ITV, Mike said it was his podcast co-star James Haskell who convinced him to sign up. “I have been asked on numerous occasions to take part,” he said. “The timing was right this year and Hask did the show and he had been talking about it.” He said he’s going to miss Zara and the kids, though. “First and foremost, I will miss my family. I will miss my bed too and a nice breakfast.”
Parties at the Palace
The champagne corks were popping at Buckingham Palace with a host of parties held by the King and Queen Consort. Highlight of the week was Wednesday’s reception for 150 British Olympic and Paralympic heroes of Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022.
The medallists were greeted by a brace of royals, including The Earl of Wessex, patron of the British Paralympics Association, and the Princess Royal, President of the British Olympic Association. Gold medal winner, Tom Daley, looked like he had the best time (check out his Instagram here), who along with his diving partner, Matty Lee, discussed painful “belly flops” with the King.
On Friday, Charles held a reception for over 200 political and business people, ahead of the COP27 Summit in Egypt which starts today. His Majesty will not be attending the summit but was thanked by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “for his long-standing and far-sighted leadership” on the environment.
And with an extra bank holiday announced for the UK - 8 May - to help us celebrate the coronation with a long weekend, it’s a perfect reason to party.
Meghan’s testing time
None of us like revising that much, so we felt the Duchess of Sussex’s pain when she revealed how hard she found studying for the UK citizenship test’s 24 multiple-choice questions.
“That citizenship exam is so hard,” she said, on the latest episode of her Archetypes podcast. “I was studying for it and I remember going: ‘Oh my goodness.’ I would ask my husband: ‘Did you know this? and people went: ‘Oh, I have no idea.’”
Meghan is believed to have shelved her dual citizenship plans after the couple’s ‘Megxit’ in 2020.
And finally, it’s a very Happy 19th birthday to Lady Louise Windsor this Tuesday 8 November!