Peter Morgan built The Crown from two earlier projects: his 2006 film The Queen and his 2013 stage play The Audience. Both centered on Elizabeth II. The Netflix series, produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television, took the same subject across six seasons and 60 episodes, opening with her 1947 wedding to Philip Mountbatten and closing with Charles’s 2005 wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles.
Trailer, via Netflix.
Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton
The show’s central mechanic is the recast. The principal cast changed every two seasons. Claire Foy played Elizabeth in seasons 1 and 2. Olivia Colman took seasons 3 and 4. Imelda Staunton closed it out in seasons 5 and 6. Foy returned for cameos in seasons 4, 5 and 6, and won an Emmy for her appearance in “48:1,” the eighth episode of season 4.
Two Houses, One Crown
The series spans almost six decades. Season 1 runs 1947 to 1955: the accession, the coronation, Churchill’s resignation, Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend. Season 2 runs 1956 to 1964: Suez, Eden, Macmillan, the Profumo affair, the births of Andrew and Edward.
Season 3 covers 1964 to 1977, including Wilson and Heath, the Aberfan disaster, and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. Season 4 runs 1979 to 1990: Thatcher, and Charles’s courtship and marriage to Diana Spencer.
Season 5 covers 1991 to 1997 — John Major, the “War of the Waleses,” the divorce, the Al-Fayeds, the “annus horribilis.” Season 6 runs 1997 to 2005 under Tony Blair: Diana’s death in the first four episodes, then the Golden Jubilee, the deaths of Margaret and the Queen Mother, William and Catherine, and Charles and Camilla.
The Cast Behind the Crown
| Seasons | Queen Elizabeth II | Prince Philip |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Claire Foy | Matt Smith |
| 3–4 | Olivia Colman | Tobias Menzies |
| 5–6 | Imelda Staunton | Jonathan Pryce |
Staunton’s final stretch pairs her with Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Dominic West as Charles, Claudia Harrison as Anne, and Marcia Warren as the Queen Mother. Helena Bonham Carter played Margaret in seasons 3 and 4. Emma Corrin played Diana in season 4.
The Numbers Behind the Run
- First season released: 4 November 2016
- Final season released in two parts: 16 November and 14 December 2023
- Seasons: 6. Episodes: 60
- Filmed at Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire
- Metacritic score: 81/100 (8.1/10)
What the Crown Costs
The praise has been consistent: acting, directing, writing, cinematography, production value. The Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series and two Golden Globes for Best Television Series-Drama back that up.
The criticism is just as consistent, and it lands hardest in the back half. The series has been criticized for its historical inaccuracies, particularly in the latter half of its run.
Metacritic’s 81/100
Metacritic scored The Crown 81/100, which converts to 8.1/10. That is the critical consensus, not this paper’s verdict.
The recasting remains the series’ most distinctive decision. The show’s problem was never its cast. It was the stretch where its history ran closest to living memory.
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