Everything We Know About The Crown's Sixth & Final Season
The end is near.
The Crown was an extraordinary risk when Netflix first announced it, with six seasons promised from the outset, covering six decades of Queen Elizabeth II’s rule, one decade per season. The result has been Emmys and Golden Globes, and since the arrival of Diana in Season 4, viewer ratings to match. Now, The Crown Season 6, the show’s final set of episodes, is heading this way.
Since the initial announcement of The Crown, its planned trajectory has changed slightly. Originally, series creator Peter Morgan planned to cover from Elizabeth and Philip’s wedding through 2012 and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, a moment in the Windsor story where the wind seemed to be at their backs and smooth sailing ahead. However, as the show rounded toward Season 4, Morgan hesitated, as the crises erupting in the royal family made covering the more modern era of the royal family more dicey. He initially said he would scrap Season 6 completely before reversing course and deciding that Seasons 5 and 6 would cover the 1990s and early aughts more in-depth.
Season 5 ended with the 1997 election of “New Labour” and Princess Diana asking to take the boys on holiday to France for the summer. It was a moment that foreshadowed her impending demise and set up the latter half of the decade to come.
Here’s everything to know about The Crown’s final episodes.
The Crown Season 6 Cast
After the series was recast wholesale a second time between Seasons 4 and 5, most of the actors currently playing the parts will return for the final season. That includes Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Jonathan Pryce as her husband, Prince Philip, and Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret. Dominic West will continue to be too handsome and charismatic as Charles, with Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles and Elizabeth Debicki as Diana. Additionally, Marcia Warren will return as the queen mother, Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne, James Murray as Prince Andrew, and Sam Woolf as Prince Edward to round out the central royal family.
Although the main cast will stay the same, the youngest generation will grow up again, with a new set of actors playing William and Harry. Rufus Kampa and Ed McVey will split duties for William as a teen and college student, while the actors for Prince Harry have yet to be announced. The show will also introduce Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton.
As for some of the other key figures from Season 5, Khalid Abdalla will continue as Dodi Fayed, and Salim Daw as his father, Mohamed Al-Fayed. Also, Bertie Carvel will play Tony Blair, who just started his run as Prime Minister in Season 5’s final episode.
Like Season 5, there will almost certainly be flashbacks in the show’s final season, bringing things full circle. Though it is not confirmed, viewers should not be surprised if there turn out to be cameos from Claire Foy and Olivia Colman as younger Elizabeths, Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies as younger Prince Philips, and Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham Carter as younger Princess Margarets.
The Crown Season 6 Filming Updates
Despite initially suggesting The Crown Seasons 5 and 6 would film back to back, as the show did with Seasons 3 and 4, the production ultimately decided against it. Instead, production for Season 6 began in September 2022, pausing for a week to observe the mourning period for Queen Elizabeth when she passed and then picking back up again in October.
The Crown Season 6 Plot
Season 5 ended in early 1997 with an offhanded comment about Diana going to France for the summer. Season 6 will pick up with the passing of Princess Di, focusing on her final days in France and the aftermath in the U.K.; however, Peter Morgan has stated he plans to opt against dramatizing the actual car crash.
Other significant historical events The Crown Season 6 will most likely hit include the passing of Princess Margaret and the queen mother. They passed away within weeks of each other on Feb. 9 and March 30, 2002, respectively. Whether or not the show goes beyond that to end with Charles and Camilla’s wedding in 2004 remains to be seen.
The Crown Season 6 Trailer & Release Date Predictions
With production only now underway, Netflix will likely not release a trailer for months. However, the streaming service has confirmed The Crown’s final season will debut in late 2023.
The Crown Seasons 1 through 5 are streaming on Netflix.
