We finally have a first look at The Crown Season Six. This morning, Netflix released a trailer for Part One of the final season, which focuses on Princess Diana’s final years. In the brief teaser, we hear Diana (played by Elizabeth Debicki) reflect on her life and position in the monarchy. “I don’t really understand how I ended up here,” she says, woefully, “dashing around and losing sight of myself in the process. You know, I think that’s been the story of my whole life.” Check out the full trailer below.
It’s no secret that Princess Diana’s legacy left a lasting impact. So much so that Peter Morgan, the creator of The Crown, is facing backlash for how he’s depicted her death. Ahead of the Season Six premiere—which makes its way to Netflix on November 16—Daily Mail obtained imagery from the show that was deemed controversial. In the photos, Prince Charles (Dominic West) having a conversation with an imaginary Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), while her body is flown from Paris to London after her fatal car crash. The images sparked public outrage, but Morgan says the scene is meant to reinforce the late princess’s significance in history.
“I never imagined it as Diana’s ‘ghost,’ in the traditional sense,” Morgan said in an exclusive interview with Variety. “It was her continuing to live vividly in the minds of those she has left behind. Diana was unique, and I suppose that’s what inspired me to find a unique way of representing her. She deserved special treatment narratively."
Since The Crown’s premiere in 2016, the series has chronicled the lives of the monarchy, one chapter at a time. The series begins with Queen Elizabeth’s rise to power in the 1940s, and follows her marriage to Prince Phillip, along with the birth of their children, and the political shifts in the United Kingdom. Season Six is Morgan’s final deep dive into their lives. Earlier this year, Vanity Fair obtained first-look images at the final season, teasing what’s to come. The pictures they obtained show a young Prince William and Kate Middleton meeting at The University of Saint Andrews—which means the beginning of their courtship will definitely be featured.
Prince Harry’s romance with Meghan, however, will not be included. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Morgan explained their relationship is too recent to cover. “Meghan and Harry are in the middle of their journey,” he said. “I don’t know what their journey is or how it will end. One wishes some happiness, but I’m much more comfortable about things that happened at least 20 years ago.”
Luckily, Morgan has plenty of material to work with. Any fan of the royals knows that every year is a whirlwind, so keep reading for everything we know about The Crown's final stretch.
What Will Happen in Season Six of The Crown?
The official plot is still under wraps, but given The Crown’s historical accuracy, Season Six will include Princess Diana’s death, 9/11, William's first year at college, Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee, and the deaths of Princess Margaret and Queen Mum. I told you! Every year was a whirlwind.
Will We See Prince William and Kate Fall in Love?
Yes! Images from Season Six show William and Kate (played by Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy) interacting at college. In one photo, William stares longingly at his future bride, and in another, we see Kate laughing with a group of their friends. As the story goes, they met at The University of Saint Andrews and dated for nearly five years.
During their engagement interview with ITV News, William said, “When I first met Kate, I knew there was something very special about her, and then I knew there was possibly something I wanted to explore there, but we ended up being friends for a while. That was a good sort of foundation. I do genuinely believe now that being friends with [each other] is a massive advantage.” We may not see their entire romance play out, but if my suspicions are correct, we’ll at least get a glimpse at the years of friendship that William spoke about.
Who Will Appear In Season Six of The Crown?
The cast for Season Six includes newcomers McVey and Bellamy, along with Imelda Staunton (Queen Elizabeth II), Viola Prettejohn (young Princess Elizabeth), Jonathan Pryce (Prince Phillip), Lesley Manville (Princess Margaret), Beau Gadsdon (young Princess Margaret), Dominic West (Prince Charles), Olivia Williams (Camilla Bowles), Elizabeth Debicki (Princess Diana), and Khalid Abdalla (Dodi Fayed).
When Can I Watch Season Six of The Crown?
Netflix will release episodes one through four on November 14, and episodes five through ten on December 14. Until then, the first five seasons are available to stream on Netflix.