In 2016, streaming giant Netflix threw its hat into the historical drama ring with an epically sweeping biopic. The subject: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, aka Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, starting from her marriage to Philip Mountbatten and later coronation. While positively received at first, later seasons brough ever-increasing scrutiny and pushback, especially from the real-life Royal Family, as the storyline began delving into more recent elements like Princess Diana. Criticism of the series’ portrayal of Her Majesty intensified this year with Elizabeth’s death last month. Even so, Netflix is all in with promoting the fifth season of their show, with its initial trailer.

Entertainment Weekly tells us that the official trailer for Netflix’s “The Crown” season 5 hit the internet this past Thursday, October 20. This preview picks up from the tense conclusion of season 4 last 2020 and ratchets up the tension into what trailer dialogue describes as an “eruption”. And indeed, viewers will get a tease of what the now controversy-ridden show as it depicts the final disintegration of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s “fairytale” marriage, just one of many appalling events that would bring the House of Windsor to its lowest in the public eye.

The trailer also serves to ease the new casting choices into the roles of the older principal characters of “The Crown”. Imelda Staunton (Umbridge of “Harry Potter”) and Jonathan Pryce (“Evita”) take over from Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Elizabeth Debicki replaces Emma Corrin as Princess Diana and so intensely takes up the role in what scenes featured her. Dominic West and Olivia Williams are the new Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles, whose star-crossed love becomes the catalyst for Diana’s growing refusal to toe the Royal line of family loyalty and dignified silence.

Other key events in the reign of QEII also feature in brief flashes during the fifth season trailer. It actually starts with the aftermath of the 1992 Windsor Castle fire. That part of the decade also saw the secret interviews with Diana that led to the publishing of a tell-all book which caused the aforementioned (media eruption). Also caught is a scene from what appears to be the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China. That year also happens to be when Diana had her fatal accident, although producers note that the Princess’ actual death might be put off until the sixth and final season.

“The Crown” season 5, blessed with media awards even as it is savaged by critics in the wave of the passing of its principal subject, is due to premiere on Netflix streaming come November 9.

Image courtesy of People

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