The Crown Season 5 FAQ: When is it set? Who's in the cast? How accurate is it?
Season five of The Crown on Netflix features new cast members in episodes that feature a lot of Charles and Diana. destv
Season 5 brings us to the 1990s so many viewers will actually remember a lot of the events that will feature in the historical drama. It covers the years 1992 to 1997. As many will know, 1997 is the year Princess Diana died.
Talk of royal scandal and its impact on the British monarch was part of the trailer for this season. Considering the timeframe season five covers, the storyline will take us towards the eventual divorce of Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1996, after the pair separated in 1992. The year 1992 was also marked by a fire at Windsor Castle.
The season covers the breakdown of the relationship between Charles and Diana as well as her relationship with the press, including her famous BBC interview.
Imelda Staunton plays the role of Queen Elizabeth as we enter the 1990s, taking over from Olivia Colman, while Jonathan Pryce takes on the role of Prince Philip this season.
We see Jonny Lee Miller take on the role of then Prime Minister John Major, taking over from Gillian Andeson as Margaret Thatcher in season four. Real-life John Major has, however, come out to say that he has not cooperated in any way with The Crown.
The Wire star Dominic West takes on a different type of role as a more mature Prince Charles in season five, while Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki plays Princess Diana.
As we mentioned, John Major made a point to say he has not cooperated in any way with The Crown. Following talk of a storyline that could potentially impact the reputation of King Charles, Major described The Crown as "a barrel-load of nonsense".
Following this, actress Judi Dench also spoke out about the accuracy of the show and called for a disclaimer at the start of each episode.
"While many will recognise The Crown for the brilliant but fictionalised account of events that it is, I fear that a significant number of viewers, particularly overseas, may take its version of history as being wholly true," she said.
In response, a Netflix spokesperson said The Crown has “always been presented as a drama based on historical events”.
"Series 5 is a fictional dramatisation, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the royal family — one that has already been scrutinised and well-documented by journalists, biographers and historians."
A disclaimer was added to this season's trailer, stating the show is a "fictional dramatisation", "inspired by real events".
Season five's ten episodes are now available on Netflix. It is the second-last series of the show, with season six to be the final one, taking the royal family into the 2000s.
Some critics have been negative of season five with many citing that it is more difficult to portray such recent events and that the show’s time may have “come and gone”, as stated in . critic Pat Fitzpatrick described the new series as "patchy", and while he found Staunton unconvincing as Elizabeth II, he praised the performances of the actors in the Charles and Diana roles.Â
However, there is no doubt that viewers having been waiting for this particular point in time to be covered in The Crown so those who have followed the saga up until now will still find it irresistible.
- The Crown season five is on Netflix now
