The events depicted on Netflixs The Crown are getting more and more recent, and in many cases, are already vividly imprinted in the public consciousness. Thats in large part because in real life, much of them played out on television and in other media.
Therefore, its no surprise media coverage is a prominent feature of the shows fifth season, premiering Wednesday, which has now reached the events of the 1990s. In particular, this season covers the inevitable dissolution of the marriage between then-Prince Charles (played this season and in the shows upcoming final season by Dominic West) and Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), and the public confirmation of his long-suspected affair with Camilla Parker Bowles (Olivia Williams). (The series, a dramatization of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, continues its tradition of featuring a new set of actors every two seasons. Imelda Staunton takes over from Olivia Colman as the queen.)
Several key events in Season 5 are modified re-creations of major media moments, such as exclusive TV interviews Charles and Diana each gave to tell their sides of the story and craft their public images. And perhaps the most anticipated event depicted in this season is an essentially verbatim reading of the infamous Camillagate or Tampongate transcript.
The role of media coverage has become integral to the shows exploration of the British monarchy just as it was highly relevant to real life in the 1990s, with the availability of more TV than ever before, and the encroachment of the 24-hour news cycle. That even becomes its own subplot this season, as a symbol of the rigid monarchy remaining behind the times. In one episode, the queen, at the suggestion of a tween Prince William (played by Wests real-life son Senan), gets a satellite dish installed. But feeling overwhelmed by the dozens of channels, some showing content she finds uncomfortable, she sticks with watching the BBC.
Heres a look at some of the major media moments depicted in Season 5 of The Crown.
Andrew Mortons book (1992) - Episode 2
The publication of journalist Andrew Mortons 1992 biography, Diana: Her True Story, shook the world and accelerated the demise of Diana and Charles marriage. As the show depicts, Diana agreed to secretly participate in the book, an arrangement Morton only revealed after her death in 1997. He sent her questions by using one of her friends as an intermediary, and she sent back tape-recorded responses. In them, she revealed many of her marital troubles and mental health struggles for the first time, such as an eating disorder (which was detailed in Season 4 of The Crown) and several suicide attempts.
The Queens annus horribilis speech (1992) - Episode 4
In a rare moment of candor during a speech on Nov. 24, 1992, the Queen declared the year annus horribilis. It had been a year full of royal scandals: the separation of her son Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York; the divorce of her daughter Princess Anne and Mark Phillips; the fallout from Mortons book; and a fire that caused significant damage to Windsor Castle.
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