Netflix's streaming hit 'The Crown' reaches Charles-Diana divorce

New season of Netflix streaming hit 'The Crown' tells Charles-Diana divorce story via the queen. The royal family and King Charles should count their blessings.

The fifth season of Netflix’s superb, ambitious “The Crown” covers the years from 1988 to early 1997, arguably the nadir of England’s modern monarchy. It has already caused a bit of a royal firestorm, with the palace orchestrating a public campaign calling the new season grossly unfair to the new monarch, Charles III. This foolish choice, which did nothing but increase anticipation of the series, was unnecessary. Not only is the latest installment fantastic, but it is also the most sympathetic to Charles so far.

“The Crown” sets up series creator Peter Morgan to be a 21st- century Shakespeare for the Second Elizabethan era.

“The Crown” sets up series creator Peter Morgan to be a 21st-century Shakespeare for the Second Elizabethan era. His retellings of royal life are no more accurate than “Richard II” or “Henry V,” making royal whining all these years later all the sillier. Also like Shakespeare, Morgan began while Elizabeth was still on the throne, necessitating that the drama flatter her. The first four seasons accomplished this by turning Prince Philip into a cheating louche, Princess Margaret into a continual headache and Prince Charles into a spoiled whiner, as was necessary. Only Diana managed to fare well, with Emma Corrin’s performance of a woman constantly on the verge of a mental crisis eliciting unsurprising audience sympathy.  

Morgan wrote season five to flatter Charles as much as it did his late mother, which now appears like a very prescient choice. Unlike his mother, however, Charles is not universally beloved. And it’s not a mystery as to why.

Welcome to the divorce years, as first Princess Anne (Claudia Harrison), then Prince Andrew (James Murray) and finally Charles (Dominic West) end their respective marriages. It’s all there: Anne debuting future husband “Tim” at the Royal Caledonian Ball, photographs of Andrew’s wife, Fergie, having her toes sucked, Charles and Camilla’s famous Tampongate conversation leak. As always, these scandals are framed around the queen (Imelda Staunton). She puzzles over why they cannot politely but firmly put probable royal mistresses in their place, as she does whenever Philip (Jonathan Pryce) seems to find one. But as Philip observes, it’s different for her — she’s the boss.  

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/netflixs-streaming-hit-crown-reaches-charles-diana-divorce-rcna56841


Post ID: 47425412-e219-4b59-a2a5-9221ed1a55d3
Rating: 5
Updated: 1 year ago
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