*Warning: spoilers ahead for The Crown season 6 finale!*
After six seasons, sixty episodes and five decades' worth of royal drama, The Crown has finally come to an end on Netflix. The historical series portrayed the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding day to Prince Philip in 1947 all the way through the early 21st century, with actresses Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton trading off starring duties to portray the British monarch.
The Crown season 6 finale—the final six episodes dropped on the streamer on Thursday, December 14, following the four episodes of The Crown season 6 part 1 that premiered on November 16—found a surprising and moving way to honor all three performers, an epic royal reunion that had fans feeling all of the feels. (More on that in a bit!)
The sixth season of the acclaimed drama covered events from 1997 through 2005, including the tragic death of Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), the tenure of Prime Minister Tony Blair (Bertie Carvel), and the burgeoning relationship between a young Prince William and Kate Middleton (played by Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy).
But the final episode, "Sleep, Dearie Sleep," also deals with the queen's death, a real-life event that wouldn't happen until nearly two decades later, on September 8, 2022. We see Staunton's Queen Elizabeth planning her own funeral procession and picturing her own coffin, draped in the royal standard. It is in the last moments of the episode, as the monarch is contemplating both her life and death in St. George's Chapel, that Foy and Colman pop up to cameo as younger versions of the queen.
Viewers had plenty to say not only about the sentimental moment but also about the legacy of The Crown as a whole upon its finale.
What fans had to say about The Crown finale:
Though many The Crown fans praised the series as one of the best Netflix shows ever made, pointing to that "emotional" finale as proof, others felt that the final episode was "a letdown with too much emphasis on William and Kate over other, far more interesting stories." Do you agree?
I'm still processing the end of #TheCrown but one thing I know for sure is that this has been one of the best shows (if not the best) Netflix ever made (despite its flaws), and it will probably hold on to that title for a long time. pic.twitter.com/LVJY1dYrjgDecember 14, 2023
Overall, the final episodes of #TheCrown are a letdown with too much emphasis on William and Kate over other, far more interesting stories. Saying that, I did love the finale, including that rather bold narrative choice, and I’m still sad to see the shows reign come to an end 👑 pic.twitter.com/M73bGiMuLiDecember 14, 2023
And the crown series case has finally come to an end … it was emotional sometimes hurt , sadness , fear , excitement and madness but in all of true or not reality or fiction still this Show Served so many and with the brilliant cast , I’m gonna miss ❤️ #TheCrown #TheCrown6 pic.twitter.com/ghhtyvU5UDDecember 14, 2023
We’ve gone from the final days of Princess Diana to Emperor Blair telling the Queen she should sack her swan guy. Probably should have just shown that Helen Mirren Queen movie as the series finale. #TheCrownDecember 14, 2023
And that’s the end of #TheCrown 😭 6 seasons of true art! And an emotional finale pic.twitter.com/rSTAxR6idkDecember 15, 2023
Fans react to that epic queenly reunion on The Crown:
Even if fan reactions to the finale overall may have been mixed, the image of Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton together onscreen as three versions of Queen Elizabeth wholeheartedly pleased The Crown fans, with one jokingly likening the moment to that infamous pointing Spider-Man meme.
Thank you so much, Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton.#TheCrown pic.twitter.com/HhngBF3MyZDecember 14, 2023
the scene with Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton is crazy 😭 the nostalgia of this show being on since 2016 and finally coming to a close #TheCrown pic.twitter.com/W7UbZCumJgDecember 15, 2023
I finished #TheCrown. The last scene had me in all my emotions. Claire, Olivia, Imelda and Viola played the late Queen so well. A fitting end to this brilliant series.December 16, 2023
me in my living room when claire foy, olivia colman and imelda staunton show up in the same frame in the crown: pic.twitter.com/Na5pMgqxmKDecember 14, 2023
this photo of claire foy, olivia colman, and imelda staunton on the set of the crown is giving pic.twitter.com/BPsjAwg7TQDecember 15, 2023
All six seasons of The Crown are now available to stream on Netflix.
