Netflix has dropped a trailer for The Crown's controversial season 5 and it foreshadows the fate of Princess Diana as her love story with Prince Charles unravels.
Relationships are tense in the house of Windsor during the new season which jumps to the 1990s when political and personal events greatly shaped Queen Elizabeth's reign.
The new drama will scratch an itch for fans who have been waiting almost two years for more of the story.
Here's what the trailer tells us about the season set to be released on November 9, 2022.
Windsor Castle is on fire — literally and figuratively
The opening shot of the trailer hints at chaos for the monarchy, featuring the 1992 fire roaring through Windsor Castle and Queen Elizabeth II standing among the ashes.
The trailer flicks to a television reporter questioning whether royal scandals have damaged the country reputation, and a tabloid headline which states the princess "will not go quietly".
It suggests season 5 will focus on the strain the press placed on the royal family and Netflix has confirmed the Queen in season 5 will be reflecting on the boom of mass media.
Fans will also see a young Prince William and Prince Harry appear on the silver screen for the first time in The Crown.
The trailer shows snippets of military ceremonies in the rain, a Guy Fawkes day celebration, Princess Margaret at a ball and perhaps the most sought-after scenes — a look at how Princess Diana and Prince Charles' romance unfolded.
Diana's revenge dress as relationships unravel
It's one of the most famous ill-fated love stories of all time and it appears to feature heavily in season 5.
Ever since photos dropped of the new royal cast, with the ever-so mirror image Elizabeth Debickie playing Princess Diana and the slightly-less convincing Dominic West playing Prince Charles, super fans have speculated season 5 would be full of the controversial couple.
And they seem to be right.
The trailer has a big focus on the strain Diana brought to the royal family.
And several iconic princess Diana moments are featured — from her 1994 revenge dress to her controversial 1995 Panorama interview.
After hints of the affair in season 4, Prince Charles's relationship with future Queen Consort Camilla is blooming as season 5 begins and they kiss in front of fireworks towards the end of the trailer.
There's also a glimpse of Princess Diana's romance with Dodi Fayed, with the new trailer showing a moment when she, sitting beside Mohamed Al-Fayed, looks longingly towards the billionaire's son.
The preview doesn't give away how close season 5 will get to the story of Princess Diana's death.
The new clip has caused real-life controversy
Not everyone was happy to preview what's to come in season 5 with British actress Judi Dench calling on Netflix to add a disclaimer to royal drama.
On Thursday, UK time, she joined a chorus of voices criticising the series' fictionalised storylines.
In a letter to The Times, the 87-year-old veteran said as the award-winning show approached present times "the more freely it seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism".
"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 wrote.
Dench has portrayed historical queens Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria on screen as well as James Bond's boss "M".
Her letter followed other criticism, including a statement from former prime minister John Major's office.
Why does John Major care about The Crown?
Apparently a scene from the new series shows him speaking to Prince Charles as part of a plot to get the Queen to abdicate.
In a letter to the Daily Mail, Mr Major called that a "barrel load of nonsense" and his office denied any such conversation took place.
Dench referenced the scene, calling it "both cruelly unjust to the individuals and damaging to the institution they represent".
Some royal commentators have also voiced concern the impact the show could have at the start of the now King Charles' reign.
