The launch day of The Crown’s fifth season pulled in 1.1 million views on Netflix and the sixth and final season of the drama is expected to attract similar numbers.
The show’s fifth season ended with Diana embarking on a holiday with Dodi and Mohammed Al-Fayed, foreshadowing her tragic death.
With new and familiar faces appearing in The Crown season 6, we can expect to see more of the show’s approach of documenting real-life events with a healthy splash of drama and fiction.
Here’s what we know about the sixth and final season of The Crown, including how the show will pay tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Who is in the cast of season 6?
There are many returning actors coming back to The Crown, including Elizabeth Debicki as Diana, Princess of Wales, Dominic West as Prince Charles, Imelda Staunton as the Queen, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip.
The supporting cast will include Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles, Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed, Salim Daw as Mohamed Al-Fayed and Bertie Carvel and Lydia Leonard as Tony and Cherie Blair.
In a special tribute to the late Queen, Staunton will be joined by previous versions of the Queen, Claire Foy (from seasons 1 and 2) and Olivia Colman (from seasons 3 and 4), as well as a new, young iteration of the monarch played by Viola Prettejohn.
It is thought that all four actors will appear in some sort of tribute or flashback series documenting the monarch’s life and legacy.
Other newcomers to the show include Rufus Kampa and Ed McVey, who play Prince William at different ages. The latter will appear opposite Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton.
In addition, Luther Ford will play Prince Harry in his teenage years.
What storylines can we expect to see in season 6?
The final season of The Crown will follow events from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, encompassing the death of Princess Diana in 1997 and the child and teenage years of Prince William and Prince Harry.
While the death of Princess Diana will be covered, showrunner Peter Morgan has made it clear that the crash will not be shown on screen.
According to a production source, “the car leaving The Ritz after midnight with paparazzi in pursuit and then the aftermath with the British ambassador to France swinging into action with the Foreign Office and then the subsequent constitutional aftermath” will be shown.
Judging from set images, it seems that Diana’s final summer will be a focus for the season, as well as the aftermath of her death, with scenes showing Prince Charles travelling to collect her coffin and Mohamed Al-Fayed facing casual racism from the French authorities when claiming his son’s body.
Is there a trailer for the Crown season 6?
There is no trailer yet for the final season, and filming is reportedly still taking place until the end of June.
When will season 6 of The Crown be released?
While a release date has not been confirmed, Netflix’s chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, has said to Deadline that the final instalment will be available to stream in this autumn.
Where to watch The Crown season 6
Crown fans will be able to watch the next season on Netflix. The streaming company recently announced measures designed to prevent password-sharing, cracking down on people sharing one account between multiple households so the series launch may lead to a jump in subscriptions.
