Two months after turning the page of the British Monarchy with Charles as the new king, the fifth cycle of episodes of the hit Netflix series “Crown(The Crown). This new season, which was uploaded to the platform a few hours ago and consists of 10 episodes, dates back to an earlier decade, when members of the British royal family had to face a number of unprecedented and serious tests.

We are living in the early 1990s, when 65-year-old Queen Elizabeth II is informed of a disturbing article in the British newspaper The Sunday Times. In fact, it was a poll showing that the majority of citizens believe that Elizabeth should abdicate the throne. And this is because he “has moved away a little” and, of course, “already grown up.”

Indeed, the possibility of the queen’s abdication preoccupied the British press during those years, and royal correspondents struggled to find out exactly what was going on in the palace. In fact, in the first episode, Prince Charles puts pressure on the British Prime Minister at the time. John Major seeking to force his mother to give up her title.

But this was not the only obstacle in the life of the royal family. The episodes are based on the already broken marriage of Prince Charles to Princess Diana and, above all, the impact of this event on the monarchy. To reassure the public that there are no problems in their relationship, the couple leaves for a family vacation, smiling at journalists “hungry” to capture “happy moments”. But the reality is different, and soon Diana’s misfortune will be revealed through public appearances, her biography, which she secretly helped write, and her infamous interview on the BBC’s Panorama program.

Other events of the season include the 1992 fire at Windsor Castle, the Queen’s speech that year calling it a “terrible year” after a series of scandals, family members’ divorces, the monarchy as a larger “system”, and Prince Philip’s special relationship with his 32-year-old youngest. Countess Penny Romsey.

True Facts vs. Fiction

In his very expensive but award-winning series Peter Morgan, much of what is presented does not accurately reflect the true events, but is inspired by them. This is also the reason why a series of reactions were triggered, to which Netflix was asked to respond by emphasizing that part of the series is fiction. In fact, one of the biggest reactions came from the Major himself, who he described as “nonsense” and damaging to Charles’s image the idea of ​​forcing the queen to abdicate.

Despite this, viewers who lived through the events of the 90s showed interest in how the plot would develop in the season. An important role in this was played by the fact that the main composition was almost completely updated, with Imelda Staunton as queen Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip Dominic West like Charles, Elizabeth Debicki like Diana, Lesley Manville like Princess Margaret.

Interpretations

Like the previous ones, the fifth season stands out for its excellent direction and impressive photography. Many frames look like paintings. The performances are of a high standard, especially Stoughton in the complex role of the Queen and Debicka in the role of Diana stand out. The former presents the queen as more approachable, “human” than Olivia Colman, who played the same role in the previous two seasons, while Debicki accurately interprets Diana’s melancholy. The facial expression and awkward pauses in speech once again confirm the oppression in the life of the “people’s princess” inside the palace.

The somewhat slow pace of development of the plot of each series does not tire the viewer, but on the contrary, makes him more “immerse” in what is happening in the palace. What is perhaps a little confusing is the lengthy dialogue in some cases, which, nevertheless, complements the narrative and “tie up” the course of events.

Morgan has taken it upon himself to guide us safely through the royal drama minefield, and he’s no doubt doing it successfully. The sixth season, which is currently in production, will also be the latest in a series that prompted the Netflix platform to move on to other original productions.