Warning: SPOILERS for The Crown season 6, episode 10, “Sleep, Dearie, Sleep”The ending of The Crown season 6, which was also the series finale, saw Queen Elizabeth II dealing with her feelings of obsolescence, yet she realized that she devoted her life to the monarchy, and pushed forward, becoming the central focus again. This final season represented a time of torment for the monarchy, which dealt with heavy criticism from the public, making Elizabeth doubt her role and even consider abdicating in favor of her son. The queen took a step back in season 6 as the main character, leaving the rest of The Crown’s cast of characters.
The Emmy-winning historical drama, which chronicles the reign of Queen Elizabeth II through multiple portrayals, released season 6 in two batches. Although the first part of the season heavily covered Princess Diana’s final months and the events leading to her tragic car crash in Paris, France, the second part tried to separate itself from the aftermath of the crash and focus on the future of the monarchy as it entered the 21st century. The Crown season 6 ended with Queen Elizabeth II still alive, but it looked back on her long legacy, and it also heavily foreshadowed her eventual passing.
Why The Crown Season 6 Doesn’t Cover Queen Elizabeth II’s Death (& How It Honors Her)
The Crown’s Final Episode Respectfully Foreshadows Elizabeth’s Death.
The Crown season 6, episode 10 focused heavily on Queen Elizabeth II’s contemplation of her mortality and her struggles with whether she should abdicate, but the show did not cover her death. The episode started with her advisors ready to settle the details about her state funeral, dubbed Operation London Bridge, in which she participated reluctantly. Before the release of season 6, creator Peter Morgan revealed he changed the ending of The Crown after Queen Elizabeth’s death, adding in a respectful farewell but not a depiction of the event.
The Crown‘s last episode took place in 2005, 17 years before Queen Elizabeth II’s death, yet it was filled with details about her funeral. The episode included a scale model of the real procession, a glimpse of her coffin with her crown, orb, and scepter resting atop the casket, and the song, “Sleep, Dearie, Sleep.” The series came full circle from its premiere, which started with Elizabeth preparing for her coronation. The Crown‘s ending also honored Prince Philip, as it addressed his plans to be carried in his old Land Rover, which happened when he died in 2021.
The Crown Season 6 Timeline: How Long Before The Present Day It Ends
The Crown’s Story Ends In 2005
The Crown ended its story 18 years from the present day, after the reception of Prince Charles and Camilla’s wedding. The show’s plot was spread out over more than 50 years, starting in 1947 and wrapping up in 2005, allowing for the show to examine the monarchy at some of the most pivotal historical events of the past century, demonstrating how public perception and internal management changed over time. This is demonstrated through the three Queen Elizabeth actors, each of whom brings a different flavor to the role.
Claire Foy & Olivia Colman’s The Crown Season 6 Cameos Explained
All Three Actresses Who Played Queen Elizabeth II In The Crown Joined Together On Screen.
In the final episode, all three actresses who portrayed Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown throughout its six-season run joined together for a powerful scene. The series, which premiered in 2016, changed its cast every two seasons to keep up with the ages of the real people it portrayed. Elizabeth was played by Claire Foy in the first two seasons, followed by Olivia Colman, and finally Imelda Staunton. Although the series included cameos from former Elizabeth actresses along the way, its last episode brought them all together.
The last season of The Crown also added another Elizabeth actor to the mix: Viola Prettejohn played a teenage version of the character who appeared in the final scene in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The actresses’ poignant cameos in Queen Elizabeth’s future resting place united three generations who represented the end of an era: of Elizabeth, the monarchy as it was perceived at the time, and of The Crown.
Did Queen Elizabeth Really Consider Abdicating The Throne?
The Last Season Of The Crown Heavily Addresses The Public’s Criticism Of The Queen.
In the wake of Princess Diana’s death, the monarchy took a hit with the public. At the same time, Prime Minister Tony Blair enjoyed a lot of popularity. Throughout The Crown season 6, Elizabeth questioned whether to modernize the monarchy, wondering whether she should step back and let her firstborn, Charles, take over. Although a moment of self-doubt would’ve been possible, there is no indication that Queen Elizabeth ever considered abdicating. Historians even dismissed the possibility of her abdicating following Prince Philip’s death in 2021 (via The Guardian).
In the final moments of the show, the queen stood proudly before her two younger selves and stepped into the light outside St. George’s Chapel, bracing herself for many moments to come. At the same time, The Crown season 6 addressed some of the public criticism over Charles’s succession. One scene saw Prince William and Queen Elizabeth talking over tea about skipping a generation, and the last episode also addressed Charles’ desire to be king. Despite that, Elizabeth’s last conversation with Philip reflected on her legacy and the changes that would come for the royal family and the monarchy.
How The Crown’s Ending Sets Up Charles Becoming King
Elizabeth’s Successor Was Crowned King Charles III In 2022.
Throughout The Crown‘s final season, Charles was the subject of controversies due to his affair with Camilla and divorce from Diana. Charles was more involved in discussions about the future of the monarchy, portraying the clear differences in perceptions between him and his mother. Although season 6 was produced after the queen’s death, it didn’t show Charles’s coronation in 2023. However, the show did set up his future as king.
The last episode began with Charles asking the queen for permission to marry Camilla, and it ended with the couple successfully marrying. Throughout its last six episodes, Charles becoming King was no longer a distant possibility but a certainty. Following Charles’s request, Elizabeth discussed the marriage with the bishops and addressed the fact that, should she die, no one would want a King who lived in sin.
This was also one of the reasons that Elizabeth discussed the matter with Prince William and Prince Harry before officially allowing Charles to marry Camilla. Despite the family believing she might step back after Charles and Camilla’s wedding, the queen’s speech did not involve an abdication, and although the last season set up Charles’s future, in her final scenes, Elizabeth decided he was not ready for what it entailed yet.
Harry’s Nazi Costume Scandal In The Crown Explained
The Crown Depicts A Real Scandal.
In the last episode of The Crown, Prince Harry attended a “native and colonial” costume party with his brother, William, and Kate Middleton, where he decided to wear a Nazi costume with a swastika on his arm. Kate told Harry to cover the swastika, and Willliam noted that wearing a costume didn’t make him a Nazi. Harry was photographed at the party, landing on the front page of the tabloids, and that incident happened in real life, leading to a public scandal. The last season showed Harry’s troublesome years and how being number two affected him.
Harry addressed the Nazi costume incident in his 2023 memoir, Spare. He wrote that he went to the costume shop alone but then called William and Kate to ask whether he should get a costume of a British pilot or a Nazi uniform, and the couple recommended the latter. Harry added that no one cared about his costume at the party, but it later sparked controversy as it appeared on the front page of the newspapers. He issued a public apology after the event, and it didn’t stop him from serving in the army later.
How Accurate Was The Crown’s Version Of Charles & Camilla’s Wedding?
The Couple’s Relationship Dates Back To The Crown Season 3.
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles are one of the most controversial couples in the world, and their romance was also portrayed in The Crown, which culminated with their marriage in the series finale, and the wedding scene was mostly accurate. Although the scene of the proposal in the garden was imagined (via LA Times), Charles and Camilla did end up getting married in real life. Since both were divorced, they couldn’t have a big wedding and instead opted for a civil ceremony at the registry office, followed by a service of prayer and dedication at St. George’s Chapel.
As is portrayed in The Crown, Queen Elizabeth II did not attend the service, but she did give a speech after the event at the reception at Windsor Castle. What the show left out was the controversy about the queen wearing white at the ceremony and the fact that they had to push back the wedding a day because of the death of Pope John Paul II. Before the wedding, Camilla was also very sick and stressed and could barely get out of bed.
Why The Crown Ended With Season 6 – What The Creator Has Said
Peter Morgan Wanted The Crown To “Remain A Careful Distance From Where We Are Now”
The Crown concluding after its sixth season in 2005 came as a shock to many, given that the royal family still has a wealth of compelling drama to explore from the final decades of Queen Elizabeth’s life. While the final season wasn’t consistently as strong as the previous installments, its explorations into William and Harry were a treat, and the series undoubtedly could’ve regained its momentum with subsequent seasons focused mainly on their endeavors. However, speaking with THR, The Crown creator Peter Morgan had this to say about why The Crown ended after season 6:
It was always my feeling that I didn’t want to come right up to the present. I always wanted to remain a careful distance from where we are now.
We had to construct, narratively, an episode in which you were genuinely satisfied that you had reached the end, even though you were almost 20 years from the end.
Morgan’s statement is essentially that he wanted the show to remain a piece of historical fiction. Examining the royal family’s stories from decades before the current day allowed the series to be mostly clear of contemporary biases, and the closer matters got to the modern era, the more divisive its handling of certain material became. This would likely have continued to plague the once captivating drama had it carried on for any longer.
What Happened After The Crown’s Ending
Many Major Events Have Happened Since The Last Stories Depicted In The Crown.
With the decision to end The Crown‘s story in 2005, many events didn’t make it into the historical drama series. These include Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in 2011 and the birth of their three children. Prince Harry’s partying was addressed in the last season of the show, but he got his happy ending with Meghan Markle, whom he married in 2019. In 2021, they resigned as senior members of the royal family. The scandal surrounding Prince Andrew’s sexual allegations, which resulted in him also resigning from the royal family, also didn’t make it into the show.
Although the ending of The Crown season 6 foreshadowed Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth’s deaths in 2021 and 2022, respectively, the real events were left out. King Charles’s coronation in 2023, where he and Camilla were crowned King and Queen, also didn’t make it on. There are many historic events, including Brexit and Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, that do not get portrayed either. Throughout its six-season run, The Crown was critically acclaimed for its blend of historical events with fiction, and it was at its best when focusing on Elizabeth, and its ending did its best to honor that.
Source: The Guardian, LA Times
