LONDON — On December 8, “The Crown,” a drama that airs on Netflix and is based on the life of Queen Elizabeth II, will return for its second season. It picks up more or less where the last season left off, making it the most recent episode of a series that tries to chronicle England’s longest-reigning monarch all the way up to the current day.
(Claire Foy, who plays Elizabeth at the moment, will be succeeded by Olivia Colman, who is significantly older, beginning with the upcoming season.)
The first season covered the time period from just before Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, passed away through the early years of her own reign. It showed the hardships she encountered not only as the queen but also as a mother, wife, and sister in this time period. Although the dialogue is made up, the primary events that are portrayed are based on actual historical occurrences.
Here is a recap of Season 1 of “The Crown,” broken down episode by episode, along with a look at how some of these events were covered in The New York Times. This is intended to serve as a refresher.
The Crown Season 1 Cast
- Claire Foy as Princess Elizabeth/Queen Elizabeth II
- Matt Smith as Elizabeth’s husband Philip Mountbatten
- Princess Margaret (Vanessa Kirby)
- Eileen Atkins as Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary
- Jeremy Northam as Churchill’s Deputy PM and Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden
- Victoria Hamilton as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, George VI’s wife, and Elizabeth II’s mother
- Ben Miles as George VI’s equerry Group Captain Peter Townsend
- Greg Wise as Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Philip’s ambitious uncle Jared Harris as
- King George VI, Elizabeth’s father, known as Bertie
- John Lithgow as Winston Churchill
- Alex Jennings was The Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII, who abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson.
- Lia Williams as Wallis, Edward’s American wife
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The Crown Season 1 Plot
King George VI got sick and died at the beginning of Season 1. From The King’s Speech, you’ll remember that George became king after his brother Edward gave up the throne to marry Wallis Simpson. George dies of lung cancer, and there are a few sad scenes when Elizabeth, her sister Margaret, and the Queen Mother realize they are spending his last days with him.
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Elizabeth finds out that her father has died while she and her husband, Prince Philip, are on a tour of the Commonwealth. Prince Philip is a bold and unusual choice for the future monarch, making him a kind of foil for his wife. Elizabeth is quiet and proper, while he likes to run off to shooting parties on the weekends.
The Queen is crowned when she is only 25. By this time, it is clear that Philip doesn’t find it easy to bow down to his wife or follow her orders as a subject. Edward, Duke of Windsor, and his wife, Wallis, go back to England for the event, but they get a cold welcome and have to watch it on TV.
Elizabeth and Philip’s problems keep getting worse. During one fight, paparazzi caught Elizabeth throwing things at her husband. He gets especially jealous when the Queen gives Lord “Porchey” Porchester a direct line to her at Buckingham Palace.
Princess Margaret’s bad relationship with Peter Townsend forces her sister to bless their marriage, which she does in the end, but only if Margaret gives up all her titles and royal privileges.
She breaks up with Townsend and finds it hard, if not impossible, to forgive her sister, the monarch. As a leader, Elizabeth doesn’t just talk about dogs and horses. Instead, she tries to learn more about the British parliament and politics around the world.
Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister, does everything he can to hide the fact that he is sick from her. We find out that Churchill lost a daughter when she was young. This makes him sad, even though he is a very loud politician.
And this might explain why he likes Elizabeth and why their friendship is on the verge of falling apart when London gets covered in a thick cloud of poisonous gases during the Great Smog of 1952.
When Churchill finally steps down, Anthony Eden takes over. However, he quickly gets himself into trouble over who owns the Suez Canal, and he is also sick.
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By the end of Season 1, Elizabeth has asked Philip to open the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 to make him feel less weak. He will also go on a five-month tour of the Commonwealth, which is an opportunity that, at least at first, does not make him unhappy.
In fact, it sets up Season 2 to learn more about Philip’s personality, his childhood, and his relationship with Elizabeth (including his alleged affairs).
The Crown Season 1 Release Date
On November 1, 2016, the first two episodes of the series were shown in theatres for the first time in the United Kingdom.
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On November 4, 2016, the first season was made available on Netflix around the world in its entirety for the first time. The first season was made available on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2017, and it was made available everywhere else on November 7, 2017.
the crown season 1 trailer
Frequently Ask Question
Is There Any Truth to the Crown?
The Crown is a dramatization, but the events it portrays are based on some very real people and some very real-life events. As a result, the program provides a fascinating look into the history of the royal family.
Does Her Majesty Ever Tune in to the Crown?
Is it true that Queen Elizabeth II watches The Crown, and if so, does she enjoy the show? In spite of the fact that she has never addressed the matter in public, it was revealed in 2017 by the Sunday Express that the monarch viewed all ten episodes of the show’s first season.
Is Buckingham Palace Ever Used for Filming in the Crown?
Buckingham Palace plays a significant role in the Netflix series The Crown, despite the fact that the production team was unable to actually film there.
Instead, a number of magnificent estates from all across the country were brought together to construct a replica of the Queen’s abode. One of these residences was an enormous Tudor estate located in Wiltshire.
Conclusion
Netflix’s “The Crown” returns for its second season on December 8. The drama is based on the life of Queen Elizabeth II. Claire Foy plays Elizabeth at the moment, but she’ll be replaced by Olivia Colman in the new season. Season 2 picks up where the first season left off.
The Queen is crowned when she is only 25. Elizabeth is quiet and proper, while Philip likes to run off to shooting parties.
Margaret’s bad relationship with Peter Townsend forces her sister to bless their marriage. The Great Smog of 1952 puts London under a thick cloud of poisonous gases.
The Crown is a dramatization of the life of Prince Philip, played by Tobias Menzies. The events portrayed in the series are based on some very real people and events. The first season was made available on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom in October 2017.