The Crown fans who may have been looking forward to seeing a fictionalised portrayal of recent goings-on between Prince Harry and Prince William may be disappointed to learn the historical drama’s storyline is unlikely to extend past the early 2000s, and will end with season six, according to producer Suzanne Mackie.
“[Series creator] Peter Morgan has said it very articulately, that he simply can’t write something unless there has been time to gain a proper perspective," Mackie told Broadcast in a new interview.
"And I think he's always felt 10 years is the minimum amount of time that he can see something in a historical context, to allow him to really understand it. I don't think he'll deviate from that."
The TV series, which is available to stream on Netflix, follows the life of Queen Elizabeth II and has so far covered her early life, coronation and marriage to Prince Philip.
Season four, which was released in November, was set during Margaret Thatcher’s premiership and introduced Emma Corrin as Princess Diana, who at this time was still courting Prince Charles, as well as Gillian Anderson as Thatcher.
Season five, scheduled to hit screens in 2022, will move into the 1990s, with Imelda Staunton taking over from Olivia Colman to play the queen, Jonathan Pryce taking on the role of Prince Philip, Jonny Lee Miller playing John Major and Elizabeth Debicki starring as Princess Diana. More cast changes are still to be announced.
Each series of The Crown has more or less covered a decade, and while the time frame for the next instalment is yet to be confirmed, it is likely to follow the same pattern, including the death of Princess Diana in 1997, the year Tony Blair took over as Prime Minister.
Season six will take viewers into the early 2000s, a decade that featured Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles’s engagement and wedding, as well as the deaths of Princess Margaret and Queen Mother Elizabeth.
"We all know these stories, but what Peter does so brilliantly is get underneath that, and understand the landscape in a more nuanced, complex, surprising way,” Mackie continued.
"The minute he starts trying to do that sooner, it will inevitably feel contrived or artificial. So, although this has been an absolute career highlight for me, it will absolutely be time to move on."
