The Crown

The Crown is a historical drama television series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, created and principally written by Peter Morgan and produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for Netflix. Morgan developed it from his drama film The Queen (2006) and especially his stage play The Audience (2013). The first season covers the period from Elizabeth's marriage to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947 to the disintegration of her sister Princess Margaret's engagement to Group Captain Peter Townsend in 1955. The second season covers the period from the Suez Crisis in 1956 to the retirement of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in 1963 and the birth of Prince Edward in 1964. The third season spans 1964 to 1977, includes Harold Wilson's two periods as prime minister, and introduces Camilla Shand. The fourth season spans 1979 to 1990 and includes Margaret Thatcher's tenure as prime minister and Prince Charles' marriage to Lady Diana Spencer. The fifth season spans 1991 to 1997 and covers John Major's tenure as prime minister and the breakdown of Charles and Diana's marriage. The sixth season, which will close the series, will cover the Queen's reign into the 21st century and is set to include the death of Diana and its aftermath, the first meeting of Prince William and Catherine Middleton and the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. For each of the two-season increments, new actors fill the roles to reflect the characters' ageing process over the periods of time portrayed. Claire Foy portrays Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons, alongside Matt Smith as Prince Philip and Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret. For the third and fourth seasons, Olivia Colman takes over as the Queen, Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, and Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret. Also added to the cast in season three is Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles. In the fourth season, new cast members include Emma Corrin as Lady Diana Spencer and Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher. Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Pryce, and Lesley Manville succeed Colman, Menzies, and Bonham Carter, respectively, for the final two seasons, while Dominic West and Elizabeth Debicki take the roles of Charles and Diana. Filming took place at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, with location shooting throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.