The Crown finale is set to be the most controversial season yet - and here's why

The Crown season 6 is set to be the last instalment of the iconic Netflix show, which - over five seasons - has covered four decades of royal stories, seen some masterful portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II throughout her reign and sparked a huge interest in the British monarchy across the globe. 

The sixth season of The Crown will cover one of the most harrowing moments in British royal history—the untimely death of Princess Diana and the subsequent effects this had on those who loved her. Netflix has reassured viewers the topic will be handled with 'respect', but those fateful moments leading up to the event will likely still make unsettling viewing. 

The Crown season 6 will also explore the early years of courtship between a young Prince William and Kate Middleton during their uni days, as well as the deaths of Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother, and the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. The Sussexes, however, will not feature in the dramatisation. A decision that showrunner Peter Morgan is happy about. "The Meghan and Harry story is nowhere near over yet," he told Town & Country in October 2020. "And I’m happy I’m never going to write it."

This is everything we know about The Crown season 6 so far, including which actors will be portraying the key roles, what to expect from the plot and when it's going to drop on Netflix. 

When will The Crown season 6 hit screens? 

The Crown Season 6 part one will premiere on Thursday, 16th November 2023 on Netflix, while part two will land shortly after on Thursday, December 14th 2023. 

The final season of The Crown will be released in two parts, with the first part focusing on the events before Princess Diana's death and the second part dealing with the aftermath, leading up to the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla, as well as exploring the blossoming romance between Prince William and Kate Middleton. There are ten episodes in The Crown season 6 in total. Part one is made up of four episodes, while part two is six episodes long. 

Will The Crown season 6 be the last?

Yes, Netflix has confirmed that this sixth season of The Crown will be the last one. It said of the show's ending (via Tundum): "In the brand-new teaser for The Crown’s sixth and final season, Claire Foy [who plays Queen Elizabeth in the first two seasons] declares the durability of the role of monarch, but The Crown will prepare to take its final bow on Nov. 16 when Season 6 premieres on Netflix—marking the end of a groundbreaking era in television."

There was one point where it was unclear whether there would be a sixth season of The Crown altogether, with show creator Peter Morgan reversing his decision to end it after its fifth season in 2020. He said in a statement to Variety: "As we started to discuss the storylines for Series 5, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story we should go back to the original plan and do six seasons."

Will The Crown cover Princess Diana's death? 

Yes, it's thought that much of the action in The Crown season 6 will revolve around Princess Diana's untimely death. The late Princess of Wales died in Paris on 31st August 1997 in a car crash alongside her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed. It was thought that she and Dodi were trying to escape harassment from the paparazzi at the time. 

Last autumn, Deadline reported via a production source that there was some anxiety around filming these final scenes, with stars and producers feeling 'on edge' about the portrayal. They claimed that on set there was, 'a certain anxiety; a palpable sense of being slightly on edge' as they approached the filming of scenes surrounding Diana's death. "I mean, there’s bombshell sensitivity surrounding this one," the source continued.

It's thought that the crash itself won't be depicted, with show runner Peter Morgan making it clear that the incident will be handled sensitively. Netflix previously clarified that the series will not recreate 'the exact moment of the crash impact' in Paris that led to Princess Diana's fatal injuries. 

When is The Crown season 6 set?

The final season of The Crown will take place span the late '90s to the early 2000s, covering the tragic death of Princess Diana in 1997, Prince William's time at the University of Saint Andrews and his budding romance with Kate Middleton, finishing with the marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.

In terms of politics, the period depicted in season 6 (between 1997 and 2005) saw Tony Blair as Prime Minister of the UK, who became the youngest person to become PM since Lord Liverpool, aged 42, in 1812. He will be played by Bertie Carvel in the Netflix show. 

Who will star in The Crown season 6? 

Season 6 debuts two new key actors—Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy—who play Prince William and Kate Middleton, respectively. Luther Ford will play a young Prince Harry. 

Elizabeth Debicki will continue in her role as Princess Diana in the first part of season 6, with the first four episodes exploring the events leading up to her death in 1997. And we'll see two more new actors, Rufus Kampa and Fflyn Edwards, take up roles as young Prince William and Prince Harry. 

Other returning cast members include Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne, Bertie Carvel as Tony Blair, Salim Daw as Mohamed al-Fayed, and Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed. 

The second part of the final season of The Crown will see Queen Elizabeth II reflect on her reign and look ahead to the future of the monarchy and her family. The Monarch will continue to be played by Imelda Staunton for the final chapter of the series. 

How did the last season of The Crown end? 

The Crown’s fifth season ended in early 1997, the year Princess Diana tragically passed away. We saw the Princess invited on a holiday in St Tropez with Mohamed Al-Fayed alongside her young sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Season six will pick up where The Crown season 5 left off, with the first four episodes focussing on events leading up to Princess Diana's death.

Elizabeth Debicki said about the end of the last season: “Just like in real life, two things are true at the same time. There’s a huge amount of sadness, but also this sense of making a choice to move through something and create a new chapter, a new experience. 

"And then, on a really practical level, [to get to] be with your children and go on vacation and have a nice time—that’s precious when you can do that with the people you love. For me, it was about packing kids’ clothes to go on vacation. It’s very simple, but moving. Sometimes the simplest things are the things that get us the hardest.”

Is there a trailer for The Crown season 6?

There isn’t an official full-length trailer for the sixth season of The Crown, but there has been a teaser released by Netflix that shows what to expect from the series, as well as revealing that the final series will be released in two parts. 

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Fans have had a warm reception to the final series already, praising the teaser video on YouTube. "I can't believe The Crown is coming to an end," wrote one viewer. "This series has been an absolute masterpiece from start to finish. It's not just a show, it's a journey through history that has given me nostalgia and sent shivers down my spine with every episode."

While another said: "Really looking forward to it! Such an immaculately well-written and made series with brilliant actors all around. And I really cherish the fact that they have paid immense attention to the smaller details in every major happening since the very first episode so much so that the main event that we public know of takes the second seat."

While another said: "This show has been one of the best shows done in a long time. Where the production cost translated into a phenomenal show with great acting, directing, hell I even like the music. Completely turned me into a British monarchy historian."

We're equal parts nervous and excited to see the final dramatic scenes played out on screen. 

The Crown season 6 part 1 will be available to stream on Netflix from Thursday 16th November.