Emotions run high as cast and crew bid farewell to The Crown

London’s Royal Festival Hall played host to an emotional gathering recently as the cast and creators of Netflix’s royal drama, The Crown, came together to bid farewell to the acclaimed series.

With the sixth and final season set to conclude the regal saga, the event was a poignant celebration of a decade-long journey that brought Queen Elizabeth II’s reign to life on the small screen.

Creator Peter Morgan, walking the red carpet, shared his mixed emotions about the farewell.

“Mixed emotions. On the one hand it’s been a lot of work, so I’m tired. But on the other hand, it’s been a family that I’ve lived with now and worked with for 10 years,” Morgan told Reuters.

“I’ve loved how the show has gone down around the world. So as an artist, you miss that.”

Get ready for the final farewell. The Crown concludes on 14 December. pic.twitter.com/o0I55bVENo

— The Crown (@TheCrownNetflix) December 1, 2023

The second part of the final season, set to stream on December 14, delves into the aftermath of Princess Diana’s tragic death in 1997. Imelda Staunton and Dominic West reprise their roles as Elizabeth and Charles, with Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy taking on the roles of William and Kate.

While it delves into the Royal Family reeling from the tragedy, the program will also showcase happier scenes with William starting university and meeting his future wife, Kate, and Charles marrying Camilla.

“You see a lot of emphasis on William and Harry and the younger generation coming up so that the crown is seen as the next people who are going to wear it coming up. And that should be really interesting,” West said.

“Be prepared to cry. Bring the tissues,” added Olivia Wiliams, who plays Camilla.

At the core of the final episodes, the show’s creators emphasised the pivotal role of the Queen, whose passing in September of the previous year occurred during the filming of the season.

Lesley Manville, who plays Princess Margaret, revealed the challenging circumstances of filming as news broke of the Queen’s passing in September 2022.

“Imelda and I were filming together on the day she passed, so very difficult. It affected us in the same way that it did the whole of the country,” Manville said.

Morgan expressed his hope that the portrayal of her farewell on the show does justice to her memory.

“We had to incorporate into the show something that we never wanted to incorporate, which is at some level we had to address the issue of the Queen passing. The audience will be the judge of that, but I hope we’ve done her memory justice,” said Morgan.

Fans are looking forward to seeing the tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II for themselves after it was revealed that Claire Foy who brought the young monarch to life, and Olivia Colman who portrayed her during middle age, have reportedly filmed new scenes for the series’ conclusion.

These highly anticipated moments will be featured in the final installment of the Netflix series, alongside the remarkable Staunton.

“Netflix are playing a clever hand with these four queens, bringing the story of Her Majesty to a sensational end after telling virtually all of her life story over 60 episodes,” a television insider told The Sun.

“It also indicates the respect and affection which the creators have for the late monarch, even though they might not feel the same way about the royals as an institution.

“The idea would most likely have been devised last year, around the time that the Queen passed away, as a way of paying tribute to her.

“Getting the actresses together was no mean feat as both Claire and Olivia went on to bigger things after making The Crown and have packed schedules.”

-with Reuters.