Martin Hearn
With less than a month to go before the third season of The Crown drops on Netflix, we’ve all been eagerly awaiting a full-length trailer. Today we were presented with that trailer thanks to Netflix and it doesn’t disappoint. Before today we’ve only been given a teaser as to what Olivia Colman will be like in the role and now we get to see what she and the rest of the new cast will be like.
When the trailer begins Elizabeth has been our Queen for 25 years and the country is preparing for the jubilation. It’s hard to believe that 25 years have passed since the Coronation episode in Season One, but it feels so true. Elizabeth, despite being an older and mature monarch, still has self-doubts. She asks what she’s actually achieved in the 25 years that she’s been on the throne. The music playing over these scenes tells us that “the times, they are a-changing”. I think that’s something to remember when we go into this new season. Years have passed by, the characters have changed in that time, and the country has also begun to change too. Not necessarily for the better.
There have always been people opposed to the monarchy. They’ve existed since the monarchy began and they still exist today. They don’t see the value in the Royal Family or recognize just how much they do for the country. Sadly, they won’t be happy until they simply don’t exist. We’ve seen just how damaging these thoughts can be and we’ve seen the fatal repercussions that the medias negativity can do to them. During the jubilee, the country is bankrupt and facing many crises such as the riots, the miner’s strikes, and the collapse of national security. Naturally, The Queen blames herself as this has all happened while she’s been on the throne. She believes that the country was still great when she came into power and now… not so much. She won’t be the only one laying blame on the monarchy though as we’ve seen throughout history that the media will shift blame to them too. That did happen during this period so will no doubt be explored in the show.
One of the most important aspects of The Crowns first two Seasons were the different types of relationship Elizabeth had with the people around her. Whether it be family, with husband Philip, sister Margaret, and son Charles. Or those of a professional nature like those with various Prime Ministers. This hasn’t changed and looks like it will still be the main focus of the show, something which I’m extremely happy about. It was always so interesting to see how differently Elizabeth behaved with the different people in her life.
One of the most interesting relationships for me was the one with Princess Margaret which now sees Helena Bonham Carter take on the role. Margaret was always considered the rebellious Royal but in this new trailer, we see her become the support for Elizabeth. As Elizabeth continues to doubts herself over the state of the country Margaret tells her that she mustn’t flinch and that the country will only appear to have fallen apart if they say it has. She goes on to say that that’s what the Monarchy does, it papers over the cracks. It’s evident how mature Margaret has become since we saw her in Season Two but if you know anything about her life it’s that her line about papering over the cracks has a deeper meaning.
Her marriage to Anthony Armstrong-Jones wasn’t one that was made in heaven and it looks like the show won’t be shying away from that. We get glances of several unhappy moments with her husband in the trailer and I can’t wait to see how they portray this story. When Vanessa Kirby played Margaret there was a scene in which we were given a glimpse into her fragile mental state. In a drunken rage she smashed up her bedroom and that was definitely only the tip of the ice-berg. Helena is an outstanding actress so I can’t wait to see where she takes it. During the teases of her further break down she tells us that frustrations can build up from spending your life as a support act. This shows us that the sibling rivalry between her and Elizabeth still exists and that she could take it all out on the wrong person.
Prince Charles is also a grown man now and has begun asking questions about his role in not just the family, but the monarchy too. Josh O’Connor has taken over the role and we can now see just how expertly he’s nailed the role. Everything from the mannerisms to the voice is just flawless. Charles doesn’t feel listened to or seen for who he really is. He’s fallen in love with someone and he’s advised to never turn his back on it if its true love. The woman in question is a young Camilla Parker-Bowles and we all know that eventually, he will turn his back on that love. It’s going to be really interesting to see how they do this storyline with him eventually choosing Diana Spencer who I believe isn’t in the show until the fourth season. But who is Charles going to be most at odds with? Is he still bitter that his father sent him to that awful boarding school or does he feel unprepared by his mother for his duties as Prince?
I was really excited when they announced that Jason Watkins was joining the cast as Harold Wilson. I’d been such a fan of his work for a long time so to see him in such a prominent role was a dream come true. The first time we see him is during his campaign to become Prime Minister during which he says that the will of the people has now changed. Watching on TV, Phillip worries that Harold getting into power might mean the end of the Royal Family. I know that those worries are unnecessary as Harold and Elizabeth actually had a really close friendship. She would often invite him to Buckingham Palace for picnics and discussions. He even once said that the only times in his life that he could have a real intelligent conversation was with her. But will the show reflect this or add in its own slice of drama to the friendship? It’s always important to remember that the show isn’t all based on facts so who knows what might happen between them.
Charles Dance will be taking over the role of Lord Mountbatten who will sadly die during this season. I feel like that may be a big spoiler but when it’s something based on real history then it’s something the majority of us will all know anyway. Add to that the trailer is teasing his funeral. Assassinated by the IRA in 1979 his death had a huge impact on not just the Royal Family but for the whole country. His Grandson, his daughter’s mother in law, and a 15-year-old crew member on the boat also died as a result of the explosion. We aren’t sure how much of it they will put in the show but I think it’s safe to assume that this will make for some pretty hard viewing.
The trailer ends with Elizabeth saying that everyone has made sacrifices and suppressed who they really are for the monarchy but that none of that was a choice… it was a duty. It’s really powerful. The first teaser trailer we were given was a little light-hearted as it gently poked fun at people’s complaints about the show changing the cast. This trailer is actually really moving and proves that the show hasn’t lost what made it so good, to begin with. The cast might have changed but the show itself and the stories it tells hasn’t.
I personally cannot wait for this to arrive on Netflix on November 17th and it’s going to take all my power not to binge-watch the entire thing there and then. I want to savor every glorious moment.
https://youtu.be/vLXYfgpqb8A
