‘The Crown’ Season 6 EP Teases Time Jumps and a “Fairytale” Ending

The Big Picture

• The final season of The Crown focuses on the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death, including her relationship with Dodi Al-Fayed.
• The series will have a small time jump emotionally, but not in terms of years, and episode five is particularly powerful.
• The plan was always to end The Crown in 2005, around the time of Charles and Camilla’s wedding, symbolizing a fairytale ending.

When Netflix decided to premiere The Crown in 2016, it immediately became an instant hit. Many films and television shows have sought to pull back the veil that sometimes masks the intricacies of the British Royal Family, but for five seasons, Peter Morgan’s historical series offered a dramatized depiction sometimes facing criticism. The death of Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki) takes center stage in the final season, and now EP Suzanne Mackie is discussing the time jumps that will follow the aftermath of the princess’ death in coming episodes.

The final season of The Crown is split into two parts — a decision Mackie reveals was made by Netflix. Part 1 picks up in 1997, after the formal split between Prince Charles (Dominic West) and Diana. The much-publicized relationship between Diana and Dodi (Khalid Abdalla), the son of wealthy Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed (Salim Daw) is covered. The series ultimately climaxes in Part 1 with the tragic passing of Diana and Dodi in a shocking car accident in Paris. Mackie, while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, discusses what is to come when Part 2 premieres. Regarding the prospects of time jumps, Mackie says,

“We do. It’s not a big jump in terms of time, but it feels like a big jump emotionally. I have a complete soft spot for episode five. I think it’s exquisite, and I know Peter Morgan feels the same way. It’s very profound and it’s very moving. It’s beautifully performed by Ed McVey, and Dominic West is breathtakingly good, so I really can’t wait for people to see the episode. It can make me weep even thinking about it. It’s very much about father and son. I love that episode.”

The aftermath of Diana’s death in the series is sure to be solemn. Tensions had existed between Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton) and the princess prior to her death, and as such Morgan’s depiction of how that plays out will be interesting. History and prior depictions, like The Queen, will suggest a muted reaction to the tragedy. Also worth keeping an eye on will be how Prince Charles is shown to be handling events given the nature of his separation from Diana.

‘The Crown’ Plans on a Fairytale Ending…Of Sorts

The creative mind of Morgan is responsible for the birthing of both The Queen and The Crown. While some had argued for the continuation of the Windsor story into modern times, Mackie says the plan had always been to end The Crown in 2005. Mackie explained:

“Peter knew right at the beginning, 10 years ago, that it would be 2005. He always said, ‘I want to end around the time when Camilla and Charles got married.’ I always see it in a rather fairytale way. Like, that’s the end of our journey: Peace is restored to the land, and they lived happily ever after.”

The Crown Season 6 Part 2 hits Netflix on December 14. You can stream all previous episodes of the series on the platform right now.

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