Netflix's hit Royal drama, The Crown, is possibly getting a prequel, and I’m here for it. The show’s penultimate series will launch later this year, with Imelda Staunton stepping into the role of The Queen, Dominic West playing Prince Charles, and Elizabeth Debicki taking on the role of Princess Diana. (Here's everything you need to know about The Crown season 5).
The show is expected to include some of the most shocking moments from the modern monarchy’s history, including the breakdown of Charles and Diana’s relationship.
But what is next for the series? The Crown’s creator, Peter Morgan, has reversed his decision to end the hit Netflix series after its fifth season, telling the Hollywood Reporter, “As we started to discuss the storylines for series five, 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.”
And then discussions began about a possible prequel series, as revealed in a report from The Daily Mail that said " writer Peter Morgan is now working on up to five historical spin-off series."A Variety report the following day signaled that this looks like more than mere rumor or conjecture.
Series six is thought to play out the death of the People’s Princess and finish with the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. Yet Morgan has made it clear that he will not cover the contemporary royal timeline, so we won’t see events such as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s exit from The Firm play out on our screens. Instead, The Daily Mail report suggests we might travel backward in time, for a prequel, starting with the death of Queen Victoria in 1901.
While this period of history has already been covered in dramas such as ITV’s Victoria, a trip back to the Victorian era would dramatize the trials and tribulations of Victoria’s nine children, including her eldest son, Edward VII, who was known as a royal womanizer. It is expected that the series will follow Edward VIII’s relationship with Wallis Simpson, leading to his abdication, and the rise of socialism and fascism in the pre-World War Two era.
Personally, I’m here for more Royal drama — from the star-studded cast to an (albeit imaginary) glimpse into the lives of the monarchy, I’ve been captivated by the series for years. I’m also somewhat relieved at this diversion back in time, as I want to see more costumes, more drama, and more Downton-Abbey-esque drama from the series. Because isn’t this the joy of a period drama? The escapism into a different world unlike our own, especially if that world involves plots of love, lies, and deception, in a world where public displays of affection are taboo, I’ll leave it to my grandkids to watch Prince Andrew’s fall from grace play out on screen. But for now, I’d rather watch a costume drama thanks.
As yet, Netflix is yet to comment, but The Daily Mail first reported on the news on April 7.
Next: Here's everything we know so far about The Crown season 6. And, I finally started The Crown on Netflix — and I'm kicking myself for waiting.
