Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 5 of The Crown. Understandably, the fifth season of The Crown is generating more controversy and criticism than any of the previous seasons have endured. Given the increased interest in the British Royal Family following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the scandals involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, it’s interesting to see how The Crown will address the events that preceded today’s controversies. Season 5 also brings in a new cast following the nearly unanimous praise for Season 4, which took home the Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Drama Series and all four acting categories. However, this season is most likely facing such significant blowback due to its depiction of the marriage between Prince Charles (Dominic West) and Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki).
While The Crown is an instructive tool that American audiences can use to learn about earlier events in history, Season 5 explores scandals and headlines that many viewers may remember from their own lifetimes. “Dianagate” was everywhere in the 1990s, and the tragic story of Diana’s death has been recounted in countless series, documentaries, and specials, including last year’s critically-acclaimed awards contender Spencer and this year’s Sundance documentary The Princess. While Debicki certainly gives a sensational performance worthy of the role, The Crown is also an ensemble show that is trying to show every characters’ point of view.
While it could be challenging to balance Charles and Dianas’ perspectives, Season 5 does a great job of showing that neither party is to blame. Charles and Diana, as they’re portrayed in the show, were never truly meant to be together. They were in a relationship that simply wasn’t working, yet they were forced to stay by each other’s side due to the hounding by the media and the restrictive constraints of royal tradition. Season 5 shows that both characters have the potential to be good leaders and good parents, but not together. It’s an interesting position to take, but the terrific performances by West and Debicki are able to generate empathy for both characters. By cutting beyond the headlines and showing intimate moments, The Crown delivered its most nuanced and moving season to date.
An Unfit Marriage Between Charles and Diana
It’s evident from the very first episode, “Queen Victoria Syndrome,” that Charles and Diana are struggling to find common interests. Season 4 did a great job at showing the ramifications of a Cinderella-esque story after the celebrations ended; Charles (Josh O’Connor) and Diana (Emma Corin) were swept up in a sensational romance, but they aren’t able to retain that excitement through the rest of their marriage. The time jump between seasons shows that things have only gotten worse. Diana is a modern woman who wants to expose her children to culture; Charles realizes he must prepare himself to be king and wants to start making efforts to modernize the nation and the monarchy. This doesn’t give them a lot in common that they can bond over.
Both Charles and Diana are stuck waiting on the approval of the Queen (Imelda Staunton). Charles cuts short his vacation with his family and meets with Prime Minister John Major (Jonny Lee Miller). They discuss how they can modernize the monarchy, and Charles indicates that he’s unafraid to defy his mother’s wishes. He’s embarrassed later on in the episode when the Queen reveals she has no intention of accepting Major’s proposal to pay for the royal yacht Britannia using public funds. It’s later revealed that the Queen’s inner circle refused to accept any calls from Diana. They both know that divorce is necessary, but they’re left waiting in limbo as the Queen holds on to her idealistic concept of marriage.
The issue is brought up again in “Annus Horribilis,” where it’s pointed out just how unfair their situation is. Prince Andrew (Jamey Murray) has separated from his wife Sarah (Emma Laird Craig), Duchess of York, due to his affairs; Princess Anne (Claudia Harrison) now wants to marry Timothy Laurence (Theo Fraser Steele), as she’s formalized a divorce from Mark Phillips (Geoff Breton). Compared to these more controversial moments, Charles and Dianas’ grievances with each other seem rather tame and reasonable. What Charles and Diana realize that the Queen does not is that if Charles is set to become king, he should be able to have a clear conscience.
The Crown Season 5 Shows the Compassionate Side of Diana and Charles
When they are separated, Charles and Diana both show their compassionate sides. While Charles suffers significant public embarrassment after the “Tampongate” scandal, he makes a generous effort to help disadvantaged youths in the country by establishing The Prince’s Trust charitable organization. While “The Way Ahead” could have felt like nothing more than a public relations effort in Charles’ favor, the inclusion of a fun moment where Charles breakdances with a group of teenagers shows a more versatile side to the future King. It’s a moment of honesty that shows Charles’ genuinely generous spirit.
Similarly, we see a side of Diana that isn’t often covered in biopics and documentaries. While Diana’s headline-making charitable work is often mentioned, “No Woman’s Land” shows her taking the time to help individual victims at a local hospital. She’s risking everything by going out in public, but it’s important for her to reach out to those that are suffering. Her brief relationship with Dr. Hasnat Khan (Humayun Saeed) signifies both her kindness and her loneliness. It’s clear that both Charles and Diana are at different points in their lives. Charles sees a happy future for himself with Camilla Parker Bowles (Olivia Williams); Diana is still figuring out what she wants to do with the rest of her life, and the tragedy is that we will never know.
The True Antagonist Is the Unethical Media
If there’s a true antagonist in the fifth season of The Crown, it’s the tabloid media. While obviously good journalism is important and the Royal Family should be held accountable, the ethical malpractice that was rampant in the 1990s shattered the life of these relationships in a cruel way. Charles’ “Tampongate” scandal isn’t sensationalized; he has to cope with the tragedy that the public will never see him the same way again. Similarly, it’s made clear that the Panorama interview that Diana gives was manipulative and mal-intentioned; in the end, it only ends up hurting everyone.
The challenge that viewers have watching a series like The Crown is whether or not they can invest themselves in the show’s versions of the characters; it can be challenging to invest yourself in West’s performance if you have a strong opinion about the real King Charles. While The Crown is based on history, it isn’t a documentary. A drama show is more interesting if it’s well-rounded, and season 5 does a great job at giving each of the characters a level-headed perspective.