The Crown
The Crown
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The Crown

"Duty lasts a lifetime."

8.2
Yr 2016
Status Ended
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

The gripping, decades-spanning inside story of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Prime Ministers who shaped Britain's post-war destiny. The Crown tells the inside story of two of the most famous addresses in the world – Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street – and the intrigues, love lives and machinations behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th century. Two houses, two courts, one Crown.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 85 /100

The Crown is widely regarded as a high-production, prestigious drama that effectively balances historical reenactment with personal intrigue. Early seasons garnered immense acclaim for their sumptuous visuals, sharp performances from leads like Claire Foy, and a compelling look at the internal pressures of the British monarchy. It has been frequently praised for its top-tier production design and its willingness to treat the lives of the royals with both dramatic weight and soap-operatic flair.

However, critical consensus shifted slightly as the series progressed toward its finale. While many reviewers appreciated the talent of later stars like Imelda Staunton, some critics felt the final chapters suffered from a sense of narrative exhaustion or became 'savorless.' Despite these later critiques regarding its conclusion, the series remains largely recognized as a significant, ambitious, and expertly acted biographical drama.

“Exquisite bio-series is complex and compelling.”

“The first chapter... remains gripping across the entirety of the 10 episodes made available to critics.”

“At no point in the series was I doubtful of the excellence of the acting or the set design and production quality.”

“The Crown comes to a smooth but savorless conclusion.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Netflix
US • CA • UK
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US • UK • CA
Why fans love it

The Crown operates like a slow-motion collision between private human frailty and the rigid machinery of a dynasty. It maps the internal lives of the British royal family against the shifting political landscape of 20th-century England. While palace intrigue sets the stage, the series functions more like a study of how absolute tradition withstands the pressure of modernization.

The rotating cast reflects the relentless passage of time required to tell this story. By the time Olivia Colman takes over the role of the Queen, the heavy burden of the title becomes tangible. The show avoids the usual pomp of historical drama to focus instead on the narrow hallways and hushed conversations where the real work of power happens, highlighting the isolation of those living behind the curtain.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 30
Longest run 24 eps
Show 67 more
Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh 20 episodes Marcia Warren as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother 20 episodes Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret 20 episodes Jeremy Northam as Anthony Eden 13 episodes Anton Lesser as Harold Macmillan 10 episodes Ben Daniels as Lord Snowdon 10 episodes Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher 10 episodes Victoria Hamilton as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother 20 episodes Jason Watkins as Harold Wilson 10 episodes Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles 14 episodes Emma Corrin as Lady Diana Spencer 10 episodes John Lithgow as Winston Churchill 12 episodes Marion Bailey as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother 20 episodes Erin Doherty as Princess Anne 20 episodes Stephen Boxer as Denis Thatcher 10 episodes Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana 16 episodes Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret 21 episodes Ben Miles as Peter Townsend 12 episodes Salim Daw as Mohamed Al Fayed 7 episodes Daniel Ings as Mike Parker 9 episodes Bertie Carvel as Tony Blair 7 episodes Billy Jenkins as Prince Charles 9 episodes Harry Hadden-Paton as Martin Charteris 11 episodes Clive Francis as Lord Salisbury 10 episodes Lizzy McInnerny as Bobo Macdonald 13 episodes Chris Gordon as Duke of Edinburgh's Valet 13 episodes Mark Tandy as Cecil Beaton 6 episodes Harriet Walter as Clemmie Churchill 6 episodes Simon Chandler as Clement Attlee 5 episodes Michael Culkin as Rab Butler 6 episodes Michael Thomas as Duke of Gloucester 5 episodes Lorraine Ashbourne as Barbara Castle 5 episodes David Rintoul as Michael Adeane 8 episodes Mark Dexter as Tony Benn 5 episodes Verity Russell as Young Elizabeth 5 episodes James Hillier as Equerry (Buckingham Palace) 12 episodes Will Keen as Michael Adeane 15 episodes Pip Torrens as Tommy Lascelles 17 episodes Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II 24 episodes Don Gallagher as Willie Whitelaw 5 episodes Charles Edwards as Martin Charteris 19 episodes Penny Downie as Duchess of Gloucester 9 episodes Angus Imrie as Prince Edward 5 episodes Richard Goulding as Edward Adeane 5 episodes Kevin McNally as Bernard Ingham 5 episodes Paul Jesson as Sir Geoffrey Howe 5 episodes Michael Buerk as Newsreader (voice) 12 episodes Sam Phillips as Equerry 17 episodes John Humphrys as Newsreader (voice) 10 episodes Nicholas Rowe as Jock Colville 9 episodes George Asprey as Walter Monckton 6 episodes Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed 7 episodes Patrick Ryecart as Duke of Norfolk 6 episodes Andrew Havill as Robert Fellowes 12 episodes Theo Fraser Steele as Timothy Laurence 9 episodes James Murray as Prince Andrew 13 episodes Flora Montgomery as Norma Major 6 episodes Ed Sayer as Equerry 7 episodes Ben Lloyd-Hughes as Mark Bolland 7 episodes Jonathan Newth as Page (Buckingham Palace) 7 episodes Jared Harris as King George VI 6 episodes Lia Williams as Wallis Simpson / Wallis, Duchess of Windsor 7 episodes Alex Jennings as David, Duke of Windsor 7 episodes Greg Wise as Lord Mountbatten 9 episodes Emerald Fennell as Camilla Shand / Camilla Parker Bowles 7 episodes Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles 9 episodes Sebastian Blunt as Prince Edward 7 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Daily Makeup & Hair
Creator
In Memory Of
Supervising Art Director
Production Design
Costume Design
Post Production Supervisor
Second Unit Director
Makeup Designer
Additional Music
Military Consultant
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The Crown overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

england queen prince dynasty royal family princess based on true story royalty based on play or musical british politics british history palace intrigue historical drama thoughtful british royal family british monarchy political power intimate
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
November 04, 2016
Status
Ended
Origin
GB, US
TMDB Votes
2,371