The Crown Steps Into the Revenge-Dress Era

Her eyes tell. Photo: Netflix

The Crown season six may have stopped production in order to pay respects to the death of Queen Elizabeth II (spoiler). However, season five is ready to be reborn and return to the throne, a.k.a. the Netflix trending tab. As if October 20, 2022, weren’t accompanied by enough British drama with Liz Truss being trounced by a lettuce, The Crown decided to drop a trailer on our heads. It features a Diana who’s ready to take down some royals, including via Revenge Dress — a garment they deign to show us. We have Dominic West as a (far too hot, sorry) then-prince Charles who is angry at a vengeful Di and doting on Camilla. We have not much Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret and honestly could do with more. But, most important, we have Imelda Staunton pursing her lips and giving nooch as Queen Lizzie. Welcome back, The Crown! Britain is in shambles, have fun.

During the Netflix Tudum fan event in September, the streamer revealed that season five of the royal series will premiere November 9, about two months after the queen’s death. The announcement was accompanied by a teaser trailer that previewed the (another spoiler) impending divorce of Diana and Charles in the 1990s. According to Deadline, the new seasons will also include the divorces of Prince Andrew and Princess Anne. Reportedly, the season-five finale episode will focus on the deaths of Princess Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki, and Dodi al-Fayed, played by Khalid Abdalla. No news yet on who will play John Mulaney in The Crown, though Mike Faist may be a contender.

“That’s the amazing thing about playing these people at this time because, in the journey of The Crown, so far out of all the seasons, this is the most visual content we have of the royal family,� Debicki told Tudum upon the release of the upcoming season’s first-look photos. Her character doesn’t look particularly content in the new images — the resignation in her eyes is likely symptomatic of her failing marriage with the current king of England, who (one more spoiler) cheated on the people’s princess with the new queen consort, Camilla. “One of the great things about The Crown is we get to see those sort of imagined intimate moments, which maybe give us a better perspective on someone that we’ve judged,� said Olivia Williams, the actor who portrays Camilla. “Charles and Camilla seem to have a very healthy sense of humor about what at times must be an unbearable predicament.� Easy to laugh when you’re not the injured party! Check out the first-look images below.