The official trailer for The Crown’s hotly-anticipated fourth series has been released, revealing a glimpse of Princess Diana’s tumultuous marriage to Prince Charles as turmoil and tragedy await the royal family during the forthcoming season of the Netflix drama.
The preview features the early days of the iconic couple’s romance leading to their historic wedding, as their relationship takes a sour turn.
The Crown Series Four will be released on Netflix on Sunday, November 15, and will see dark times for the royals as they face yet more political and social upheaval with the election of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister.
Dramatic: The Crown has released its official trailer for series four revealing a glimpse of Princess Diana (left played by Emma Corrin) and her tumultuous marriage to Prince Charles (right played by Josh O’Connor)
The trailer is narrated with a recording of the actual speech given by the Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie during Charles and Diana’s wedding in 1981, when he famously said of their marriage: ‘Here is the stuff of which fairy tales are made.’
It begins with a glimpse of a young and carefree Diana (played by Emma Corrin) being brought to meet the Her Majesty The Queen (Olivia Colman), as her and Charles’ (Josh O’Connor) relationship begins to blossom.
As the couple enjoy a romantic dance, the trailer then cuts to the introduction of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) preparing to step out following her election as the UK’s first female Prime Minister.
Scary: The trailer also features a glimpse of Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, who faces a nasty health scare after years of heavy smoking
Princess in the making: The trailer opens with a young and carefree Diana arriving at Buckingham Palace to meet The Queen (Olivia Colman)
Fun: It shows Diana still enjoying the freedoms of being a young woman, laughing with her friends as they drive a car through London
Adventurous: The Crown series four is set to document Charles and Diana’s early romance, as the Royal family grow increasingly concerned the Prince has turned 30, but is yet to marry, throwing the future of the Monarchy into doubt
Stunning: Diana dons a beautiful pale blue and gold gown as she dances with Charles in one idyllic scene
It’s been thought that Thatcher had numerous disagreements with the Queen about the country’s running, and particularly the UK’s involvement in the Falklands war.
This tension becomes even more apparent as Thatcher kneels to The Queen, hinting at the conflicting powers between them.
The preview then offers a glimpse of the Queen riding horseback to attend the Trooping of the Colour, an annual ceremony performed by the regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies to celebrate the Queen’s official birthday.
What happened? The royal couple seem happier than ever, offering no inkling that their marriage would take such a dark turn
Challenging: Margaret is clearly facing mental struggles after the end of her marriage, with the trailer hinting at her soul-searching as she faces a nasty health battle
Political icon: Elsewhere Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) prepares to meet with the Queen after being elected as the head of the government (Thatcher is pictured right in 1979)
Hard on her health: While she clearly struggles with the tolls of leading the nation, she also faces tension with the Queen about the running of the country
Kneel before her! One of the trailer’s more jaw-dropping moments sees Margaret kneel before Her Majesty, hinting at the divisions of power between them
Friends or foes?
Triumphant: The preview then offering a glimpse of the Queen riding horseback to attend the Trooping of the Colour (in the trailer pictured left, and right is The Queen pictured in 1979)
As tensions rise in the Royal Household, Princess Margaret faces a nasty health scare after being rushed into surgery to remove a ‘small part of her lung,’ caused by years of heavy smoking.
Charles and Diana then embark on a historic tour of Australia where they are greeted by thousands of well-wishers, though it seems the Prince is at odds with his father Prince Phillip (Tobias Menzies) about his marriage, given there is a moment of disagreement between the pair.
It’s been claimed that Phillip ordered Charles to propose to Diana as opposed to stringing her along for months on end, and the trailer does show a glimpse of the moment their engagement was announced in 1981.
Triumphant: Charles and Diana then embark on a historic tour of Australia where they are greeted by thousands of well-wishers
Beautiful: Diana dons an iconic pink ensemble as she embarks on the tour, become loved by many throughout her lifetime, and eventually comes to be known as The People’s Princess
Stunning: Emma was previously seen filming Diana and Charles’ Australian tour in October 2019 (left), where she donned the famous pink dress and fascinator (right)
Clashing: Thatcher’s divisive decade as PM will take centre stage in series four, including the Miners Strikes which condemned many to poverty, and the Falklands War
Death of an icon: The Royal Family is once again hit by tragedy as they attend the funeral of Lord Mountbatten, after he was assassinated by a bomb hidden aboard his fishing boat in Ireland
Changing with the times: Series Four is expected to depict the Royal Family throughout the 1970s and 80s, as series five will depict the Royal Family in the early 90s, which the Netflix show set to end is sixth series in 2003
At odds: It seems Charles marriage will lead to even more tension among the Royal Family, clashing with his mother after becoming more pressured to settle down and secure the monarchy
Gorgeous: It ends with an image of the Princess clad in her beautiful David Emanuel wedding gown, which boasted a train of 25 feet as she walked the aisles of St Paul’s Cathedral
Excited: Despite the turmoil that lay ahead, Diana seems excited at the prospect of being wed as the veil is placed on her face
While from the outset Charles and Diana’s relationship seems to be the perfect fairy tale, their relationship seems to crumble quickly as the trailer shows them arguing in the middle of a church.
The Royal Family is once again hit by tragedy as they attend the funeral of Lord Mountbatten, after he was assassinated by a bomb hidden aboard his fishing boat in Mullaghmore, County Sligo, Ireland by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.
The preview then launches into a montage showing yet more drama besetting the Royal Family, including the Queen’s address to the World’s leaders, with Prime Minister Thatcher watching on, and Diana’s ongoing struggle to conform.
It ends with an image of the Princess clad in her beautiful David Emanuel wedding gown, beaming at the prospect of her impending nuptials as the veil is placed on her face.
Blushing bride: Fans have already been given a first look at Princess Diana’s wedding dress from the upcoming fourth series. Left is Emma in the homage and right Princess Diana on her wedding day
Wow! It comes after Netflix released a collection of first look snaps last month, showcasing the Royal Family thrown into an era of political change (Emma and Josh portraying Charles and Diana at the Royal Opera House in March 1981)
Outing: Diana wore a similar black strapless dress when she and Charles were pictured at the same iconic venue (in March 1981) for a charity recital
In first look snaps for series four released last month, Emma looks just like Diana when she replicates her visit to the Royal Opera House for a charity recital – and while Emma wears a purple gown in the scenes, Diana famously wore a very similar design, in black.
It is the first of two images to feature the so-called ‘People’s Princess’ as another also features her in a sophisticated cream ensemble being surrounded by photographers, while wearing a yellow suit.
Another picture showcases the moment Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher arrived at Downing Street in 1979 after being elected for the first time, supported by her proud husband Denis (played by Stephen Boxer).
Historic: Gillian Anderson is seen as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, depicting the moment she arrived at Downing Street in 1979 after being elected for the first time, supported by her proud husband Denis (Stephen Boxer)
Moment in history: Thatcher became the first woman in UK history to be elected Prime Minister in the late 1970s, and ran the UK’s government for over a decade (pictured in 1979)
Helena Bonham Carter can be seen depicting Princess Margaret during a particularly pensive moment, as she adjust to life in Mustique following the end of her marriage to Anthony Armstrong-Jones.
Some of the key moments featured have been given artistic licence and do not exactly replicate images taken of the Royal Family.
One example of this is a picture of Olivia Colman, playing the Queen at the Royal Variety performance in 1984, alongside Tobias, who plays her husband Prince Phillip.
In reality the royal couple did not attend the annual showcase until the following year.
Guests of honour: The Queen herself (Olivia Colman), and her husband Prince Philip (Tobias Menzies) are pictured attending the Royal Variety performance in 1984
Slight error: The Royal Variety performance that petered slightly in accuracy, as in reality the Queen did not attend in 1984, but was a guest of honour the following year (pictured in 1985)
Erin Doherty also features in an image of Princess Anne wearing a striking white and yellow floral ensemble with a matching fascinator, which she famously wore to Diana and Charles’ wedding in 1981.
The Queen and Charles also appear to be in the midst of a dramatic exchange in one image, while another shows Marion Bailey as the beloved Queen Mother during a public engagement.
The Crown’s fourth series will document Diana’s blossoming romance with Prince Charles, as the trailer features the moment she emerges to greet an army of photographers, along with crowds cheering her name as she travels the world on behalf of the monarchy.
Sartorial chic: The collection features two images of the so-called ‘People’s Princess’ as another also shows Emma’s Diana in a cream ensemble being surrounded by photographers
Concerned: Helena Bonham Carter is seen as Princess Margaret during a particularly pensive moment, as she adjusts to life in Mustique following the end of her marriage to Anthony Armstrong-Jones
Posed: Princess Margaret seen clutching a bunch of flowers while in her favourite holiday destination Mustique in 1985
Royal entrance: Another image shows Princess Anne (played by Erin Doherty) wearing a striking white and yellow floral ensemble with a matching fascinator, which she famously wore to Diana and Charles’ wedding in 1981
Gorgeous: The Royal (pictured arriving for the wedding with Princess Margaret in 1981) famously re-wore her yellow and white floral dress her cousin’s wedding 27 years later in 2008
This includes Diana’s 1983 tour of Australia, when she famously donned a beautiful fuchsia pink dress, which featured prominently in series four’s first trailer, which was released last month.
The preview ended with a glimpse of Diana’s iconic David Emmanuel wedding dress, which will take centre stage as The Crown recreates her historic 1981 wedding.
The Crown Series Four will begin as the 1970s are drawing to a close, with the Royal Family preoccupied with safeguarding the line of succession by securing an appropriate bride for Prince Charles who is still unmarried at 30.
At odds: Another image shows Olivia’s Queen Elizabeth in the midst of a tense exchange with her son Charles, (O’Connor) as the series prepares to document his blossoming relationship with Diana
The real family: Prince Charles was pictured with Queen Elizabeth II, in 1969 in similar queen tweed clothing
Gorgeous: The fourth series will once again feature Emerald Fennell as Camilla Parker Bowles, (left) who can be seen in the above image during a scene filmed at Australia House in Aldwych
Iconic: While there are no pictures of a young Camilla taken at Australia House, she was sporting a similar look when she was pictured (right) with Diana (left) in August 1997 at Ludlow racecourse
Beloved: Another snap shows Marion Bailey as the beloved Queen Mother during a public engagement
The British nation is struggling with the impact of the divisive policies introduced by Britain’s first female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Tensions between the Prime Minister and the Queen are expected to only get worse as Thatcher leads the country into the Falklands War, generating conflict within the Commonwealth.
A silver lining comes in the form of Charles’ fairytale romance with young Lady Diana, but behind closed doors, the Royal family is becoming increasingly divided.
It’s here! The trailer for The Crown’s latest series showed Emma’s Diana dressed in her iconic David Emmanuel wedding gown (left in the trailer and right in 1981)
Beautiful: Emma’s casting was announced in April 2019, with creator Peter Morgan calling her ‘a brilliant talent who immediately captivated us when she came in for the part’ (Emma pictured left during filming and Diana pictured right in 1982)
Diana married Charles in 1981, and the couple welcomed sons William in 1982 and Harry in 1984. After separating in 1991, the couple divorced in 1996, with Diana then tragically killed in a car accident on 31st August 1997.
Emma’s casting was announced in April 2019, with The Crown’s creator Peter Morgan calling her ‘a brilliant talent who immediately captivated us when she came in for the part of Diana Spencer.’
Helena will once again appear as Princess Margaret, while Tobias will play Prince Phillip.
Josh will reprise his role as Prince Charles, expected to take centre stage this series due to his relationship with Diana.
Award-winning: Oscar-winner Olivia (L) is playing Queen Elizabeth II (pictured right in 1964) in series three and four of The Crown
Legendary: Helena Bonham Carter will once again portray Princess Margaret in the fourth series, depicting her life after divorcing Lord Anthony Armstrong-Jones (Helena left and Margaret right in 1987)
Royal man: Tobias Menzies will once again play The Duke Of Edinburgh Prince Philip (left) at a time when the Royal Family grows increasingly divided behind closed doors (Phillip pictured right in 1986)
To be wed: Josh O’Connor will depict Prince Charles (left), as the series depicts his turbulent marriage to Diana (Charles pictured right in 1984)
The series will also feature the ongoing issue of apartheid in South Africa, as well as the assassination of Lord Mountbatten (Charles Dance), and the miners’ strike of 1984-85.
Despite concerns that the series would be delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis, which brought much of the television industry to a halt, it seems the fourth season will be released as planned.
Bosses revealed back in March that filming was wrapped earlier than planned, though a majority of principle photography had already been completed.
Coronation: Claire Foy (L) played a young Queen Elizabeth II (pictured right in 1955) as she ascended the throne following her late father’s death during seasons one and two
Royal role: It’s also been announced that The Night Manager star Elizabeth Debicki has been cast as Princess Diana for The Crown’s final two series
Royally good: Imelda Staunton is to play the Queen in The Crown’s final two series. The 63-year-old will take over the role of Elizabeth II for seasons five and six of the Netflix drama
Congrats! Lesley Manville has been cast as Princess Margaret (right in 1966) for the fifth and sixth seasons of The Crown
From Pope to Prince: The Two Popes actor Jonathan Pryce has also been cast as Duke Of Edinburgh Prince Phillip (right earlier this year), and has said he is ‘confident’ to take on the ‘daunting’ role
It was recently announced that The Night Manager star Elizabeth Debicki has been cast as Princess Diana for The Crown’s final two series, while Jonathan Pryce was announced to be taking over the role of Prince Philip.
The actor, 73, will join the star-studded cast of the hit Netflix show and portray the royal through the 1990s and 2000s.
Jonathan has said that it will be ‘a joy’ to act alongside Imelda Staunton as the Queen and Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret.
In The Crown’s first two series Claire Foy took on the role of Queen Elizabeth, while Prince Philip was played by Matt Smith, and Princess Margaret by Vanessa Kirby.
It was recently announced The Crown will run for six series instead of five.
Creator Peter revealed he decided to ‘return to the original plan,’ meaning Imelda will now appear for two series as an older Queen Elizabeth II.
Producers decided to a U-turn after their January announcement The Crown would end after its fifth series.
Peter said: ‘As we started to discuss the storylines for Series 5, 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.’
The Crown Series Four will be released on Netflix on Sunday, November 15th.
Pivotal moments from The Crown so far…
King Edward VIII abdicates the throne for love
Edward fell in love with Wallis Simpson, a married woman, and planned to marry her after his coronation when her divorce had come through.
However they were denied the opportunity to marry and due to divorce being forbidden for the Royals and decided to move to France together.
Edward later returned to England to face his family for the funeral of George VI following his death and went on to form a close bond with Prince Charles.
Bigger picture: King Edward VIII abdicates the throne for love
Princess Margaret is also denied her happy ending
Princess Margaret, who is painted as the Royal rebel throughout the first and second seasons, hoped to step outside tradition and marry divorcee Peter Townsend.
However growing public chatter over the illicit relationship begins to overshadow Elizabeth’s post coronation fame.
Margaret makes her intentions to marry Peter clear to Queen Elizabeth II and she asks her to wait until she is 25 to tie the knot with her love.
However when her 25th birthday does roll around the Queen has to go back on her word due to pressure from the Crown, and tells Margaret that she cannot grant her permission to marry Peter.
Devastated: Princess Margaret is denied her happy ending with Peter Townsend
Winston Churchill’s rise and fall
The first and second seasons depicted the Queen’s relationship with the Prime Minister of the time, Winston Churchill.
Following his successful leadership during the Second World War, Winston rises to power again for a second time during Elizabeth’s reign.
The Crown follows Winston’s journey as he adjusts to answering to a woman in power and his deteriorating health.
Royal marriage is rocked Elizabeth’s new role
The power struggle in the relationship is clear to see as Elizabeth’s role as the Queen takes priority over her marriage, while Prince Philip isn’t used to taking a backseat.
The Crown also hints at infidelity in their relationship as Elizabeth finds a picture of Russian ballerina Galina Ulanova among his possessions, before sending him off on a five-month tour on the Royal yacht.
The tension comes to a head during the premiere for season two when the Royal couple argue on board the HMY Britannia as they strive to find a resolution to their problems, due to divorce not being an option for a monarch.
Trouble in paradise: Royal marriage is rocked Elizabeth’s new role
Elizabeth’s journey to accepting the Crown
The start of the series shows a more wary and shy Elizabeth, compared to the formidable monarch she has grown into.
One of the key moments in the first series is her journey to accepting the Crown, after having to reconfigure all of the relationships in her life.
The series shows the Queen growing in confidence as she finds herself on a path of self-discovery.
The Queen visits Aberfan
Aberfan: After reflecting on her decision, she eventually visited alongside her husband and it is claimed her delayed response remains one of her greatest regrets
Episode three of the third season focuses on the Aberfan disaster which killed 144 people, including 116 childrne, after a colliery spoil tip collapsed over a school in a Welsh village.
The Queen did not immediately visit the disaster site, citing that she did not want to distract away from the tragedy with her presence.
However after reflecting on her decision, she eventually visited alongside her husband and it is claimed her delayed response remains one of her greatest regrets.
The Royal Family documentary
Inside the life: In a bid to give the public a better understanding of the Royal family they let a camera crew into their lives for 18 months
In a bid to give the public a better understanding of the Royal family they let a camera crew into their lives for 18 months.
The Crown depicts the whole thing as a disaster with the family reportedly banning the programme from ever being aired again.
However in actuality, the documentary was well-received and had sky high viewing figures.
Prince Charles valuable time in Wales
Touching: Prince Charles valuable time in Wales
After receiving backlash for the title ‘Prince of Wales’, despite not being a citizen or speaking the language, Prince Charles was sent to Aberystwyth University to learn the language.
Charles, who was 20 at the time, finished the trip with an elaborate investiture to pledge his allegiance to the Queen in Welsh.
However he asked to tweak the speech to add in his own voice, promising the Welsh residents that they wouldn’t be forgotten by England again.
Princess Margaret wows at the White House
She impressed! After being sent on a Royal tour of the U.S. in place of her sister, Margaret was invited to dinner at the White House by President Lyndon B. Johnson
After being sent on a Royal tour of the U.S. in place of her sister, Margaret was invited to dinner at the White House by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
The whole night appeared a huge success thanks to Margaret’s quick-wit and charm, with President Johnson seemingly lapping it up.
However across the pond Margaret’s success appeared to worry the Queen as she seemed concerned she was being outshone by her sibling.