Our favourite moments from "The Crown"
Created and written by Peter Morgan (famous for his award-winning films and plays such as The Queen and Frost/Nixon), the 10-episode series, The Crown, is based on the early reign of Queen Elizabeth II as she prepares to ascend the throne during a fraught time in 1950s Britain.
As we prepare for the release of Netflix’s The Crown season two in October or November this year, here we look back at our five favourite moments from the show that deservedly won the 2017 Golden Globe for Best Drama.
1. Going up a tree a girl coming down a Queen
The famous story goes that Elizabeth Windsor climbed a mgugu tree as a princess and the following morning came down as a queen. She and Prince Philip were in Kenya, en route to Australia, staying at the famous Treetops Hotel. It’s believed that on February 6, she was watching the sun rise from a platform in the trees as an eagle soared above them - it was thought that, at that moment, her beloved father, George VI, died in his sleep at Sandringham. This is portrayed beautifully in the series. We love that The Crown addresses the complexities of womanhood alongside the pressures of becoming a monarch. The series focuses on the 25-year-old Elizabeth grappling with the responsibilities of being Britain’s first female monarch since the passing of Queen Victoria in 1901, as well as a wife and mother.
2. Grandma’s advice to the future monarch
You can always count on Grandma for a good pep talk. We love when Queen Mary (Eileen Atkins), the grandmother of Elizabeth, lectures the new sovereign, saying: “Monarchy is God’s sacred mission to grace and dignify the earth, to give ordinary people an ideal to strive towards, an example of nobility and duty to raise them in their wretched lives.” Elizabeth pales a little and goes on to abide by traditions and goes on to become a great Queen and watching part of that journey in season one is a joy.
3. The Queen's Coronation
Apart from the fanfare in the lead up to the big day and the sense of occasion from the traditions to the costumes, the Queen’s coronation is a favourite moment because, much to Churchill’s surprise, the crowds were more excited and cheerful when she arrived rather than the PM. Much to the dismay of Churchill’s rather large ego.
4. The power struggles between Queen and her “subject”
Philip’s (played by Matt Smith) discomfort with the power shift in his marriage comes to a head in episode five, "Smoke and Mirrors," in the run-up to Elizabeth’s (played by Claire Foy) ascension. He doesn't want to kneel to his wife and tries to draw a dividing line between Elizabeth the Queen and Elizabeth his wife, asking "Are you my wife or my queen?”. She responds, "I am both," indulging none of his whining. "And a strong man would be able to kneel to both,” she adds. In the end, Philip swallows his pride and kneels during the ceremony, the first-ever British coronation to be televised.
5. The Queen reprimanding Churchill
In the summer of 1953, suffice it to say that the mood was pretty anxious in Britain as the Soviet Union started testing its first hydrogen bomb. But little did most people know, including the Queen herself, that her Prime Minister had suffered a stroke. When the Queen found out that Churchill and his family had been hiding his health issues. It is in this moment that Queen really steps into her own. She requests an audience with Churchill and it becomes clear, perhaps for the first time, she feels completely in control. Churchill has never looked meeker. Elizabeth sternly, but calmly and quietly, dresses him down for putting his pride before the security of the country.
6. The elaborate costumes
The Crown is said to be Netflix's most expensive show for a reason. With a whopping budget of close to $200 million, the costumes are said to have taken a big chunk of the money. In The Crown, it’s quite possible the wedding dress was more expensive than the Queen’s. It’s said the 21-year-old princess saved ration coupons to pay for the material, in line with other brides of the time, although she also received an extra 200 from the government. Ordinary women sent in their own coupons to help out, although these were politely returned.