Netflix announced the release date for Season 3 of The Crown on Monday. The popular series about Britain’s royal family will drop on November 17, Buzzfeed News reports. Netflix also dropped a trailer for the new season. Don’t get too excited about the trailer, though, as it doesn’t show much.
The Crown , for those not familiar, is Netflix’s dramatization of the lives of the royal family, and the trials and tribulations within and without. Beginning with the wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Philip Mountbatten of Greece, the first two seasons focused on the lives of the princess (later the Queen) and her family, from the years 1947 to 1964, with a few flashbacks.
In addition to showing the lives of Queen Elizabeth and her family, the show also dealt with British history of the time, including The Great Smog of London in 1952; the succession of prime ministers that served under Elizabeth; the Suez Crisis of 1956; and troubles within the Empire’s colonies in Africa.
The third and fourth seasons of The Crown are expected to cover the events of 1964 and later, likely to conclude around the time Lady Diana Spencer (later Princess Diana) enters the picture, in the late 1970s. Season 3 is expected to show Prince Charles taking on a larger public role, as well as the decolonization of the Empire in Africa. However, it bears noting that details about the upcoming season are scarce.
Netflix also dropped a trailer for Season 3, but it shows very little. For those who can’t watch videos, it simply shows Queen Elizabeth (portrayed by Olivia Colman) entering the frame.
The new season brings a new cast. The Queen will no longer be portrayed by Claire Foy, and will instead be played by Colman. Similarly, the role of Prince Philip, formerly played by Matt Smith, will now be played by Tobias Menzies. Helena Bonham Carter takes over as Elizabeth’s sister, Princess Margaret, a role formerly held by Vanessa Kirby.
Why the change in principal cast? Because the show intends to focus on the family over the course of several decades. That means as the time period in the series progresses, so too must older actors portray the aging characters.
‘The Crown’: First-Look Picture of Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret https://t.co/ZvP3gPAIAW pic.twitter.com/LCIw3VNhMO
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 18, 2018
On the subject of older characters, Charles and his sister, Princess Anne, who were portrayed as children in the first two seasons, will be portrayed by Josh O’Connor and Erin Doherty, respectively.
Looking ahead to Season 4, Emma Corrin has been given the role of Princess Diana, and Gillian Anderson is rumored to be on tap to play Margaret Thatcher.
