
A trailer for the fifth season of 'The Crown' is here. Now, the Peter Morgan-created royal drama enters the 1990s, one of the most turbulent decades of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. These years saw, among other things, the highly-publicised marital troubles between Princess Diana and Prince Charles, whose romance had been said to be akin to a fairy tale, their eventual split, and Diana's death in an accident. The trailer shows that the relationship between the two will be particularly in focus in the season. Dominic West and Elizabeth Debicki replace Josh O'Connor and Emma Corrin in the role of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, respectively.
'The Crown' has faced criticism over its alleged inaccuracy and unfair portrayal of the royals. But this time around, the scrutiny is even more heightened. In fact, even before its premiere, season 5 of the royal drama has already been censured for being "unkind" and "exploitative" after reports emerged that the show will delve deep into the breakdown of the aforementioned marriage, and imply that Prince Charles wanted to oust his mother as the monarch and establish himself.
Dame Judi Dench herself has chimed in. In a letter addressed to The Times of London, she said she is concerned that 'The Crown' will present an "inaccurate" and "hurtful" account of history. She added that the closer the show approaches our times, the more it "seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism."
'The Crown' season 5's synopsis reads, "Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatisation tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign. It’s a new decade, and the royal family are facing what may be their biggest challenge yet: proving their continued relevance in ‘90s Britain. As Diana and Charles wage a media war, cracks begin to splinter the royal foundation."
'The Crown' season 5 premieres on November 9.