Growing reigns: An A-Z of what viewers can expect to see on The Crown season five

Blair it out: Bertie Carvel will take on the role of Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair, who came to power in 1997 after the Conservative Party’s defeat. Given the casting, it’s likely the series will cover some events during Blair’s early tenure in the position. Lydia Leonard will play wife Cherie.

Celebrity feedback: Namely, Dame Judi Dench, who has some experience in playing members of the royal family. In a letter to The Times, she called on Netflix to insert a disclaimer at the start of the programme to state it is a ‘fictionalised drama’, a move that the company has so far resisted. Dame Judi says that doing so would be a mark of respect for the late Queen and help preserve Netflix’s reputation, accusing the series of ‘crude sensationalism’. Netflix did add a clarification, stating: ‘Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatization tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign.’

Divorce: In this fifth season, Prince Charles is putting his mother under pressure to allow him to divorce Diana. If it goes ahead, it’ll present a monarchical constitutional crisis. D is also for Diana, who, the series will show, publishes a book that undermines public support for Charles and exposes the cracks in the House of Windsor. Ooh er.

Elizabeth Debicki: The actress probably has the role, bar Imelda Staunton’s, which will have the most eyes on her for her portrayal of Diana, Princess of Wales. In a statement, Elizabeth said: “Princess Diana’s spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of so many. It is my true privilege and honour to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one.”

Financial issues: Will we see anything relating to Black Wednesday during Prime Minister John Major’s tenure? Also in 1992 — really not a good year all round — the rapid devaluation of the exchange rate of the sterling pound forced Britain to withdraw from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM). Couple this with a recession that dominated the early 1990s and well, not a lot of fun for Major, we think.

Glums: What some press called Prince Charles and Princess Diana while on an official trip to South Korea in 1992. The couple looked so despondent at their public engagements which led to the unhappy title. Perhaps it wasn’t surprising that two months later, in December, they announced their separation.

Halted: Filming was temporarily postponed in December 2021 after eight crew members tested positive for Covid.

Interview: Well, there’s no way the programme makers weren’t going to touch on that 1995 Panorama interview with Martin Bashir. The in-depth conversation touched on topics such as the late Princess of Wales’s expectations of her marriage to Prince Charles, being part of the Royal family, infidelity and circumstances that led to the breakdown of their marriage. Over 25 years later, it’s still talked about.

Jonny Lee Miller: The actor is playing Prime Minister John Major. It’s a surprising casting but the series producers have continually succeeded with finding appropriate actors for the real-life roles. That said, Sir John Major isn’t best pleased with the show, telling one Sunday newspaper that a scene that apparently depicts a plot to oust the late Queen was ‘a barrel-load of malicious nonsense.’ Oh dear.

Khan, Jemima: A friend of the late Princess of Wales exited a consulting role on the fifth season. She was asked to co-write, particularly the episodes which concerned Diana’s last years prior to her death. Though agreeing to contribute, Jemima later asked that all her efforts be removed from the series, declining a credit, when she realised the particular storyline ‘would not necessarily be told as respectfully or compassionately as I had hoped.’

Lesley Manville: How we adore this woman. She will be playing the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, a role previously portrayed by Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham Carter. “I could not be happier to be playing Princess Margaret,” Manville said in a statement. “The baton is being passed on from two formidable actresses and I really don’t want to let the side down. Furthermore, to play siblings with my dear friend Imelda Staunton will be nothing short of a complete joy.”

Marcia Warren: The two-time Olivier Award winner will portray Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Marcia is also known for her roles in Sherlock, Jam & Jerusalem, Coronation Street and Inside No. 9.

Netflix: Well, of course. Following the death of Elizabeth II, The Crown shot to first place on the streaming service’s coveted top 10 most watched list. Reported data suggests viewership increased as much as 800%. Yes, you read that correctly. Prepare for season five to extend the show’s popularity indefinitely.

Olivia Williams: Has been cast as Camilla Parker Bowles, taking over the role from Emerald Fennell. Pictures from filming suggest that the actress bears a striking resemblance to the now Queen Consort.

Props: Did you know that in February, approximately £150,000 worth of props were stolen, including a replica Faberge egg bought by the Queen’s grandfather, George V. Not that that prevented Netflix postponing filming.

Quits: Princess Anne and Mark Phillips had separated in 1989 but divorced in 1992. But hurrah, a wedding in the same year, as Anne married personal adviser Commander Timothy Laurence.

Revenge: Specifically, a certain famous dress. We’re waiting to see the most iconic look, surely, in royal history, Diana’s little black dress. Step back to 1994 when Diana attended a Vanity Fair party in London. She looked so good, so confident when shaking hands with party goers that the look was officially dubbed her ‘revenge dress.’ Nicely timed too, since this was the same night that Prince Charles would admit to a long-standing affair in a tell-all TV interview. Ooh, the juxtaposition of Charles being upfront while his estranged wife looks amazing… Her arrival took seconds, yet the memory has lasted almost 30 years.

Sensitive scenes: Without doubt, the fifth season will be compulsive viewing. We’re interested to see how the programme creators will handle the more sensitive of events.

Toe sucking: Charles and Diana weren’t the only couples separating. In the same year, Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew’s marriage broke down. Will the famous toe sucking incident be broadcast, when the Duchess of York was papped as John Bryan kissed and sucked her foot? There’s a lot to get into 1992 alone, so we’re unsure whether the scandal will make its way to the small screen… for now.

Umbridge, Professor: No, you’re definitely still watching The Crown but for us, it’s hard to separate Imelda Staunton, who plays this incarnation of Queen Elizabeth II, from her Harry Potter character. More corgis, fewer cats though, we predict.

Viewing: Not all of it will be comfortable, we imagine, particularly for Princes William and Harry as the fictional deterioration of their parents’ relationship is played out.

Windsor’s on fire: The season five trailer alerted fans that the series will cover the fire that engulfed Windsor Castle in, you guessed it, 1992. What a rough year for the royals. Started by a spotlight hitting a curtain, the fire became so large that it destroyed 115 of the castle’s rooms, blazing for approximately 15 hours. Fortunately, there were no deaths. Expect to see Imelda Staunton’s Elizabeth II looking on in horror as the fire takes over. It took five years for the castle to be fully repaired.

Xtraordinary: Okay, we’ve cheated a bit but there’s no doubt the significance of the 1990s on the royal family. These were unusual times (and we write this after there being three prime ministers in the last three months).

Yacht: Ah, those timeless photos. Expect to see the 1997 pictures of a wistful Princess of Wales as she sits on the diving board of Dodi Fayed’s yacht. She and Dodi were confirmed as a new couple, but a month after she was pictured kissing Dodi on the yacht, they died in the Parisian car crash. Khalid Abdalla has been cast as Dodi in series five so we are assuming Diana’s death will feature in the 10-episode series.

Zzzz: As in, prepare to watch all 10 episodes in one glorious go. No time for sleep.