The Crown season 5 trailer shows ‘Royal Family in crisis’

Screen OD staff

Netflix has finally given viewers the first trailer of The Crown season 5, the eagerly awaited next chapter in the epic dramatisation of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

The trailer begins showing Windsor Castle ablaze and the Queen standing amongst the smouldering ashes of the royal palace which was devastatingly damaged in a 1992 fire. We hear the voice of the Queen, who is now played by Imelda Staunton, who takes up the role where Olivia Colman left off, as we see the Royal Family enter the 1990s, arguably one of the most challenging eras in modern history.

Set to a version of The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony, the trailer presents us a “royal Family in crisis” as the marriage of Charles and Diana is breaking down and scandal and rumours engulf the royal estates.

We get our first real look at Imelda Staunton as the Queen and Dominic West as Prince Phillip, as well as Elizabeth Debecki as Princess Diana, a character who will play a pivotal part in this series. Keen-eyed viewers will also spot Johnny Lee Miller as Prime Minister John Major.

The official Netflix synopsis reads: “As Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton) approaches the 40th anniversary of her accession, she reflects on a reign that has encompassed nine prime ministers, the advent of mass television and the twilight of the British Empire. Yet new challenges are on the horizon. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong signals a seismic shift in the international order presenting both obstacles and opportunities. Meanwhile, trouble is brewing closer to home.

Prince Charles (Dominic West) pressures his mother to allow him to divorce Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), presenting a constitutional crisis of the monarchy. Rumours circulate as husband and wife are seen to live increasingly separate lives and, as media scrutiny intensifies, Diana decides to take control of her own narrative, breaking with family protocol to publish a book that undermines public support for Charles and exposes the cracks in the House of Windsor.

Tensions are set to rise further, as Mohamed Al Fayed (Salim Daw)  arrives on the scene. Driven by his desire for acceptance of the highest order, he harnesses his self-made wealth and power to try and earn him and his son Dodi (Khalid Abdalla) a seat at the royal table.”

The Crown, which began in 2016, has become one of the biggest global originals that Netflix own and is set to run for two final seasons.

Season five of the fictional drama, inspired by real events, will be the first to be released since the death of both Prince Phillip and the Queen. It is also the first season since Prince Charles became King Charles III.

Written by Peter Morgan, the new season will see Jonathan Pryce take on the role of The Duke of Edinburgh, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret and Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles.

Also featured is Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne, Marcia Warren as the Queen Mother, James Murray as Prince Andrew and Sam Woolf as Prince Edward. Playing the role of the young princes will be Timothée Sambor and Senan West as Prince William and Teddy Hawley and Will Powell as Prince Harry. Prasanna Puwanarajah is Martin Bashir, Salim Daw is Mohamed Al Fayed with Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed. 

The Crown series 5 launches globally on Wednesday, November 9th 2022 on Netflix