Just when things were starting to get us down, The Crown has launched its Season 4, unveiling Emma Corrin as Princess Diana and Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher.
And boy, had they teased. They had previewed the series via a set of amazing pictures, featuring Diana, Thatcher, and even Camilla, but we were of course particularly excited to see the wedding dress.
Alongside the wedding picture, Netflix added: 'Emmy award-winning costume designer Amy Roberts wanted to capture the same spirit and style of David & Elizabeth Emanuel’s original design, without creating a replica for Emma Corrin.' (We say Amy has done a very, very good job.)
Speaking about the role, Corrin told Vanity Fair in a new interview: 'You meet her and she’s…16 years old,' recalling the character’s first scene, in which Charles stops by the Spencer family home to pick up Diana’s elder sister Sarah for a date. 'From episode one to three, we see her dynamic before she goes into the palace—and how normal she was, living in her flat with friends…then she’s really transported overnight.'
Corrin added that she researched and used princess’s fractured early family life for clues about the character’s psychology. 'She wants any warmth,' she told Vanity Fair. 'The most useful research came from her childhood and her relationship with her parents, which was fucked, to say the least…. If you have a very fucked relationship with your parents, you constantly look for maternal and paternal figures.'
We last saw Charles dating and smitten with Camilla, pictured here with Diana.
What years will the show cover?
The show covers 1979 to 1990 and we see Diana’s first weekend at Balmoral, her and Prince Charles' private moments as young parents and their 1983 Royal Tour of Australia.
During Charles and Diana’s televised engagement interview, the duo was asked whether they were in love. Diana said, 'Of course' while Charles infamously responded, 'Whatever ‘in love’ means.
The show's creator Peter Morgan said much of the show would draw on the things that Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth - who were born six months apart - had in common.
He told Vanity Fair: 'They’re both very resilient, very committed, work incredibly hard, have an extraordinary sense of duty. They’re both really committed to the country. They both have a strong Christian faith. They’re both girls of the war generation who switch the lights off when they leave a room. But then they had such different ideas about running the country.'
Who is Karen Smith?
Episode 3 is dedicated to Karen Smith, a location manager who worked on all four series of the show. She had previously worked on a wide range of impressive programmes, including Doctor Foster and Ashes to Ashes.
What about the trailers?
The first trailer shows pause-constantly-or-you'll miss-it grabs of Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher, climaxing in an image of Diana on her wedding day.
Have a look, here!
There is also a new one, with more of a focus on Diana.
Who is returning?
After Claire Foy and Matt Smith made way for Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies, they'll be sticking around (although they are likely to be replaced for Season 5 and beyond). Helena Bonham Carter stays on as Princess Margaret. We've got new pics of them too.
Josh O'Connor and Erin Doherty are still on board as Prince Charles and Princess Anne.
Who is joining the cast?
Young actress Emma Corrin has the role of a lifetime: Princess Diana. She has already been photographed filming scenes with on-screen husband Josh O'Connor. Most recently, she was seen shooting scenes with a young actor playing William, and brandishing a baby bump, a recreation of an Easter egg hunt in 1984.
Gillian Anderson will play Margaret Thatcher. The Sex Education and The X Files star is thought to be dating Peter Morgan, the screenwriter behind The Crown. Thatcher was in Downing Street for more than ten years, so she's sure to be a regular feature in the programme, especially given how much of the new teaser is given to her...
Margaret Thatcher's son Mark will also feature. He will be played by Freddie Fox, who has been seen filming scenes for the first time. His disappearance in the Sahara Desert in 1982 - and the embarrassment that followed - is thought to feature in the programme.
What else will be covered?
Charles and Diana's Australia tour of 1983 will feature, as the cast was photographed in outfits matching the originals.
We also know that the assassination of Lord Mountbatten, played by Charles Dance, will feature, and that Claire Foy will appear in flashback, suggesting that the Queen will have a moment of reflection.
The series will cover the Falklands War of 1982 and the miners’ strike of 1984-5.
The opportunities are endless.
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