Keeping it royal
HOW THE CROWN’S THIRD SEASON IS THE SAME BUT DIFFERENT…
THERE’S A CHANGING OF THE GUARD
As Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip enter middle age, so The Crown S1-2 stars Claire Foy and Matt Smith have morphed into Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies. “We were thinking about maintaining the original cast because they were so good,” says exec producer Andy Harries. “But we decided if we were going to change one or two leads, we should change everybody. It’s a bold experiment!” Other new faces in old(er) places include Helena Bonham Carter (Princess Margaret), Ben Daniels (Lord Snowdon), Josh O’Connor (Charles) and The Boys’ Erin Doherty (Anne). The line-up’s set to stay the same for the next two seasons, with Peter Morgan continuing as showrunner.
IT’S ABOUT TALENT, NOT LOOKALIKES
“When we made The Queen [2006], people at first rightly said that Helen Mirren didn’t look much like her,” says Harries. “But that’s the magic of cinema. If the actor is amazing, you see what you want to see. Olivia was our first thought for Season 3, as one of the greatest actors of our generation. Peter and I met her for a cup of tea, and as we soon as we sat down she went, ‘Yes!
Yes!’” Bonham Carter was taken aback by reactions to her taking the role. “The amount of people who said ‘perfect casting’,” she laughs. “Which bit, exactly? She comes with a reputation and people love judging her… Vanessa [Kirby, her predecessor as Margaret] sent a reading list and texts me every so often. She’s incredibly supportive.”
THE ’60S: IN FULL SWING
Season 3 stretches from the election of Harold Wilson (Jason Watkins) in 1964 to the 1977’s Silver Jubilee; S4 [spoiler alert!] will follow events up to the fall of Margaret Thatcher, as played by Gillian Anderson, in 1990. The Age of Deference is well and truly over, with the Windsors having to reckon with their place in a changing world. “Seasons 1 and 2 were more classic and period-like,” says director Benjamin Caron. “There are more colours for this season to reflect the era. It’s a step forward, but it’s still The Crown.”
THE KIDS AREN’T ALRIGHT…
Charles and Anne enter their 20s bearing the mental scars of difficult childhoods. “We explore the idea of it being a cold family to be a part of at times,” says Menzies. “Charles is struggling to find his place in the emotional soup of this family. It’s an investigation of what these institutions are and the human cost of what goes on inside them. It’s a blessing and a curse, so you’re constantly playing with that, which makes for great drama.” Still, it’s not all doom and gloom, with his investiture looming and the appearance of one Camilla Shand (Emerald Fennell).
ONE MARRIAGE IS SOLID… THE OTHER NOT
While Elizabeth and Philip seem stronger than ever – “we move away from the on-offness of their relationship,” reveals Menzies – it’s a different story for Margaret and Snowden. “Season 3 charts the sad disintegration of her marriage,” says Bonham Carter. “It’s a very complex relationship. We go on a world tour, meeting Lyndon Johnson in the White House and so on, but ultimately the whole thing is about family.
Our job as actors is to take something extraordinary and make you go: I can relate to that.” Gabriel Tate
THE CROWN SEASON 3 LAUNCHES ON NETFLIX ON 17 NOVEMBER.