Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Thatcher and Diana ramp up tension in a decade of conflict
Fans celebrate return of The Crown
IT’S an ominous start to the longawaited season four of Netflix’s lavish megahit The Crown, setting the tone for troubling times ahead.
Olivia Colman is every bit the majestic monarch as the Queen pounds across a courtyard and mounts a horse.
As Trooping the Colour celebrates the sovereign with pomp and ceremony, the parade scenes are intercut with real footage of unrest in Ireland and rage against the monarchy.
It’s 1977 and this isn’t the only tension we’re going to see, with the series tackling one of the most enthralling eras for royal drama, covering events up to 1990.
It includes the breakdown of Charles and Diana’s marriage and Margaret Thatcher’s divisive political reign.
With ten glorious episodes dropping on Sunday, millions of fans are desperate to see the new characters.
The Queen and her family are preoccupied with safeguarding the line of succession – which means Charles ( Josh O’connor) must find a suitable bride. He is nearly 30 and still unmarried for goodness sake – the shame!
There is humour as the Windsors sit gossiping over lunch about Charles’ fastmoving love life.
Princess Margaret (Helena Bonham Carter) fake vomits – winning best understated moment of the opening episode while the Queen presses Lord Mountbatten (Charles Dance) for details.
“What about that one in the bathing costume?... Am I right in thinking at one point there was even a Borgia?”
Olivia and Tobias Menzies (Prince Philip) have settled into their roles, so
B-RING IT BACK Emma jogs memories as Diana fans can stop comparing them to their predecessors Claire Foy and Matt Smith.
But among the newcomers viewers will be analysing are two equally captivating and scene-stealing women.
Watch out for the first glimpse of Diana, played beautifully by Emma Corrin, who Charles meets while he is dating her older sister Sarah Spencer.
There’s a slightly ridiculous meet-cute, involving fancy dress and hiding behind plant pots, but it’s wonderful to see these lesser-known early meetings play out.
With an uncanny voice and spot-on costuming (shout out to the pale yellow dungarees), Emma makes for a mesmerising People’s Princess-to-be.
Meanwhile, first seen prodding at her massive bouffant hair in a scene set in 1979, Gillian Anderson pulls off a startling likeness as Thatcher, who has just been elected Britain’s first ever female Prime Minister.
“That’s the last thing this country needs – two women running the shop,” sighs the Duke of Edinburgh. “Perhaps that’s precisely what this country needs,”
PRIME TIME Gillian as PM snaps the Queen. There is definitely a feminist vibe in the air this season, with Thatcher and Diana joining the ranks of the women making waves across the country. Although we all know the Queen will clash with both newcomers in her life.
In other news, Princess Anne (Erin Doherty), by now the first member of the Royal Family to compete at the Olympics, is dealing with “career difficulties”.
And the Troubles hit home with a tragedy that leads to quivering upper lips and some lesser-spotted emotion that informs Charles’ next move.
All eyes will rest on his budding romance with 19-year -old Diana , providing a much-needed fairy tale to unite the British people.
But we all know there is no happily ever after. And the fallout – even though we know what’s coming – makes for a royally gripping saga.
The Crown: Season 4 will be available on Netflix from Sunday.