The Crown Season 1 (2016) ★★★★★

Channel: Netflix

Starring: Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, John Lithgow, Jared Harris, Jeremy Northam, Victoria Hamilton, Ben Miles, Eileen Atkins, Alex Jennings, Pip Torrens

Creator: Peter Morgan

Humpo Show Rating | 9.2

The Crown is a biographical story of Queen Elizabeth II, and the early part of her reign. It is the brainchild of Peter Morgan, responsible for the Oscar-winning The Queen, and follows Elizabeth’s early days as Queen, the relationship she has with her husband, sister, Prime Minister and the people. It gives a fascinating insight into Buckingham Palace, and the goings-on that occurred during times of strife and joy in the late 40s and early 50s. A truly excellent drama that has seen Foy and Lithgow rightly receive awards for their acting.

The portrayals of all the people are top notch. Foy is a marvellous Elizabeth II, Smith is a hilarious Prince Philip, Kirby is perfect as the delectable Princess Margaret and Lithgow portrays Churchill with great emotion. These 4 comprise the main 4 characters that The Crown focuses on during the mid 1940s, the Queen’s early married life to Philip, and continues until the mid 1950s where the events of Maragaret’s and Peter Townsend’s relationship unfolds.

The Margaret-Peter Townsend storyline was very intriguing to watch, given the implications it had on the sisterly relationship between Margaret and Elizabeth. This was an event concerning the royal family that I was not aware of, and it was an entertaining history lesson. Margaret and Peter’s relationship is also a sign of the times, since the Cabinet and the Church forbid the coupling, given Peter’s divorce, and in 2018 we will be witnessing the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (a divorcee)- the same situation that Margaret found herself in, but 1950s Britain was very different. The strain it had on the sisters is evident, and I’m sure we’ll see repercussions of Elizabeth’s decision in Season 2.

Philip (Smith) provides the comedy element and light relief to proceedings, which is needed given the seriousness of the Queen’s role, the Government, and The Great Smog of 1952 that make up the season. His wittiness, snide remarks, and sarcasm is refreshingly honest and elicited many chuckles from me. It was interesting to see the type of relationship Elizabeth and Philip had during the early days of the monarchy, and I am a bit disappointed that the season is 10 episodes long, as it would have been very intriguing to many if there was a greater focus on Elizabeth and Philip while they were courting, and I’m sure the writers could have included a few extra episodes to reflect on that period.

Even though the focus is on Queen Elizabeth II and her family, The Crown also focuses largely on the political events at the time, given the legendary status afforded to Winston Churchill, and the relationship Churchill has with the Queen. This was the area of history that most interested me since that Elizabeth II and Churchill are perhaps the two most famous Britons of all time, so I was eager to get an insight to their working relationship. Foy and Lithgow are exceptional in their scenes together.

The Crown is a fascinating drama into the British Royal Family, the relationships behind closed doors, the friction over contentious decisions, the relationships that occur with the spotlight of the nation on them, the death of the King, the coronation of a new Queen, and perhaps most importantly, the burden of the Crown and what it entails for Queen Elizabeth II. This first season of The Crown has been riveting to watch, and each episode has been enlightening and entertaining. Long may it reign!

The Humpo Show | Richard

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