This dramatic telling of modern history has something for everyone. Seeing the British royal family navigate the most famous moments of the 1950's and 60's is truly remarkable. The Crown brings humanity and emotion to the monarchy and it's incredible.
The Crown is a Netflix biopic series about the British monarchy, specifically Queen Elizabeth II. The second season of the show covers her reign during the 1950’s and early 1960’s. This series is not your average (usually boring) historical show, its an Emmy winning drama that masterfully tells the story of a living legend. Audiences see more context and emotion behind some of the biggest moments in history. While there are some details created by scriptwriters, most of the show is very historically accurate.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Season two begins right where season one left off, with one of the main storylines of the season: the royal marriage. Things are off to a rocky start for Elizabeth and Phillip. Their marriage is pushed to the near breaking point when Phillip is gone on a 5-month tour of the British Commonwealth in the Pacific. Elizabeth suspects that he is unfaithful to her, and when another man on the tour is proven to have been disloyal to his own wife, the Queen’s suspicions are brought into the public eye. There are high points and low points of their relationship throughout the season, but after all of their trials they seem to come together at the end of the season looking like a stronger couple than they have been through the show’s entirety.
Princess Margaret’s story also develops during season two. During season one, she was denied marriage to the man she loved because he was deemed unsuitable to the monarchy. Frustrated with the control that the crown has over her personal life, Margaret begins to show more hostility towards the royal family. In her quest for rebellion, she meets Antony Armstrong-Jones, a photographer who shares her general disdain for tradition and high-class expectations. After getting the Queen’s approval, Margaret and Antony are married. However, glimpses of their relationship after the wedding suggest that their marriage is not the perfect love story that Margaret has wanted for so long.
Another interesting storyline of the season revolves around young Prince Charles’s education at his father’s boarding school. Charles transitions from being a royal child to becoming his own person. He has to struggle with the fact that he is not tough like his father and see disappointment in Philip when he realizes that too.
This season also reveals the shocking truth that Queen Elizabeth II’s uncle, King Edward VIII, had very close ties to the Nazi party and appeared to be a Nazi sympathizer. He abdicated the throne in 1936, but it is chilling to consider how he could have aided Hitler and the Nazi regime if he had stayed in a position of such power, and what effects of that alliance would have had on a global stage.
The Kennedys are also introduced as characters in this season. The dynamic between these two young power-couples (the Queen and Philip, and JFK and Jackie) is very interesting. History remembers Kennedy as a young president, but the fact that he was president while the Queen was young also is an interesting consideration that isn’t always mentioned. In this relationship, we see the Queen struggle with her feelings about Jackie Kennedy. Jackie was known internationally as a charming and “perfect” woman. Being the same age as Jackie, we see Elizabeth look discouraged that she is not nearly as celebrated or admired. It is a rare moment to see the Queen’s insecurities as a woman on screen, but it makes her all the more relatable to women everywhere.
I particularly enjoyed this season of The Crown. In reality, the royal family has always been very private and outwardly flawless, so seeing them all portrayed in such a raw and emotional way is shocking yet captivating. Getting a closer look into the personal lives of the British monarchy and those that surround it shows what an influence the crown has on their entire lives. Every decision, every action must be carefully calculated an approved by the reigning sovereign. Personally, I think that constant strain is something that most people could not bear to carry for their entire lives. While they are often criticized and held under society’s microscope, I have a new admiration for the strength of the royal family.
