This article contains mention of sexual assault.
Even though showrunner Peter Morgan has stated Netflix’s The Crown will end in season 6, there are so many fascinating royal stories that the show could have covered if it continued longer. The Crown features an ensemble cast that dramatizes the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her ascension to the throne onward, covering the biggest events of her reign. Though many viewers are likely aching for The Crown to explore recent events involving the royal family, the Netflix show’s final season will only cover events through the early 2000s.
Peter Morgan’s reasoning that not enough time has passed to get proper perspective on some of the most recent stories involving the royal family makes sense for ensuring The Crown’s storylines are accurate. However, because of the showrunner's rule regarding The Crown’s stories, the Netflix show will miss out on depicting some huge royal events by ending in season 6. Here are seven of the biggest stories that The Crown won’t be able to depict given season 6 being its final season, including why they would have been good additions to the show.
Prince Andrew's Jeffrey Epstein Allegations
Nothing is more titillating than a good royal scandal, which would have made Prince Andrew’s Jeffrey Epstein allegations a fascinating storyline for the Netflix show to cover if the show weren’t ending with The Crown season 6. Prince Andrew’s sexual assault allegations began to surface in the early 2010s, which, despite his denial of the allegations, were particularly damning given the documented evidence of his relationship with sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. This led to Prince Andrew officially stepping down from public life and carrying out royal duties in 2019, making this a particularly scandalous event The Crown could have covered.
The Crown is no stranger to covering the royals’ biggest scandals, making Prince Andrew’s sexual misconduct allegations a great potential storyline if The Crown continued past season 6. The storyline would be particularly rich given the Netflix show has alluded to the Duke of York being Queen Elizabeth’s favorite child throughout the series, so it would be fascinating for The Crown to explore the Queen’s reaction to the scandal. Though the topic is sensitive given the subject matter and the figures involved, it is one of the most outrageous and damaging stories involving a senior royal in recent memory, which would make it a huge potential storyline for The Crown to cover.
Prince William & Kate Middleton's Marriage
Though the beginning of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s relationship will appear on The Crown season 6, something the Netflix show will miss out on depicting is the royal couple’s wedding. Though the couple had been dating since 2003, Prince William and Kate Middleton didn’t tie the knot until April 29, 2011. Royal weddings are always an exciting event, both on The Crown and in real life, so it would have likely been a huge part of a future season of The Crown if the Netflix show wasn’t ending with season 6.
The Crown has depicted the biggest and most memorable royal weddings throughout the show’s run, meaning that Prince William and Kate Middleton’s nuptials would have been a huge storyline. Given the importance of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s relationship for the past few seasons of The Crown, the parallels between their wedding and that of their son’s would make the Netflix show’s depiction of it even richer. Royal romances are often some of the most memorable storylines on The Crown, and Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding would be no exception if The Crown were to continue past season 6.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle
The Crown has historically dived into royal romances and their accompanying controversies, which would make the timeline of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship a huge event for the show to cover. Prince Harry and former Suits actress Meghan Markle first began their relationship in 2016, tying the knot in 2018. Though Prince William’s romance has followed the royal fairytale expected by royal watchers, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship has been anything but that due to pressures from the royals, tabloids, and more. This culminated in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ceasing their performance of royal duties in support of the Queen in 2020.
The Crown loves a good controversy, and the various issues that have arisen as a result of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s union would have resulted in lots of great stories for the Netflix show. From the racism Markle has experienced to the couple’s war with tabloids to their eventual departure from royal duties, there is a multitude of angles and storylines The Crown could have explored. While it would be difficult for The Crown to accurately portray the relationship of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in addition to the issues that have arisen surrounding it given much of these issues are still ongoing, it would have still made for a fascinating storyline.
Brexit
Netflix’s The Crown has never shied away from covering British politics in the show, and a big news story from the 2010s that The Crown will miss out on by ending with season 6 is Brexit. Prior to 2016, the United Kingdom was part of the European Union (EU), but after a referendum on the subject, the UK began the process of negotiating its exit from the EU, which was dubbed “Brexit” by the media. While The Crown is first and foremost about the royal family, the Netflix show often explores the Queen’s role in British politics and government, which would have made Brexit an interesting story for it to cover.
COVID-19 Pandemic
While The Crown tends to focus on stories that either directly affect the royal family or the UK, it also occasionally grapples with world events as well, meaning that exploring the COVID-19 pandemic on the show would be a must. The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated both the news and the global citizens’ personal lives throughout the 2020s, making it a huge event The Crown could have explored. Covering the COVID-19 pandemic would have also been interesting given The Crown’s themes of personal mortality, as several senior royals contracted the virus. Since it affected the royal family, Britain, and global politics, COVID-19 would have been a vital story for The Crown.
Prince Philip's Death
One of the biggest themes in The Crown’s recent seasons has been aging, and if not for its season 6 ending, depicting Prince Philip’s death would be a personal way to confront that theme head-on. Prince Philip died on April 9, 2021 at Windsor Castle, just a few months shy of his 100th birthday. Given that The Crown has heavily focused on Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s marriage, including the royal family’s reactions to Prince Philip’s death would have been an interesting storyline for the show to explore.
Exploring Prince Philip’s death would be a fascinating avenue for The Crown for several reasons. Prince Philip was a complicated person in real life and The Crown, which would make his death particularly interesting to explore on the show. The storyline would be particularly impactful for Queen Elizabeth on The Crown, as the Queen has often been depicted as a stoic figure. Seeing the Queen and her children react to and grapple with the death of such an important figure in their lives would be an emotionally rich storyline that would play into the themes of aging and mortality that The Crown has been dealing with for the past few seasons.
Queen Elizabeth's Death
Perhaps the biggest story that Netflix’s The Crown will miss out on by ending with season 6 is also one of the most recent. After serving 70 years as the queen of the United Kingdom, making her the longest-reigning British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8, 2022 at Balmoral Castle. Though it makes sense why The Crown can’t cover this event, it would be a fitting ending to the Netflix show.
While it might feel morbid to consider covering the main protagonist’s death in a TV show about their life, it would be fitting for The Crown given the parallels to its beginning. The Crown season 1 begins with the death of Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, leading to Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne. Therefore, it would make sense for The Crown to show the passing of the torch (or crown) from Queen Elizabeth to her son, Charles, by covering her death. This would have created a nice set of bookends for the Netflix series, closing the chapters on both The Crown and Queen Elizabeth’s reign fittingly.