The trailer for Netflix's acclaimed Royal drama has finally dropped. While the Crown has clearly moved on from its last two seasons, it looks as though it will continue to be as gripping as it was when Claire Foy was wearing the crown. Not only will it continue to be as enticing, but it could even go beyond the prior two seasons.
The casting of Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth, Tobias Menzies (Outlander) as Prince Phillip, and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) as Lord Louis Mountbatten will certainly guarantee a great season.
Here we will analyze the trailer and deliver 10 things we learned from the recent trailer for the Crown season three.
The Release Date
Perhaps the most important piece of information dropped in the season three trailer was the release date. It's been almost two years since season two of the Crown was released on Netflix (though it feels longer) and ever since the final episode, fans of the show have been clamoring to see the third season premiere on the streaming service.
Fortunately for them, as the trailer ends, the release date is revealed to be November 17th. It's been a long wait, but the wait is almost over.
The Queen Isn't Very Happy
Throughout the trailer, Queen Elizabeth is incredibly dour. The monarch's monologue begins with self-doubt as she asks herself, “In days like today you ask yourself, in the time I’ve been on the throne what have I actually achieved?” This appears to not only be referencing a time of political instability in the UK but also fractures around her own family.
The Queen then goes to say: “This country was still great when I came to the throne. All that’s happened on my watch is the place has fallen apart.” The new season will clearly not be a pleasant ride for the monarch. as the trailer foreshadows, it will be a tumultuous time for both her family and the UK.
Prince Charles Will Have A Large Role
The trailer showed a large amount of Prince Charles in this trailer, suggesting that his role will be a vital one. This role could be centered around a clash with his family, as there was a notable scene in which Prince Charles is warned against trusting his family.
The Prince of Wales was known for numerous affairs in his youth, as well as a relationship with Camilla Shand (Parker-Bowles). Perhaps, as the trailer is highlighting the importance of duty and the clash that will sometimes appear with love, Prince Charles will have to learn to choose duty over love. Consequently, this trailer could be highlighting the struggle Charles had in getting his relationship with Camilla approved by the Royals in the 70s.
Princess Margaret May Take Centre Stage
The trailer was clear in showing a parallel between the troubles in the UK politically and the Royal family's own internal troubles. While the trailer is clearly hinting at a rift between Prince Charles and his family, there is another potential family drama brewing in the house of Windsor.
Helena Bonham Carter's Princess Margaret is shown several times in the trailer, hinting at a large role for the Countess of Snowden. Perhaps this could revolve around her future divorce in 1978.
Camilla Will Show Up
Camilla Parker-Bowles, or Camilla Shand as she was known during season three's time period, is an important figure in Royal Family history. Not only did Camilla have a romantic relationship with Prince Charles in the 1970s, something that will surely be covered in season three, but Camilla was also instrumental to the eventual break up of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage.
The Prince of Wales famously had an extra-marital affair with Camilla, which led to a divorce between Charles and Diana. After all of the affairs and scandals, Prince Charles and Camilla would go on to get married in 2008, making Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall. Subsequently, Charles and Camilla's relationship is a controversial one and will certainly make for entertaining viewing. In season three, Camilla will be portrayed by the talented Emerald Fennell.
Threats To The Royal Family?
The trailer revealed that Prince Philip was worried about the appointment of Labour politician Harold Wilson to the position of Prime Minister of the UK. Prince Philip was worried about the appointment as he believed that Wilson would seek to abolish the monarchy. However, perhaps this may only be a worry of Prince Philip. The Royal Consort's family was forced out of Greece when the Greeks abolished their monarchy. So, this could just be an irrational worry of Philip - he doesn't want history to repeat itself.
That being said, it could also be another element of 'duty' that the Queen talks about in the trailer. Philip will have to publicly remain politically neutral, which could be difficult for him as he perceives a threat to his livelihood.
No Diana
While some fans of the show and the Royal family may have been hoping for the Princess of Wales to show up this season, they will have to wait until season four for this. The trailer and several articles have shown that Diana will not play any part this season.
This means that fans will have to wait until season four for Princess Diana to make an appearance. Diana will certainly appear, as Emma Corrin has been cast to portray the iconic princess. While season three is still to be released, season four is already setting itself up to be fantastic due to the characters it is going to introduce; the most notable of which is Margaret Thatcher, who is set to be portrayed by Gillian Anderson.
A Decade Spanning Season
The third season of the Crown has already been shown to take place between the years of 1964 and 1977. While this was rumoured prior to the release of the trailer, the time period is certainly confirmed in the trailer for season three.
The time period of the show can be clearly seen in the historic events pictured in the trailer. For instance, the trailer shows the 1966 Aberfan disaster, the Queen's Silver Jubilee, as well as the appointment of Prime Minister Harold Wilson and the worries that the Royals have about this appointment. Furthermore, as said earlier, Camilla will appear in this season and as the future Duchess of Cornwall met Prince Charles in 1971, there is certainly a large period of time to be covered in this season.
The UK In Turmoil
The trailer shows that the UK is enduring an extremely tough time during this season's time period. There were miner's strikes occurring which caused electricity to be shut off at certain points during the week. However, there were also terrorist threats from the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during this time.
Consequently, the trailer shows that this is a UK that is under attack both from within and without. This season will show the Queen as she struggles through these difficult times. The IRA element is particularly important as one of their actions in the 70s has a direct impact on the Royals.
There'll Be A Funeral
The trailer ends with an ominous note. As Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A-Changin' plays in the background, a state funeral procession is being carried out. While the subject of the funeral is not revealed as of yet, it has to be someone of importance for there to be a state funeral.
Some have speculated that the funeral could be Winston Churchill's. This would make sense, not only considering he had a prominent role in the prior seasons, but also because he did receive a state funeral. Furthermore, Churchill died in 1965, so the timeline would also add up.
While there is no way to be sure that the funeral is Churchill's, it would appear to the most obvious answer.