Netflix's The Crown ignited a worldwide interest and fascination for the British royal family. Between trials and tribulations, deaths and marriages, political intrigue, and never-ending scandals, at the center of it all there has been only one: Queen Elizabeth II. It was with both amazement and growing curiosity that audiences witnessed the evolution of England's longest-ruling monarch through a fictional lens.
Actors Claire Foy and Olivia Colman have taken on the herculean task of depicting this iconic figure. Looking back on the first four seasons of the show, it's impossible not to feel a sense of kinship towards the Queen, who married, ascended the throne, gave birth to four children, and has endured so much turmoil over the course of her life.
A Young Princess
The first two episodes of The Crown introduced a very young Elizabeth, getting married and enjoying the early days of her union with Prince Philip. Here, the would-be Queen was but a fresh-faced Princess, who still thought that her ascension to the throne was very far ahead.
Witnessing Elizabeth and Philip's four-continent tour also laid the foundation for audiences to understand the distinct personalities of the couple and establish a dynamic that would follow them for years to come.
A New Role Begins
King George VI's tragic ing meant Elizabeth was Princess no longer and had to now come to with her new position in life as Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other Commonwealth realms. Still extremely young, Elizabeth had to learn the harsh realities of being a monarch, a wife, a mother, and a sister.
The bulk of season 1 saw the Queen grapple with keeping her sister from marrying for love, develop a strong relationship with her first Prime Minister, Churchill, and find a balance between power and love where her husband Philip was concerned.
Trouble Within The Royal Marriage
The Crown explored at length the heartbreaking issues experienced by Philip and Queen Elizabeth. Although some of it was fictionalized, the writers and actors managed to imprint these scenes with all the feelings of fear, rejection, betrayal, and longing common to such situations — only on a much bigger scale.
Prince Philip's struggles with his place within the royal family kickstarted many of the most interesting plots on the show. And as Elizabeth grew more and more comfortable and at ease with her role, eventually, so did her husband.
Family Business
Aside from her marriage, Elizabeth had to deal with myriad other problems coming from her sister, her uncle, and her own take on how a monarch should act. Princess Margaret's tumultuous love life seemed to eventually settle down as she married Antony Armstrong-Jones, and the Queen's decision to cut ties with her uncle upon discovering his connections with the Nazis further solidified her growth and maturity.
Additionally, being open to listening, and even taking, the advice of her most vocal critic during season 2, showed that Elizabeth was evolving and slowly opening up to perhaps a less hemmed-in style of ruling.
The End Of An Era
Towards the end of season 2, the Queen was struggling with, in her own words, impending middle age, which was, in large part, propelled by her acquaintance with American First Lady, Jackie Kennedy. In the end, Mrs. Kennedy ended up being a source of inspiration for Elizabeth, who had one of her most tremendous moments as a monarch by helping smooth over conflicts in Ghana.
Audiences bid goodbye to the younger Queen on a high note, after a sex scandal led to an intimate and heartfelt moment between Elizabeth and Philip, further cementing one of the longest, most scrutinized marriages in history.
A Mature Queen
Academy Award-winning actress Olivia Colman took over the mantle of Queen Elizabeth II in the season 3 premiere. Now an older, more mature woman and ruler, audiences got to be reacquainted with the character whose life they'd invested in so deeply during the two previous seasons.
New Prime Ministers, a series of political mishaps, and one of the saddest moments in The Crown's history all saw Elizabeth come to with her own emotions. The show proved how far the Queen had come — but also how much more she still had to learn.
Tradition, Tradition, Tradition
Season 3 of The Crown dedicated a fair amount of time developing Prince Charles's character. Now a grown-up, the eldest of the Queen's children was trying to find his own identity in the world whilst preparing to take on the role of England's King.
Prince Charles' early narrative on The Crown was paved with sadness; his struggle with falling in love with a woman he could not marry, as well as his deep desire to be praised, both intensely clashed with the Queen's detached style and fierce principles of sticking to the status quo. Elizabeth might have evolved in many ways, but she was firmly committed to tradition.
Enter Thatcher
Gillian Anderson's performance as Thatcher was nothing short of extraordinary, and the power dynamics between this duo made season 4 a delight to watch. The addition of England's first female Prime Minister to the story brought out an entirely new side of Elizabeth, who, for the first time ever, went against protocol as a response to Thatcher's antics.
Her love for the Commonwealth fleshed out a softer side to the monarch's personality, and the final scenes shared between both women were of high emotional caliber — something rare in both of them.
Children
The exploration of Queen Elizabeth's parenting choices on The Crown was one of the most compelling subplots on the show. The monarch was never one to show a lot of affection towards her children, and the failing marriages of Charles and Anne, as well as the lives of Andrew and Edward, came as a surprise to her.
The unhappiness of many of the royal family always seemed to simply be accepted by all involved, but seeing the Queen confront this head-on was yet another fascinating layer added to her already complex character.
The Age of Diana
Although Prince Philip's speech in The Crown's season 4 finale implied that the Queen would always be at the center of it all, many key events throughout the season, and history itself, seem to contradict his assertion.
Elizabeth had always been the main character of both her life and The Crown, but the arrival of Diana, the People's Princess, adored by the world at large, is an indication that maybe the monarch, with her distant front, love for tradition, and distaste for deep emotions, might be about to take a step back in her own story. But for now, only the premiere of Season 5 can tell audiences more about the subject.