The Crown season 6 has a timeline that ends long before King Charles III’s May 2023 coronation, but it could still hurt the series. The Crown season 6 will be the last season of the Netflix series, focusing on the royal family from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s. The Crown has been centered around Queen Elizabeth II’s long reign, which began in 1952 and ended with her death 70 years later. Elizabeth’s death occurred during the production of The Crown season 5, while King Charles III’s coronation coincided with the production of The Crown season 6, which will likely be released on Netflix at the end of the year.
In The Crown season 3, Charles took on a much larger role in the series, becoming the first character outside of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to appear on the show’s poster. The season covered Charles’s investiture as Prince of Wales, a title now held by his eldest son, William, who started to play a more important role in The Crown season 5. Josh O’Connor event went on to win an Emmy and Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Charles in season 4, but the portrayal of Charles in The Crown season 5 has not been as well-received.
King Charles’s Coronation Could Influence The Crown Season 6’s Portrayal Of Him
The Crown season 5 was criticized for being too sympathetic to Prince Charles’s character in a season that dealt with the end of Charles and Diana’s relationship through the finalization of their divorce. In The Crown season 5, Charles was portrayed as the young agent of change that the monarchy needed. The season also continued to push his character’s narrative as a victim of the system who was forced into an affair by being unable to marry the woman he truly loved in Camilla.
While The Crown has been criticized by the real people they portray, notably former prime ministers John Major and Tony Blair, many of the characters’ real-life counterparts have since passed. With Charles as a living member of the royal family, and now king, The Crown could be purposefully painting him in a more favorable light. The Crown has historically had great sympathy for Elizabeth, and with Charles now as sovereign, they’re likely extending the same grace to his character. However, The Crown season 6 letting Charles’s coronation impact his character’s portrayal would be disingenuous to the story and lead to continued criticism of the series.
The Crown Season 6 Could Also Hurt King Charles
The Crown season 5 also dealt with the idea that there are members of the public and politicians who believe the monarchy is outdated and no longer needed. An April 2023 National Centre for Social Research study revealed that public support for the monarchy has fallen to a record low, and King Charles III has lower approval ratings than Queen Elizabeth II had. The Crown season 6 will feature Diana’s tragic 1997 death, and though it’s been over 25 years since her passing, she’s still referred to as the People’s Princess.
Alongside King Charles III, Camilla was crowned as Queen Consort, and many took to social media to express their disapproval and feelings that it was Diana’s rightful role. With Charles already facing great criticism, The Crown season 6 bringing Diana’s death and the aftermath back into public consciousness could only further hurt him. Just like the reception of The Crown season 5 was complicated by Queen Elizabeth’s II death, the reception of The Crown season 6 is bound to be complicated by King Charles III’s coronation.
