‘The Crown’ Season 6 Places Princess Diana’s Final Months Front and Center

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The Crown’s sixth and final season is here—the first four episodes, anyway. Part 1 of the hit Netflix series began streaming on Thursday.

Elizabeth Debicki’s portrayal of Princess Diana is front and center as the episodes depict the princess in the months following her divorce from then-Prince Charles. She strikes up a budding romance with Dodi Fayed, the son of the wealthy Harrods department store owner who was a movie producer for a time. Run-ins with photographers foreshadow their tragic deaths in 1997. And then, the British royal family is left grappling with how to move forward following their unexpected loss.

Anticipation for the final season of the Emmy-winning drama had been building ever since Netflix announced the release date for the two-part concluding chapter in early October. Despite the Diana-heavy focus of Part 1, The Crown Season 6, of course, still follows the lives of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles as he navigates his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, and other royals.

Here’s a look at what we know about Season 6, as well as details on the cast and key dates.

When does The Crown Season 6 come out?

In the teaser trailer from early October, Netflix revealed it’s splitting Season 6 into two parts. The first four episodes released on November 16, while the final six won’t be available until almost a full month later on December 14.

The streaming service used a similar tactic in 2022 for its science fiction hit Stranger Things, releasing seven episodes in May and holding the final two until weeks later in July.

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Which actors are returning?

Staunton reprises her role as Queen Elizabeth II. Claire Foy and Olivia Colman, who played younger versions of the queen in earlier seasons, make cameo appearances in the trailer. The Sun reported earlier this year that their versions of the character will make an on-screen appearance alongside Staunton.

Australian actor Debicki returns as Princess Diana, while Dominic West is back to play Prince Charles—now King Charles III following Elizabeth’s death in 2022.

According to Netflix, other returning cast members include Lesley Manville (Princess Margaret), Claudia Harrison (Princess Anne), Jonathan Pryce (Prince Philip), Bertie Carvel (Tony Blair), Salim Daw (Mohamed al-Fayed) and Khalid Abdalla (Dodi Fayed).

Who plays Prince William and Princess Kate?

Two actors play Prince William in his teenage and young adult years. Rufus Kampa portrays William at age 15 in episodes that depict the events following his mother Diana’s death, while Ed McVey steps in as a slightly older version of the royal. He’ll, of course, share screen time with Meg Bellamy, who portrays his love interest and eventual wife Kate Middleton. All three actors are making their television debuts in the roles.

Luther Ford plays William’s brother, Prince Harry.

What does Season 6 focus on?

The season begins with the continuation of Princess Diana’s story. By the end of Season 5, the then-Princess of Wales had finalized her divorce from Charles. The first four episodes of this season explore the events leading up to and surrounding her death.

Season 6 part 2 will focus on Elizabeth and her reflections on her lengthy reign as queen. Viewers can also expect to see the wedding of Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as the blossoming romance between Prince William and Kate.

How does The Crown handle Princess Diana’s death?

Executive producer Suzanne Mackie spoke at the Edinburgh TV Festival in August and assured attendees there was a long and thoughtful conversation about how to tastefully portray the fatal car accident involving the Princess of Wales. Diana, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed, and their driver died in Paris on August 31, 1997, after they tried to escape paparazzi. “The show might be big and noisy, but we’re not,” Mackie said, according to the BBC. “We’re thoughtful people, and we’re sensitive people.” Ultimately, viewers don’t see the impact of the crash, which is alluded to through sounds after the car enters a tunnel.

However, as The Telegraph reported in October, this season does include scenes showing Diana’s ghost speaking with Charles and Elizabeth. According to the Daily Mail, insiders believe these moments could upset members of the royal family as their “deeply painful memories… are reduced to sensationalism.”

Debicki has talked about the stress of portraying the iconic royal and staying sensitive to her enduring legacy with people around the world. “There’s no doubt that this has had a tremendous effect on my heart and my brain and my body. It’s incredibly sad material,” Debicki told the 20 Questions: On Deadline podcast for a February 2023 episode. “That’s just how I come to work. I just think, ‘OK, how do I do this in the most truthful way?’ And then my actor, human person, Elizabeth brain feels it deeply, and it’s very, very sad and I carried that a lot.”

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