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The Crown season 5: 7 major royal events the show will probably cover

Here's what we think The Crown season five will be looking at 

Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
September 13, 2022
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The Crown will be back on our screens for season five in 2022, and the portrayal of the royal family will be more poignant than ever following the death of the Queen, who passed away on Thursday 8 September aged 96. The upcoming series will see Imelda Staunton play Her Majesty, while Dominic West and Elizabeth Debicki will portray Charles and Diana, respectively.

MORE: The Crown: everything to know about season five - release, plot, cast and more

Season five is likely to look at the 1990s during the monarch's reign, so what can we expect from season five, which is likely to cover the early 1990s? Find out here...

WATCH: Imelda Staunton reveals The Crown season five release

The Queen's annus horribilis speech

1992 marked the Queen's Ruby Jubilee, but it was very much not a happy year for Her Majesty, who said as much in a speech at Guildhall, describing it as an "annus horribilis," translating as 'horrible year'. She said: "1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an annus horribilis." 

Since the Queen didn't often express any negativity in her speeches, this phrase has since become famous, and we expect to see Imelda Staunton put her spin on it in season five. 

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The Queen called 1992 her 'annus horribilis'

The royal visit to South Africa 

We love a royal visit on The Crown, and so the Queen's first royal visit to South Africa in almost 50 years should do nicely! Her Majesty and Prince Phillip visited Cape Town in 1995, and were guests of President Nelson Mandela.

The Queen's children and divorce 

Contributing to the Queen's bad year was her son Andrew's split from the Duchess of York, as well as the breakdown of Princess Anne's marriage to Captain Mark Phillips, and Prince Charles' separation from Diana. Since Anne's marriage troubles are hinted at in season four, we expect to see them in closer detail in the new series. 

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The new series is likely to examine Charles and Diana's separation

Princess Diana's Panorama interview 

Diana's tell-all interview with Martin Bashir is one of the reasons behind Charles and Diana finally getting a divorce, three years after their separation, and so we will be surprised if we don't see how the writers' interpretation of how the famous interview came about. In the interview, Diana opens up about her struggle with becoming a member of the royal family, as well as her and Charles' extramarital affairs. 

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Will season five look at Diana's Panorama interview?

The Windsor Castle fire

Major damage was caused in a fire which broke out in Windsor Castle in November 1992, which was caused by a spotlight pressed up against a curtain. The castle needed extensive repairs, and Buckingham Palace was eventually opened to the public to help pay for the costs. 

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The fire cost millions to repair

The introduction of John Major 

The Prime Ministers, from Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher, are always a major part of The Crown, and season five will be no different by introducing the winner of the Conservative Party leadership election in 1990. This has been confirmed as Elementary star Jonny Lee Miller has been confirmed to take on the iconic role. 

MORE: Everything the royal family have said about The Crown

MORE: The Crown season six casts Prince William and Kate Middleton

Princess Anne weds Timothy Laurence

Princess Anne tied the knot with her second husband at Crathie Parish Church near Balmoral in a Church of Scotland ceremony in December 1992, and we imagine that the politics behind a second marriage in the royal family - particularly due to Princess Margaret's failed relationship with Peter Townsend - may well be of interest! Filming has already spotted Claudia Harrison and Theo Fraser Steele on set, who are thought to be playing Princess Anne and Timothy. 

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Princess Anne married her second husband in 1992

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