The Crown has been an undeniable hit for Netflix, and now that the hugely popular royal drama is set to wrap up following season six, which is thought to be released in late 2023. But is it actually going to happen?
According to reports, Peter Morgan has been in talks with Netflix over a potential prequel to the show, though not much is known about the subject matter. However, prequels could look at anything from the late Queen Elizabeth II’s father King George VI’s reign to the reign of Queen Victoria.
Netflix has recently shut down rumours about the prequel series, stating: "There is no Crown prequel in development. There have been conversations about a prequel, some time ago but nothing recently."
The show will be finishing around the 20-year mark before the present day, with season six set to include the beginning of the Prince and Princess of Wales' romance at the University of St Andrews.
The streaming platform has already released a first look at Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy, who play William and Kate on the show respectively, with a caption that read: "A first look at Prince William (Ed McVey) and Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy) from the sixth and final season of The Crown, coming 2023."
The show’s creator has previously opened up about how he has no plans for the show to reach closer to the present day. Speaking about why the show will be ending, producer Suzanne Mackie told Broadcast: "Peter has said it very articulately, that he simply can't write something unless there has been time to gain a proper perspective.
"I think he's always felt 10 years is the minimum amount of time that he can see something in a historical context, to allow him to really understand it. I don't think he'll deviate from that. We all know these stories, but what Peter does so brilliantly is get underneath that and understand the landscape in a more nuanced, complex, surprising way."
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As such, fans won’t be getting the dramatised version of recent events, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s exit from the royal family, despite the Duke of Sussex praising the show.
Chatting on The Late, Late Show, he said: "Of course it's not strictly accurate … but it gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle—the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else—what can come from that.
"I’m way more comfortable with The Crown than I am seeing the stories written about my family or my wife or myself. Because it's the difference between fiction, take it how you will, but this is being reported on as fact because you're supposedly news. I have a real issue with that."