The Crown - series 3

[southeastdweller]

I'm so looking forward to seeing this when it returns next Sunday!

I'd love Simon Williams to be in it too.

Why does Wallis Simpson not have an American accent? Every drama I have ever seen about Edward VIII she sounds American?

I wondered that too!

Just watched the Aberfan episode. Gosh. I knew about it but not the scale of it; and the awful feeling of impending doom in those first few minutes. Really well done. And heartbreaking.

As she grew older, Wallis Simpson developed a Mid-Atlantic accent with a lot of British intonations. Google some interviews with her (can't link right now). I think Geraldine Chapman got it down very well.

But her native Baltimore accent had quite a few non-rhotic features as well.

Why does Wallis Simpson not have an American accent?

By the time David died she'd been away from america for about 45 years, so her accent became Anglicized. Listen to her speech in this interview , 5 years before his death.

Something that really irks me, is seeing the Queen and D of E getting into their night wear ....with two servants "helping" them . I knew they had a lot of servants but honestly - two grown adults having a servant to "help " them put on a pair of pyjamas and a dressing gown ! No wonder they are out of touch with normal people.

According to Angela Kelly, the Queen dresses herself. So some of that being helped by servants might be an invention of the writers.

The actress playing Diana is noticeably tall. I've seen her IRL and she has model-like proportions. Josh O’Connor is significantly taller than Charles at 6'1 though, so it would be a challenge to get a model that towered over him!

@ShippingNews That’s fascinating. I had no idea. Thanks for the link.

Imelda Staunton and Hugh Laurie have played a married couple before, in Peter’s Friends.

But the age difference is the wrong way around for Phil and Liz

According to Angela Kelly, the Queen dresses herself. So some of that being helped by servants might be an invention of the writers.

It's still the 1950s in the first two series of The Crown, when women wore corsetry and other cumbersome undergarments under their evening wear. So the queen might have appreciated a bit of help getting out of all that before retiring!

Hugh Laurie is only 3 years younger than Imelda Staunton. Hardly a noticable age difference. Helena Bonham Carter is about 2 decades older than Margaret in the 3rd series, and the lovely Matthew Goode nearly 10 years older than Anthony Armstrong Jones in series 2, so they don't always stick firmly to the characters' actual ages. Tommy Lascelles was over 70 by the end of series 2, yet Pip Torrens was only in his 50s.

I thought that apart from great acting by OC and HBC in their final scene together, episode ten didn't work because there wasn't enough of a build up to the PM and Tony marriage break down. I just felt nothing during the scene where he confronts her after she and Roddy get back from Mustique.

Only on episode 1 half way into 2 its fabulous.

Utterly wondrous and fabulous.

I'm going to restrain myself for Xmas watching!!

I am enjoying it but the ages seem noticeably 'off'. They look much too old and I wonder why they didn't split this series between the original actors and the new cast. I thought it was blatantly obvious in the Aberfan episode when Margaret said her husband had asked her to kiss the children. In RL their DCs were quite small when Aberfan happened but the actors are of an age that their DCs would be considerably older.
I'm also finding it much more 'soapy' than the first few series. There are so many inaccuracies and dramatic license seems to be stretched to breaking point - which is odd because it wasn't an uneventful period in history or in their lives.

David and Wallis portrayed as poor misunderstood star crossed lovers Yes it was a bit odd. But remember it's for an American audience as well

I didn't get that at all from series 2, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were not favourably portrayed; I learned a lot about them that I hadn't known before, though had heard bits and pieces from people who were around at that time and knew things.

Of course when they were old people they were different but when they got together they were about 40 or so. Wallis was clever and ambitious though I doubt she ever expected to marry the 'king'. They had a good life though, travelling etc, feted in America, plenty of money.

I'm also finding it much more 'soapy' than the first few series. There are so many inaccuracies and dramatic license seems to be stretched to breaking point - which is odd because it wasn't an uneventful period in history or in their lives.

Agreed. In the third season the writers could have made more of the Snowdon's marriage, and included the attempted kidnapping of Princess Anne or featured her marriage.

I'm watching Ep 6, Investiture Prince of Wales. He and Anne are a few years older than me and its reminded me how sorry I used to feel for them in their early teen years, photographed going home from boarding school. Both of them always looked profoundly depressed. And if this episode is even half true, who'd swap? Release them into the wild.

I wouldn't swap with any of them either, longwayoff. I'm old enough to remember the Prince of Wales's investiture (he's about a year older than me). It didn't interest me that much, I was more cynical as a youngster but he certainly did like it, he likes pageantry and did jolly well to learn enough Welsh to sound convincing. It's not an easy language.

Ann was able to do her own thing, left school after O levels and became an equestrian. She was at Benenden in Kent so near enough to be able to get home quite a bit and she liked it.

Poor old Charles hated Gordonstoun, that damaged him for a while and soured the relationship with his mother because he felt she could have pulled rank and sent him down the road to Eton; unfortunately she let her husband make the final choice even though she wasn't happy about it. It was so far away too, up in Scotland.

Thankfully Diana and Charles sent their boys to Eton. They had freedom to choose what they wanted to do and it worked out.

What is funny is that Princess Anne's children both went to Gordonstoun and were fine there - different types altogether. I imagine Anne would have liked it herself had it been co-ed in her day.

What they did have were lovely long holidays with family, plenty of fun then with their cousins from all over.

I think I read Princess Anne's wedding is covered in the next series.

Andrew and Edward were at Gordonstoun too. Perhaps surprisingly, Edward was head boy!

Yes. Different strokes for different folks, the Queen's four children are very individual.

Charles was quite sensitive, even at his prep school the teachers/headmaster tried to advise his parents to take care with choosing the 'big' school. Of course his dad went to Gordonstoun and apparently he was a star even though he found it hard at the start.

As a family they are all quite sporty and outdoorsy but young Charles was a bit reserved and lonely. He missed home comforts and family.

These things pass, as an adult he reached accommodation with his parents and they've all got on quite well for a long time.

Princess Margaret's two children went to a progressive school - Bedales. Well they would, wouldn't they.

I boarded for a couple of years, wouldn't have wanted my child to though.

I don't see why they couldn't have 'aged' the original actresses to keep them in it a bit longer. Agree that the two female leads are not convincing for the ages they are portraying. Don't like OC for this as her face is too 'open', clearly showing her feelings, whereas it seems the Queen has always been able to keep her feelings more private, or at least not let them show so openly.