The Crown Series 4

[Housewife2010]

Anyone else getting excited? The Diana trailer looks great. It's on Netflix on 15th November.

I do wonder if the producers made a very clear decision to substantially alter known timelines and events to emphasise this is fictional dramatisation, rather than be more closely accurate in timelines but speculative in interpretation, to avoid even greater criticism.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit

There are lots of basic inaccuracies. Perhaps more this series then the 3 preceding.

Is 'inaccuracy' really the right word to use when speaking of a dramatisation, not a documentary? Not being pedantic, just genuinely wondering.

Yes @IcedPurple thats what I don't know because it is like dramatic effect but if I was The Queen or Anne I think I'd be like :

"Well that conversation never bloody happened"

It's the spirit of certain things rather than to the letter obviously

I watched the you tube clip of the engagement where Charles says (in the original) that he was attracted to Diana because / as she was a bubbly and lively “16 year old” and in the series they’ve left that bit out - audiences now wouldn’t appreciate that comment, we see 16 (rightly so) as still very much a child now and a late 20s man making such comments is now seen as inappropriate. All very interesting how things have changed.

@Bagelsandbrie

I watched the you tube clip of the engagement where Charles says (in the original) that he was attracted to Diana because / as she was a bubbly and lively “16 year old” and in the series they’ve left that bit out - audiences now wouldn’t appreciate that comment, we see 16 (rightly so) as still very much a child now and a late 20s man making such comments is now seen as inappropriate. All very interesting how things have changed.

He said that?

Ugh.

Even 19 was way too young for Diana to commit herself to that future, even if she was raised an aristocrat. I guess her youth and naivete were part of the appeal for the royals.

We are never likely to know what was said in private conversations, it is obviously for dramatic effect based on things we know happened. For instance, the conversations between Margaret and her therapist and with the QM are a narrative device to tell the story of the unfortunate Bowes-Lyons cousins. I doubt if they ever happened that way.

@IcedPurple yes... here

[quote Bagelsandbrie]@IcedPurple yes... here

[/quote] Thanks.

The famous 'Whatever love means..." interview.

He really gave the game away right there.

Yes absolutely. Horrible cringey interview!

@Bagelsandbrie

Yes absolutely. Horrible cringey interview!

They sound like something out of Downton Abbey! Only 40 years ago, in the era of Duran Duran and flourescent ankle warmers (yes, I've been there!) but you'd think it was the Edwardian age.

This series particularly is really bad PR for Charles and Camilla. I'm about to finish! Can't believe I've raced through this in 2 days!

Cos I love josh o'connor, I hope that playing a character that not not many people like (prince Charles) does not reflect poorly mom him.

that comes across as such a strange interview. its maybe because im viewing it with the knowledge of what happened after but they dont seem at all engaged with each other. almost like two actors who dont actually know each other.

@Smallsteps88

that comes across as such a strange interview. its maybe because im viewing it with the knowledge of what happened after but they dont seem at all engaged with each other. almost like two actors who dont actually know each other.

They didn't really know each other. I think they'd only met a handful of times whilst chaperoned.

@Smallsteps88

that comes across as such a strange interview. its maybe because im viewing it with the knowledge of what happened after but they dont seem at all engaged with each other. almost like two actors who dont actually know each other.

I think it's interesting as you could say it was the last 'arranged' royal marriage. At least that's how Charles and his family saw it. Only problem is, 19 year old Diana didn't realise that she was chosen for her youth, blue blood and unblemished reputation, not for anything as frivilous as love. Hence her slightly indignant reaction to Charles' graceless 'Whatever love means..." It's a historic moment in its own way.

Grim. Remember watching that interview, his jaw-dropping interjection and her struggling to keep on track. She was visibly annoyed. I was gobsmacked at his insensitivity. None of it boded well for the future.

Did anyone else pick up on the error when Diana's flatmates were speaking to her about life in Buckingham Palace and asked whether the Royal ringtone was God Save the Queen. All phones sounded pretty much the same back then.😕

its all so bizarre. did the world know at the time that it was an arranged marriage or did everyone believe it was the fairytale of love at first sight etc?

@Smallsteps88

its all so bizarre. did the world know at the time that it was an arranged marriage or did everyone believe it was the fairytale of love at first sight etc?

I think we knew it was semi-arranged as in, you can't marry her or her but you can choose from this small group of girls from aristocratic families. Poor Diana, she knew that her destiny in life was securing a suitable husband and must have thought she'd won the jackpot but didn't expect to be sharing him with Camilla. The older generation in the RF obviously thought keeping a mistress was to be expected

They should have let him marry Camilla in the first place, Diana would still be alive married to a minor toff and living in obscurity. Fortunately, the lesson was learned so William and Harry could marry as they chose.

They should have let him marry Camilla in the first place

There was never any real question of him marrying Camilla. Apart from her general 'unsuitablity', she had her eyes set on Andrew Parker Bowles, who was considered quite the catch in upper class circles in those days.

Fortunately, the lesson was learned so William and Harry could marry as they chose.

I think Charles was pushed into marrying Diana because he was the heir and was considered to be getting embarrassingly old to be still unwed. The queen herself married for love, as did her sister and 3 of her children with, shall we say, rather mixed results.

For those of you interested in Thatcher, 'Thatcher a very British revolution' is on bbc iplayer. She was something else.

People are so nit-picky!

I’ve watched the whole lot and found it entertaining.

I’m so glad to have something to watch that isn’t American.

Charles is so petulant, arrogant, self pitying. Oh why didn’t he just do what his uncle did and abdicate to run off with his divorcee?

If he survives his mum the monarchy is dead.

The balmoral episode was excruciating to watch- great TV to make the viewer empathise with MT!

Why did no one tell her not to dress up at 6?

The RF are like school bullies.

I don’t know if I believe Diana being portrayed as such a ‘present’ mother. As an aristocrat she and everyone she knew were raised by nannies. UC mothers don’t mother their DC’s so why was she?

I think GA as MT was convincing but her previous cosmetic procedures interfered with the performance. The lip fillers and forehead Botox were a big distraction when she was on screen.

But I preferred her to Meryl Streep.

According to the Aimee today, all the stuff about Balmoral and Thatcher, and the ‘tests’ is fiction - they make their guests comfortable, and Thatcher never left early.

I remember the engagement interview, and being really cross at Charles for ruining it!

The Queen married for love but Princess M wasn't allowed to. I'm not privy to the inner workings of Camilla's mind or whether Andrew Parker-Bowles was a better catch than The PoW but they obviously had an attachment that has lasted more than 40 years. It would have been better if they had married.