The Crown Series 4

[Housewife2010]

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

@AcornAutumn Charles totally hunches / bends his head forward...

I felt so sorry for Mrs T at Balmoral and I never thought I'd ever write those words anywhere!! I was never a fan at all of her or their policies back then.
I know it's mostly made up but I can imagine that something similar may have happened : the aristocracy seem to think everyone knows etiquette and what to wear and what to do I bet! They forget that although from a wealthy background herself Mrs Thatcher wasn't one of the elite. She was in a different class to them.
I bet the royals love Balmoral because they can get out and have freedom. Diane knew how to play their games!

I know it's mostly made up but I can imagine that something similar may have happened : the aristocracy seem to think everyone knows etiquette and what to wear and what to do I bet! They forget that although from a wealthy background herself Mrs Thatcher wasn't one of the elite.

I think it's 100 percent made up. There were PMs before Thatcher who came from a non-aristocratic background; it wasn't a new experience.

It probably was all fantasy, but the strange thing is I can imagine them being like that to anyone who doesn't like the ' hunting shooting fishing ' kind of break.
I did read that the Queen and her didn't always see eye to eye.

@the80sweregreat Mrs Thatcher did really struggle with the old aristocrats in the Tory party looking down their nose at her. It's not fair though to pretend the royals treated her like that. It's very lazy.

Margaret bursting in and admonishing the PM was far fetched. Shame it had to be bumpfed up with that scene.

I did read that the Queen and her didn't always see eye to eye.

I don't think that was over shooting and fishing, though. The Queen famously got on really well with Harold Wilson who came from a somewhat similar background as Thatcher, absent the Tory bit, of course.

@the80sweregreat

I felt so sorry for Mrs T at Balmoral and I never thought I'd ever write those words anywhere!! I was never a fan at all of her or their policies back then. I know it's mostly made up but I can imagine that something similar may have happened : the aristocracy seem to think everyone knows etiquette and what to wear and what to do I bet! They forget that although from a wealthy background herself Mrs Thatcher wasn't one of the elite. She was in a different class to them. I bet the royals love Balmoral because they can get out and have freedom. Diane knew how to play their games!

But Margaret Thatcher was not the first pm not to come from an aristocratic family. She had fairly recently been preceded by Edward Heath and Harold Wilson who both had humble origins and were featured in earlier series of the Crown.

Cross posted.

But Margaret Thatcher was not the first pm not to come from an aristocratic family. She had fairly recently been preceded by Edward Heath and Harold Wilson who both had humble origins and were featured in earlier series of the Crown. Did we ever see Jim Callaghan and the winter of discontent?

I don't think we did unless I blinked and missed it. It was just before Thatcher was elected.

I think the previous series ended with the silver jubilee in 1977. The winter of discontent was the following winter I think and Thatcher was elected in 1978, as I remember it - I haven't checked. They've jumped a few years, then Charles and Di married in 1981.

Thatcher was elected in 1979, famously on the slogan 'Labour isn't working.'

@MissEliza

Thatcher was elected in 1979, famously on the slogan 'Labour isn't working.'

Yes, you are right. I was going by memory based on where I was at the time.

I read an article about the Thatcher visits to Balmoral and although the strapline was that what the Crown said wasn't true, the article admitted that Thatcher wouldn't bring Wellies and had to borrow them, also that she couldn't wait to get away (but wouldn't have made an excuse to leave). There was a picture which showed the Queen in brown/rust coloured tweeds and Thatcher in a bright purple power suit, she clearly had no intention of stalking deer!

Here's the link, I don't want to save the photo on my computer!

I suspect Thatcher had no time for the huntin' shootin' and fishin' crap and couldn't be bothered to pretend to like any of it.

Denis wrote to a friend that although it was very "informal" (ie the RF thought it was informal) there they were still on their toes.

Goodness this was a series of nothing. Amazing acting but the script and story was terrible. Such a shame compared to earlier series. Its like they are just merrily skipping through as much time as fast as possible hoping that Charles and Di would carry it.

*were

@longwayoff

Can I be the only person with a raft of cousins I've never met and never will? I thought this was quite common.

I didn't know that was common, no. More likely to happen in countries with massive families I would have thought. I both your parents were one of 10 and you had 50 cousins it would make sense. Otherwise, I'd think it's rare not to have met or even heard of a first cousin. I, myself, only see my cousins at funerals these days so I'm aware that not everyone is close to their extended family, but you'd be aware of your parent's sibling's child in most cases.

@MarshaBradyo

The line re pardon over what was very clunky. And did sound highly scripted. Which some might prefer as drama but better closer to reality for me. People might not have a clue what that was though.

Ok, but in the photo posted above she's wearing a suit rather than countryside clothes and MT's opinion on the upper classes in general is well known.

" I can imagine them being like that to anyone who doesn't like the ' hunting shooting fishing ' kind of break."

Well, they are known for being quite obsessed with hunting and Thatcher for being a workaholic so I can quite imagine they didn't have any shared interests at all.

Otherwise, I'd think it's rare not to have met or even heard of a first cousin.
I have a cousin I've never met and I haven't seen any of them for over 30 years.

Interesting when the Queen said she just used to watch bath time. I remember reading years ago that she always did bath time with her children, and imagined her actually bathing them. I wonder which version is correct.

I think it’s been the weakest season so far. The last one for me was marred by Colman and Bonham Carter looking too old for the roles, but i thought that the stories were gripping, especially Aberfan, and Josh O’Connor as Charles, Emerald Fennell as Camilla, Erin Doherty as Anne, and Jason Watkins as the PM were really superb.

This season, Colman and Bonham Carter look right and seem to have settled in better. Emma Corrin as Diana was perfect and Josh, Erin and Emerald continue to shine, Tobias Menzies too. However, the stories were just not as compelling and as there was far too much dramatic licence. The story about the disabled sisters was utter nonsense - in the early 20th century, that’s what happened to youngsters with developmental problems, it was nothing to do with eugenics - and the nonsense about Princess Margaret playing detective and confronting her mother rendered the story even more absurd.

A whole episode to Fagan? He is a delusionist with a string of offences to his name, an irrelevance really. The conversation never happened, he spoke to the Q (and a maid) for a matter of seconds. A mention of the security breach (along with the admittedly powerful, depressing dole office scene) would have sufficed.

I think that Mrs Thatcher was written too sympathetically, especially at Balmoral (such nonsense, the bullying). I don’t think that her ruthlessness and singlemindedness came across. She was a bit too benign.

Diana’s manipulative behaviour was also glossed over. She was clinically working the media with the help of her friends by this point.

Overall, I think the writer was too keen to decry the senior royals and this spoilt the series. And I say this as a republican!

The Fagin episode was not just about that incident though - it was used as a plot device to show how destructive Thatcher's Britain was to the working classes and poor.

Did anyone else grow to hate Prince Charles throughout this series?