If you want a behind the scenes look at any pop culture obsession, just open TikTok. From first looks at Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka to Taylor Swift’s entire Eras Tour, TikTok is definitely a go-to for information and celebrity buzz. (Follow ours here!) Recently, videos of The Crown season 6 circulated for one simple reason: the casting is once again spot on with jaw-dropping doppelgängers.
After a pretty buzzy year in relation to all things royal (we’re looking at you Harry & Meghan), The Crown filmed its final season. In line with its previous seasons, the show cast actors that look eerily similar to their IRL counterparts. Keep reading for everything you need to know about the new season, and the best reactions to our new William and Kate (played by newcomers Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy, respectively).
Does The Crown season 6 deal with Queen Elizabeth's death?
Image via Justin Downing/Netflix
While the final episode of The Crown ends in 2005 ("By stopping almost 20 years before the present day, it’s dignified"), creator Peter Morgan says the Queen's passing, and The Crown's subsequent break, made him reframe the end of the series. “We’d all been through the experience of the funeral,” he tells Variety. “So because of how deeply everybody will have felt that, I had to try and find a way in which the final episode dealt with the character’s death, even though she hadn’t died yet.”
Having Imelda Staunton's Queen Elizabeth think about her future serves as a way for all of us to say goodbye to the iconic queen as we also say goodbye to the show. Because — spoiler alert!! — to honor the late Queen, the two other actresses who play her (Olivia Coleman and Claire Foy) reappear for a complex, beautiful ending to the series.
Get Your First Look At "The Crown" Season 6 Part 2
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Dominic West and Olivia Williams return for Part 2 as Charles and Camilla. This shot of their wedding is so on point!
Image via Netflix
Ed McVey is almost identical to a young adult Prince William. This is giving us a major throwback to his photo cameo in Princess Diaries 2: A Royal Engagement.
Image via Netflix
McVey is joined by Luther Ford as Prince Harry, in all his charming, red-headed glory.
Image via Netflix
It will be interesting to watch the dynamic between Charles and the boys post-Diana's tragic passing unfold. We're sure these three will bring a fantastic performance, to say the least.
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And we're super excited to see Kate Middleton's uni-era played by Meg Bellamy, too.
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I mean, just look at these two!
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Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce continue in their stunning performances as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
Image via Netflix
And of course we'll see Lesley Manville as the ever-elegant Princess Margaret.
Will there be a season 6 of The Crown?
Image via Netflix/The Crown
Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton
Yes, there will be a sixth season of The Crown, bringing the royal family into the 2000s. After originally announcing that the show would end with season five, creator and writer Peter Morgan told Deadlinethe series would extend and run for a sixth season.
Who are the new cast members for The Crown season 6?
Image via Justin Downing/Netflix
Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton and Ed McVey as Prince William (EP5-EP10)
Meg Bellamy and Ed McVey will play the college-aged Kate and William, while Rufus Kampa will play a teenage William. All three are new to television, and we can't wait to see them on our screens. They join Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, and Dominic West as (formerly) Prince Charles.
Students at St. Andrews University got to watch the actors during the filming of The Crown season 6, and it looks like they had a great time! "will and kate DUPE," one TikTok user captions their video. Other users point out how impressive it is that they used old-school plastic Tesco bags, and that it looks like our college-aged Prince William might get into some trouble this year. But what's The Crown without some drama?
When can I watch The Crown?
Image via Keith Bernstein/Netflix
Ed McVey as Prince William (EP5-EP10)
The Crown season 6 will drop on Netflix in two parts this year. The Crown season 6 part one will premiere on November 16, while you'll be able to watch part two on December 14.
What will parts one and two of The Crown focus on?
Photo by Keith Bernstein/Netflix
Rufus Kampa as Prince William, Dominic West as (formerly) Prince Charles and Flynn Edwards as Prince William(EP2)
According to Variety, part one will cover the aftermath of Princess Diana's untimely death but Morgan was adamant about leaving out a depiction of the crash. The second part of season 6 will shift the focus back to the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles (Olivia Williams) as well as Queen Elizabeth II. Throughout the season, viewers will get a closer look at Prince William (Rufus Kampa) and Prince Harry's (Flynn Edwards) development as they face these major events.
What's happening in The Crown season 6?
Image via Daniel Escale/Netflix
Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in The Crown
The Crown season 6 will feature Princess Diana's untimely death — just not in the way you might expect. The actual accident, which claimed the life of the princess and her partner Dodi Fayed (played by Khalid Abdalla in the show) will happen offscreen. However, we'll see the days beforehand, including all of the press attention Diana and Dodi received.
“There was not a huge amount of acting taking place," actress Elizabeth Debicki tells Deadline. Even if the scenes were handled carefully, it's still "really horrendous to have that many people yelling at you and wanting something.”
"There were some really heavy scenes this season and a lot of tears for Charles,” Dominic West also tells Deadline. “There are a lot of the scenes of Charles trying to come to terms with [Diana’s death] and breaking the news to his sons, trying to help his sons mourn and having varying degrees of success at that.”
Will Diana's ghost appear in season 6 of The Crown?
Image via Netflix
Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in The Crown
Variety has reported that a clip of Prince Charles talking to Princess Diana's 'ghost' is circulating the internet. However, Peter Morgan has his own interpretation of the scene. He told Varietythat Princess Diana's appearance is meant to represent her "continuing to live vividly in the minds of those she has left behind." In other words, her appearance is meant to pay homage to her incredible legacy.
Where did they film The Crown?
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Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II in Season 5 of The Crown
The Crown filmed around England, using a variety of homes in place of Buckingham Palace and other royal retreats. They used Ardverikie Estate as Balmoral Castle, Somerley House as Highgrove, and Belvoir Castle as Windsor Castle. Instead of Buckingham Palace, the show filmed at Lancaster House.
The Next Royal Wedding In The Crown Season 6
On September 4, the official Instagram for The Crown posted a first look at what we can expect from Charles and Camilla: wedding bells!
"After six seasons, seven years and three casts, The Crown comes to an end later this year," the post reads. "We’ll be back with more soon, but here’s a hint at what’s to come in our final season."
The early 2000s was full of scandal and event for the English Royal Family. King Charles and Camilla got married. Prince William and Kate Middleton met at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Prince Harry joined the Royal Military Academy...then dressed up as a Nazi for a costume party. We're looking forward to finding out just how far into the present the show decides to tell their story.
Watch The New Teaser For The Crown Season 6
Ahead of the final season of the groundbreaking series, Netflix dropped a brand new teaser to announce the date for The Crown season 6. “The crown is a symbol of permanence. It’s something you are, not what you do,” says Claire Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons of the show. "What about the life I put aside?" Imelda Staunton wonders. "What about the woman I put aside?"
It looks like the final installment of The Crown will be as contemplative and addicting as the ones before it — and we can't wait.
Watch The Trailer for The Crown Season 6 Part 1
This season takes an even closer look at Princess Diana's life, as well as both her relationships with the people around her and her relationship to the press. This isn't the 1940s anymore, and the public interest in Diana's life is beginning to spiral out of control.
The Crown Season 6 Date Announcement Posters
Image via Daniel Escalé/Netflix
Part one of The Crown season 6 will hit Netflix on November 16. The title artwork features Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana wearing an aqua blue swimsuit as she sits on a dock. History fans will remember that (spoiler alert!) Princess Diana traveled to St. Tropez and around the Mediterranean before her death, and it looks like we'll spend quite a bit of time exploring what happened before her untimely death.
Image via Michelle Watt/Netflix
The poster for part two of The Crown's final season calls back to the artwork from the beginning of the series with its stark contrast and darker color palette. But considering Imelda Staunton's Queen Elizabeth II is bathed in light, it's also hopeful. Having her walk into the light also feels like a way to honor the late queen, who passed away in 2022. It might be simple from an aesthetic point of view, but there are a lot of emotions tied into it.
What are your thoughts on The Crown season 6? Let us know in the comments and follow us on Twitter for the latest pop culture gossip.
Featured image viaDaniel Escalé/Netflix
This post has been updated.
