On September 8th, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at family estate Balmoral surrounded by family. And every day since then, The Crown has surged and remained in Netflix’s Top 10 most-watched works. According to the Wall Street Journal, this is not just for Netflix in the United States, but the weekly global viewership standings. Many people may be unaware, but due to varying copyright or privacy laws, some titles that are permitted abroad may not be allowed in the U.S. and vice versa. Because of this, there are some differences in title offerings across the different countries in which Netflix is available. Knowing this makes it feel grander that The Crown is trending in all 190 countries’ Netflix services.
The Crown is what most people would refer to as a period piece. This show begins in 1952, showing a young Queen Elizabeth II, who at the time was just Princess Elizabeth. The show, of which there are 4 available seasons, describes just what the title reflects, The Crown. Throughout the show, the audience is given a look at Queen Elizabeth II and her daily interactions with the royal family, government, etc., to which no one has ever been privy. While the show seems to have the objective to inform about what goes on behind the closed doors of any of the Royal residences, it also turns out to do an amazing job at humanizing the Queen.
At the beginning of season 1, the production and the cast paint a picture of what it was like for Elizabeth after being thrown into the role of Elizabeth Regina so unexpectedly and at such a young age. Claire Foy does an amazing job demonstrating the learning curve that came with being the sovereign of the UK in seasons 1 and 2. The audience sees her struggle as she realizes that she wasn’t properly trained by her father to take on the crown. Her marriage with Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is also a focal point as they struggled with the pressure of status, responsibility and schedules that came with being Regina and consort. This inclusion in the show, in my opinion, works to show you that Elizabeth and Philip were not always the figureheads we are used to seeing in the press.
In the wake of the Queen’s death, a lot of curiosity has been sparked surrounding her life. Aside from living an uncharacteristically long life, she broke many other world records, including the longest reigning British monarch. This June the Queen celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne. The Crown was released in 2016 and has since then been growing with viewership exponentially through the years. In a BBC article from 2020, Netflix reports that The Crown has been watched in 73 million households, a number that I’m sure has increased since the current watching surge that has persisted constantly since the pandemic. With the Queen’s death putting eyes back on the royal family, it seems that those who have been holding out on the show have swiftly hopped on the bandwagon to see what all the fuss is about. They are joined by those who enjoy the royal family content and rewatch the tumultuous series.
Whether you are looking for a new watch, interested in the Queen’s life or even trying to see what all the hype is about, I definitely recommend getting into this show! The time period details are executed so perfectly and will make you feel like you are in the room with the royals. Happy watching!