We finally have a hint at what’s to come in the sixth and final season of “The Crown,” and we now know it will take us up to King Charles and Queen Camilla’s wedding in 2005, at least. Netflix released a very subtle hint on Sept. 4, revealing a photo of an order of service from the then-Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall nuptials, which took place on April 9, 2005, in Windsor Castle. The streaming platform captioned the image, “After six seasons, seven years and three casts, The Crown comes to an end later this year. We’ll be back with more soon, but here’s a hint at what’s to come in our final season.”
Netflix had previously revealed pre-summer that, in the new season, viewers will also see Prince William’s days at the University of St. Andrew’s, where he famously met Kate Middleton as a student. University-era William is played by Ed McVey, 23, in the series and Kate is portrayed by Meg Bellamy, 19.
“The Crown”‘s upcoming final season is not without controversy. In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022, the show announced that it was halting production out of respect for the late royal. Writer Peter Morgan told Deadline via email at the time, “‘The Crown’ is a love letter to her and I’ve nothing to add for now, just silence and respect. I expect we will stop filming out of respect, too.” They paused filming for a week before continuing on.
But quite a few Brits have been vocal that they think the show should end now. Helena Bonham Carter — who starred in seasons three and four of the show — told The Guardian in February, “I should be careful here too, but I don’t think they should carry on, actually. I’m in it and I loved my episodes, but it’s very different now.” She continued, “When ‘The Crown’ started it was a historic drama, and it’s crashed into the present . . . But that’s up to them.”
Season five ended before Princess Diana’s August 1997 death, so presumably, the new season will pick up with events from shortly before then. The show’s last season is expected to cover at least some of the 2000s, but it’s unclear if it will end before reaching Queen Elizabeth’s death and King Charles’s coronation.
Read on for everything we know about the new season so far and to see the first look at Will and Kate.