The Crown season 6 release updates, cast, and everything we know so far
The Crown season 6 is expected to come to Netflix in the fall of 2023, but it’s unclear if the WGA and SAG strike will affect the release date.
The Crown is one of the most popular shows on Netflix, and it’s been a while since there were any major updates about the new season. Into 2023, we’re learning more and more about where the series is at in production, what it’s going to be about, and when we can expect to see the new season of the Netflix original series.
The forthcoming sixth season is going to be the last of the series. There was some back and forth on that decision; while the series was originally planned as a six-season series, there was a time when creator Peter Morgan thought it should end with the fifth season. Later, Netflix announced a sixth season of the series was happening.
We shared everything we know about The Crown season 6 as of Aug. 30, 2023. We’ll continue to make updates to this story as more information becomes available. FanSided Entertainment’s Bryce Olin, Alexandria Ingham, and Natalie Zamora contributed to this story.
Has Netflix announced The Crown season 6 release date yet?
As of Aug. 2023, Netflix has not announced The Crown season 6 release date yet, but we do know it’s still supposed to come out this year. According to Netflix, season 6 is coming in the fall of 2023. We should expect a Q4 release, likely in November or December. Every season of the show so far has been released in November or December.
It’s possible that The Crown season 6 release date could be affected by the WGA and SAG strikes. We know production is done, so that’s not the issue with this show. It’s more about whether Netflix chooses to roll out The Crown season 6 or if the streamer would hold the season to help bridge the gap in production delays.
We haven’t heard anything that makes it seem as if Netflix would release the season later, but it’s possible. We saw a few shows pushed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We’ll share more about The Crown season 6 as soon as we know more about the release situation, but for now, we’re still expecting it to come out in 2023.
Release Prediction: November 2023
The Crown season 6 cast
There was a major cast change for The Crown season 5, and most of the cast is sticking around for season 6. Netflix has also confirmed a number of new cast members playing royals and other historical figures in The Crown season 6.
We shared the confirmed cast of The Crown season 6 below:
- Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II
- Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
- Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret
- Dominic West as Prince Charles
- Meg Bellamy as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
- Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana
- Khalid Abdalla as Dobi Fayed
- Salim Daw as Mohamed Al-Fayed
- Bertie Carvel as Tony Blair
- Lydia Leonard as Cherie Blair
- Olivia Williams as Camila Parker Bowles
- Ed McVey as Prince William
- Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton
- Luther Ford as Prince Harry
The Crown season 6 filming
Filming of the season began in September 2022. However, with the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, production was put on hold. According to Collider, filming came to a close in April 2023, meaning they’ve had a good amount of time for post-production so far. At this time, we can assume the season is still in post-production but should be good to release by the later months of the year.
What time period is The Crown season 6 set?
Vogue reported The Crown season 6 will likely cover the late 1990s into the 2000s, including the death of Princess Diana in 1997. We have to imagine that the series will likely begin in the summer of 1997, which is when the fifth season ended.
While speaking with Deadline, Executive Producer Suzanne Mackie touched on how they will be handling the depiction of Princess Diana’s death in season 6. Saying they filmed it with “enormous sensitivity,” she explained:
“The show might be big and noisy, but we’re not. We’re thoughtful people and we’re sensitive people. There were very careful, long conversations about how we were going to do it. The audience will judge it in the end, but I think it’s been delicately, thoughtfully recreated. Elizabeth Debicki is an extraordinary actress and she was so thoughtful and considerate. She loved Diana. There’s a huge amount of respect from us all, I hope that’s evident.”
As reported by TV Line, viewers shouldn’t expect to see The Crown season 6 explicitly show Princess Diana’s death, with Netflix confirming in a statement to NY Daily News that the new installment will include “scenes covering the leadup to, and [the] aftermath” only.
It’s unclear how many years the final season will cover, but because Prince William and Kate’s story is reportedly in the works for season 6, it’s possible that we’ll get at least into the 2010s. The pair met in 2001 at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, but they did not get engaged until 2010. It’s unclear if Morgan would break his 20-year rule to show their engagement.
Will The Crown season 6 cover Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s relationship?
It doesn’t look like it. In the past, Morgan mentioned he has a 20-year rule, which means that he doesn’t write about things that happened within the last 20 years. He wants more time to pass until he feels comfortable writing about the events, according to The Wrap.
Unfortunately, that means fans will not get to see Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s relationship depicted in The Crown season 6.
“Meghan and Harry are in the middle of their journey, and I don’t know what their journey is or how it will end. One wishes some happiness, but I’m much more comfortable writing about things that happened at least 20 years ago,” Morgan told The Hollywood Reporter.
How many episodes are in The Crown season 6?
There are 10 episodes in The Crown season 6. Each season of The Crown contains 10 episodes. When the series is over, there will be 60 episodes of the series on Netflix, and it will be one of the longest-running Netflix shows of all time.
How to watch The Crown season 6
When The Crown season 6 is released, you’ll be able to watch The Crown season 6 exclusively on Netflix. While you wait, you can watch the first five seasons of The Crown right now on Netflix.
Is The Crown season 7 happening?
The Crown season 7 is not happening, as of right now. Peter Morgan and Netflix announced the series will end after season 6. They originally planned six seasons, and then, they changed it to five seasons, but then, they went back to six seasons.
Why is The Crown ending after six seasons?
It’s unclear exactly why they had six seasons planned for The Crown, but creator Peter Morgan revealed to The Hollywood Reporter in 2020 that he doesn’t like to get too close to depicting historical events without waiting a few decades to look back:
“I sort of have in my head a 20-year rule. That is enough time and enough distance to really understand something, to understand its role, to understand its position, to understand its relevance. Often things that appear absolutely wildly important today are instantly forgotten, and other things have a habit of sticking around and proving to be historically very relevant and long-lasting.”
The Crown is on the list of the best Netflix shows to watch right now. It’s never a bad time to rewatch the series while you wait for season 6!
