The Crown returns next month for its fourth season, with the storyline reaching another key stage in British history, the life of Queen Elizabeth II and the Windsor family, which includes the socially troubled times of the 80s, Prince Charles’ marriage to Diana and the reign of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister. Now, Netflix has released a new trailer for the next run of the hit royal drama, which gives us more of a flavor for the tension and tragedy to come.
The first promo put the focus on the arrival of Lady Diana Spencer (Emma Corrin) to the show, with this new trailer likewise touching on how Diana was an outsider to the royal ways, as shown in scenes of her roller blading and dancing her way through the corridors of Buckingham Palace and having an emotional confrontation with the Queen (Olivia Colman). The only one sympathetic to her plight appears to be Princess Margaret (Helena Bonham Carter).
The big reveal of this preview, though, is our first proper footage of Gillian Anderson in character as Margaret Thatcher. The trailer opens with what looks to be the first meeting between Thatcher and the Queen, with the animosity between them immediately clear. Nevertheless, Elizabeth seems to appreciate having another woman in power alongside her. “Two women running the shop, that’s the last thing this country needs,” says Prince Phillip (Tobias Menzies), causing his wife to snap back: “Perhaps that’s precisely what this country needs.”
Unfortunately, the Queen might not be right about that, as Thatcher has gone down as one of the most controversial British PMs ever, and this trailer shows the politician being warned from making too many enemies by Her Maj. “What if one is comfortable having enemies?” Thatcher asks. “Are you?” the Queen replies. “Oh, yes,” Thatcher answers, smugly. Colman and Anderson have a great dynamic in these scenes and we can’t wait to see more of the two of them pitted against each other.
Don’t miss The Crown season 4 when it lands on Netflix on November 15th.