“He’s provided the most high-end drama with such integrity that, I think, leave it alone. He’s done more than enough.”

By James Hibbs

Published: Saturday, 16 December 2023 at 08:00 AM


While The Crown has now come to an end with its sixth and final season, the nature of the series and the continuing real-life stories of the Royal Family do, of course, mean that it could, theoretically, be revived in future.

Creator Peter Morgan has been clear that he wanted to keep a 20 year distance between the events depicted in the show and the present day, so as to stop the show from becoming “journalistic”.

However, in years time, one could imagine a version of The Crown dealing with subjects such as Harry and Meghan’s departure from their status as working royals, the Queen’s death and Charles’s ascension.

Despite this potential, Queen Elizabeth star Imelda Staunton has said that she doubts Morgan will ever revive the series for a seventh season, when speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com.

Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown season 6
Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown season 6.
Netflix

“I don’t think he will,” Staunton said, when asked about Morgan returning to the series. “I think you’d have to hold him down and strap him down, if you thought about doing it. He’s been dealing with the royal family for well over 20 years, I think. I think he’s definitely going to move on.”

Read more:

She continued: “I also think he has given it so many years of his life and examined it in many ways, in dramatic ways, in imaginative ways, in experimental ways. He’s put his head above the parapet and he’s taken risks. And he’s provided the most high-end drama with such integrity that, I think, leave it alone. He’s done more than enough.”

The Crown first arrived on Netflix in 2016 to rave reviews, but in later years became more divisive with viewers and critics.

Dominic West recently revealed that while he feels he “should avoid” reading reviews of the show, he does “tend to read them all as they come out and then go to bed for two days in deep depression”.

He continued: “It does affect me. I think it affects all of us. To me, the criticism [that] seems to be most [prominent] is that we’re all a bit bored of this now, and that’s quite hurtful after you put in so much work, you know?”