- The fifth season of Netflix's The Crown returns with an all-new cast.
- The fourth season details the tense relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
- The fourth season also focuses on the stalemate in the relationship between Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
Queen Elizabeth II reconciled with Margaret Thatcher before she stepped down.
Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Coleman) clashes with the newly appointed Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) throughout the fourth season.
Although the Queen eventually admitted that they had a lot in common, the two had very different views on the political situation.
Although Elizabeth's goal was to remain depoliticized, she undermined Thatcher's sanctions against South Africa and publicly expressed her disappointment with the prime minister's political measures.
But by the end of the fourth season, with the end of Thatcher's term, the couple's complicated relationship was eased.
Margaret Thatcher was pressured to retire as prime minister.
After 11 years in power, Thatcher received the first serious blow of her political career when her Deputy Prime Minister Baron Hervey (Anthony Hyde) delivered a harsh resignation speech to Parliament.
In meeting the Queen, Thatcher initially blamed everything on "inconsequential party bickering". But it soon became clear that the wind was already moving against her.
Thatcher stepped down after the idea of dissolving parliament was dismissed and the 'Iron Lady' was almost in tears.
Upon retirement, the Queen awarded Thatcher a rare Medal of Honor in recognition of her dedication to her country.
Diana burst into tears after feeling completely isolated by the royal family.
When Diana (Emma Colin) first met Charles (Josh O'Connor), the Prince of Wales was amazed by her beauty and charm.
But as season four progresses, Diana and Charles maintain their marriage in public, closing the door and arguing.
Throughout the 80s, Charles continued to have an affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles (Emerald Fennell) and betrayed his wife again and again. In retaliation, Diana entered into a romance with cavalry officer James Hewitt (Daniel Donskoy).
At the end of the season, Diana could barely sustain herself.
Diana has been dealing with eating disorders for years and pouring her love into her sons without receiving the queen's approval, and when the royals took their annual Christmas photos in Balmoral, Diana held back tears.
Charles pleaded for a divorce from Diana, but his mother refused.
Throughout the fourth season, Prince Charles becomes increasingly frustrated by his mother's refusal to separate him from Diana.
By the end, the couple could barely say a word to each other without turning into an argument.
As their quarrel escalated, Charles began to accuse Diana of hurting Camilla's feelings, which led to a huge controversy at the end of the season.
At Christmas, Charles pressed the queen again, telling her how unhappy he was with his marriage. Instead of sympathy, Charles angered Elizabeth, who told him to grow up and be like a king.
Prince Philip lectured Diana on duty and image.
The Queen's husband, Prince Philip (Tobias Menkith), plays a quieter role in the fourth season, but is often seen shuttling back and forth with his family through various scenes.
At the end of the season, Philip asks about Diana at a Christmas party and tries to comfort her. But when he realized that Diana's pain could not be covered up with a joke, his voice became harsh.
Just as Elizabeth urges Charles to remember his loyalty to the throne, Philip reminds Diana that everyone in the royal family is subordinate to the Queen.
He left a painful hint in the conversation.
Camilla Parker-Bowles agreed to stay with her husband for the time being.
Throughout the fourth season, Charles and Camilla have been secretly together, even when Camilla actively encourages him to pursue Diana.
Charles' relationship with Camilla has made tension between him and Diana even more so much so that multiple other members of the royal family have joined in trying to end Charles' romance.
When Charles and Diana went on a trip to New York and the media became more fond of "Mrs. Day", Camilla told Charles that she was afraid of harassment and hatred if their relationship was made public.
The two eventually decided that it was best for them to stay in their respective marriages for the time being.
Before being marginalized, Princess Margaret learned a shocking family secret.
The Queen's sister, Princess Margaret (Helena Bonham Carter), is basically pushed to the edge in season four, with the exception of episode seven, "The Hereditary Principle".
Margaret asked the Queen for more royal posts, but was told that the duties of state adviser would be given to Prince Edward (Angus Rie).
Due to health problems and loss of duty, Margaret fell into depression and she sought help. To her surprise, her new therapist (Gemma Jones) told her that the royal family had a history of mental illness and that she had two cousins, Catherine and Narissa Boes-Lane, living in a mental hospital.
Although public records indicate that the sisters have died, in a confrontation with the Queen Mother (Marianne Bailey), she discovers that they were sent away because of developmental disabilities caused by inbreeding in the bloodline.
Under pressure, Margaret retained her royal title and returned to her private island, Mustic Island, to continue her fun life.
Princess Anne's affair was exposed.
Princess Anne (Erin Doherty) is the only daughter of the Queen and the eighth in line to the throne. Although Elizabeth insisted that she would never be able to pick a "favorite" child, Philip was quick to respond that Anne was his favorite.
Athletically gifted and strong-willed, Anne continued to pursue horseback riding and reached Olympic level. But privately, when Anne's marriage to cavalry officer Mark Phillips (Geoffrey Breton) took a sharp turn, she struggled to save it.
After Anne confessed to her mother that she had an affair with her mother's bodyguard, the queen transferred the bodyguard away in an attempt to preserve her family image.
When the fourth season ended, despite their differences, Anne remained close to her mother.