The relationship between the late Queen and Princess Margaret has been a central focus throughout the seven-year run of Netflix’s The Crown, which has depicted five decades of the Royal Family’s highs and lows. The show has won numerous awards and attracted millions of viewers worldwide. However, as time has gone on, it has divided critics and viewers, with some accusing it of historical inaccuracy in its portrayal of private royal life and sensitive events.
Imelda Staunton and Lesley Manville, the stars who play the royal sisters, have spoken to the BBC about their experience playing the roles. They both agree that it was a “special” experience, but there was a “shock” when the Queen died while they were filming the final series. Staunton is the third actress to play the Queen, while Princess Margaret has previously been portrayed by Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham Carter before Manville.
For Manville, the main challenge was to make Margaret more than just her public perception as a party girl. “It is very easy to draw a very bold thumbnail sketch of Margaret and you can make her a cliché,” says the Oscar-nominated actress. “But of course that is never what someone is. There is always so much more that is making them tick.” She adds that “there was definitely a sadness and loneliness” that punctuated Margaret’s life.
The first part of the sixth and final series, covering the events surrounding Diana’s death in 1997, was released in November. The final six episodes will be released on Netflix on 14 December and will address the death of Princess Margaret in 2002, before introducing the relationship between William and Kate, now the Prince and Princess of Wales. Despite The Crown reaching its final chapter, Staunton says that the Royal Family’s story will “continue to be told for many years,” and that it is a world that people will continue to find fascinating
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