The weight of The Crown

The Crown, known for its regal costumes, settings, and score, recently released the gem that is season four. Fans had high expectations -- and the show delivered.

The show in general humanises our concept of the idealistic people we know as the royals by portraying their psychological struggles. Although being a fictional interpretation of real-life events, the show often makes it difficult to differentiate between fiction and reality, due to a brilliant array of costumes that look extremely similar to the outfits worn by the actual royals, with few variations. Emma Corrin and Josh O'Connor play Princess Diana and Prince Charles respectively, and beautifully portray certain mannerisms of their characters which visibly resemble their real-life counterparts.

The beloved and popular character Princess Diana went through drastic changes in terms of both style and personality. Upon being introduced to the royal family, the character encountered a number of new rules, lessons, and mannerisms to be followed. Overnight fame took her by surprise, but what Princess Diana struggled with was being mostly left alone and feeling unappreciated by her husband. She truly showed how even receiving love from individuals all over the world could not atone for the loneliness felt from negligence on part of those you hold closest to your heart.

The development of the relationship between her character and that of Prince Charles left the audience with gut-wrenching heartache. The effort put into a doomed relationship seemed to be truly genuine. Both characters were miserable despite trying to salvage their relationship multiple times on account of the seemingly true affection they felt for one another; they were unable to give one another the attention and appreciation they both longed for. Season three showed Prince Charles being torn between his heart and his destined role. Season four goes on to show how love can overcome a sense of duty and morals, potentially having a negative impact on everyone involved. My personal favourite scene is, however, from season three, when the character of Prince Charles realises the horrific possibility of having replaced the former Prince of Wales.

Although slightly overshadowed by the characters of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, the strong-willed Margaret Thatcher played by Gillian Anderson dominated her own scenes. Fully aware of her femininity, she never shied away from being a woman with her bold, classic outfits, while simultaneously exerting her power and capability, which is in itself admirable regardless of whether her political methods and beliefs are agreeable. As for the character of Princess Margaret, her resilience in repeatedly trying to adapt to her role as a royal despite her own struggles is commendable.

The Crown exceeded expectations in attempting to portray the emotions and psychology of extraordinary characters. Here is hoping season five is just as exciting.

Bushra Zaman is a ramen addict with poor financial skills. Send help at: bushrazaman31@yahoo.com