The Crown: Final Season Of Hit Netflix Series Will Be Split Into Two Parts

The final season of The Crown, one of the most popular shows on Netflix, will be released in two parts, starting next month.

Season six of the hit royal series will begin on 16 November, with the second half arriving on 14 December, the streaming service announced on Monday.

Netflix unveiled the release dates of the final season centred around the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The series is broadly based on real historical events but depicts a fictionalised version of the Royal Family.

The post, captioned: "It is not a choice. It is a duty", showed some of the actresses who have portrayed the monarch reflecting on the role she played in the country.

It shows Claire Foy, who was Queen Elizabeth at the start of her historic 70-year reign, describing the Crown as a "symbol of permanence".

Olivia Coleman, who depicted her during Margaret Thatcher's premiership - earning the actress a Golden Globe award - is seen in the Netflix clip referring to the "sacrifices" the Queen made, saying: "It is not a choice."

Imelda Staunton, who plays the monarch in her later years, says: "But what about the life I put aside? The woman I put aside."

"It is not a choice. It is a duty."
Part 1: 16 November
Part 2: 14 December pic.twitter.com/WkNVSuyEDX

— The Crown (@TheCrownNetflix) October 9, 2023

A second post on X shows a picture of Princess Diana - played by Elizabeth Debicki - sitting on a diving board on the edge of Mohammed Al Fayed's private yacht while on holiday with her lover, Dodi Al Fayed.

It also shows the Queen walking alone into the light, casting a shadow behind her.

The sixth and final season of The Crown is coming. pic.twitter.com/71Rc9ItlOI

— The Crown (@TheCrownNetflix) October 9, 2023

Season five laid bare the aftermath of Diana's divorce from the now King Charles - played by Dominic West - and her infamous Panorama interview with journalist Martin Bashir.

The final instalment will cover the period of her death in Paris in August 1997 - although Netflix said earlier this year that it would not depict the car crash that claimed her life.

It will also show the leadership of Sir Tony Blair and the blossoming romance between the Prince and Princess of Wales, with Ed McVey cast as a teenage William alongside Meg Bellamy as Kate.

The show will recreate the early days of their relationship, with an official description saying:

"As The Crown enters a new decade, Prince William starts at university in St Andrew's, determined to lead as normal a life as possible while he still can.

"Also beginning life as a university student, is Kate Middleton from Berkshire. As the pair meet for the first time on campus, a new romance and a new future for The Crown begins."