The Crown Season 4 Trailer Explores Queen Elizabeth And Margaret Thatcher's Feud For Power

The official trailer for season 4 of Netflix's highly acclaimed web-series The Crown is here and how! Setting the stage for the series' November 15 release, the trailer gives a peek into the warring power structures in 1970s Britain as the monarchy and government lock horns. In a period where the stern rule of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is fast gaining prominence, Queen Elizabeth II finds her stronghold on the country's politics diminishing. As these women, played by Gillian Anderson and Olivia Colman respectively, aim at one-upping each other, the audience can gear up for some high-octane drama next month.

Also Read: The Crown Season 4 Teaser Celebrates The Free Spirit Of Princess Diana

The Two Women Running The Show

"Two women running the show: That's the last thing this country needs," Prince Philip says as Thatcher takes up office in 1979. "Perhaps that's precisely what this country needs," his wife, the Queen, asserts in response. But as things heat up with Thatcher taking a heavy-handed approach in determining Britain's future, the Queen finds her own powers at stake. "My goal is to change this country from being dependent to self-reliant, and I think in that I am succeeding," is the booming claim Thatcher makes.

But these two women are more similar than they would like to acknowledge. In this regard, the show promises to explore their personalities beyond their political ideologies - as women, as mothers, and as free-thinking individuals in a transforming world.

“It could be said that they are two very similar women, born only months apart," says executive producer and show writer Peter Morgan in an email statement. "They are very much defined by the Second World War, by a sense of frugality, hard work, commitment, Christianity and so much more. It was a commonly held piece of wisdom that the Queen and Thatcher didn’t get on. I think there was probably a lot of respect. But they also had many differences, it was really fun exploring their differences and their similarities. I also get a chance to explore them both as mothers. Writing Thatcher and the Queen as mothers was probably an angle that no one has explored before. It yielded one of my favorite episodes in the season."

Also Read: Laxmmi Bomb Trailer: Sexism And Toxic Masculinity Dressed As Comedy

The Crown Season 4: Here's what we are looking forward to

Season 4 will begin at the cusp of transitioning decades between 1970 and 1980, tracking the political and administrative climate of Britain, as Margaret Thatcher leads the country into the Falklands War and conflict with the Commonwealth. Shots from the trailer indicate the growing strains, simultaneously, of recession, unemployment, and the falling job market that were dominant during the beginning of her Prime Ministerial career.

The Queen, meanwhile, has her own tasks cut out for her. As she grasps at the reins of Britain slipping from the hands of the monarchy, a free spirit enters the gates of Buckingham. Princess Diana of Wales, a relative commoner played by Emma Corrin, is all set to tie the knot with the royal heir, Prince Charles. Her contrarian personality as a casual, affable woman in the traditional royal household, gives the Queen ample cause for worry.

Morgan explained the motivations behind writing Diana the way he did, in keeping with her legacy as one of the most iconic Royal members. "Diana now has a historical perspective. I am really conscious of that. I really don’t want to get too close so that what I do is journalistic. I really want to make sure that there is enough distance so that if you tell the story of Diana it can almost be something else. It can have metaphorical resonance."

Also Read: The Baby Question: Can We Let Actresses Live Their Lives?

About The Crown

The Crown, premiered in 2016, has had a fabulous run with 30 episodes, ten to each season, and has been the recipient of 39 Emmy nominations through its three seasons for screenplay, cinematography, production, and of course, acting. Claire Foy, who played the role of Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons, later replaced by Olivia Colman to justify the time-age jump, exclusively amassed widespread appeal and accolades for her role, including a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy.

The Crown follows the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II, from her marriage in 1947 to her coronation, up until her Silver Jubilee that marked the 25th year of her crowning. Notable events during the years of her reign have been touched upon in the show so far, etching out the dimensions of the people who played important roles in the Queen’s life, and the fate of Britain in the latter half of the 20th century.

Watch the official trailer here: 

Views expressed are the author's own.