The fifth series of The Crown opens to a fanfare of controversy and with a thumping ocean-going metaphor. The first episode starts with the young Queen launching the royal yacht Britannia with the hope that “this brand new vessel, like your brand new Queen, will be dependable and constant, capable of weathering any storm”.
Alas, when we see her again, she’s turned into Imelda Staunton, it’s 1991 and Britannia is falling apart from old age and eyed up for scrap by those who want the monarchy to fit into the modern world. “Think”, she’s advised, “of the cost of repairs when she’s so obviously past her best”. Metaphor alert!
