Netflix has finally unveiled the release date for its highly anticipated sixth and final season of The Crown.
The popular historical drama, based on the royal family throughout the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II, will return to the streamer in two parts next month.
The first four episodes will premiere on Netflix on 16 November, followed by a month-long hiatus before returning with six final episodes on 14 December.
As the show has moved through time periods spanning several decades, the monarch has been played by a variety of actors.
Claire Foy played her in the first two seasons, documenting her earliest years on the throne. Olivia Colman succeeded her in seasons three and four, and Imelda Staunton plays the Queen in her later years for seasons five and six.
It was revealed earlier this year that all three versions of the monarch will feature in the final season as a “tribute to the late Queen”.
With the forthcoming season entering a new decade, The Crown will not only “sensitively” cover the death of Princess Diana but will also include the marriage between the now-King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Meg Bellamy and Ed McVey in ‘The Crown’ season 6— (Justin Downing/Netflix)
Newcomers Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy will make their series debuts portratying the young adult versions of Prince William and Kate Middleton, who first met as students at the University of St Andrews.
“As the pair meet for the first time on campus, a new romance and a new future for The Crown begins,” an official logline states.
In recent years, The Crown has come under intense scrutiny from several high-profile Britons, including Dame Judi Dench and former prime minister Sir John Major, who alleged that the most recent season distorted historical facts.
Just last week, during an appearance at Henley Literary Festival to promote the reissue of his extensive 2022 biography Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, royal biographer Gyles Brandreth, who was well acquainted with the late monarch and her husband, Prince Philip, claimed The Crown has turned the royal family into a soap opera.
Urging the audience to watch The Crown “if you like entertainment and Frasier isn’t on”, Brandreth added: “But you don’t need to watch it for learning anything.
“Not for a moment, not remotely. Well, a tiny bit – like a cartoon, there’s no harm in that. I have no objection to it as entertainment, none whatsoever. But I think the challenge is they’ve turned [the royal family] into a soap opera.”
The Crown season six part one will debut on Netflix on 16 November, followed by part two on 14 December.
