The Crown season 6: release date for final Netflix series, who plays Charles and Diana, what will it cover?

The Crown is one of Netflix’s biggest programmes and fans have been waiting patiently for the sixth and final season.

The show tells the story of the rise and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, as well as the public and private lives of the Royal Family. Season five may arguably have had one of the most-anticipated storylines of the show, with Princess Diana and her divorce from Prince Charles taking centre stage.

The sixth season of The Crown will cover from the late 1990s through to the early noughties. This is likely to include the death of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed in 1997, and the huge impact her death had on the Royal Family. Kate Middleton and Prince William are also expected to feature in a storyline about the early days of their romance.

The release date and episode schedule has finally been released by Netflix. So, what can we expect from the sixth and final season of The Crown - and do we know when it’ll be out?

When is The Crown season 6 out?

Netflix have revealed The Crown season 6 will return on Thursday 16 November. The season will be split into two parts, with four episodes in Part 1 and six episodes in Part 2.

The Crown season 6 Part 1 will drop on Thursday 16 November with the Crown season 6 Part 2 coming out on Thursday 14 December.

Netflix shared the news in a post on social media, alongside a clip and the caption: “It is not a choice. It is a duty.”

Filming for the show’s sixth series was paused in September 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Creator Peter Morgan said: “The Crown is a love letter to her and I’ve nothing to add for now, just silence and respect. I expect we will stop filming out of respect too.”

Who will play Charles and Diana in The Crown season 6?

The show has historically cycled through different casts over its run, with actresses and actors portraying members of the Royal Family in different generations of their lives.

Claire Foy and Matt Smith famously played the young couple of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during season one and two, while the baton was handed over to Olivia Coleman and Tobias Menzies for season three and four. Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce will portray the pair for season five and six.

Charles has also become a key role in the series, with Josh O’Conner shooting to fame for his portrayal of the young prince in his 20s from season three until season four. The older Charles will be portrayed by Dominic West for season five and six.

Diana also became a major player in the series in series four. Emma Corrin joined Josh O’Conner onscreen for some of the show’s most famous scenes. Despite only playing Diana for one series, the actress broke through and was celebrated for her performance.

Elizabeth Debicki took up the role in season five and will carry it through until the show’s sixth and final season.

Is there a trailer?

Netflix have released a trailer for The Crown season 6. The two minutes, 10 second clip depicts Debicki as Princess Diana and serves up an emotional scene of the build up to her death in Paris in 1997 and the aftermath as the Royal Family struggled to come to terms with the loss. You can watch the trailer for The Crown season 6 below.

What time period will The Crown season 6 cover?

Each season of The Crown typically spans around a decade. Season one covered from the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1947 until 1955, while season two covered the Suez Crisis in 1956 until 1964.

Season three spanned from 1964 until 1977; season four from 1979 until 1984, covering the wedding of Charles and Diana. Season five covered from the mid 80s until the mid 90s, including major events such as the divorce of Charles and Diana and the infamous tampongate. Since the beginning of the show’s run, creator Peter Morgan has said that the show will end somewhere in the early 2000s.

Season six will be split up into two parts with each covering a different time frame. Part 1 is expected to cover from the late 1990s and through to the early noughties. This is likely to include the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

Whilst Part 2 will cover the huge impact her death had on the Royal Family and a a storyline about the early days of Kate Middleton and Prince William’s romance.