THE CROWN

 

Season 1 began with the sickness and death of King George VI. George became king after his brother Edward abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, as you may recall from The King's Speech. George succumbs to lung cancer, and there are a few tragic sequences when Elizabeth, Margaret, and the Queen Mother understand they are sharing his dying days.

On a tour of the Commonwealth with her husband, Prince Philip, who is a bold, odd choice for the future king, a type of contrast to his wife, Elizabeth hears of her father's death. He likes running away to weekend shooting parties, whereas Elizabeth is reserved and prim.

The Queen's coronation takes place while she is just 25, and it is clear that Philip does not take submitting to his wife or obeying her as a subject lightly. The Duke of Windsor, Edward, comes to England with his wife, Wallis, for the occasion, but receives a chilly welcome and must watch it on television. Tensions between Elizabeth and Philip continue to rise, culminating in a brawl in which paparazzi catch Elizabeth hurling things at her husband. When the Queen grants Lord "Porchey" Porchester a direct line to her at Buckingham Palace, he grows envious.

Princess Margaret's ill-fated romance with Peter Townsend forces her sister to make the hard decision to bless their nuptials, which she does—but only on the condition that Margaret relinquishes all of her titles and royal privileges. She breaks up with Townsend and has a hard time forgiving her sister, the queen, if she can forgive her at all.

Elizabeth, as a leader, isn't happy to chat about dogs and horses; she wants to understand a lot more about the British parliament and international politics. Meanwhile, Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, keeps his terrible health hidden from her for as long as he can. Despite his bombastic political manner, Churchill lost a daughter at an early age, which saddens him. And this might explain his attraction to Elizabeth and their tenuous relationship, which is put to the test when London is shrouded in a thick cloud of toxic fumes during the Great Smog of 1952. When Churchill finally stands down, Anthony Eden takes over, but he rapidly finds himself embroiled in a dispute over the Suez Canal's ownership—not to mention the fact that he is ill.

To help Philip feel less emasculated, Elizabeth has asked him to open the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 before the conclusion of Season 1. He will also embark on a five-month tour throughout the Commonwealth, an opportunity that he does not seem to mind at first. In reality, it paves the way for Season 2 to delve more into Philip's character, his past, and his relationship with Elizabeth (including his alleged indiscretions).