After six seasons and 21 Emmy Awards, The Crown may soon return in the form of a prequel focusing on the early years of the House of Windsor, from Queen Victoria to the marriage of Elizabeth II in 1947.
Having enjoyed enormous success with millions of viewers around the world, The Crown could very well be making a grand return. Broadcast between 2016 and 2023, the series charted the history of the British royal family from 1947 to 2005 — from the beginning of Elizabeth II’s reign to the marriage of Charles and Camilla. But according to several British media outlets, Netflix is now reportedly working on a prequel devoted to the origins of the Windsor dynasty, long before Elizabeth ascended the throne.
A series going back to Queen Victoria
According to The Sun, Netflix has finally given the green light to a new deep dive into the history of the British monarchy, following lengthy negotiations with Left Bank Pictures, the production company already behind The Crown.
This future prequel series would reportedly cover the period from Queen Victoria’s death in 1901 to the marriage of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey in 1947 — neatly linking the new series directly to the opening of The Crown.
The project would therefore explore several key moments in British history, including:
- The reign of Edward VII, Victoria’s son,
- The creation of the House of Windsor in 1917,
- The First World War under George V,
- The abdication crisis of 1936 involving Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson,
- And the Second World War under George VI.
Edward VII, a scandalous king at the heart of the series?
According to the British press, the producers currently have no intention of dedicating a series to Prince Andrew and his links to businessman and convicted criminal Jeffrey Epstein. Peter Morgan, creator of The Crown, has always said he wanted to maintain a certain distance from contemporary history, which is why the original series ended in 2005 rather than continuing up to the death of Elizabeth II.
Instead, it appears that Edward VII — Queen Victoria’s son, known for his particularly scandalous private life — could become the central figure of the story. King from 1901 to 1910, Edward VII had a reputation as an incorrigible womaniser. He is said to have had dozens of affairs, including one with Alice Keppel, the great-great-grandmother of Camilla Parker Bowles. A compulsive gambler and keen partygoer, he was even reportedly forced to testify in court in a case involving illegal gambling. In other words, ideal material for Peter Morgan...
For the time being, however, Netflix has neither officially confirmed the casting nor announced a release date.
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