The Crown: The Official Podcast

In the run up to the general election of 1997, New Labour - under the leadership of Tony Blair - are way ahead in the polls. But Blair's modernising ideas include getting rid of the Royal Yacht, Britannia - a vessel very close to the Queen's heart. When Blair wins with a landslide, it becomes clear Britannia is to be decommissioned which devastates the Queen but Charles sees an opportunity to align himself with the new PM and start to forge a future with Camilla by his side. What none of them sees is the threat hurtling towards them all when Diana accepts Mohamed Al Fayed's offer to join him and his family on a summer holiday in St Tropez. In the final episode of this season, Edith Bowman reunites with Writer Peter Morgan, Head of Research Annie Sulzberger, Director Alex Gabassi and the actor behind Princess Diana, Elizabeth Debicki.  The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.   Host: Edith Bowman  Guests: Peter Morgan, Annie Sulzberger, Alex Gabassi, Elizabeth Debicki.

As a consequence of the Panorama interview, the Queen writes to both Prince Charles and Princess Diana requesting that they divorce as swiftly as possible. The ensuing divorce process becomes quite heated and so the Queen asks the Prime Minister, John Major, to act as an intermediary between the two warring parties. But when Prince Charles employs a young press advisor (Mark Bolland) to help Camilla whose life has become a living hell as a result of Diana's interview, things turn a corner. When the divorce papers are signed, Charles pays Diana a visit where they dissect what went wrong in the marriage but things inevitably turn sour with both parties left in a stalemate once more. In this episode, Edith Bowman meets Executive Producer Suzanne Mackie, Head of Research Annie Sulzberger, Director Christian Schwochow and the actor who plays Camilla Parker-Bowles, Olivia Williams. The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

An internecine conflict at the heart of the BBC between its Chairman and Director General provides the modernising DG, John Birt, with the ammunition he needs to sign off on Bashir's Panorama interview with Princess Diana. With Prince William settling in at Eton, he and the Queen start to have regular 'teas' together and the Queen realises William is concerned about his mother. But neither of them is prepared for what comes out in Diana's explosive Panorama interview. In this episode, Edith Bowman continues her discussion with Director Erik Richter-Strand, and talks with Archive Producer Victoria Stable, Head of Research Annie Sulzberger, and the actor portraying Martin Bashir, Prasanna Puwanarajah.  The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

Newly separated and with Prince William now gone to Eton, Diana feels lonely and stuck in no man's land between marriage and divorce. Increasingly paranoid that Prince Charles's team is briefing against her, she is susceptible to the manoeuvres of BBC journalist, Martin Bashir, who wants to land an interview with the Princess for the Panorama programme. Having recently met and fallen for a Pakistani heart surgeon, Hasnat Khan, Diana starts to wonder if by doing the interview, she'll have a newfound freedom she longs for. In this episode, Edith Bowman talks with Director, Erik Richter Strand, Costume Designers Amy Roberts and Sidonie Roberts, Head of Research, Annie Sulzberger, and the actor behind Princess Diana, Elizabeth Debicki. The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

After the fall of communism and the collapse of the USSR, the new President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, comes to Britain on an official visit. During his lunch at Buckingham Palace, the Queen brings up the uncomfortable topic of the slaughter of the Russian royal family in 1918 and the fact the location of their remains is still a great mystery. Yeltsin promises to locate their remains so the Queen's relatives can have a proper burial. But in uncovering what is believed to be the Romanovs’ bones, scientists need the help of Prince Philip - one of the closest living relatives of the Tsar's family - in order to correctly identify the remains. This unearths a fascination in Philip to find out more about his Russian heritage and with the help of Penny Romsey, he uncovers an unpalatable truth about how the Romanovs met their demise. In this episode, Edith Bowman talks with Director Christian Schwochow, Production Designer Martin Childs, and Head of Research, Annie Sulzberger. The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

Newly separated, Prince Charles has a new lease of life and really starts to prove himself worthy of the title King-in-waiting. However, when a recording of an intimate phone call between him and Camilla is leaked to the press, his reputation lies in tatters. But far from destroying him, it further motivates him to distance himself from the traditionalists of his mother's court and plough his own path as a modern, future King. He takes part in a controversial interview with Jonathan Dimbleby and sets up his own 'rival' court in St James's Palace leaving the rest of the royals with no choice but to sit up and take heed. In this episode, Edith Bowman welcomes back Writer Peter Morgan, Director, May el-Toukhy, Head of Research, Annie Sulzberger, meets the actor portraying Prince Charles, Dominic West. The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

In a speech celebrating her 40th year on the throne at the end of 1992, the Queen recounts that her year has been an 'Annus Horribilis', an accurate description for the year in which she saw three of her four children separate or divorce and Windsor Castle suffer a devastating fire. But her more private pain is the accusation by her sister that she is responsible for Margaret’s lifetime of unhappiness by refusing to allow her to marry Peter Townsend. In this episode, Edith Bowman talks with Director May el-Toukhy, Head of Research Annie Sulzberger, and the actor playing the character of Princess Margaret, Lesley Manville.  The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

From his early childhood in Alexandria, through the building of his multi-million pound global empire, Mohamed Al Fayed had an unwavering fascination with the British Royal Family culminating in his purchase of the former home of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in Paris. After extending an invitation to the Queen to visit the refurbished 'Villa Windsor', Mohamed is disappointed when the Lord Chamberlain comes in her place and takes back several of the items he has had lovingly restored. Still hoping to win the Queen's favour, he attends the Windsor Horse Show and has a fateful meeting with Princess Diana who he introduces, for the first time, to his eldest son – Dodi. In this episode, Edith Bowman talks with Writer Peter Morgan, Director Alex Gabassi, Head of Research Annie Sulzberger, and the actor portraying Mohamed al-Fayed, Salim Daw. The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

After the death of her young daughter to cancer, Penny Knatchbull is encouraged by the Duke of Edinburgh to take up carriage driving as a way of coping with her grief. At the same time, Princess Diana is dealing with her own kind of grief - being trapped in a loveless marriage - and so when approached via an intermediary to cooperate with journalist, Andrew Morton, on a book exposing the truth about her marriage, she agrees. But knowing how explosive the book will be, Diana must have total deniability regarding any involvement. In this episode Edith Bowman talks with Movement Coach and Choreographer Polly Bennett, Head of Research Annie Sulzberger, Director Jessica Hobbs, and the actor playing Prince Philip in Season 5, Jonathan Pryce.  The Crown: The Official Podcast  is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

As the Prince and Princess of Wales depart on their 'second honeymoon' in an effort by Charles's team to convince the public that their marriage is back on track, the Queen and Prince Philip set sail from Portsmouth on the annual Western Isles tour aboard Britannia. But when the Sunday Times publishes a poll saying the public would favour the Queen to abdicate in favour of Prince Charles, John Major fears that a divided royal family will threaten national stability. In the opening episode of the series, Edith Bowman meets Writer Peter Morgan, Director Jessica Hobbs, Head of Research Annie Sulzberger, and talks with the actor portraying the final iteration of Queen Elizabeth, Imelda Staunton. The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

The Crown returns for season 5 on November 9th and The Crown: The Official Podcast is back to follow the show episode by episode, diving deep into the stories and speaking with many of the talented people involved. Host Edith Bowman takes you behind the scenes in conversation with the likes of Show Creator Peter Morgan and new cast members Imelda Staunton, Elizabeth Debicki, Dominic West and Jonathan Pryce. The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

Bonus Episode : Season 4 Cast and Creatives in Conversation. As we patiently await the next season of Netflix’s ‘The Crown’, host of The Crown: The Official Podcast Edith Bowman caught up with the cast and creatives to reflect on Season 4. Join Edith in conversation with show creator Peter Morgan as well as season 4 cast members Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, Gillian Anderson, Josh O’Connor and Emma Corrin. Unfortunately the team couldn’t get in a physical room together due to COVID-19 protocol, so this was recorded online.

Margaret Thatcher's position as Prime Minister hangs in the balance as members of her cabinet turn against her. Meanwhile, Princess Diana is set to take on her first official solo trip overseas to New York, despite Prince Charles’ doubts. Will Thatcher be able to secure her position? Will Diana's trip be a success?  Is war the only way forward? In this episode, Edith Bowman talks with Show Runner Peter Morgan, Head of Research Annie Sulzberger, and the actors behind the Queen and her first female prime minister, Olivia Colman and Gillian Anderson. The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

It’s 1988 and Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage is at an all-time low. After Prince Charles narrowly escapes death in an avalanche whilst skiing, Diana becomes determined to reconcile their relationship. However, the near-death experience has the opposite effect on Charles, who vows to find a way to be free of the marriage and be with Camilla.  In this episode, Edith Bowman talks with Show Runner Peter Morgan, director Jessica Hobbs, Head of Research Annie Sulzberger and Visual Effects Supervisor Ben Turner. The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

The Queen finds herself at odds with her Prime Minister as Margaret Thatcher refuses to join the 48 other Commonwealth nations in backing sanctions on Apartheid South Africa. The Queen and Thatcher come to blows over the issue, and their fallout becomes public knowledge after the story is leaked to the press frominside the palace. In this episode, Edith Bowman talks with director Julian Jarrold, Head of Research Annie Sulzberger and the actor who plays Margaret Thatcher, Gillian Anderson. The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

It's 1985 and Princess Margaret is at an all-time low. She's lonely, her health is failing, and she loses her status as Councillor of State when Prince Edward turns 21. At her lowest point, Margaret discovers a terrible family secret that two of her first cousins who she believed dead have been institutionalised for decades. In search of answers, she comes to believe that it is not just the cousins who have been cast aside by the family, but all those who don't fit in. In this episode, Edith Bowman talks with director Jessica Hobbs, Head of Research Annie Sulzberger and the actor who plays Princess Margaret, Helena Bonham Carter. The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

The year is 1983 and two years into their marriage Prince Charles and Princess Diana are sent on a 6-week tour of Australia and New Zealand. It’s Diana’s first official royal overseas tour as The Princess of Wales, and at her insistence, a 9-month-old Prince William is brought along as well. Away from prying eyes, Charles and Diana rekindle their relationship, but as Diana’s growing popularity hits fever pitch, Charles struggles with being outshone and cracks begin to appear in the marriage once more.   In this episode, Edith Bowman talks with Director Julian Jarrold, Location Manager Mark Walledge and the actor who plays Prince Charles, Josh O’Connor. The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

It’s 1982 and ordinary citizens are suffering under Thatcher’s economic policies. One such person is Michael Fagan, who decides to break into Buckingham Palace to ask the Queen to step in and help people like himself. Elizabeth is left feeling more remote from her subjects than ever as security is stepped up and her concerns over the impact of Thatcher’s policies are ignored as the Prime Minister basks in the glory of winning the Falklands war.    In this episode, Edith Bowman talks with ‘Fagan’ Co-Writer Jonathan Wilson, Director Paul Whittington and The Crown’s Royal Protocol Consultant Major David Rankin-Hunt. The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

Devastated by her son Mark going missing in the desert whilst competing in the Paris-Dakar rally, Margaret Thatcher reveals to the Queen that she prefers him to her daughter. Shocked that a mother can have a favourite, the Queen embarks on one-on-one meetings with her four children in a bid to get to know them better, and consider the family legacy she will one day leave behind.   In this episode, Edith Bowman talks with Show Runner Peter Morgan, Hair and Make Up Designer Cate Hall, Director Paul Whittington, and  the actor who plays Princess Anne, Erin Doherty.    The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.

It’s 1981 and Prince Charles has proposed to Lady Diana Spencer. The Queen decides to move the 19-year-old bride into Buckingham Palace to prepare her for life as a royal, while Prince Charles jets off on an overseas tour. In his absence, Diana discovers the true nature of Charles’s ‘friendship’ with Camilla Parker Bowles and as the wedding fast approaches, what began as a fairy tale turns into a nightmare. In this episode, Edith Bowman talks with director Ben Caron, The Crown’s Costume Designer Amy Roberts with Assistant Costume Designer and Head Buyer Sidonie Roberts and the actor who plays Princess Diana, Emma Corrin.    The Crown: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and Somethin’ Else, in association with Left Bank Pictures.