Jump directly to the content
SCREEN PHIL-LER

The Crown writer lifts lid on Prince Phillip’s ‘mid-life crisis’ in season 4 in fallout from moon landing

THE Crown writer Peter Morgan has spoken out about Prince Phillip's 'mid-life crisis' featured in the latest season.

The talented screenwriter of the top TV drama revealed he felt he had to include the scenes around Prince Phillip facing his own emotional battle after the moon landing.

Prince Phillip in The Crown
5
Prince Phillip in The Crown

Season 3 and 4 has seen Tobias Menzies (Outlander) take over the Prince's reigns from Doctor Who star Matt Smith, while Game of Thrones star Jonathan Pryce portrays an older Prince.

Phillip can be seen in season 3 having a mid-life crisis after his life was transformed from naval commander to husband of the Queen.

The Prince can be seen now in later life battling with his lack of success and career achievements, especially after watching the 1969 Apollo II moon landing.

Speaking to , screenwriter Peter Morgan revealed why it was so important to include the scenes.

Tobias Menzies portrays Prince Philip
5
Tobias Menzies portrays Prince PhilipCredit: AP:Associated Press
Prince Philip watches the 1969 moon landing
5
Prince Philip watches the 1969 moon landing

He said: “They’ve all got ringside seats for every major event, but because they’ve got their own private interests and passions you can take it in different directions and patterns.

“For someone like Prince Philip, it made sense to me because of what I knew about his character.

“He would take particular interest in certain aspects about the lunar mission, which is why I put the Apollo mission in; I would otherwise have left it out.” 

The drama does not hold back when portraying emotional details of the Royal Family, including Phillip’s mid-life crisis.

Creator Morgan at a premiere for the season 3
5
Creator Morgan at a premiere for the season 3Credit: Reuters

Morgan continued: “It was my way of telling the story through him, and a crisis of male middle age and things that had been unachieved in his own life.”

“That way you can make it a personal story and about a moment in time.”

Meanwhile, Netflix has posted striking new pictures of Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher and Emma Corrin as Princess Diana ahead of The Crown season four.

The two women join the Netflix series for the upcoming season.

Prince Philip (Menzies) and Queen Elizabeth II (Colman)
5
Prince Philip (Menzies) and Queen Elizabeth II (Colman)Credit: Netflix 2020, Inc

The streaming service's official Twitter account shared the new snaps recently.

Fans went wild as they showed Gillian, 52, on the steps of 10 Downing Street dressed in blue as former British Prime Minister Margaret.

Meanwhile Emma, 24, could be seen in a lemon ensemble as the young Diana, being photographed by the paparazzi.

Luckily, The Crown season four had finished filming when lockdown was put in place in March 2020.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

The hotly-anticipated fourth series will drop on November 15, 2020.

It will be available on the streaming site at 8am on that same day.

Topics