Two stars of one of Netflix’s biggest ever dramas have opened up about one of the most emotional episodes of the entire series, which was included in the final season.
This month, season 6 part 2 of The Crown premiered, bringing an end to the dramatised tale depicting the lives of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton), Prince Charles (Dominic West) and Prince William (Ed McVey).
One of the most tear-jerking episodes was the eighth instalment of the sixth season, which told the beautiful story of sisterly love between Elizabeth and Margaret, from when they were teenagers basking in the joy of VE Day on a secret night out to when the Queen had to endure the devastating death of her younger sister when the Princess was 71 years old.
Metro.co.uk recently spoke to The Crown stars Imelda and Lesley Manville about the depiction of Elizabeth and Margaret’s relationship in the bittersweet instalment.
‘It’s what you want. When we do our job, we long for rich and wonderful writing that shows people in a more raw state,’ said Lesley, 67.
‘Of course these two women, two sisters, not a princess and the Queen – it goes back to the core of their love and friendship.
‘They are very beautiful, complex scenes where you see these women who carry this torch of love for each other all through their lives, even though this enormous thing split them apart, in a way, when Elizabeth has to take on the role of being the Queen.
‘In a way that must have been quite a difficult bereavement time for them both, particularly maybe for Margaret, because she’s the one left, and what does she do and all of that.’
Lesley added that they were ‘wonderful’ scenes for the eighth episode of season six, which for her was the ‘pinnacle of the two years’ of playing Princess Margaret.
‘You’ve seen Margaret in all sorts of lifestyle guises along the way from season one, and you’ve charted both of these women’s lives and it’s just very nice for Margaret’s story to conclude, coming back to these two women and their relationship,’ she shared.
Imelda, 67, said that she felt the same way, before emphasising how much the episode – titled ‘Ritz’, after Elizabeth and Margaret dancing the night away at the famous London hotel at the end of the Second World War – felt like a ‘standalone’.
‘It’s like a one-off film about these two characters and it was so rich for us with the script. It was great to do because as an actor, you want to investigate someone’s emotional state and their journey or their lack of emotional state, so it’s great to be able to be given that sort of material to work with,’ she said.
The younger versions of Elizabeth and Margaret who appear in the scenes set in 1945 were played by Viola Prettejohn and Beau Gadsdon, when the royals were 19 and 14 respectively.
Lesley said that the juxtaposition of the VE Day scenes with the portrayal of Margaret’s deteriorating health when she suffered strokes prior to her death was ‘absolutely brilliant’.
‘It’s so delicious seeing them as these young, relatively free women and I just found it very interesting that of course, because of the way the media was then, they could go out into the streets and not really be recognised,’ she stated.
Imelda then added: ‘It made it more heartbreaking that you saw the hope in their eyes.’
Prior to The Crown, the actors starred in previous productions together including Cranford and Maleficent.
Imelda outlined how she and Lesley ‘know each other quite well’, which helped them forge Elizabeth and Lesley’s strong sisterly connection on screen for The Crown.
‘We’ve known each other a long time, so that helps. I have nothing but enormous respect for Leslie as an actor,’ she told us.
‘That’s a level that sort of is unspoken, doesn’t need to be spoken because it’s just there, and then that adds a layer to your ability to be very close without having to find it.’
Following the release of the final episodes of The Crown, some fans of the series hailed the Elizabeth and Margaret instalment as one of the best ever created for the drama.
‘Season 6 Episode 8 “Ritz” is one of the best episodes of the entire series. Elizabeth and Margaret— the pride and joy. Lesley Manville is heartbreaking,’ one person wrote on X.
‘I died a little inside when Margaret held Elizabeth’s hand in the hospital,’ another said, while someone else tweeted: ‘The Princess Margaret episode is one of my new favourites. The two timelines of young & older sisters Elizabeth & Margaret… their connection was so beautifully done.
‘I bawled. Being a sibling creates a bond unlike any other. You go through your whole life together #TheCrown.’
The Crown is available to watch on Netflix.
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