The fourth instalment of The Crown was arguably the most-anticipated, discussed, impressive and controversial season of the royal drama yet. Undoubtedly, this was largely due to the cast addition of Emma Corrin and her portrayal of Princess Diana.
As the Netflix show moved into the 1980s, Lady Diana Spencer was introduced to viewers, as a fun, innocent and naive character on the brink of adulthood. She meets a tormented Prince Charles (played wonderfully by Josh O'Connor) who, in his thirties, is receiving pressure to settle down with a wife and children despite still being hopelessly in love with the then-married Camilla Parker Bowles (Emerald Fennell).
While the origins of their relationship might seem hopeful and sweet, soon enough The Crown depicts the Prince and Princess of Wales' marriage as a very troubled, toxic and unhappy relationship and this plays out in full capacity on the show thanks to O'Connor and Corrin.
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Reflecting on what she's learned playing one of the most famous and recognised women in the world, Corrin reveals that she was most shocked by how young Diana was when she was inducted into the royal family.
Speaking in a Netflix behind-the-scenes clip, exclusive to ELLE UK, Corrin says: 'The thing that dawned on me was how young Diana was when it all happened. She got married at 19, not only getting married but getting married into the Royal Family and then I think she had William a year later.
Corrin, 24, notes it therefore 'baffles' her that anyone found it surprising 'that [Diana] struggled'.
Prince Charles - the heir to the throne - and Lady Diana Spencer married at St Paul's Cathedral in 1981, just a couple of weeks after she turned 20 years old. The couple welcomed their children Prince William and Prince Harry, in 1982 and 1984 respectively. Charles and Diana separated in 1992 and finalised their divorce in 1996.
Also in the clip, Olivia Colman - who plays the Queen in the third and fourth series of the show - speaks about the resemblance between Corrin and Diana.
'She really became her, it was spooky to sit in front of her. It was like looking at the real thing,' the Oscar winner says. 'It was such a beautiful performance.'
Corrin, who has also defended the show's portrayal of Diana while saying she understands why people might find it 'upsetting', says she found the experience (which was one of her first acting experiences) very 'daunting' but coped by separating the Diana she was portraying to the famous former member of the royal family that everyone knows.
'We're not mimicking. That's not what we're doing, this is our own and Peter [Morgan's] version of what happens. It's his story, it's fictitious,' the actor clarified.
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Olivia Blair is Entertainment Editor (Luxury) at Hearst UK, working across ELLE, Esquire and Harper's Bazaar. Olivia covers all things entertainment and has interviewed the likes of Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Michaela Coel and Ryan Gosling over the years.
