The Crown’s Line Of Succession After Season 4 (Compared To Today) – Screen Rant

What's the state of the Line of Succession at the end of The Crown season 4 and how does it compare to today's line-up of British Royals?

What did the British Line of Succession look like at the end The Crown season 4 and how does it compare to the present day? The most recent batch of episodes following the ins and outs of the Windsor family covereda somewhat turbulent era in British history, one that saw the rise Thatcherism, an uptick in social unrest, and the entrance of Princess Diana. The season, which spannedthe years 1979 through 1990, also featured a handful marital unions and births which would shape the Royal Family for decades to come.

Creator Peter Morgan's dramatization of Britain's mostfamousclan has often been preoccupiedwith the business-like (and often coldly detached) distribution of power, influence, and titles. The hierarchy within the Royal Family also tends to play into the psychology of its members at least the versions ofcreated for the show. In The Crown season 3, after Charles wonders why he,as heir to the throne, is treated so much more harshly than his sister, Anne replies bluntly, "Because I'm irrelevant. I rather wish she would be like that with me. It would suggest I have significance." Princess Margaret's journey throughout the quartet of seasons has largely revolved around this concept, as well, as she falls further down in the Line of Succession and more responsibilities are stripped from her. In season 4, episode 7: "Hereditary Principle,"she learns that young Prince Edward will take her place as one of the six Counsellors of State, Margaret angrily confronts her sister, shouting, "I asked you for one thing. Work! A purpose, dignity!"

Related:The Crown Season 4: What Every Character Looked Like In Real Life

In the context of the show, the Line of Succession is shownas a potent force able toinfluence the lives and emotional states of its characters and Morgan appears to be investigating the very system itself; a system which often teeters between practicality and cruelty. Here's the royal pecking-orderwhen viewers left the Windsors at the end ofThe Crown season 4and a look at where they are ranked today.

Of course, as The Crown is more-or-less conceived as a deep-dive into Queen Elizabeth's historic reign, and the monarch, played by Olivia Coleman (who wrapped her two-season run on the show), is still on the throne. However, it is easy to forget that her rise to sovereign was an atypical one, relatively speaking.Queen Elizabeth II's storyis a somewhat unusual in that she is able to remember a time in which, as a young girl, she was unlikely to rise to the throne - adetail explored ina handful of The Crown's flashbacks. After all, her father King George VI only came to the throne after his brother King Edward VIII controversially abdicated it, irrevocably changing young Elizabeth'slife as well as the nation's future. Still on the throne after a whopping 63 years, Queen Elizabeth's reign hasthe distinction of being the longest in her nation's history.

Prince Charles' status as heir apparent is rather straight-forward. As the queen's first born child and son, the Prince of Wales is next in line to assume the throne. Because of his mother's historically-long tenure as ruler, he has had, correspondingly, the longest-serving heir apparent in British history. The Crown season 4features many discussions of what kind of king Charles will be and how impactful his decisions will be on his eventual rule, so it is therefore ironic that he is yet to become monarch in the present day.

The entrance of Princess Diana marked much of this season's action and intrigue, unsurprising due to the royal-turned-humanitarian's sensational popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. However, her arrival also played into the updating of the Line of Succession and this last batch of episodes sees her giving birth to Charles' two sons Prince William and Prince Harry.Prince William has been second in line to the throne since his birth and his younger brother Harry is third by the time season 4 concludes.

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The Crown's Line Of Succession After Season 4 (Compared To Today) - Screen Rant