The final episodes of Netflix spectacle The Crown were released this morning – with more bizarre moments than ever.
After six seasons chronicling the life and times of the Royal Family, the final instalment spans the period from the late 90s to 2005 – covering the deaths of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, Charles and Camilla‘s wedding, and William and Harry reaching adulthood.
Here, Sky News details the seven most controversial moments from the second instalment of the final season.
Warning, spoilers ahead.
King Tony Blair?
The Labour Party as the new Royal Family, Things Can Only Get Better as the national anthem… and Tony Blair as King?
But a bizarre series of events sees the Queen consulting the then-prime minister for advice on how to modernise the monarchy.
Peter Morgan’s show also depicts the Queen being intimidated by Blair’s impressive poll ratings. She commissions research using focus groups on public opinion about the monarchy.
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“Historically, I’ve not worried too much about prime ministers’ popularity. It tends to come and go very quickly,” she tells aides in the show.
“But I’ve a feeling that could be different with Mr Blair. People really do seem to love him and see him as a true son of England, and a unifying national symbol in a way they used to see, well, me.”
Image: Tony Blair depicted in The Crown Pic: Justin Downing/Netflix
But when Mr Blair presents his proposed reforms, the Queen is quick to rebuff them. The show depicts his popularity falling shortly afterward.
Princess Margaret’s death
The decline of the Queen’s sister’s health is chronicled in the seventh episode of this season.
It alternates between the present day and the sisters’ joyful celebrations on VE Day in 1945 – including an early morning walk home to Buckingham Palace from a music club after a night of kissing and dancing.
Image: Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret Pic: Daniel Escale/Netflix
As both sisters grapple with their childhood memories, and declining health, the importance of their relationship is highlighted – with the Queen seen reading stories to Margaret and kissing her affectionately.
Margaret faces her demise as she suffers several strokes. She tells her older sister: “I’m not thrilled about [death]. In fact, I’m furious. I’m not ready to leave this particular party.”
And as Margaret’s death is imminent, she promises a young Queen: “I will always be by your side – no matter what.”
Kate Middleton in that dress
After years of scheming by Carole Middleton, and one see-through dress, The Crown shows Kate becoming the object of William’s affections.
Image: Kate Middleton depicted in The Crown Pic: Justin Downing/Netflix
Before this is several months in which she and William become friends – then the young prince pines after the spoken for-Kate.
A break-up and a risque fashion show later, the pair confess their feelings towards each other.
“I’ve always been interested. Bordering on obsessed. To the point where I thought if I couldn’t be with you, I’d sooner not be here at all,” William says.
The pair share a kiss – only to be interrupted by his security guard informing him of the death of the Queen Mother.
Image: Meg Bellamy and Ed McVey as Kate Middleton and Prince William in The Crown Pic: Netflix
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Imelda Staunton portrays Queen Elizabeth II in the hit drama The Crown.
As the relationship progresses, the pair move in together, along with two friends, to a house in St Andrews.
The ghost of Queens past
Both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman return in the final episodes to offer sage, and contradictory, words of wisdom to the older version of the Queen.
Colman – the middle-aged Queen – calls Imelda Staunton’s Queen a “coward” for not telling her husband how she was feeling about planning her funeral.
She urges the older Queen to consider making way for Charles after more than 50 years on the throne.
“Stepping down is the right thing to do. Both as Queen and as a mother,” Colman’s Queen says.
Later, Foy’s Queen implores the older Queen to consider the oath she made at 21.
“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service,” Foy’s Queen reminds her.
“If you step down, you will be symbolising instability and impermanence. You’ll also be indicating the luxury of choice, which is the one thing we cannot have if we claim the Crown is our birthright.”
The aftermath of Diana’s death
As William and Harry struggle with the grief of their mother’s passing, the young heir takes his anger out on his father.
After a months-long stand-off between Charles and William, frustrations reach a boiling point with the teenager blaming his father for Diana‘s death.
Image: Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in the sixth and final series of The Crown. Pic: Netflix
He shouted: “She should never have been anywhere near the Fayeds. She should have been safe with us. The fact that she wasn’t is your fault.
“You didn’t actually drive the car but you drove her into the arms of those who did. By making her so unhappy, by loving someone else.
He added: “She still loved you and only wanted to be in the South of France so she would not to be there when you threw a birthday party for the other one.”
Later on, we see the young princes struggle to cope with the police investigation into the Paris car crash which was sparked by Mohamed al Fayed’s conspiratorial claims in the British press.
Harry vs William
The early signs of the current frosty relationship between Princes William and Harry are depicted in the season’s second instalment.
From bickering over the death of their mother, to the acceptance of Charles and Camilla’s relationship – the tensions between the heir and the spare emerge early on.
Image: Prince Harry and Prince William in The Crown Pic: Justin Downing/Netflix
But it culminates in the Queen asking Prince William to look out for Harry – after a photograph of him wearing a swastika to a fancy dress party makes the front pages of the newspapers.
“Be kind to him,” the Queen says to William. “In many ways, it’s harder being number two than number one. The system protects number one. Number two tends to…”
“Go mad,” William interrupts.
“I was going to say, ‘need extra care and attention’,” the Queen replies.
The Queen abdicating… and the end of the monarchy?
As both the Queen and Prince Philip are forced to plan out their funeral, their minds wander towards the future.
Image: Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce and the Queen and Prince Philip in The Crown Pic: Netflix
The Queen appears to contemplate abdicating the throne, with speculation mounting over a top-secret speech she is due to deliver at Charles and Camilla’s wedding.
Instead, she appears to skip several cards on which her speech is written at the reception and decides to stay on.
But that doesn’t stop Prince Philip from predicting the end of the monarchy.
In the final scene of the series, he tells Elizabeth: “The system makes no sense anymore to those outside it, nor to those of us inside it.
“We’re a dying breed, you and I. Oh, I’m sure everyone will carry on, pretending all is well. But the party’s over.”
The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo will be among the stars headlining Glastonbury Festival this year, it has been announced.
Glastonbury organisers have revealed the line-up for this summer’s event, taking place between 25 June and 29 June, after months of speculation.
The 1975 will take to the iconic Pyramid Stage on the Friday to headline, then Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young will perform on Saturday and Olivia Rodrigo on the Sunday.
Other big names performing include British pop sensation Charli XCX, rapper Loyle Carner electronic group The Prodigy.
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Young’s announcement in January came amid some confusion, as he had days before told fans he was pulling out of the festival because the BBC’s involvement was a “corporate turn-off”.
The Canadian singer-songwriter later said this decision was down to “an error in the information I received”.
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The 1975 will be headlining for the first time, having made their Glastonbury debut in 2014.
The Cheshire band, known for hits such as Somebody Else and Chocolate, have regularly made headlines due to the antics of frontman Matty Healy.
Glastonbury, which takes place at Worthy Farm in Somerset in the summer, has worked closely with the BBC – its exclusive broadcast partner – since 1997.
Image: Neil Young performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival last May. Pic: Amy Harris/Invision/AP
Appetite for the esteemed festival saw standard tickets sell out in 35 minutes in November.
They cost £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee, up £18.50 from the price from the 2024 festival, and were sold exclusively through the See Tickets website.
The date for the resale – where tickets not fully paid for are put back up for purchase – is set for some time in spring.
The headliners last summer on the iconic Pyramid Stage were Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay, who made history as the first act to headline the festival five times.
2026 is likely to be a year off for Glastonbury, with the festival traditionally taking place four out of every five years, and the fifth year reserved for rehabilitation of the land.
Ofcom received 825 complaints over the Brit Awards, with the majority relating to Sabrina Carpenter’s raunchy performance and Charli XCX’s outfit, the media watchdog says.
US pop star Carpenter, 25, sported a red sparkly military-style blazer dress for her performance at the awards show on Saturday night, paired with stockings and suspenders for a rendition of Espresso.
The song was mixed with a Rule Britannia mash-up, as dancers in military parade dress followed her.
She then switched to a red sparkly bra and shorts for her next song, Bad Chem, which she performed alongside dancers in bras and shorts while sitting suggestively on a large bed.
Image: Sabrina Carpenter performing her second song. Pic: Reuters
Carpenter later received the global success award at the ceremony, and was also nominated in the international artist and international song of the year categories.
But much of the buzz on social media surrounded her performance, which took place before the 9pm watershed.
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The singer addressed the concerns during her acceptance speech for artist of the year, saying: “I heard that ITV were complaining about my nipples. I feel like we’re in the era of ‘free the nipple’ though, right?”
Carpenter paid tribute to the UK in her acceptance speech, saying: “The Brits have given me this award, and this feels like such an insane honour in a very primarily tea-drinking country… you really understood my dry sense of humour because your sense of humour is so, so dry. So I love y’all more than you even understand.”
Actor Noel Clarke begins his High Court libel case against The Guardian’s publisher today.
Clarke, 49, is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over a series of articles it published about him in April 2021.
They were based on the claims of 20 women Clarke knew “in a professional capacity” who allege his behaviour towards them amounted to sexual misconduct.
Clarke, known for his roles in the Kidulthood trilogy and Dr Who, “vehemently” denies “any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing”.
What will the trial cover?
Clarke is suing GNM for libel, sometimes also referred to as defamation.
It’s a civil tort – not a criminal offence – defined as false written statements that have damaged the person’s reputation. This means Clarke can seek redress or damages but no one will face charges or prison.
Clarke claims the articles The Guardian published in 2021 altered public opinion of him, damaged his reputation, and lost him work.
He said after the allegations emerged: “In a 20-year career, I have put inclusivity and diversity at the forefront of my work and never had a complaint made against me.
“If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologise. I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations.”
The Guardian is defending the claim on the basis of truth and public interest.
It said in its statement: “Our reporting on Noel Clarke in 2021 was based on the accounts of 20 brave women. After we published our first article, more women came forward.
“At trial, 32 witnesses are set to testify against Mr Clarke under oath. We look forward to a judge hearing the evidence.”
The trial will only focus on liability – not the amount of damages to be paid if Clarke is successful.
The actor tried and failed to get the case struck out in January, with his legal team saying it had “overwhelming evidence” of “perversion of the course of justice”.
His lawyers told the High Court three of the journalists involved in the articles had “deliberately and permanently” deleted messages, which meant he could not get a fair trial.
Lawyers for GNM told the court there was “no adequate evidential basis” for Clarke’s application for a strike out and said it sought “to smear Guardian journalists and editors without any proper justification”.
The trial, which will be presided over by judge Mrs Justice Steyn, is expected to last between four and six weeks.
Image: In July 2015. Pic: PA
What has happened since the articles were published?
A month before the articles about him were published in April 2021, Clarke received BAFTA’s outstanding contribution to British cinema award.
However, once the allegations against him emerged, he was suspended by the organisation and the prize rescinded.
His management and production company 42M&P told Sky News they were no longer representing him and Sky cancelled its TV show Bulletproof, starring Clarke and Top Boy actor Ashley Walters as the lead roles.
ITV also decided to pull the finale of another of his dramas, Viewpoint, following the Guardian articles.
The Met Police looked into the allegations against Clarke for any potential criminal wrongdoing, but in March 2022 announced they “did not meet the threshold for criminal investigation”.
Clarke filed the libel claim the following month and has attended several of the preliminary hearings in person.
He says he has faced a “trial by media” – and that the ordeal has left him suicidal and in need of professional help.
Image: At the UK premiere of Kidulthood in London’s Leicester Square in 2006. Pic: PA
‘Rising star’
Clarke made his TV debut in a revived version of Auf Wiedersehen Pet in 2002.
Soon after he played Mickey Smith in Dr Who and Kwame in the six-part Channel 4 series Metrosexuality.
He wrote and starred in the film trilogy Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Brotherhood, which were based in west London, where he grew up, and explored the lives of a group of teenagers given time off school after a bullied classmate takes their own life.
It was a box office success and eventually saw Clarke given BAFTA’s rising star prize in 2009.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.