The Crown is currently filming its sixth and final season, and according to The Sun filming has been thrown into “chaos” due to Gillian Anderson (who plays Margaret Thatcher) unexpectedly opting out of the show.
“Gillian’s portrayal of Thatcher was met with global critical acclaim and she was a huge asset to The Crown,” a source mused. “It had been hoped she would be able to make an appearance in scenes around the golden wedding but sadly that has not been the case due to scheduling issues. As ever with the series, clever scripting will mean viewers will be none the wiser. But it’s been another blow for producers in what’s already been a fairly dogged production.”
The Crown’s writers allegedly featured Gillian in episode about the golden wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. And apparently, the original script involved Prince Philip and the Queen chilling on “golden thrones” in front of a bunch of distinguished guests—including Thatcher.
So, why is this moment even part of the show? Per The Sun, Philip made a personal speech about his marriage at the event, saying “The main lesson that we have learnt is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient of any happy marriage. It may not be quite so important when things are going well but it is absolutely vital when things get difficult and you can take it from me, The Queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance.”
Instead, The Crown is including a scene of the Queen giving a speech about her husband at a different dinner (Thatcher wasn’t a guest), where Her Majesty said “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”
Noted!