Update!

Netflix’s The Crown Season 6 to Pause Production Following Queen Elizabeth II's Death

The Crown's Peter Morgan said Sept. 8 that the Netflix show is expected to stop production "out of respect." Find out what this means for the final season of the hit show.

By Charlotte Walsh Sep 09, 2022 3:07 PMTags
Watch: Queen Elizabeth II Dead at 96: Relive Her Extraordinary Royal Life

UPDATE: Netflix has confirmed that The Crown will be pausing production. 

"As a mark of respect, filming on The Crown was suspended today," the streamer said in a statement to E! News on Sept. 9. "Filming will also be suspended on the day of Her Majesty The Queen's funeral."

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The Crown is paying their respects its titular character. 

The Netflix drama's showrunner Peter Morgan said today that the series would pause filming season six due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 8. The show follows the ups and downs of her reign, beginning with her ascent to the throne in 1952. 

"The Crown is a love letter to her and I've nothing to add for now, just silence and respect," he noted in an email message to Deadline. "I expect we will stop filming out of respect too."

Season six of the Emmy-winning series was set to begin production this fall and would focus on the period between the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Producers of the series have reportedly had their own "Operation London Bridge"—a.k.a. the official codename for the protocol that details what will happen when the Queen dies—for some time. 

"We have our own version of Operation London Bridge," an insider close to production told The New York Post Sept. 8. "This is particularly pertinent for if we are filming. Filming will shut down immediately if we are in production, for at least a week. There would also be lots of discussion about when to restart."

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The Crown: Fact-Checking the Portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II

Season five of the show, which follows the turbulent early 1990s, is expected to premiere in November, with Imelda Staunton assuming the role as Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth II passed away Sept. 8 at the age of 96, hours after Buckingham Palace released a statement that doctors were "concerned" for her health.

The official royal family shared the news on social media, writing, "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon." Her oldest son, King Charles III, is now the reigning monarch.

Alex Bailey/Netflix

Seasons one through four of The Crown are now streaming on Netflix. 

This story was originally published Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022 at 2:36 p.m. PDT.

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