If there’s one thing we’ve learned from watching The Crown, it’s that the royal family is fallible. Maybe I was biased in the past due to this memorable moment from the 2012 London Olympic opening ceremony where the Queen and James Bond jumped from a helicopter into the stadium with Union Jack parachutes. It was very British:
Princess Margaret (Helena Bonham Carter) stated it best in this memorable line from season 3: “[The country’s] only fallen apart if we say it has. That’s the thing about the monarchy: we paper over the cracks.” As is becoming more and more clear, the pomp and circumstance of the royal family is simply an illusion to cover up the flaws in a messy democratic society. And in both the present day and during The Crown’s fourth season, the cracks are beginning to show.
The Crown’s second episode of the fourth season is a play on the “meet the parents” gag. Except, you know, the “parent” is the British monarchy. The episode is called “The Balmoral Test”, referring to the not-at-all-intimidating estate where the royal family spends their holiday. The two newcomers to the series, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) and Lady Diana Spencer (Emma Corrin), are invited to Balmoral for a weekend and essentially subjected to a series of “tests” that will determine whether they are insiders or outsiders.
The Prime Minister is first to run the gauntlet. As Crown watchers know, this is not the first Prime Minister we’ve seen on the show (previous occupants of the role include Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden). However, Thatcher is different – not only is she the leader of the Conservative party, but she also has no obvious ties to the monarchy or nobility. The social disparity becomes more obvious once Thatcher and her husband arrive at Balmoral. Neither her nor the viewers are accustomed to the arcane traditions of the royal family, which apparently include (in order of least to most ridiculous): knowing the difference between teatime attire and dinner attire, sleeping in separate bedrooms, game stalking for deer, not working on weekends, and playing a drinking game called Ibble-Dibble.
Surprisingly, the show succeeds at painting Margaret Thatcher as a source of pathos for the audience – at least for a short time (later, she disparages the Scottish and has previously stated that no women should hold positions of government). Thatcher’s visit is a strong indication of how out-of-touch the royal family has become from their own people. This only causes the prime minister to double-down on her divisive approach in government, eventually firing most of her royals-adjacent, privileged Cabinet for criticizing her policy proposals. The show does an excellent job of portraying the controversial historical figure in a new light, while maintaining the Thatcher’s iron core.
Now, it’s time for Lady Diana to visit Balmoral. However, she’s the complete opposite of the prime minister; young, impressionable, and inexperienced, Diana eagerly accepts Prince Charles’ insincere invitation to visit him and the family in Scotland. Presumably, it’s their third date and she’s already meeting the entire family. Charles, still infatuated with his former beau Camilla (according to the show), expects another bloodbath. Instead, Diana is a hit among the family members. For example, she brings the appropriate stalking footwear while accompanying the Duke of Edinburgh (Tobias Menzies), Charles’ father, on the hunt. As the mission continues, we can almost see the boxes being checked in Philip’s eyes. Now, there’s only one test left: a final game of Ibble-Dibble. I’m just kidding (though we can probably assume she excelled at that too) – Diana helps Philip take down the stag that they’ve been hunting the entire episode.
Lady Diana’s visit is a resounding success, so much so that Philip immediately pulls Charles aside and tells him to marry her. The Crown, however, has the benefit of hindsight. Charles and Diana’s relationship is far from a whirlwind romance; rather, the show portrays their courtship as an ominous affair. Throughout “The Balmoral Test”, the show equates the wounded stag to the latest visitor: first, to Margaret Thatcher, and then, to Diana Spencer. Thatcher, in this sense, escapes the clutches of the royal family and their stifling traditions. Meanwhile, Diana seemingly brings about her own demise. As Philip prepares to shoot the stag, the show alternates between shots of Diana and the stag, and melancholy music begins to play as the two return to the estate. The metaphor is heavy-handed, but effective.
“You’ve been a great sport”, Charles pats Diana on the shoulder as she leaves the estate. Not a great sign for the two of them. Later, he continues to call Camilla, and complains about Diana’s successful stay. Charles then compares himself to the stag “about to be strung up and skinned” without giving a second thought to Diana’s situation, who is on the verge of being pushed into the public eye for the rest of her life. He gets one thing right though, “[Diana’s] just a child”. None of the members of the family have even considered the implications for Diana, as the family’s focus on outward appearances has once again blinded them from making the right choices. Instead, the episode ends with Thatcher posing with her new cabinet, Diana being followed by paparazzi, and the stag’s head being mounted at Balmoral.
You can watch all episodes of The Crown on Netflix!