Fans are going wild over the fourth season of Netflix drama The Crown, as Princess Diana (played by actress Emma Corrin) has finally been introduced to the cast.
Now the streaming platform has released a special video on YouTube titled Beneath The Crown: The True Story of Charles & Diana’s Australia Tour, which includes archive footage from the royal couple’s official visit Down Under in 1983.
The 10-minute clip not only provides context about the tour, but also showcases the remarkable effort that has gone in to accurately recreating the events for viewers.
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The truth behind the drama: Netflix has released archive footage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s 1983 tour of Australia, much to delight of fans of The Crown
British radio and television presenter Anita Rani retraces their journey with contributions from Emma Corrin and Josh O’Connor, who play Diana and Charles respectively, alongside file footage of key moments from the tour.
The new season of the popular drama includes an episode recreating Charles and Diana’s tour of Australia and New Zealand almost four decades ago.
Footage is shown of the royals in the Northern Territory, which is contrasted with a scene from The Crown in which Uluru can be seen in the background.
Ms Rani noted that the moment Diana broke royal protocol by asking for a glass of water in the heat made her more relatable.
Emma added: ‘It baffles me that anyone was surprised that there was an element to which she couldn’t cope or that she struggled.’
TV moment: Actors Emma Corrin (Princess Diana) and Josh O’Connor (Prince Charle) portray the royal’s Northern Territory trip to Uluru in the fourth season of The Crown
Princess Diana and Prince Charles are pictured visiting Uluru in March 1983
‘It baffles me that anyone was surprised that there was an element to which she couldn’t cope or that she struggled’: Actress Emma spoke of the moment Princess Diana ruffled feathers by breaking royal protocol by asking for a glass of water in the heat near Uluru
The remarkable likeness to reality was also on display in footage of the royal couple meeting then-Prime Minister Bob Hawke on March 23, 1983.
In Tasmania, Charles paid tribute to Diana during a speech, which has been included in the new season of The Crown.
Josh claims the episode featuring the tour is ‘such an important episode for their story [because] it almost tells their happiest moments and then some resurgence that happens with Diana that becomes the love of a nation’.
Then and now: Remarkable likeness to reality was also seen when footage was shown from the royals meeting with Prime Minister Bob Hawke on March 23, 1983
Flashback: In Tasmania, Prince Charles doted on Princess Diana during a speech, to which has been included in the new season of The Crown
Double take: The scene in the crown has made sure to keep the royals’ attire as close to their original garments as possible
However, the cast and crew of the award-winning show did not travel to Australia to film the episode.
They instead used various locations around Spain, and incorporated digital effects to make the settings look suitably Antipodean.
Emma, who plays the late People’s Princess, shares scenes with Josh and an infant actor who plays their firstborn, Prince William.
One scene shows Diana handing Prince William a koala plush toy as they appear to venture into the outback, near Uluru.
‘It almost tells their happiest moments’: Actor Josh O’Connor (Prince Charles) claims the episode featuring the tour is ‘such an important episode for their story’
Trip Down Under: Emma Corrin, who plays the late Princess Diana, shares the scene with actor Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles and a small child as their firstborn, Prince William
The city of Malaga was used for Sydney, while the desert near the port city of Almería was used as the backdrop for their visit to Uluru.
In March 1993, the royal couple had visited the Northern Territory in very similar clothing as to what is depicted on screen.
In another still from the show, the actors are seen enjoying a picnic outing as a family in a rural landscape with sheep in a gated pen behind them.
Recreating real life: The city of Malaga was used for Sydney, while the desert near the port city of Almería was used as the backdrop for their visit to Uluru
The Netflix series, which was filmed from August 2019 to March 2020, also hired extras with Australian accents to help add to the Australian environment they constructed in Spain.
Emma was originally contacted to read as Diana alongside co-star Josh O’Connor in 2018 after he’d landed the role of Prince Charles, as The Crown bosses tried to find the right actress to play Camilla Parker-Bowles.
The star was not auditioning for the role of Diana, but her speech efforts impressed the team so much, she was offered the role eight months later.
Incredible: Last month, Netflix’s official Instagram account for The Crown shared its first glimpse of Princess Diana’s wedding dress for the show
The Crown’s fourth series begins as the 1970s are drawing to a close, with the Royal Family preoccupied with safeguarding the line of succession by securing an appropriate bride for Prince Charles, who is still unmarried at 30.
Last month, Netflix’s official Instagram account for The Crown shared its first glimpse of Princess Diana’s wedding dress for the show.
‘Emmy award-winning costume designer Amy Roberts wanted to capture the same spirit and style of David & Elizabeth Emanuel’s original design, without creating a replica for Emma Corrin,’ the caption read.
The Crown season four is now streaming on Netflix
Out now: The Crown season four premiered on Netflix on Sunday, November 15