reviously, a 10-episode season used to entail a decade of royal affairs, portraying political intricacies of the era and delving into the nuances of evolving palace etiquette. However, in the latest season of The Crown, first three episodes focus solely on the final eight weeks of Diana’s life. The fourth revolves around the crash and her funeral.

Having followed the series from the beginning, one could safely say that its decline began in season three and spiralled further over the next two. In its last season, it simply fell into a pit despite stellar performances from the entire cast, particularly actress Elizabeth Debicki who valiantly endeavours to somehow slow the downward trajectory - and of course, Imelda Staunton. Sadly, even she cannot save The Crown from its miserable death.

Diana is shown as constantly threatened – a fact that everyone is familiar with. Her death is followed by a mourning that engulfs all of Britain.

In the latest season, Diana is presented almost as a saintly figure. Here she is on an impassioned mission against landmines or enjoying middle-class activities with her sons. Then, there’s her much-talked-about relationship with Dodi Fayed.

With a worried expression on her face, the princess conscientiously listens to her therapist, intending to start afresh after returning from Paris, away from the intrusive paparazzi pursuing her into a tunnel.

The show’s creator and main writer, Peter Morgan has treated the moments around Diana’s demise and its aftermath with great reverence, avoiding any depiction of the crash or the deceased.

Although she is later shown engaging in conversations with both Charles and the Queen and it is evident that these characters are envisioning what she might have wanted to say to them. This signifies the mother and son’s battle against remorse more than creating a narrative of a ghostly Diana.

…haphazardness continues to plague the show. This is exemplified in the stark discrepancy between Diana’s happy moments outside the palace and the dark, gloomy moments within. This makes one feel that the series is hurrying to be done with a checklist of story moments.

There is Diana seated on the yacht’s diving board in a blue swimsuit. A more captivating moment unfolds as she shares a lighthearted conversation with her therapist over Dodi’s extravagant gestures, including his poorly rhymed poem engraved on a silver plaque. This interaction prompts her decision to end the relationship, as she has been striving to overcome what her therapist calls her tendency to land in dramatic situations.

Morgan crafts the final day for Diana, including a heartfelt phone conversation with her sons, William and Harry, in which she reassures them that she has no plans to marry Dodi and that she will be home the next day.

However, a haphazardness continues to plague the show. This is exemplified in the stark discrepancy between Diana’s happy moments outside the palace and the dark, gloomy moments within. This makes one feel that the series is hurrying to be done with a checklist of story moments. The portrayal of William and Harry walking behind their mother’s coffin and the Queen’s address to the nation are highlights of the artificiality inherent in such scenes.

The last few episodes of The Crown also suffer through an impossible, rather unavoidable, challenge of being very close and alive in memory. Even if there were compelling elements to captivate the audience, the barrage of emotions surrounding those memories constantly overwhelms the viewer’s thoughts.

While watching The Crown’s unabashed, fluid transition between meticulous accuracy and fictitious writing has been a mind-boggling experience, the tail end was definitely lackluster and an exhausting watch.

The writer is the head of content at a communications agency. She can be reached at sara.amj@hotmail.co.uk