"Sleep, Dearie Sleep" | |
---|---|
The Crown episode | |
![]() The elder Queen being flanked by two other younger versions of herself. Left to right: Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton and Claire Foy | |
Episode no. | Season 6 Episode 10 |
Directed by | Stephen Daldry |
Written by | Peter Morgan |
Original release date | 14 December 2023 |
Running time | 72 minutes |
"Sleep, Dearie Sleep" is the series finale of the Netflix historical drama television series The Crown . The tenth episode of the sixth season and the 60th overall, the episode was written by series creator Peter Morgan and directed by Stephen Daldry, and was released, alongside the second half of the sixth season, on 14 December 2023.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh begin planning their respective funerals, with the Queen being presented with a model of her state funeral procession. [1] While Philip is "stimulated" by planning for his own funeral, Elizabeth is more skeptical and emotional about the prospect. During a planning meeting, the Queen later says that her preference for a funeral would be a "quiet service in Scotland". However, her advisors note that people will want to celebrate her reign, as the longest-serving monarch in British history.
The Prince of Wales then tells the Queen that he wants to marry Camilla Parker Bowles. The conversation ends with her saying that she consulted the bishops of the Church of England beforehand and that the Archbishop of Canterbury said that the marriage can take place if it is in a civil ceremony and a prayer of repentance takes place in the following service in St. George's Chapel. She then asks Prince William and Prince Harry what they think of their father's planned marriage. Prince Harry resists the suggestion, while Prince William agrees as long as his father is happy. The Queen then informs Prince Charles of the result, and he immediately goes to Camilla to finally propose to her.
The Queen then asks her bagpiper what kind of lament he finds most beautiful, as she is choosing the appropriate music for her funeral. The bagpiper then plays "Sleep, Dearie, Sleep". [1] [2] The bagpiper is given permission by the Queen to offer his rendition of the soldier's ballade inside the house and he proceeds to play. The loud bagpipes resound through the house as several members of the staff recognize the melody with visible expressions showing their recognition of the memory of fallen soldiers. One of the maids working with others preparing a reception room elsewhere in the home recalls the lyrics and intones them while her co-workers stop to hear her thoughtful rendition of the ballade singing: "Sleep, brave soldier, underneath the cold soil/ For under the quiet lawn will be your resting place/ And still this is finer for you, than nothing at all/ Sleep, Dearie Sleep."
A scandal arises involving Prince Harry, who has chosen a German Afrika Korps uniform from a costume hire company and has been photographed wearing it at a birthday party. In the horse stable, the Queen imagines a conversation with her middle-aged self (Olivia Colman), who urges her to abdicate because she is tired and has neglected her role as a mother. [1]
Following this imagined conversation, the Queen starts planning a speech at Charles and Camilla's wedding where she would announce this news. However, she later imagines another dialogue with her young-aged self (Claire Foy). This younger Queen advises her against abdicating, reminding her that she took an oath to devote her whole life to the people's service. The young Elizabeth says that the crown is a "symbol of permanence, of stability, of continuity" and that to step down would suggest a luxury of choice, going against the idea that it is her birthright. She says that the elder Queen is actually in her prime and has become "liberated" and "confident" since her Golden Jubilee and the death of her mother. The young Elizabeth explains that while the system is not kind, natural, nor fair, she thrives in it, and the system, in turn, thrives under her. The elder Queen asks about the life and the personal identity she put aside to become Queen, to which her younger self responds that her old personal identity as "Elizabeth Windsor" has been long gone, that only her identity as The Queen remains, and there is nothing to return to.
Assured of her decision, The Queen makes her speech after the wedding, deliberately skipping the card containing her abdication message, which William and Harry notice. William hints to the Queen that he knew what she had been struggling with, and she tells him that he needs to look after Harry, because spares need "extra care and attention".
After Charles and Camilla's wedding reception, Philip and Elizabeth talk in the St George's Chapel, complimenting Elizabeth for staying strong despite her internal struggle. He expresses his doubts that those who will come after her are "remotely ready" to take on the crown. He says that Elizabeth was "born ready", and that she is one of a kind. He says they won't have to worry about that, as once someone else takes over, they will be buried in that very chapel, while he also expresses his belief that the Monarchy will come to an end after they are gone, as "the system no longer makes sense".
Philip leaves, and the Queen is left alone in the chapel, as she looks back on her life. She picks up her handbag and turns to see her bagpiper play her chosen funeral lament, "Sleep, Dearie, Sleep". As she moves towards the exit, her coffin appears, with the crown, orb, and scepter resting on it. From behind it, a young Elizabeth (Viola Prettejohn), wearing an ATS uniform, steps out and salutes the Queen. As the Queen turns back towards the exit, Claire Foy's and Olivia Colman's versions of the Queen appear, and she makes her way through the chapel. The exit door opens and she leaves, displaying a symbolic bright white light. [3] [4]
Anita Singh of The Daily Telegraph rated the episode two stars out of five, calling it "a bitter, mournful note to end on". [5]
Mary of Teck was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936 as the wife of King-Emperor George V.
Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor is the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. She is a granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, and the youngest niece of King Charles III. Born 8th in line to the British throne, she is now 16th.
The wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles took place in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, on 9 April 2005. The ceremony, conducted in the presence of the couple's families, was followed by a Church of England Service of Prayer and Dedication at St George's Chapel. The groom's parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, did not attend the civil wedding ceremony, but were present at the Service of Prayer and Dedication and held a reception for the couple in Windsor Castle afterwards.
Royal Lodge is a Grade II listed house in Windsor Great Park in Berkshire, England, half a mile north of Cumberland Lodge and 3.2 miles (5.1 km) south of Windsor Castle. The site of homes since the 17th century, the present structure dates from the 19th century, and was expanded in the 1930s for the then duke of York, the future king George VI. Its central section consists of three storeys, with two-storey wings, totalling about 30 rooms, including seven bedrooms. The Royal Chapel of All Saints was built on the grounds in the 1820s.
The image of Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms and Head of the Commonwealth from 1952 to 2022, was generally favourable throughout her years as a reigning monarch. Conservative in dress, she was well known for her solid-colour overcoats and matching hats, which allowed her to be seen easily in a crowd. She attended many cultural events as part of her public role. Her main leisure interests included horse racing, photography, and dogs, especially her Pembroke Welsh corgis. She ate jam sandwiches every day since childhood. Some of her other favorite foods were fish and chips, chocolate perfection pie, scones with jam and clotted cream, salmon from the River Dee and Morecambe Bay potted shrimp. Her views on political issues and other matters were largely subject to conjecture. She never gave a press interview and was otherwise not known to discuss her personal opinions publicly.
Queen Camilla is a satirical novel by the British author Sue Townsend.
Claire Elizabeth Foy is a British actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the Netflix drama series The Crown (2016–2023), for which she received various accolades such as a Golden Globe and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
The Crown is a historical drama television series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, created and principally written by Peter Morgan and produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for Netflix. Morgan developed the series from his film The Queen (2006) and his stage play The Audience (2013), which also focus on Elizabeth.
The Girl in the Spider's Web is a 2018 action-thriller film directed by Fede Álvarez, who co-wrote with Jay Basu and Steven Knight, and based on the 2015 novel of the same name by David Lagercrantz, which in turn is based on characters in the Millennium book series by Stieg Larsson. The film acts as a soft-reboot/sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It stars Claire Foy in the role of Lisbeth Salander, and follows Salander as she battles against a mysterious notorious organization, the Spiders, who seek world dominance. Sverrir Gudnason, Lakeith Stanfield, Sylvia Hoeks, and Stephen Merchant also appear in the film.
The Windsors is a British sitcom and parody of the British royal family, the House of Windsor. It was first broadcast on Channel 4 in April 2016 and stars Harry Enfield, Haydn Gwynne, Hugh Skinner, Louise Ford, Richard Goulding, Tom Durant-Pritchard, Kathryn Drysdale, Morgana Robinson, Ellie White, and Celeste Dring.
The first season of The Crown follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II. It consists of ten episodes and was released on Netflix on 4 November 2016.
The second season of The Crown follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II. It consists of ten episodes and was released by Netflix on 8 December 2017.
The third season of The Crown follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II. It consists of ten episodes and was released by Netflix on 17 November 2019.
The fourth season of The Crown, which follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, was released by Netflix on 15 November 2020.
The sixth and final season of The Crown, which follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, was released by Netflix in two volumes. The first volume of four episodes was released on 16 November 2023, and the second, consisting of six episodes, was released on 14 December. The season began production shortly before the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022.
The fifth season of The Crown, which follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, was released by Netflix on 9 November 2022. It was the first season of the series to be released following both the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on 9 April 2021 and the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022; filming took place between the former and the latter's death.
On 6 February 1952, George VI, King of the United Kingdom, died at the age of 56, at Sandringham House, after a prolonged cancer. His state funeral took place on 15 February 1952. A period of national mourning commenced and his eldest daughter and successor, Queen Elizabeth II was proclaimed the new monarch by the Accession Council. George VI's coffin lay in St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham until 11 February when it was carried, in procession, to the nearby Wolferton railway station. The coffin was carried by train to London King's Cross railway station where another formal procession carried it to Westminster Hall where the king lay in state for three days. Some 304,000 people passed through Westminster Hall with queues up to 4 miles (6.4 km) forming.
"Gold Stick" is the fourth series premiere of the historical drama television series The Crown, and the 31st episode overall. It, alongside the rest of the season, was released on Netflix on 15 November 2020. It was written by series creator and executive producer Peter Morgan, and directed by executive producer Benjamin Caron.
Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, died on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. Elizabeth's reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch. She was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III.
Sleep, Dearie, Sleep is a traditional Scottish lament for the bagpipes. The tune is used as a taps signal in Highland army regiments. It gained prominence when it was played during the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on 19 September 2022.