Emma Corrin plays Princess Diana in The Crown season 4.
When the time came to transform into Princess Diana, Corrin had jitters. "Initially I was very daunted, very much listened to the noise, heard all the voices, and got quickly frustrated and quite scared about it and thought, ‘This isn't actually giving me anything to work with," she told E! News. "So then I very much had to put blinkers on and just do my own thing."
With time, she grew confident in the role.
Corrin continued, "I realized this is a character that I'm playing. This is The Crown's version of Diana. I can bring a lot of what I want to do with this part. Everything that resonates with me. That really changed it for me. It doesn't remove the pressure and the responsibility that I feel, but it made it more manageable to do the role."
Corrin had a say in the way Diana was depicted.
During an interview with Radio Times, according to People, she revealed that Diana's battle with bulimia was a storyline she insisted the writers explore. Corrin said, "We'd been working on her body language, and we put together a document that we sent to the script team and said: 'Can you include some of this in the writing because we'd love to really flesh out those scenes?'"
And she did an excellent job.
Corrin continued, "I felt that if we were trying to depict bulimia in an honest way, we had to actually show it—otherwise it's a disservice to anyone who has been through that," she said. "I don't think we should shy away from those conversations; Diana was very candid about her experience with bulimia, and I so admire that."
Did Corrin consider whether Prince William & Prince Harry would watch?
Not so much. "I try not to think about it because I think it's kind of a slippery slope," she told E!. "I don't know whether they will or they won't watch it. I hope that if they do they enjoy it and appreciate our performances as exactly that—as performances, as interpretations of people who are in the public eye. But I hope that they also don't watch it if they don't want to because understandably it's hard."
The fashion is impeccable.
To really get Corrin into character, the costume department made sure to get all of her looks as close to the real thing as possible.
"We almost see Diana's entire journey throughout season four," assistant costume designer Sidonie Roberts said in a press kit interview. "We start at the very beginning and see her evolve from a young girl living with her friends in Sloane Square to the makings of a princess, then actually becoming the 'People's Princess,' to finally the beginnings of the end, which we will see more of in season five."
From Lady Diana Spencer to Princess Diana.
Roberts added, "I think despite the obvious changes, there is a real sense, or arc, of the same person throughout all these stages in terms of how she dresses. There is and always was a sense of playfulness, an openness, and with that a vulnerability that connects her to her image."
Glamorous, indeed.
According to Roberts, Corrin was nothing but a pro when it came to using the clothes for her characterization. She "completely understood just how integral clothes are to Diana's character and therefore the importance of her costumes for season four and our work," Roberts said. "So, with that said, from the very get-go she was so invested in the most excited, enthusiastic and committed way that it was a real joy for us working together with her."
Diana in New York.
Season four explores Princess Diana's solo trip to New York City in 1989.
A soon-to-be married Diana.
Early in the season, Diana meets with Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman) to select the ring.
The royal wedding.
And yes, you'll get to see Corrin wear a replica of Diana's iconic David and Elizabeth Emanuel wedding dress.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles' love story.
Despite their tumultuous relationship, season four also highlights the moments in which the couple—especially Diana—tried to make it work.
Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles.
During an interview with E! News, Josh O'Connor joked that his portrayal of Prince Charles might get some viewers to hate him.
An ominous family Christmas portrait.
No spoilers, but Princess Diana's mood while taking family Christmas portraits warns of her future in season five.
Season four is Corrin's last.
As usual, The Crown's cast will completely change for seasons five and six. Elizabeth Debicki will replace Corrin as Princess Diana. "Princess Diana's spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of so many," Debicki said in a statement. "It is my true privilege and honor to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one."
A tense moment between Diana and Camilla Parker Bowles.
Emerald Fennell takes on the role of Prince Charles' other love, Camilla Parker Bowles.
New to fame.
Season four explores Diana's rise to fame—and her relationship with the paparazzi.
Always elegant.
There are plenty of moments throughout the season in which Corrin's interpretation of Diana will make you do a double take.
A troubled marriage.
Aside from their few happy days, much of season four finds Diana and Charles bickering.
Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher.
The actress does a fantastic job of embodying Britain's first female Prime Minister. Aside from Diana and Charles' relationship, the other half of the season is spent exploring the tension between Thatcher and the Queen.
Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret.
The new season also explores Princess Margaret's relationship with mental health.
Of course, the queen is back.
And more stoic than ever.