Battle royal

Diana and Charles’ doomed marriage takes centre stage as hit regal drama The Crown returns

- SEAN MARLAND

Lady Diana Spencer’s fairy-tale wedding to Prince Charles in 1981 saw her become one of the most iconic figures in royal history and signaled the start of a troubled relationship that played out before the world’s eyes and famously ended in heartbreak.

Now, as the award-winning drama The Crown returns to Netflix for a fourth series, the courtship and marriage of Charles (The Durrells’ Josh O’Connor) and Diana, played by Emma Corrin, whose credits include Grantchester and Pennyworth, takes its place in the spotlight.

The subsequent breakdown of their romance and Diana’s battle with bulimia are also laid bare as the House of Windsor experiences fresh tribulations when the 10-part series moves through the 1980s.

Along with personal crises, the royal saga explores the political challenges faced by the Queen (Olivia Colman) during the era as Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) moves into Downing Street.

Here, Corrin, 24, and O’Connor, 30, tell us how they brought Diana and Charles’ turbulent union to the screen…

How do Charles and Diana connect romantically when they first meet?