To the tune of The Verve’s Bitter Sweet Symphony, the final scene in season five of Netflix’s global ratings hit The Crown ends with Princess Diana packing for her holiday with sons William and Harry – in St Tropez aboard Mohamed al-Fayed’s yacht, the Jonikal.

Queen Elizabeth II, in England, is shown walking through the royal yacht Britannia as she reluctantly agrees to its decommissioning, and prepares to farewell it, the site of decades of memories.

Tony Blair is elected British prime minister. Charles and Camilla want to make their relationship public with parties and dinners after his messy divorce, and the future of the monarchy is a hot debate.

So what happens next?

While history has well documented the British monarchy and the era that the sixth and final series of The Crown covers from 1997 to (potentially) 2005, much has been made of how the show’s producers will depict the death of Diana, (played by Australian Elizabeth Debicki).

At last we have a date. Over two parts, the The Crown returns with the first four episodes of its last season on November 16 and the final six on December 14.

Diana’s story

While the newly released 30-second teaser trailer doesn’t give much away, we do know that the series will pick up where the season five finale finished, with Diana’s story, and the events surrounding and up to her death in Paris in August 1997.

In the final six episodes, we’ll see the late queen (played by Imelda Staunton) reflect on her reign and look ahead to a time when her successors will take the throne.

There will also be Charles and Camilla’s wedding, and Wills and Kate’s university romance.

Netflix praises its creator Peter Morgan for “humanising” the British royal family over the course of six seasons of this gripping real-life soap opera, serving up the streaming giant’s first Emmy for Best Drama, along with nailing all of the seven major categories at the 2021 Emmys.

Morgan says this series is “riveting”, and explains how he wanted to set up the story of “two yachts”: “[It’s] … the story of both the decommissioning of the Britannia and the Jonikal.

“By telling the story of those two yachts, you somehow would set it all up. You know, once she’s accepted the invitation to go on that holiday, where you’re headed.”

Series spans decades

The Crown premiered in 2016. Its first series was set in the 1940s and ’50s, exploring the new marriage between the then Princess Elizabeth (Claire Foy) and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten (Matt Smith).

There was also Elizabeth’s coronation after the premature death of her father, and her subsequent adjustment to her role as queen.

Foy and Smith continued in their roles as Elizabeth and Philip throughout the first two seasons before passing the mantle to Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies for seasons three and four.

Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce assumed the parts of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in season five. They will close out the series in the roles in season six.

Among the returning cast for the final season are Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne, Bertie Carvel as Tony Blair, Salim Daw as Mohamed al-Fayed, and Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed.

Kate and William met at university in 2001. Photo: Netflix

Wills and Kate … and Harry

Also joining the cast for part one of season six are Rufus Kampa and Fflyn Edwards as the young Princes William and Harry, respectively.

Prince William tries to integrate back into life at Eton after his mother’s death, as the monarchy has to ride the wave of public opinion.

In part two, we will be introduced to British newcomers Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy (who play Prince William and Kate Middleton) and Luther Ford, who takes on the role of teenage Prince Harry.

William and Kate met in 2001, when both were at the University of St Andrews.

Charles and Camilla in season five of The Crown. Photo: Netflix

Charles and Camilla’s wedding

As the world continued to grieve Diana’s death, Charles had every intention of eventually making his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles public.

The second half of this series will trace their relationship including, no doubt, highlights such as the 1999 birthday party Charles throws for Camilla’s sister at the Ritz Hotel in London through to moving into Clarence House together in 2003.

In April 2005, they were married in a civil ceremony, with Prince William as the best man.

While the queen doesn’t go to the wedding, she goes to the reception and approves the title Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cornwall.

The rest of that is, well, history.

Bertie Carvel, in the final episode 10 of season five, returns as British PM Tony Blair. Photo: Netflix

Several other events during this period are likely to be portrayed, according to gamesradar.com, including the late queen’s golden jubilee in 2002.

Elizabeth both her sister, Princess Margaret, and her mother (also Elizabeth) later that year.

According to The Sun, some reports suggest the series may end with Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles’ wedding in 2005.

The Crown Season 6, Part 1, premieres November 16 on Netflix