The forthcoming fourth season of The Crown introduces Emma Corrin as a teenage Lady Diana Spencer/Princess Of Wales.
Diana’s relationship with Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor) develops when she is invited to Balmoral, scenes of which were filmed at Knebworth House in Hertfordshire.
Emma, who appeared as Esme in Warner Bros/EPIX series Pennyworth, which was also partly shot on location at Knebworth, explains: “Things really progress when she is taken up to Balmoral.
“When you are invited to Balmoral, it’s ultimately a test.
“Balmoral is where the Royal Family are most at home and so if you are invited you know that is make or break.
“Diana knew that because she already knew how these things work and I think she, although she was incredibly young and so in away, naive, I think she also very much knew what she was doing. She knew the rules.
“She knew why she was here – to be approved and I think she just turned on the charm.
“Philip in particular really loved her so she was given the seal of approval – he talked to Charles and said she’s the one what are you waiting for.”
Integrating with the Royal Family away from Balmoral is another matter.
“At Balmoral, she knew what she was doing. She knew the drill, and she won them over very well,” says Emma, who appeared on The Graham Norton Show last week.
“But when it comes to her being plucked out of her normal life, without her best mates in her flat and taken to the Palace, suddenly she’s intimidated and almost the lack of warmth of the Firm hits her.
“I think she is expected to be received with the same informal welcome as she had in Balmoral but it was something entirely different so we see a shift and as the series continues, the warmth deteriorates to icy frosty cold and she realises that they are not interested in her as Diana.
“All they are interested in is her role and how she makes the family look.”
After a brief courtship, Charles proposes and Diana is quickly propelled from the life of a normal teenage girl into one as the Princess of Wales.
Across the series she goes on a transformational journey to become a global superstar, but the fairy tale marriage portrayed in the world’s media isn’t quite what it appears to be.
Viewers can watch all 10 episodes of series four of The Crown on streaming platform Netflix from Sunday, November 15.
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