The Crown – Season 5 Episode 10 Recap, Review & Ending Explained

Decommissioned

As season 5 of The Crown comes to an end, change is permeating the surroundings and affects numerous relationships. In the opening sequence, Dodi Al-Fayed calls his dad, Mohamed Al-Fayed, to inform him that he has found an excellent girl. The monarchy is being discussed on television, and viewers are voting on whether they think it is useful or not. Princess Diana frequently calls in and selects “no”.

In the meanwhile, Tony Blair and the Labour Party are prepared to dominate  Parliament, and even the British colony of Hong Kong is set to be returned to the Chinese, indicating that things around are evolving. The Queen views it as disrespectful, so she orders Charles to represent Her Majesty in Hong Kong when she travels to Canada.

Dodi needs his dad to confirm that he accepts his new partner once he introduces her to Mohamed. She seems to be annoyed as she can’t understand them since they speak to each other in Arabic.

On the election night, Tony Blair as well as the Labor party are chosen by the people, and John Major graciously steps down, promising Elizabeth that he will do all in his power to prevent the decommissioning of her, the Britannia.

Despite losing to Tony Blair during the General Election, John Major is praised by Queen Elizabeth II for his dependability and is listed amongst her best Prime Ministers. Elizabeth defies protocol and asks John about Tony Blair. He gives a sincere, honest evaluation and is reasonable in his praise of the new leader.

When Elizabeth and Blair initially meet, she mentions the Britannia, however, Blair has a simpler solution: a brand-new, privately funded yacht which the state could charter. Decommissioning the Royal Yacht is a significant move made by Elizabeth. Charles deems this to be crucial because he thinks the Crown has been hard on his mother lately.

Charles then travels to Hong Kong to attend the ceremony celebrating the transfer of power to China. Charles’ journey to Hong Kong would be the final one on Britannia. Worse yet, he is made to travel in business class whilst Blair and his friends are having a ball in the first class. Thereafter, in his speech, Charles wishes the citizens of Hong Kong a smooth transition and a happy future.

When Diana is spotted by Mohamed in London by herself at the ballet, he extends an invitation for her to accompany him and his spouse for dinner. She acknowledges that the divorce has left her “more glum than ever” and that she does not wish to be present for Camilla’s upcoming birthday. Mohamed then extends an invitation to her to visit Saint-Tropez with him as well as his family along with her two kids.

Charles meets with Tony Blair, the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Given his support towards the Royal Yacht’s decommissioning, Blair sympathizes with Elizabeth for sacrificing a symbolic practice. Charles informs Blair that he believes the Royal Household needs to be upgraded to meet current norms.

Tony Blair later informs his wife that he feels utterly shocked that Charles is defying his mother but he empathizes with Charles.

Eventually, Elizabeth hears that Charles requested a meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss Britain’s future. Elizabeth insists on speaking with Charles about the same.

When Elizabeth and Charles meet, they instantly argue about his split and Camilla. The subject switches toward the Prime Minister. Her Majesty informs Charles that she is the sole dignitary who has the right to have direct contact with the Prime Minister. Charles expresses his fear that the monarchy will cease to exist if their principles do not alter. He doesn’t want the nation to forget about them. The discussion ends abruptly because Elizabeth doesn’t quite respond to Charles.

As the episode and the season wraps up, Elizabeth pays the Royal Yacht a final visit before it is decommissioned and the Queen appears lost, almost as though she was going through an existential crisis. She thinks highly of the yacht and dislikes letting it go.

In the meantime, Dodi proposes to his girlfriend Kelly and Diana prepares for her vacation at Saint-Tropez, while Mohamed enjoys life on his gleaming new yacht.

The Episode Review

The Crown has reached the end of its fifth season, showcasing Dodi Fayed, who was a sweetheart previously in the series, transformed into a coke-snorting womanizer who sleeps with his girlfriend inside his father’s luxury jet. One of the Monarch’s preferred Prime Ministers, John Major, is leaving office. Charles finds it challenging to comprehend that he’s traveling in the business class flight.

Unfortunately, the final episode is fragmented, plagued with clumsy metaphors, and contains situations that have no touch of realism. Thankfully, now and then it includes a phrase that’s bound to convince you that the series can be snappy and funny, including when Princess Anne learns that Tony Blair has offered a privately funded substitute for the royal yacht. “What are they suggesting?” she huffs. “That HMY Britannia is sponsored by McVitie’s biscuits?”

The series ends on a cliffhanger, as the director includes a horrifying scene of Diana’s terrified expression as she is being followed by the paparazzi. The ending fails to bring everything together with a bang. It’s a little frustrating as it fails to reveal enough, as though the drama’s writer, Peter Morgan, has immediately moved on to the serious development of Diana’s tragedy in season six.