The Crown – Season 6 Episode 10 “Sleep, Dearie Sleep” Recap, Review & Ending Explained

Sleep, Dearie Sleep

What does Operation London Bridge mean?

The Crown Season 6 Episode 10 opens with Queen Elizabeth being asked to make preparations for her funeral service, which is coded Operation London Bridge. We see a little replica of the funeral procession that was preserved for future use in assisting the Queen in deciding the specifics of her funeral. The Queen is making all the decisions she wants, as requested, including the standing arrangement and the choice of song. Furthermore, Prince Philip is entrusted with the responsibility of making all the necessary arrangements for his funeral, and he proceeds to meticulously plan every detail, just like Her Majesty.

Planning her own funeral brings up her approaching morality and nearly causes an existential crisis for Queen Elizabeth, as is evident by the way she responds.

Why does Prince Charles visit Her Majesty?

While Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth are requested to decide on burial arrangements, Charles pays a visit to Queen Elizabeth. In order to marry Camilla Parker Bowles, he wants her blessing. Nevertheless, the Queen does not respond immediately; instead, she tells him that she must confer with others about the subject and will provide her answer shortly.

What controversy does Prince Harry cause?

We get a glimpse of Princes William and Harry, and William’s girlfriend Kate attending a costume party. Prince Harry dons a Nazi uniform embroidered with the swastika sign in this scene. Unfortunately, a partygoer snaps a picture of Prince Harry, which lands him in trouble. The following morning, Harry’s clothing is featured in newspapers, causing quite a stir within the royal family. Furthermore, after the incident, Harry has disappointed many, including the Queen and Prince Charles in particular.

How does the Queen arrive at Charles and Camilla’s wedding decision?

While meeting with bishops and the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Queen discusses the marriage of Charles and Camilla. The archbishop suggests that they tie the knot by officially registering their marriage and then holding a service where they plead for forgiveness, considering that they were close with each other while married to other people.

After this is resolved, the Queen has a private meeting with Princes William and Harry. She brings up the subject of their father’s marriage to Camilla and asks for their input. Despite his lack of amusement, William almost instantly approves. Prince Harry objects to this and becomes irritated, but he is powerless to stop it. Since they handled the situation differently, this also makes Prince Harry and Prince William hostile towards each other.

Does the Queen step down from her responsibilities?

The Queen continues to struggle with an existential crisis. She is seen writing her own wedding speech to deliver to Charles and Camilla. There is talk that this speech will be her formal announcement that she is stepping down and handing over her duties to Charles. In the final moments, though, she reconsiders, deciding that her oaths and duties as Queen make it impossible for her to step aside.

We get a glimpse of Camilla and Prince Charles’s flawless wedding. At the end of her speech, the Queen is very warm and kind to Camilla. Additionally, Princes William and Harry notice that she leaves out the part about leaving her responsibilities behind.

The queen kneels at the altar in the show’s closing minutes. As they are walking side by side, Prince Philip tells her that he has been aware of her intentions to step down. Following this, he tells her that she did the right thing by not doing it. As Prince Philip leaves, we see the Queen making her way out of the chapel to the tune of the song “Sleep, Dearie Sleep,” with her two previous selves standing behind her. The show then ends with this scene.

The Episode Review

In episode ten, the Queen and Prince Philip are seen making preparations for their respective funerals. The Queen also approves of the marriage between Charles and Camilla. On the other hand, Prince Harry is in serious trouble since a photo of him in a Nazi outfit goes public.

The episode rushes over a lot of ground, making it seem rushed. People may reasonably complain that moments like Harry in his Nazi outfit weren’t necessary to the story or even appropriate but were thrown in for a dramatic effect that didn’t quite fit. The Queen’s decision to abdicate her duties was another story element that was included for dramatic effect but ultimately didn’t work.

All things considered, the series finale was a major letdown that failed to meet expectations. The show’s final scene, however, was spot-on and incredibly moving; it was a fitting ending for The Crown.