Netflix’s hit programme, The Crown, has seen an increase in viewership following the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death last Thursday.
The Crown follows the life of the Queen over several decades, with the first series documenting the late 1940s before she rose to the throne. The show first aired in 2016 and is one of the most popular programmes on the streaming platform.
According to the data analytics firm Whip Media, following the news of the Queen’s death, The Crown‘s viewership rose by 800% from September 9th to 11th in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, in the US, the number of people streaming the show quadrupled during that same period and also rose by 300% in France too.
The fifth season of The Crown is set to air on the streamer in November, which will show the mid-90s. Imelda Staunton will follow in the footsteps of Claire Foy and Olivia Colman by playing The Queen.
Following the news of her majesty’s passing last week, The Crown paused production of the sixth season out of respect. In an email written by series creator Peter Morgan to the cast, he explained: “The Crown is a love letter to her and I’ve nothing to add for now, just silence and respect. I expect we will stop filming out of respect too.”
Previously, series director Stephen Daldry said that The Crown would pause in the event of the Monarch’s passing. “None of us know when that time will come but it would be right and proper to show respect to the Queen,” he told Deadline. “It would be a simple tribute and a mark of respect. She’s a global figure and it’s what we should do.”
