‘The Crown’ Season 5: The Queen Mother Didn’t Actually Object to Queen Elizabeth’s ‘Annus Horribilis’ Speech
The Crown Season 5 debuted on Netflix to both excitement and controversy. The show has followed Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding day through the many ups and downs of her reign. But the fifth season, which takes place in the ’90s, depicts one of her most traumatic years. The Crown showcases her infamous ‘annus horribilis’ speech — though it includes some editorializing.
The ‘annus horribilis’ speech summed up a challenging year for the Queen
To commemorate important anniversaries of their accessions to the throne, the British hold formal jubilees to celebrate their status at the height of British society.
In 1992, the late Queen Elizabeth II held her Ruby Jubilee for the 40th anniversary of her accession. Contrary to the previous Silver Jubilee for her 25th anniversary in 1977, which was decorated by several large-scale parties in every major city across the United Kingdom, this was a much more toned-down affair.
The queen’s downtrodden mood dictated the smaller sense of occasion. On November 24, she gave a speech at the Guildhall building in London. You can read the whole thing on the British royal family’s official website. But it’s clear from snippets alone that she was struggling with the fallout from recent events in her and her family’s life.
“1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure,” she stated. “In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents (her former assistant private secretary, Sir Edward Ford), it has turned out to be an ‘annus horribilis,'” the royal noted. For those who don’t speak Latin, annus horribilis translates to “horrible year.”
‘The Crown’ Season 5 makes a few tweaks to the speech and the reality surrounding it
The speech is the centerpiece of the fourth episode of The Crown’s fifth season, naturally titled “Annus Horribilis.” The show makes several changes that put Elizabeth’s words in a different light.
This version of the queen (played by Imelda Staunton) begins exactly as Elizabeth did. But her speech soon turns into a piece of introspective fiction. Creator Peter Morgan and his writers added remarks about the legacy and mistakes made by the royals in the past saying, “no institution is beyond reproach, and no member of it either.”
Not only was the speech a bit different, but the events surrounding it weren’t the same, either. As Ms Mojo revealed, her mother, known as the Queen Mother, likely didn’t object to the content of the speech as shown in the episode. The creative team has not commented on why these changes were made. However, it’s possibly a reaction to the intense discourse surrounding the royal family in recent years, especially after Elizabeth’s death earlier this year.
What the queen did say, interestingly enough, is something that seemingly foreshadowed The Crown itself. “I sometimes wonder how future generations will judge the events of this tumultuous year,” she said. “I dare say that history will take a slightly more moderate view than that of some contemporary commentators. Distance is well-known to lend enchantment, even to the less attractive views. After all, it has the inestimable advantage of hindsight.”
What happened in 1992?
Given the disastrous events of 1992, you can understand why the queen gave the year such a dramatic nickname in her speech.
What happened in those 12 months? Not one, but three royal marriages fell apart (including that of Princess Diana and then-Prince Charles). Andrew Morton released his provocative biography about Diana and the darkest realities of the family. There was also “Tampongate,” which put intimate details about Prince Charles in the tabloids. On an unrelated note, a fire in Windsor Castle caused about $47.5 million in damages after burning for 15 hours.
The queen had a couple of other years that rival 1992 for general misery. But none of them earned a title in an ancient language.
