The Crown: 10 best episodes of Netflix drama so far, ranked

As the Netflix drama gears up for its fourth season, Jacob Stolworthy runs through the greatest instalments to date

(Netflix)

In four short years, The Crown has become event television.

Created by Peter Morgan, the lavish Netflix drama depicts the royals on-screen like they’ve never been before, charting the key events that have rocked the family since 1947, as well as the smaller but no less interesting tales the world knew little about.

Upping the stakes as far as ambition goes is the fact that Morgan chops and changes his cast to reflect the passing of time. Claire Foy and Matt Smith led the first two seasons, with Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies taking the reins for the third, and returning in the fourth season for one final run. Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce are set to conclude the series.

It’s because of this that the show has remained fresh, throwing forward numerous standout outings from each season to date.

Below is a ranking of the 10 greatest episodes so far.

10. "Bubbikins" – season three, episode four

Season three was a middling run of The Crown with just a few episodes worthy of mention. One in particular was the outing that saw Philip's kooky mother, Princess Alice of Greece (Jane Lapotaire), invited to reside in Buckingham Palace.

9. "Paterfamilias" – season two, episode nine

The episodes dedicated to Charles are always a standout, and this one, showing his struggles at the Scottish school Philip, places a heartbreaking lens on the young Prince's formative years.

8. "Tywysog Cymru" – season three, episode six

In many ways the sequel to "Paterfamilias", this third-season episode sees Charles sent to Aberystwyth to learn Welsh ahead of the ceremony that will see him formally crowned Prince of Wales. The tense scenes between Charles and his tutor, Dr Tedi Millward, played superbly by Josh O'Connor and Mark Lewis Jones, make for riveting television.

7. "Scientia Potentia Est" – season one, episode seven

A handful of Crown episodes illustrate that being a part of the royal family has, in fact, hindered their development in ways you wouldn’t expect. One of the first to depict this was "Scientia Potentia Est", which reveals the Queen's fury at being denied an adequate education. In one of Elizabeth's most crucial episodes, she hires a tutor to make up for lost time.

Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II in ‘The Crown' (Netflix)

6. "Assassins" – season one, episode nine

Claire Foy, so wonderful in the role of the Queen, was especially brilliant here. The episode sees her stay with old friend (and would-be lover) Porchey (Joseph Kloska) amid marriage issues with Phillip.  It's filled with "what if?" moments and Foy pitches them all perfectly. It’s also memorable for John Lithgow's towering performance as Winston Churchill who, in this particular episode, has his portrait painted for his 80th birthday.

5. "Dear Mrs. Kennedy" – season two, episode eight

The Kennedys come to stay in a somewhat clunky but hugely entertaining episode. Peter Morgan undoubtedly takes liberties here (there's a scene involving the corgis that doesn't ring true), but there's fun to be had in watching the residents of Buckingham Palace struggle to hide their awe of the First Lady. The Queen's heartfelt message to Jackie after her husband is assassinated makes for an effective ending.

4. "Aberfan" – season three, episode three

In one of The Crown's most horrifying episodes, the disaster of Aberfan, which killed 116 children and 28 adults in a junior school in Wales, is placed front and centre. The episode, skilfully directed by Benjamin Caron, was praised for bringing the show out of its comfort zone – and is also notable for exploring the Queen's continued inability to show compassion in the wake of tragedy.

3. "Hyde Park Corner" – season one, episode two

After a musty series premiere focused on the ailing King George (Jared Harris), set largely in a very dank Buckingham Palace, episode two follows Elizabeth and Philip on their Commonwealth tour across four continents. It's an adventurous, colourful epic that proved The Crown had more strings to its bow than other period dramas.

Claire Foy and Matt Smith led some of ‘The Crown’s greatest episodes (Netflix)

2. "Marionettes" – season two, episode five

It's the episodes of The Crown that pinpoint the little-known historical events that highlight its importance. In season two, viewers are informed of an event that saw the Queen fall out of favour with the public after making a tone-deaf speech at a Jaguar factory in 1956.

1. "Vergangenheit" – season two, episode six

This episode is an education, a detailed look at what has gone down as one of the royal family's darkest secrets. As the Duke of Windsor (Alex Jennings) requests permission to re-enter public life, despite abdicating years before, a classified Second World War document reveals his shocking links to Nazi Germany, including a plan that would see him returned to the throne when Britain was invaded. They should show this one in history lessons.

The Crown season 4 will be available to stream on Netflix from 15 November