Summary
The eighth episode of season 5 brings nostalgia to a time when sensationalism peaked, and uncertainty in the Royal Family reached boiling point.
We give a royal recap of the Netflix series The Crown season 5, episode 8, “Gunpowder,” which will contain spoilers, so be warned!
Well, this is certainly a chapter that only enhances what we saw in episode 7. Episode 8 delves into Princess Diana’s (Elizabeth Debicki) decision to go ahead with the Martin Bashir interview and its impact on the country and The Crown.
The Crown season 5, episode 8 recap – why did the BBC approve the interview with Diana?
Episode 8 of season 5 of The Crown opens up with the BBC having a board meeting. They celebrate that the Royal Charter has been renewed for a further ten years by the Queen. The board applauds that news. One of the board members, the chairman, Duke Hussey, is worried about the BBC declining due to satellite channels arriving. He reiterates the importance of the BBC to Director John Birt.
Princess Diana continues her secret relationship with Khan from the London hospital. She shares her new romance with her son William, but he tells her he does not need to know about her private life, believing she’s making things harder.
Martin Bashir is questioned by BBC staff about Diana’s agenda for this interview. The BBC decided to review whether to go ahead with the interview, especially as the Royal Family is connected with the broadcasting service. And then, Duke Hussey meets with BBC Director John Birt and asks if they can do a tribute to the Queen on her wedding anniversary. The Duke again gets angry about the satellite market and continues to air his outdated views on television. This encourages John Birt to go ahead with the interview with Princess Diana.
Diana has cold feet, but Martin Bashir is adamant they should do this interview on bonfire night, just like the “Gunpowder Plot.” Martin also suggests that her brother, Charles Spencer, has been persuaded by The Crown to work against her, so she needs to move quickly with the interview.
The interview is set up with audio equipment in Diana’s home, and Martin Bashir manages to get inside her home secretly. It’s bonfire night, and fireworks can be heard outside — the ultimate distraction. The infamous interview starts. Princess Diana reveals all while the Royal Family enjoys sparkles in the night sky.
John Birt now needs to make a call — to release the controversial interview or to leave it.
Diana tells Queen Elizabeth II that she has given an interview with the BBC to be transparent with her. She wanted to clear things up about her marriage. The Queen is immediately dismissive and tells her to discuss things in private. Diana tells Elizabeth that she’s tried to talk to her, but she’s been rejected. Elizabeth then tells her that everyone in the Royal Family is busy and that she defends her to the hilt. She tries to convince Diana that everything she feels, the hostility she feels, is all a figment of her imagination. She tries telling her that she isn’t her enemy.
But it’s too late. The interview will be going ahead. John Birt gives Duke Hussey a warning about the special interview being aired. Duke Hussey is furious, believing the interview will kill the BBC.
The Crown season 5, episode 8 ending
To celebrate the Queen’s anniversary with the Duke of Edinburgh, the royal couple enjoys a performance at the theatre. Meanwhile, Martin Bashir’s interview with Princess Diana is aired on the BBC. If you have ever watched this interview, you will know how damning this was to The Crown and the monarch. Diana describes how she married into a system that has negatively impacted her mental health. She also questions if Prince Charles can take the top job as King.
Diana calls herself a liability to the Royal Family and states she does not believe she will be Queen as the interview ends. Episode 8 then shows news footage from around the world. It was a catastrophic moment for the institution.
The Royal Family was unprepared for this interview and the damage it caused. Elizabeth does acknowledge that Diana did give her the heads up. As the episode ends, Elizabeth asks William to find the BBC on her satellite channels, getting irritated.
The eighth episode of season 5 brings nostalgia to a time when sensationalism peaked, and uncertainty in the Royal Family reached boiling point.
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