Gold Stick The Crown

The episode "Gold Stick" is the fourth series premiere of *The Crown* and the 31st episode overall. It was released on Netflix on November 15, 2020, written by Peter Morgan and directed by Benjamin Caron. The episode stars Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II, Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles, Marion Bailey as the Queen Mother, and Erin Doherty as Princess Anne. New cast members include Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher, Emma Corrin as Lady Diana Spencer, and Stephen Boxer as Denis Thatcher. Charles Dance makes his final appearance as Lord Mountbatten. The episode begins with the 1979 Trooping the Colour ceremony. Prince Charles meets Lady Diana Spencer at her family home in Sandringham while picking up her sister Sarah for a date. Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Party wins the 1979 election, making her the first female Prime Minister of the UK. During her first private audience with the Queen, Thatcher reveals she will not include women in her cabinet, believing they are "not suited to high office." The Royal Family travels to Balmoral Castle, where Princess Anne considers retiring from showjumping. Lord Mountbatten is killed by an IRA bomb while lobster fishing in Ireland. His death devastates the Royal Family and Thatcher, who vows to defeat the IRA. Mountbatten's letter to Charles criticizes his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles and urges him to marry a suitable woman. At Mountbatten's funeral, Philip expresses jealousy and bitterness over being replaced by Charles. ...