In the final moments of “The Crown,” Elizabeth slowly walks out of view to the tune of “Sleep, Dearie, Sleep.” This is a figurative nod to the Queen’s death in 2022, but in the real timeline, she’s decided to continue her reign and will rule for nearly another 20 years. 

Tony Blair’s popularity has all but evaporated as his support for the Iraq War turns out to have been unwise. His precipitous fall, from one of the most powerful leaders in the world to an incumbent unlikely to win his election, makes Elizabeth feel more confident about her own political instincts. 

A few years earlier, Princess Margaret died after a debilitating series of strokes, followed within the month by the Queen Mother. Charles and Camilla are married, but Charles’ ascension to the throne is postponed indefinitely. Camilla gently but firmly makes him face the fact that he hasn’t been a perfect father to William and Harry. On that topic, William shows signs of becoming what Harry calls a company man who will act against his own judgment for the supposed good of the realm. The Queen says she’s worried about the younger prince. His infamous Nazi costume is a subplot of the finale, and in response to the scandal, Philip suggests that military service should set him straight. 

Philip, attuned to his wife’s unspoken thoughts after so many years of marriage, supports her decision to stay on and makes some projections about the future of the monarchy. Though this scene takes place in 2005 and Philip won’t die until 2021, the church feels like a liminal space, their conversation a final goodbye.