The Crown viewers applaud the "inspired" casting of Gillian Anderson as Mrs Thatcher

The Crown fans have been binge-watching season four of the global hit Netflix drama series and are heaping praise on the performances of new cast members, in particular Emma Corrin as Diana Spencer (soon to be "Princess Diana") and Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher.

Anderson's performance as the new Conservative Prime Minister has earned raves after the new season began streaming on Netflix on Sunday morning.

The new season of The Crown has also inspired new levels of commitment.

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Early in episode one there is a delicious exchange between the Queen (Olivia Colman) and her new Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher.

When the Queen asks if she intends to invite women into her first cabinet, Mrs Thatcher responds, with the thickest of irony: "I find women in general not suited to high office... They become too emotional."

Fans on social media are loving her portrayal: "Oh my god, Gillian Anderson is SO good in this role. #TheCrown".

Another wrote: "Gillian Anderson is brilliant & practically unrecognizable as #MargaretThatcher. I abhor Thatcher as a figure of history but to their credit #TheCrown manages to simultaneously humanize & criticize her failings."

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As enjoyable as Mrs Thatcher's entrance into The Crown drama is, some are ambivalent about her place in history.

One viewer wrote: "Anyone who knows me knows that a) Gillian Anderson is the One True Love of my Life and b) that I’m the granddaughter of a miner so I’d like everyone to spare a thought for me on this difficult day #TheCrown".

Also receiving notable plaudits today has been Corrin, a relative newcomer to TV drama, certainly at the level of The Crown.

The Crown fans are adoring her performance. "Emma Corrin as Princess Diana is something else... Absolutely an incredible, breathtaking performance! What a wonderful thing to see her portrait of Lady Di."

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A note of caution not to take the dramatised narrative of The Crown as gospel has been sounded by some viewers on social media.

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All 10 episodes of the new season of The Crown are streaming now on Netflix.

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