The Crown season 4 "sneak peek" trailer give first glimpses of Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher

With The Crown now officially set to debut its fourth season on 15th November 2020, Netflix released a "sneak peek" video with brand-new footage. And while the trailer may be very short, it certainly packs a lot in.

The trailer begins with a serious and regal-looking Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman) on horseback at Buckingham Palace alongside the Queen's Guards, perhaps as part of the Trooping the Colour ceremony. "Something as important as the monarchy cannot be allowed to fail," she says in a sombre voiceover.

But the spotlight quickly shifts to the new Prime Minister introduced in season four: Margaret Thatcher, the first female PM. While we never quite see her face up-close, we do get glimpses of Gillian Anderson with Thatcher's iconic hair – as well as her lips reflected in a mirror, and a shot of her emerging from a door to a media scrum.

Next comes an array of shots of Princess Diana – then Lady Diana Spencer – filmed from behind or in profile. The footage is set to a thrumming, anxiety-inducing soundtrack, building to a shot of the soon-to-be-Princess on her wedding day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4nEquUuKz0

Netflix also released an official synopsis, laying out the main themes for season four.

"As the 1970s are drawing to a close, Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) and her family find themselves preoccupied with safeguarding the line of succession by securing an appropriate bride for Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor), who is still unmarried at 30," we are told.

"As the nation begins to feel the impact of divisive policies introduced by Britain's first female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson), tensions arise between her and the Queen which only grow worse as Thatcher leads the country into the Falklands War, generating conflict within the Commonwealth.

"While Charles’ romance with a young Lady Diana Spencer (Emma Corrin) provides a much-needed fairytale to unite the British people, behind closed doors, the Royal family is becoming increasingly divided."

The Crown will be released on 15th November 2020 on Netflix. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide.