Diana dancing for Prince Charles on a Billy Joel song in ‘The Crown’ reminded us of the ‘Mad Men’ scene where Megan did a similar sexy number for Don Draper.
Yes, we could smell ‘Mad Men’ in season 4 of ‘The Crown’. ‘The Crown’ Season 4 Episode 9 revealed true colours of Prince Charles (played by Josh O’Connor). He, for the first time, openly expressed his displeasure when Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) publicly performed to Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl”. This very scene reminded us of a similar scene in the premiere episode of the fifth season of Mad Men. The Prince of Wales was finally established as a true villain in ‘The Crown’. Before this moment, Charles was conflicted about Diana. It was in this episode that he expresses that he hated his wife’s surprise.
Highlights —
- When Princess Diana publicly danced to Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” on ‘The Crown’
- It all happened with Don and Megan on ‘Mad Men’
- How both couples share their destiny
When Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) publicly danced to Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl”
Episode 9 of ‘The Crown’ Season 4, titled “Avalanche”, begins with Prince Charles and Lady Diana arriving at the Royal Opera House on Charles’ birthday. All of a sudden, Diana slips away during the opera and appears on stage with her friend, ballet dancer Wayne Sleep. They together performed a dance set to “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel.
Charles was visibly upset and could barely contain his displeasure. Moreover, he was jealous because the audience lavished Diana with applause. On their ride home, the Prince called her present to him “a grotesque, mortifying display“. Books on royal history also confirm that Diana did indeed attempt to please Charles with her Billy Joel-themed performance. But, to her disappointment, he hated it.
Diana dancing for Prince Charles on Billy Joel’s song in ‘The Crown’ reminded us of the ‘Mad Men’ scene where Megan did a similar sexy number for Don Draper.
It all happened with Don and Megan on ‘Mad Men’
One can draw parallels between Charles and Diana’s “Uptown Girl” performance and the ‘Mad Men’ fifth season premiere episode titled, “A Little Kiss”. Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm) received a similar present on his birthday from his young French-Canadian wife Megan (played by Jessica Pare). She threw him a surprise party (against his wishes) and surprised him with a performance of “Zou Bisou Bisou”.
Don was visibly upset as Megan put on a seductive performance not exclusively for him but for all of their party guests. The guest list consisted of mostly his co-workers at Sterling Cooper, Draper, Pryce, and their significant others. Don despised Megan’s performance, exactly like Prince Charles, although he put on a facade for their party guests.
Megan was confused about Don’s negative reaction but her surprise marked the beginning of the end of their so-called fairytale marriage. The parallel compares the villain in Draper to the newly emerging villain in Charles. His reaction to Diana displays a significant shift in his character. Or simply, what was inside him was revealed entirely in this scene on ‘The Crown’.
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How both couples share their destiny?
Not just Don and Charles, Diana and Megan are comparable. Both of the wives were vivacious, beautiful, and had a huge age gap from their respective husbands. Megan was 15 years younger than Don and Diana was 13 years Charles’ junior. Both of them are deeply insecure, and constantly looking for approval from their powerful husbands.
Megan and Diana married their dashing beaus in a hurry and came to regret it later. Their many differences and basic incompatibilities started becoming visible. Draper and the Prince of Wales, like any chauvinist, were extremely careful about outward appearances, and deeply fearful of appearing foolish. They both tried to control their wilful younger partners. Don was a clear villain, from day 1 of the show. By the time he married Megan, he was branded as a man incapable of fidelity or a genuine emotional commitment. In ‘The Crown’, Prince Charles was at least trying to be a husband (for a while), unlike Don Draper from ‘Mad Men’, until Diana’s “Uptown Girl” performance turned him into the villain.
Charles tried to save his marriage initially but maintained the affair (non-sexual at first) with his true love, Camilla Parker Bowles (Emerald Fennell). Sadly, in both ‘Mad Men’ and ‘The Crown’, neither Princess Diana nor Megan Calvet could get the Prince Charming they thought they did.
