Netflix to show the first episode of The Crown season three for free

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

With just three days to go before The Crown is back on our screens, we can barely contain our excitement.

And what’s more, Netflix is now giving everyone the chance to watch The Crown online for free!

The streaming platform has announced it will be making the first episode of the third season available for those who do not have a Netflix account.

There are just a few small-print details though. Firstly, it will only be available for viewers in the UK and Ireland.

And, the freebie will also be online for a limited time only. Royal lovers without a Netflix account will be able to find the episode on the Netflix website from the 17 November until 15 December only – if they want to watch it after that, they’ll need to sign up to the streaming service. Plus, if they want to watch any more episodes of season three, they’ll also need to get themselves a Netflix account.

MORE: The Crown star Jason Watkins shares why he found filming the show difficult

A spokesperson for Netflix told Yahoo Movies, “The Crown has become a globally renowned British success story since it first launched on Netflix three years ago.

“We want to give as many people as possible a flavour of the great content Netflix is creating here in the UK, by offering the first instalment of the new series without signing up.

“Until December 15, anyone can watch episode one simply by visiting netflix.com/thecrown.”

It’s also worth pointing out that Netflix offers a month’s free trial. So non-members can actually join for a month – and a month only – to watch the rest of the season for free. Just be sure to cancel before the month is up!

Season three will see the royal family navigate through the 60s and 70s, covering major UK events such as Churchill’s funeral and the Aberfan disaster.

The creators of the Netflix show have decided to change the actors every two seasons, to portray the character’s ageing.

While Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II during the first two seasons, Olivia Colman is taking over for seasons three and four.

Likewise, Tobias Menzies is replacing Matt Smith as Prince Phillip and Helena Bonham Carter is taking on the role of Princess Margaret.