A Sh*t Ton Of People Are Watching ‘The Crown’ Following Queen Elizabeth’s Death

While the United Kingdom is in the midst of a 17-day national period of mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Netflix subscribers around the world — including those in England — are learning all they can about history’s second-longest reigning monarch (only Louis XIV of France trumped her) by watching/re-watching The Crown.

As Variety reports, Netflix has seen a seriously renewed interest in Peter Morgan’s award-winning series since it was announced that the Queen had passed away at the age of 96 on Thursday, September 8. Between Friday and Sunday alone, viewership in the UK increased by more than 800 percent when compared to the previous weekend, per data from Whip Media. Interest in the series, which charts the life of Elizabeth from a young princess to a 25-year-old mother and wife who unexpectedly has the royal crown thrust upon her head following the death of her father, King George VI, in early 1952, was most pronounced in England. However, U.S. viewership nearly quadrupled week over week and saw a threefold increase in France during the same weekend dates.

Worldwide, according to Variety, “viewership increased nearly four times over the past weekend versus the previous weekend, according to Whip Media.”

The long-awaited fifth season of The Crown, which should be its penultimate season, is rumored to be returning on November 5. The new season will mark the debut of Imelda Staunton in the role of Elizabeth — a part that has changed hands as time has passed, beginning with Claire Foy for the first two seasons, followed by Olivia Colman for seasons 3 and 4.

On Friday, The Crown’s producers announced that they were halting production on filming to pay tribute to the Queen, and that they would do the same again on the day of her funeral.