Good news for fans of The Crown, season 5 is almost upon us, the penultimate in the series six-season run.
This series sees Elizabeth Debicki playing Princess Diana – who has taken over the role of the Princess for the fifth and sixth season from Emma Corrin, who played the Royal when she was younger – who looks the spitting image of Diana from on-set photos.
Dominic West will also be playing Prince Charles, and the two actors were spotted filming scenes depicting Charles and Diana's holiday to Italy in 1991 last year. They were joined by Timothee Sambor and Teddy Hawley, who are playing young Prince William and Prince Harry. The family of four embarked on the famous trip in the '90s, with the holiday taking place just a matter of months prior to the royal couple splitting up and going their separate ways.
Here's a BTS snap of Elizabeth Debicki and Dominic West as Princess Diana and Prince Charles:
And errr, here's the original…
Yep, it's uncanny.
Here's everything we know so far…
Is there at trailer for The Crown season 5?
There is! The official trailer dropped on 20th October. Watch it below:
The Crown season 5 release date
The new season will be hitting Netflix on Wednesday 9th November.
The Crown Season 5 cast
Elizabeth Debicki, known for her roles in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, Tenet, and The Night Manager, will take over from Emma Corrin in the role of Princess Diana. In a statement, Elizabeth wrote, "Princess Diana’s spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of so many.
"It is my true privilege and honor to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one."
Dominic Cooper, known for his roles in The Pursuit of Love and The Affair, will take over the role of Prince Charles from Josh O'Connor.
Imelda Staunton, best known for her role as Lady Bagshawe in Downton Abbey, will take to the throne as Elizabeth II for the show’s dramatic fifth and sixth seasons.
Netflix recently released a first look at Imelda in the role on Instagram, captioned, "An early glimpse of our new Queen Elizabeth II, Imelda Staunton".
Instagram content
With her previous roles in Downton Abbey and BBC series Cambridge Spies where she played the Queen Mother, Imelda is already well acquainted with the British aristocracy. When the news was announced, Stanton said, “I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion."
The British actress will be the third to play Elizabeth II with Claire Foy playing the part in the first two series followed by Olivia Colman in seasons three and four. This is part of Netflix’s plan to replace the cast’s major roles once they’ve completed twenty episodes to avoid digitally ageing the actors.
Netflix also set Twitter on fire by announcing the casting of a rather hunky, edgy choice for former Conservative prime minister John Major.
Jonny Lee Miller – known by most for his role alongside Ewan McGregor as Sick Boy in iconic film Trainspotting and its recent sequel T2 Trainspotting – is set to bring the politician known as the Grey Man to the small screen.
Many fans have been perplexed at the sheer contrast between the two men, and how Miller will pull off the striking likeness that so many of The Crown’s alumni have achieved.
One tweeted: “How on earth are you going to make someone as handsome as Jonny Lee Miller look like Major? Hope your make-up dept are getting raises, they’ve got a job ahead of them”. We can’t wait to see.
The streaming giant has also confirmed that Oscar-nominated actor Jonathan Pryce will replace Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip in The Crown season 5. With previous roles in Game of Thrones and The Two Popes, Jonathan's winning streak is set to continue.
Netflix also announced that Netflix that Oscar-nominated Lesley Manville will take on the role of Princess Margaret, previously played by Helena Bonham Carter and Vanessa Kirby. "I could not be happier to be playing Princess Margaret," the actress said in a statement, shared to the show's official Twitter.
"The baton is being passed on from two formidable actresses and I really don't want to let the side down. Furthermore, to play siblings with my dear friend Imelda Staunton will be nothing short of a complete joy.”
The Nevers actress Olivia Williams will star as Camilla Parker Bowles, taking over from Oscar-winner Emerald Fennell in the fifth and sixth season of The Crown. She's known for her roles on stage with The National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as films such as Sixth Sense, X-Men: The Last Stand and Oscar-winner The Father.
Williams is expected to portray Camilla before and after Diana's death, thought to be the most volatile period of the couple's relationship.
A young Prince William will be introduced on the show in the final episodes of season 5, with Dominic West's real-life son Senat West cast in the role. He will act along his father (who will play Prince Charles) in his first ever on-screen role.
Key storylines in The Crown season 5
The official synopsis for season 5 reads:
"With the new decade in its stride, the Royal Family are presented with possibly their biggest challenge to date; as the public openly question their role in '90s Britain.
"As Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton) approaches the 40th anniversary of her accession, she reflects on a reign that has encompassed nine prime ministers, the advent of mass television and the twilight of the British Empire. Yet new challenges are on the horizon. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong signals a seismic shift in the international order presenting both obstacles and opportunities. Meanwhile, trouble is brewing closer to home.
"Prince Charles (Dominic West) pressures his mother to allow him to divorce Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), presenting a constitutional crisis of the monarchy. Rumours circulate as husband and wife are seen to live increasingly separate lives and, as media scrutiny intensifies, Diana decides to take control of her own narrative, breaking with family protocol to publish a book that undermines public support for Charles and exposes the cracks in the House of Windsor.
“Tensions are set to rise further, as Mohamed Al Fayed (Salim Daw) arrives on the scene. Driven by his desire for acceptance of the highest order, he harnesses his self-made wealth and power to try and earn him and his son Dodi (Khalid Abdalla) a seat at the royal table.”
Tell me more about the major events Season 5 will cover
After Netflix shared stills from Season 5 we know the latest season will cover these major royal events.
The fire at Windsor Castle
The Queen described 1992 as “Annus Horribilis” meaning a horrible year in Latin and The Crown is set to delve into this. Princess Anne divorced Captain Mark Phillips, Prince Charles separated from Diana, and Prince Andrew also separated from Sarah Ferguson, as well as a big fire breaking out at Windsor Castle, which is depicted looking like a rubble in one Netflix still.
The end of Charles and Diana’s marriage
Diana and Charles' relationship breakdown was a big storyline in Season 4 but we are set to see this further ramped up in The Crown Season 5. We know that Diana's BBC Panorama interview is being pulled into the plot.
The Duke of Edinburgh's friendship with Penny Knatchbull
Media reports that Season 5 is depicting the Duke of Edinburgh's relationship with a close family friend, Penny Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, is evident in a Netflix photos showing Philip riding a carriage with Penny (played by Natascha McElhone).
When Diana stepped out in THAT revenge dress
That famous revenge dress is set to make an appearance on the screen! Diana stepped out to the Serpentine Gallery party wearing an off-the-shoulder mini dress by Christina Stambolian the same night Prince Charles' interview with David aired (the one when he admitted to having an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles). Photos from The Crown show Elizabeth Debicki wearing a replica of that same dress.
The Crown's award season wins
The epic period drama won six awards at the Golden Globes, including for best television drama series along with a sweep of acting prizes for its Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor), Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) and Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson).
