Cast, release date and time period

The Crown season 5 has another stellar cast signed up to appear in the next instalment of the Netflix drama, which will cover a brand new time period in British royal history. 

In the most recent series of Netflix’s award-winning royal show, a young Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher were introduced to the story and viewers were left on their edge of their seats during the final episode.

With many plot lines left to be tied up, fans were desperate to know if Netflix had commissioned another series of The Crown and, luckily for us, it has.

Season 5 of The Crown has been confirmed, promising more real royal storylines and fresh on-screen faces, including a new actress to play Princess Diana.

When will The Crown season 5 be released?

Whilst no official date has been confirmed, it is thought that The Crown season 5 will be released in 2022.

According to Deadline, production of the beloved Netflix show was not affected by the pandemic. With the cast and crew able to follow the same production schedule that was in place for prior seasons.

This is good news for fans of The Crown with no delay reported on it returning to our screens.

What time period will The Crown season 5 cover?

The Crown season 5 time period will carry on where season 4 ended – in the 1990s.

The noughties was a decade packed with royal drama surrounding key figures like Princess Diana and Princes Charles, as well as the Queen herself.

Audiences are expected to see a new Prime Minister in this time period too. John Major replaced Margaret Thatcher at Downing Street in 1990. He stayed in office till 1997 when his successor, Tony Blair, took over.

Each season of The Crown typically centres on a ten or 12-year period, with series four following the events from 1997 to 1990.

This included the arrival of Diana and her wedding to Charles. And it is thought their relationship will be further explored in season 5.

The Crown season 5 cast

New faces will take on the roles of the Royal Family in season 5, in what has become custom for the Netflix series. After every two seasons the cast is refreshed and replaced by more mature actors who are better suited to portray the ageing monarch and her children.

Fans were sad to see Claire Foy and Matt Smith depart after heading up the first two series as her Majesty and Prince Philip respectively. Though they soon embraced their season 3 and season 4 replacements – Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies – as the two heads of the institution.

The Crown producers have revealed the new acting talent for season 5 and 6, with audiences no doubt familiar with a few of these British faces:

Who will be playing Queen Elizabeth II?

Veteran British stage and screen actress Imelda Staunton will play the Queen in season 5. She replaces Olivia Colman as the monarch and main character.

You may recognise Imelda for her roles in Harry Potter, Nanny McPhee, Shakespeare in Love and Cranford. She’s also married to Downton Abbey’s Mr Carlson (Jim Carter) in real life.

Staunton recently told BBC’s Woman Hour her fears on playing such a well-known and well-loved figure. “I think my sort of extra challenge, as if I needed it, is that I’m now doing the Queen that we’re a little more familiar with,” she says. “With Claire Foy, it was almost history and now I’m playing one that people could say ‘she doesn’t do that,’ ‘she’s not like that,’ and that’s my personal bête noire.”

Who will be playing Prince Philip?

Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce will take over from season four’s Tobias Menzies as the Duke of Edinburgh.

The 73-year-old actor boasts an impressive acting portfolio, having starred in Evita, Pirates of the Caribbean, Game of Thrones and earning recognition for a number of leading stage roles. Jonathan was also nominated for an Oscar last year for his portrayal of Pope Francis in The Two Popes.

No doubt fans will find watching Pryce’s Philip in the new series a bittersweet experience, following the Duke of Edinburgh’s death in April 2021. It was recently revealed that the late Prince Philip was upset by The Crown and their portrayal of his childhood.

Jonathon admitted that the prospect of playing the Duke of Edinburgh is “daunting”, but he is “delighted” to be working with Netflix again.

Credit: Getty

Who will be playing Princess Margaret?

Helena Bonham Carter passes on the role of Princess Margaret to British actress Lesley Manville.

The five-time BAFTA nominated actor most recently earnt recognition for her role in the film Phantom Thread. She has starred in everything from films, TV, radio and theatre, and funnily enough, began her career on the soap Emmerdale. Lesley said that her new royal role is “nothing short of a complete joy”.

Who will be playing Prince Charles?

Netflix have yet to officially confirm who will play Prince Charles in The Crown Season 5. However, the previous Prince Charles actor Josh O’Connor revealed his replacement as Dominic West.

In an interview with GQ Hype, Josh said that he was happy to be passing the reins on to Dominic, who he’s sure will nail the performance.

“It’s lovely to come away and go, ‘Great. Now hand it over to Dominic West’,” says Josh. “But if Dominic West came to me asking me for advice, I’d laugh him off. I’d be like, ‘Dom! You’re Dominic West!’”

British actor Dominic has enjoyed a host of star parts in international series like The Wire, The Affair and the BBC’s Les Miserables. He’s also appeared in Hollywood blockbusters like 300, Chicago and Colette.

Credit: Getty

Who will be playing Princess Diana?

Fans were thrilled to learn that Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki will play Princess Diana in the fifth series.

Elizabeth was one of the first of The Crown season 5 cast to be announced in August 2020. She said of the part: “It’s a dream role. Diana is such a remarkable human being and she really does still live in the hearts of so many people. I’m overwhelmed, I’m terrified and I’m excited. I can’t wait to start.”

Audiences will recognise her form the BBC drama The Night Manager, plus parts in Tenet, The Great Gatsby and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Emma Corrin who won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Diana in The Crown season four feels her role is in good hands.

She admits she hasn’t had contact with Elizabeth but is happy to offer her insight on all things Diana should she need it. “I would be so willing to if she wanted to reach out, but that’s a decision she has to make for herself,” Emma told Vulture.

Who will be playing Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall?

The Daily Mail have their money on actress Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker-Bowles for The Crown season 5.

An official Netflix confirmation is yet to come, but according to the newspaper, Olivia has enjoyed a number of screen tests with Dominic West (aka Prince Charles).

Olivia has appeared in many Royal Shakespeare Company productions. And has received critical acclaim for her many theatre, TV and film roles including Roman Polanski’s Ghost Writer.

The British actress even has the advantage of having met Camilla previously. The two were seen chatting and laughing at the 2017 Man Booker Prize for Fiction event.

The Duchess of Cornwall chats to actress Olivia Williams in 2017. (Credit: Getty)

Who will be playing Prime Minister John Major?

British actor Jonny Lee Miller will play Prime Minister John Major in Season 5. Sir Major will be the political figure of focus in the new series, replacing Gillian Anderson’s award-winning turn as Margaret Thatcher.

Jonny is perhaps most famous for his role in Danny Boyle’s 1996 film adaptation of Trainspotting. He has also played Sherlock Holmes in US show Elementary. And was once married to Angelina Jolie.

Who will be playing Prince Andrew?

The Sun reports that British actor James Murray will be playing Prince Andrew in The Crown Season 5.

Fans were briefly introduced to the Queen’s second son in Season 4, portrayed by Tom Byrne. However, it’s thought that viewers can expect to see more of Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson (played by upcoming actress Emma Laird Craig) in the new season.

The Mancunian actor, married to fellow actor Sarah Parrish, is best known for his roles in BBC One’s Cutting It and ITV’s Primeval.

Actor James Murray with his wife Sarah Parrish. He is rumoured to be playing Prince Andrew in The Crown season 5. (Credit: Getty)

Who will be playing Princess Anne?

Another – as yet – unconfirmed casting choice for The Crown season 5 is Princess Anne. Though photos taken from the set have suggested that actress Claudia Harrison has secured the role of the Queen’s daughter.

Claudia is an associate teacher at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) and has had a number of television roles, including Channel 4’s Humans and ITV’s Lucan.

Season 5 will also see Princess Anne’s second husband Timothy Laurence introduced. He is being played by The Thick of It actor Theo Fraser Steele.

What key events will happen in The Crown season 5?

Though no official synopsis has been shared, we’re expecting a number of key events from the 1990s to take place in Season 5.

This is likely to include the end of several royal relationships and one major royal death.

Season four set the stage for the separation of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. The couple announced their separation in 1992 and officially divorced in August 1996.

Season 5 will see the end of Charles and Diana’s marriage. (Credit: Getty)

1992 also saw two other divorce announcements – Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips (April 1992). Plus Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson (March 1992). It is thought the ending of these royal relationships will be key events in season five.

The Queen famously dubbed 1992 her “annus horribilis” with a huge fire at Windsor Castle breaking out and resulting in millions of pounds worth of damage. It is likely Peter Morgan will cover this key event in series five too.

The late nineties also saw the tragic death of Princess Diana. Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. Her death spawned a period of public mourning for the late Princess, with thousands laying flowers outside Buckingham Palace. A significant royal event, it is almost certain that the Netflix show will feature her death in some capacity in season 5.

Other national key events that could happen in The Crown season 5 is the start of the Gulf War (January 1991), the Queen’s Ruby Jubilee (February 1992),  the IRA bombings of London stations (February 1991) and the arrival of Tony Blair at Downing Street (May 1997).

Has The Crown season 5 started filming and is there a trailer yet?

Yes, The Crown season 5 has officially started filming. According to Production Weekly, filming began in the last week of June at Elstree Studios in north London.

Fans were treated to their first glimpse of Imelda Staunton as the Queen on set in August. The 65-year-old was snapped filming scenes in the harbour of the Scottish fishing village Macduff in Scotland. With it thought that the show was recreating scenes from Queen Elizabeth’s 1961 visit to the town.

First photos of actress Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth on the set of The Crown season 5 (Credit: Getty)

She was later spotted filming at Scotland’s Covesea Lighthouse alongside what appeared to be the actors playing Princess Anne and her second husband Timothy Laurence.

With filming on the new season just beginning, there is sadly no official trailer available as yet. But like season four, it is expected that there will be 10 60-minute episodes in series five.

Whilst the majority of the roles in season 5 have been cast, it has been reported that the show is struggling to cast their Prince Harry.

A source told The Sun said that a shortage of ginger-haired actors has led to casting difficulties. And that they may have to consider dyeing an actor’s hair if it comes to it.

“Bosses have incredibly high standards when it comes to the actors they hire,” a TV insider said. “So any wannabe cast member already has to tick a long line of boxes. But with the role of young Harry they wanted another crucial box ticking. That’s proved incredibly difficult but they’re determined to cast the right actor and are considering taking any steps necessary to make him look the part.”

Will there be a season 6 of The Crown?

Yes there will be a sixth series of The Crown.

The show’s creator Peter Morgan initially said that season 5 would be the show’s last series. However, in July 2020, Netflix confirmed that there will be a sixth and final season for fans to look forward to (hurrah).

In the Netflix announcement, Peter said: “As we started to discuss the storylines for Series 5, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story we should go back to the original plan and do six seasons.”