If season one's finale had you itching to witness what came next for Prince Charles and Princess Diana's dissolving marriage, then you're not alone. And while a fifth season is still sometime away, the story is far from over.
Set to spotlight the 1990s, The Crown's fifth season will follow Queen Elizabeth, the now-late Prince Philip, Charles, Camilla and Princess Diana, while also following the next generation of royals as teenagers.
Focusing on Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s divorce, show creator Peter Morgan and his writers have a plethora of real-life moments to draw inspiration from. However, he’s already revealed that he plans to steer clear of the infamous "Tampongate" affair that happened in 1989. Speaking of the incident, Josh O'Connor—who played Prince Charles in season four— opened up about his role in the removal of the moment from the series.
"When they offered me the role, one of my first questions was—I say 'questions', I think it was pretty much a statement—'We are not doing the tampon phone call,'" O'Connor recalls.
"Pre-The Crown, I had made many independent films and television shows where there's a lot of nudity and slightly dodgy characters, and this was my one chance for my parent's to see something with no shame. And there was no way that I was going to scuffle that by talking about tampons on Netflix. So, that was out."
"So, unfortunately, all of the fans of the 'tampongate' will be disappointed."
Either way, even without this infamous moment, the series has endless content to work with, including the Wales’ final royal tour to Japan, Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York’s divorce, and of course, the cheating scandal that saw Princess Anne divorce her husband.
Who Will Play Queen Elizabeth II In The Crown Season 5?
As for who will be filling Olivia Colman's shoes, turns out, British actress Imelda Staunton will be taking on the role.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to confirm Imelda Staunton as Her Majesty The Queen for the fifth and final season, taking The Crown into the 21st century. Imelda is an astonishing talent and will be a fantastic successor to Claire Foy and Olivia Colman,” Morgan said of the announcement.
The show's fifth season will see Imelda Staunton—known for her appearance as Professor Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter franchise—take on her most notable role yet. Talking about her casting, Staunton shared:
“I have loved watching The Crown from the very start. As an actor, it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan’s scripts. I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion.”
Who Has Been Cast In The Crown Season 5?
Alongside Staunton, Game of Thrones star and Oscar nominee Jonathan Pryce has been chosen as the new Prince Philip, following Tobias Menzies who played the role for the past two seasons.
But as for the biggest question of all—who will play Prince Andrew?—rumour has it, the streaming giant has found it difficult to cast someone as the Prince, presumably due to his alleged friendship with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, as per The Sun.
Netflix has since denied claims that they're “struggling” to fill the role and have claimed that its odd casting call through public outlets is a standard process.
“There is absolutely no struggle to cast any role for season 5 of The Crown, and it is normal practice for productions to advertise in Spotlight,” a representative for the series told Deadline.
In The Sun’s original report, a casting source claimed that the role of Andrew, a part for a man in his mid 30s to early 40s, is “not the sexiest role” following his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, which forced him to step away from official royal duties in 2019.
The rest of the starry lineup joining The Crown, includes Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Dominic West as Prince Charles and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana. Other high-profile castings that have yet to be announced include who will be playing Camilla Parker Bowles, as well as who will take on the role of Sarah Ferguson, who was married to Prince Andrew from 1986 to 1996.
When Will The Crown Season 5 Be Released?
Thankfully, The Crown producers have confirmed a release date for season five. Due to coronavirus delays, the show will air on Netflix in late 2022.
