Netflix’s hit drama The Crown, which follows the life of England’s Queen Elizabeth II from her days as a young woman all the way up to the tail end of the 20th century has at last set a premiere date for Season 5. The new season will star Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth, taking over the role from Olivia Colman, who played the monarch in middle age, and Claire Foy, who played Elizabeth as a young woman, and is set to premiere on Netflix on November 9. The announcement was made as part of Netflix’s TUDUM event, showcasing their upcoming line-up of film and television.
The new season will follow the royal family into the 90s, and into some of their more recent scandals, including the highly publicized divorce of Prince Charles (Dominic West) and Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki). While West and Debicki take over from Josh O’Connor and Emma Corrin in portraying the royals tumultuous relationship, The Crown has also cast Amir El-Masry and Salim Daw as younger and older versions of Mohamed Al-Fayed, Harrod’s tycoon and the father of Diana’s lover Dodi (Khalid Abdalla). It’s unknown if the sesaon will make it as far as the death of the People’s Princess, but if it doesn’t make it that far, then it’s likely to get very close.
It’s not clear how far forward the new season will go, but the series should see the royals into at least the 21st century, with the recent announcement that Rufus Kampa and Ed McVey have been cast to play Prince William in Season 6, with Meg Bellamy also joining the cast as his future wife Kate Middleton. Meanwhile, Senan West will play William in Season 5.
The death of Queen Elizabeth on September 8 was not without its impact on the series, with Peter Morgan, creator and writer of The Crown expressing his hope that the series would pause in production as a mark of respect. Any pauses or pivots made in production now are not expected to impact the upcoming season.
In addition to Staunton, newcomers for Season 5 include Jonathan Pryce, taking over from Tobias Menzies as Prince Phillip, and Lesley Manville, who takes on the role of the iconic party princess, Princess Margaret from Helena Bonham Carter.
The Crown Season 5 premieres November 9 on Netflix. You can check out the trailer for Season 4 below: