‘The Crown’ reveals first look at new star as Season 5 begins filming

Netflix has given fans of The Crown their first glimpse of the next season!

The award-winning period drama series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was recently nominated for an incredible 24 awards at this year’s Emmys.

Following last year’s acclaimed fourth season, The Crown will return in 2022 with a brand new cast.

Imelda Staunton (Cranford, Harry Potter) is taking over from Olivia Colman as the Queen.

The Downton Abbey movie star previously said: “I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion.”

She’ll be joined by Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) as Prince Phillip, and Lesley Manville (World on Fire) as Princess Margaret.

Elizabeth Debicki (The Night Manager) will be playing Princess Diana, alongside Dominic West (The Pursuit of Love) as the new Prince Charles.

The most recent cast announcement is that Elementary star Jonny Lee Miller will play the show’s latest Prime Minister, Sir John Major.

The 10 new episodes will cover what is seen as the Royals’ most difficult decade in living memory, including a number of marital splits and scandals, the fire at Windsor Castle, and Princess Diana’s death in 1997.

It’s believed that, as with the previous two seasons, both upcoming seasons will be filmed back to back.

We can now confirm that Season 5 has officially commenced production in England.

To celebrate the start of filming, Netflix has released the first photo of Imelda Staunton as the third and final face of Queen Elizabeth II:

Season 5 is expected to premiere on Netflix in November or December next year.

The sixth and final season of The Crown will then follow in late 2023, taking the Royals’ story up to the mid-2000s.

Olivia Colman and former Prince Charles actor Josh O’Connor will reunite soon in a new 1920s-set movie called Mothering Sunday.

The Crown is available on DVD on Amazon.