The Crown season 5: Cast, release date and everything else we know

The Crown season 5 is going to see a variety of new faces enter the fray, with Imelda Staunton taking over from Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II following the release of season 4 in November 2020.

In addition to the introduction of several new cast members, the new series of the hit Netflix period drama is expected to have a time jump, as audiences are transported to the early 1990s in Buckingham Palace.

So what can we expect from the portrayal of the royal family? Where will we see them next and what are they about to cover?

Here’s what we know about what’s coming up…

Who is in the cast of The Crown season 5?

As The Crown season five will be set after the events of season four, the characters have been recast to reflect their older selves.

Imelda is the most notable replacement, succeeding Oscar-winner Olivia as the monarch, with Game of Thrones star Jonathan Pryce taking over from Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip and Lesley Manville replacing Helena Bonham-Carter as Princess Margaret.

Elizabeth Debicki, known for Tenet and Guardians Of The Galaxy, will replace Emma Corrin as Princess Diana, while it has been rumoured that Dominic West is in discussions about playing Prince Charles.

While Tony Blair is also expected to be depicted in the upcoming instalments, Elementary star Jonny Lee Miller has been cast as former prime minister Sir John Major, who served as the PM from 1990 to 1997 as leader of the Conservative Party.

What time period will The Crown’s next season be set in?

The time period for the next series is yet to be confirmed, with audiences last watching the cast in a scene set in December 1990 in season four.

It’s expected that the series will now flash forward at least two to three years, with 1992 being the year that Charles and Diana officially announced their split.

While the divorce wasn’t finalised until 1996, the announcement triggered a chain of events that included the uncovering of recorded phone calls between Charles and Camilla, explicitly exposing their affair.

There were also several public interviews on both sides detailing their rocky relationship, including the now notorious Diana interview with Martin Bashir in which she declared there were ‘three people in her marriage’.

It is likely that the upcoming series will also mark the death of Diana, who was tragically killed in a car crash in Paris in August, 1997.

When will The Crown season 5 be released?

Unfortunately, we’re in for a long wait for the next batch of episodes of The Crown.

The series is reportedly going into production summer of 2021, with it being expected to be released in 2022.

We will be keeping you updated as any more news comes through.

The first four seasons of The Crown are available to watch on Netflix.

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