The Crown Seasons 5 and 6: Everything We Know So Far

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Netflix

Fans of The Crown, the adventure is almost over! After creator Peter Morgan announced he would end the award-winning series with season five, he reversed course and will proceed with the original plan for six seasons, and the final batch of episodes is nearly here.

Unless there’s a huge surprise in store, fans shouldn’t expect a deep dive into the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s—Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s—courtship, or their decision to step back from senior roles. (That’s good news for Prince Harry, who reportedly hoped this would happen.) Says Morgan: “To be clear, season six will not bring us any closer to the present day—it will simply enable us to cover the same period in greater detail.”

Before we get into the final batch of episodes, let’s recap where we left off.

Imelda Staunton is Queen Elizabeth II.

Season five of The Crown followed the royal family during Queen Elizabeth’s infamous “annus horribilis” in 1992. During that year the house of Windsor was hit with crisis after crisis, including Princess Diana’s tell-all memoir, Windsor Castle nearly burning down, and Sarah Ferguson’s toe-sucking scandal.

In January 2020, Netflix confirmed that famed British stage actress Imelda Staunton—who some may remember played Professor Umbridge in the Harry Potter films—will take over as Queen Elizabeth II in season five.

“I have loved watching The Crown from the very start,” Staunton said. “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 honored to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion.”

Here’s the rest of the cast…

Five months after Staunton’s casting was announced, Netflix announced on July 2 that Academy Award nominee Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread, Maleficent, Harlots) will play Princess Margaret for the fifth season. Manville takes over from Vanessa Kirby (The Crown seasons one and two) and Helena Bonham Carter (season three and season four).

Manville was born in East Sussex, England, and is no stranger to the royal family. In fact, eight years ago—on November 17, 2015—Manville was honored with an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for her services in the dramatic arts. Ironically, it was Princess Margaret’s great nephew, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, who presented her with the honor.

In August 2020, Netflix announced that Oscar nominee Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes, Game of Thrones) will play Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in seasons five and six. In Game of Thrones, Pryce played the High Sparrow, and in the 2019 Netflix film The Two Popes, he portrayed Pope Francis opposite Anthony Hopkins.

On August 16, 2020, The Crown’s official Twitter account announced that Elizabeth Debicki will play Princess Diana in seasons five and six. She will take over the role from Emma Corrin, who portrayed princes William and Harry’s mother in season four and delivered some incredible scenes opposite Emerald Fennell as Camilla.

“Princess Diana’s spirit, her words, and her actions live in the hearts of so many,” Debicki said in a statement. “It is my true privilege and honor to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one.”

Debicki is best known for her role as Jed Marshall in the 2016 BBC drama The Night Manager and has also appeared in the films Widows and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2.

In November 2021, Variety broke the news that teenage Prince William would be played by none other than Dominic West’s 13-year-old son, Senan. Per the outlet’s reporting, “[Senan] will make his on-screen debut in the final episodes of the season. It’s believed the young actor’s audition, submitted via tape by his agent, caught the attention of the show’s producers.” And we assume it didn’t hurt that he probably looks a bit like the guy playing his dad!

Other stars include Jonny Lee Miller as Prime Minister John Major, Marcia Warren as the Queen Mother, Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles, Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne, James Murray as Prince Andrew, Emma Laird Craig as Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and Sam Woolf as Prince Edward.

What happened in season 5 and season 6, part 1?

The dissolution of Charles and Diana’s marriage—and its ripple effects on the rest of the Windsors—was the main plot line.

<cite class="credit">Netflix</cite>
Netflix
<cite class="credit">Netflix</cite>
Netflix

By the end of season 5, Diana and Charles are divorced, and Charles is working on a way to marry Camilla Parker Bowles.

<cite class="credit">Courtesy of Netflix</cite>
Courtesy of Netflix
<cite class="credit">Courtesy of Netflix</cite>
Courtesy of Netflix
<cite class="credit">Courtesy of Netflix</cite>
Courtesy of Netflix

In the first four episodes of season 6, which dropped on Netflix in November 2023, we follow Diana's post-royal life: her romance with Dodi Fayed, her work with anti-landmine groups, and her tragic death in Paris. The final episode of part 1 takes place shortly after her death and includes the funeral.

What’s next?

To St. Andrew’s we go! The final episodes seem to be covering royal life in the ’00s, when Prince William met and married Princess Kate, and when his father finally got to tie the knot with Camilla Parker Bowles. It looks like we won’t be seeing any of Meghan, but that doesn’t mean Harry doesn’t get his own scandal: Remember the time he dressed up as a Nazi?

On September 2, Deadline revealed that The Crown had cast Rufus Kampa as the future king in his teens. Meanwhile, Hollywood newcomers Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy will portray Prince William and Kate Middleton in stories of the couple’s college romance, which began at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 2001.

And Kate will be getting the entrance she deserves! As many a royal gossip watcher knows, the story goes that Will became smitten with his future wife after seeing her in a revealing outfit during a student fashion show in 2001. (Did she start the sheer trend that very day?) On November 28, Netflix released pictures from the upcoming batch of episodes, and the iconic moment seems to be recreated in full. Plus, Charles and Camilla’s wedding! Take a look here:

<cite class="credit">Netflix</cite>
Netflix
Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton and Ed McVey as Prince William /  Credit: Justin Downing

The Crown Season 6

Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton and Ed McVey as Prince William / Credit: Justin Downing
Keith Bernstein/Netflix
Ed McVey as Prince William / Credit: Justin Downing

Crown Season 6

Ed McVey as Prince William / Credit: Justin Downing
Justin Downing/Netlix
Dominic West as Prince Charles, Olivia Williams as Camilla/ Credit: Justin Downing

The Crown Season 6

Dominic West as Prince Charles, Olivia Williams as Camilla/ Credit: Justin Downing
Justin Downing/Netflix

We will update this post as more information becomes available.


Originally Appeared on Glamour