What will change in The Crown Season 5

Royal enthusiasts and TV drama lovers devoured season 4 of The Crown, which centered around the marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ marriage. Season 4 ended with Diana’s just as her once-fairy tale marriage to Prince Charles had hit the rocks.

Like seasons 1 and 3 before it, the fifth season of The Crown will debut a completely new cast to play the royal family, reflecting the decades covered by each series.

On Sept. 8, 2022, following news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, creator Peter Morgan paid tribute to the British monarch and said production on the sixth season would stop for the moment “out of respect” to the late royal. It has not affected the release date, which will be later this year,

Below, is everything we know about season 5 of The Crown, including the plot and the cast change.

The Controversy Behind Diana’s Storyline From Friend In The Crown

On 2021, Jemima Khan, a close friend of Diana’s, announced that she had cut ties with The Crown. She revealed that she believed Netflix to have failed to handle Diana’s storyline “as respectfully and compassionately as I had hoped”.

Khan claimed that she had agreed to support writer Peter Morgan because “it was really important to me that the final years of my friend’s life be portrayed accurately and with compassion, as has not always happened in the past”, but has since “requested that all my contributions be removed from the series and I declined a [writing] credit.”

Netflix issued a statement in return that read: “Jemima Khan has been a friend, fan and a vocal public supporter of The Crown since season one… She has been part of a wide network of well-informed and varied sources who have provided extensive background information to our writers and research team – providing context for the drama that is The Crown. She has never been contracted as a writer on the series.”

The Real Crime On Set Of Season Five Of The Crown

Thieves stole over $200,000 worth of props from the set of Netflix series while the production was shooting nearby in February. Over 350 items were taken during the heist, including a replica Fabergé egg, a grandfather clock clockface, a dressing table, crystal glassware and silver and gold candelabras.

Thieves broke into three vehicles in a lorry park in Yorkshire, while the production was shooting nearby, making away with the items. Replacements were found and filming was not stopped.

The Crown‘s set decorator Alison Harvey explained that the items are “of limited value for resale” but highlighted their value as historical pieces in the UK film industry.”

Where Does The Plot For Season Five Of The Crown Take Place?

Though much of the plot remains under wraps, season 5 is expected to explore the royals in the early 1990s. This period is generally thought of as a low point for the royal family.

The storyline may focus in part on 1992, which Queen Elizabeth II publicly declared to be an “annus horribilis” (Latin for “horrible year”). It was the year in which three of her four children separated from their spouses and a devastating fire hit Windsor Castle. The sneak peek released by Netflix shows Diana and Charles both bracing themselves for interviews.

How The Crown Handles Princess Diana’s Big Interview

The drama will likely also take place in 1995, when Diana gave a bombshell interview to the BBC’s Panorama. The scandal from that interview still continues, with an investigation still ongoing as to whether Martin Bashir have used deceptive methods to persuade Diana to sit for the interview.

Prince William slammed Bashir after the official BBC inquiry confirmed that he did act deceptively. Prasanna Puwanarajah is set to play the journalist. A source close to the show told The Mirror: “Season five of The Crown will dramatise events surrounding the Panorama interview, given the pivotal part it played during the time period the new series covers.”

“It will reflect what we now know about how the interview was obtained and how Diana was treated.” It is thought the show will cover the period until Diana’s untimely 1997 death.

Emma Corrin Is Replaced By Elizabeth Debicki

Tenet actress Elizabeth Debicki will join the cast as Princess Diana and Dominic West will play Prince Charles in season 5. Debicki replaces Emma Corrin, who won numerous awards for her role in the drama.

Debicki described playing role of the late icon as an honor: “Princess Diana’s spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of so many. It is my true privilege and honour to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one.”

Salim Daw has been cast to play department store owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, while Amir El-Masry has been cast as a younger Al-Fayed. Khalid Abdalla will play Al-Fayed’s son Dodi, who tragically died in the same car crash that killed Princess Diana. Humayun Saeed will also appear playing Dr. Hasnat Khan, a British-Pakistani heart surgeon with whom Diana had been in a secret two-year-long relationship.

Dominic West Shocked To Be Playing Prince Charles In The Crown

Dominic West has expressed his shocked at his role of playing Prince Charles, who is now King Charles.

“It’s quite disconcerting as I didn’t look anything like him when I looked in the mirror. I kept telling the producers that they had cast the wrong person. But they explained that this was not a show of imitations.”

He added to MailOnline, “But that was difficult as this is a real person who is hugely famous and recognisable.”

West has met him multiple times over his career. His aristocratic Irish wife helped redesign the 100-acre gardens of Hillsborough Castle, which was the Queen’s official residence in Northern Ireland.

His eldest son Senan has also been cast in the upcoming season as Prince William. Olivia Williams will be playing Camilla Parker Bowles. Bowles divorced her husband, Andrew, in 1995. This is the same years Diana said the infamous line, “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”

Imelda Staunton Will Play The Late Queen In Season Five Of The Crown

Imelda Staunton will replace Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II. Staunton is best known for her roles in Harry Potter, the Downton Abbey movie and was nominated for an Oscar for her leading role in Vera Drake.

“As an actor it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special and unique to [series creator] 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,” Staunton has said about the role.

On BBC radio’s Woman’s Hour, the actress also admitted that she will have an “extra challenge” playing the iconic monarch. “I think my sort of extra challenge, as if I needed it, is that I’m now doing the Queen that we’re a little more familiar with,” she said. “With Claire Foy, it was almost history, and now I’m playing one that people could say ‘she doesn’t do that,’ ‘she’s not like that,’ and that’s my personal bête noire.”

The new season will also feature Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, and Johnny Lee Miller as John Major, the British prime minister between 1990–97.

When Will The Crown’s Season Five Premiere?

Netflix announced during its annual fan event that season 5 of The Crown would drop on November 9, 2022. Seasons 1 through 4 of The Crown are now streaming on Netflix.