The Crown season 5 release date and everything we know so far

The Crown is an excellent Netflix Original show, loosely based on the real-world events following the political rivalries and romances of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, as well as events that shaped the second half of the 20th century. Brilliantly dramatised of course, to make for a great watch. 

Season one to four have given us all a history lesson from the 1940s to the 1980s, but with Margaret Thatcher and Lady Diana Spencer both debuting in season four, all eyes are on season five and which events we will see next. 

Here’s everything we know so far about season five of The Crown, including who will be cast, when it will be released and what we can expect.

The Crown season 5 release date: When is it out?

Season four of The Crown arrived on Netflix in November 2020, but season five isn’t currently due to start filming until June 2021, which would put its release date sometime in 2022.

Netflix hasn’t given a definitive date for the release of season 5 as yet. The break in filming is said to have been planned though, rather than due to the global pandemic. 

Season 3 appeared two years after season 2 of The Crown, along with the new cast, so it’s not surprising season five and its new cast isn’t due for a while yet.

How and where to watch The Crown season 5

When season five of The Crown does get released, it will only be available to watch on Netflix. 

The show is a Netflix Original, like Bridgerton, so you if you want to watch it, then you’ll need to be subscribed to Netflix.

How many episodes will there be in The Crown season 5?

It is expected that there will be 10 episodes in The Crown season five. 

Seasons one to four all have 10 episodes, resulting in a total of 40 episodes so far, so it’s highly likely the next season will stick to the current format, especially as a season six is planned.

What is expected to happen in The Crown season 5?

The Crown season five will carry on from where season four left off, which is the latter part of 1990. It is expected that season five will therefore cover the 1990s, though it is not clear which events will be given airtime or what showrunner Peter Morgan will focus on.

There’s quite a few to choose from though, including the fire at Windsor castle in 1992, the Queen’s 40th anniversary of her accession to the throne and the breakdown of several of her children’s marriages.

There’s also Princess Diana in the second half of the decade. Not only her interview with journalist Martin Bashir, but also her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996 and her tragic death in 1997. The Queen also celebrated her Golden Wedding anniversary to Prince Phillip in 1997 so Morgan isn’t short of stories to tell.

Who will be cast in The Crown season 5?

As The Crown follows Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and the events that happened within the second half of the twentieth century, the cast changes every two seasons in order to reflect the change in decades and the characters getting older.

Netflix has confirmed that Queen Elizabeth II will be played by Imelda Staunton for season five and six, taking over from Olivia Colman who played the Queen in seasons three and four and Claire Foy from season one and two.

Lesley Manville will take on the role of Princess Margaret, taking over from Helena Bonham Carter in seasons three and four and Vanessa Kirby from seasons one and two. 

Jonathan Pryce will play Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, replacing Tobias Menzies from the last two seasons. Matt Smith played the role in seasons one and two.

Elizabeth Debicki will play Princess Diana, following on from Emma Corrin who introduced Diana into the show in season four.

It’s been rumoured that Dominic West – best known for his roles in The Wire and The Affair – will play Prince Charles, taking over from Josh O’Connor. It’s yet to be confirmed though. 

It hasn’t been confirmed who will play Princess Anne, Prince Andrew or Prince Edward either, though it’s recently been reported Netflix is finding it hard to find an actor for Prince Andrew, even though Netflix has denied the claims.

Where to catch up on The Crown season 1-4?

You can watch all the current seasons of The Crown on Netflix. 

All 40 episodes of the show are available to stream on the streaming platform in the UK and the US.

Will there be a season 6 of The Crown?

Yes, there will be a season 6 of The Crown. Peter Morgan – The Crown’s creator – had considered ending the show after season 5, despite the show originally planned for six seasons, but he changed his mind. 

The sixth season is expected to be the final season of the show though. Variety reported that Morgan said at the time: “As we started to discuss the storylines for Series 5, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story we should go back to the original plan and do six seasons. To be clear, Series 6 will not bring us any closer to present-day – it will simply enable us to cover the same period in greater detail.

It is expected season six of The Crown will cover the story up to the early 2000s, which includes Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother’s deaths in 2002. More recent events, like Prince Phillip’s death and the drama with Prince Harry and Meghan aren’t expected to be part of the show.