Though it may seem like a callous question, one of the first that fans of Netflix’s The Crown asked after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II was: how will this impact Season 5 of the series? And as we speculated at the time, the answer is “not much,” as the streamer just announced the premiere date for The Crown Season 5 at their annual TUDUM festival.
As expected, the season will debut this November… Specifically, on November 9.
It’s not too surprising that Netflix would be pushing ahead, given all the interest in Queen Elizabeth and her legacy. However, Season 5 won’t deal with recent events, and has been finished for a long time; instead, the already shot and produced season (Season 6 is currently in production), will take place in the ’90s during a period called the annus horribilus.
In the time period, the monarchy suffered through multiple divorces and separations, nearly non-stop tabloid scandals, and generally those poor dears had a rough time of it while living in their enormous palaces paid for by centuries of theft and conquest. Yes, it was hard for them, and we are all very, very sympathetic.
In any case, beyond the subject matter, we’ll also — as per the show’s M.O. — be getting a new cast for Season 5. Imelda Staunton will step in for Olivia Coleman as Queen Elizabeth, Jonathan Pryce is Prince Philip, Lesley Manville is Princess Margaret, Dominic West is Prince Charles, Elizabeth Debicki is taking over for Emma Corrin as Princess Diana, and Olivia Williams will play Camilla Parker Bowles. That’s only a small fraction of the cast Netflix has assembled, of course, as The Crown continues to be one of the biggest and most expensive shows on TV.
Season 6, as stands, will most likely be the final season of the series. However, plans have changed before — originally Season 5 was supposed to wrap things up — so like the English monarchy itself, The Crown may continue for a long time to come.
