‘The Crown’ Will Return For A Fifth And Final Season, With Imelda Staunton As Liz

There’s big news today for fans of The Crown, with the announcement that revered British actress Imelda Staunton will portray Queen Elizabeth in the fifth and final season.

This comes as something of a surprise, in that The Crown was originally intended to last for six seasons, but creator Peter Morgan apparently called time on the show a little early. He said:

“At the outset I had imagined The Crown running for six seasons but now that we have begun work on the stories for season five it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop. I’m grateful to Netflix and Sony for supporting me in this decision.”

Imelda Staunton, who played Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter series and was recently seen in the Downton Abbey movie, is excited for the role, saying in a statement:

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

The fourth season of the show, which will reportedly introduce Princess Diana, is set to premiere some time in 2020, but there is no confirmed date as yet.

Image: Getty Images / Franco Origlia