Here's who stars in The Crown Season 4 alongside Emma Corrin - and when it's on Netflix
Season 3 of The Crown released on Netflix at the tail end of 2019, and fans are looking forward to the next instalment of the royal melodrama.
The third series saw Olivia Colman take over the reigns as Queen Elizabeth II from Claire Foy, to represent the monarch’s older years.
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But what can we expect from the next batch of episodes, and when will we be able to watch them?
Here's everything you need to know:
What's in store for the fourth series?
Season 4 will be the penultimate edition of Netflix's prestige drama.
The show was due to run for six seasons, but series creator Peter Morgan has said Season 5 would be "the perfect time and place to stop."
Quite handy then; that that means The Crown is unlikely to broach Prince Andrew's humiliation following revelations of his scandalous relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
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The fourth season is expected to cover the years between 1977 and 1990, though an exact time span is yet to be confirmed.
There are plenty of important events that could be covered by the show in that time frame: the Queen and Margaret Thatcher’s disagreements over Apartheid in South Africa, the 1984-5 miners’ strike and the 1982 Falklands War.
US President Ronald Reagan's relationship with the Queen could also be explored, and of course Prince Charles marriage to Diana in 1981 - and the arrivals of Princes William and Harry – will almost certainly get a look in.
Who's in the cast?
The series, which has been in production at Elstree Studios and locations across the UK, will see the introduction of Diana, Princess of Wales and Margaret Thatcher.
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They'll be played by Emma Corrin and Gillian Anderson respectively.
But just as new faces are introduced, Season 4 will also be the final outing for some of the cast's biggest names.
Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, Josh O’Connor, and Helena Bonham Carter will all be putting in their final Crown performances before they're replaced by older actors in Season 5.
Emma Corrin will also only be sticking around as Diana for one season.
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“I have been glued to the show and to think I’m now joining this incredibly talented acting family is surreal,” Corrin said when her casting was announced. “Princess Diana was an icon and her effect on the world remains profound and inspiring."
When can I watch it?
An exact air date for Season 4 of The Crown has not yet been confirmed by Netflix, but it is expected to air this autumn, and a November/December release date seems like a safe bet.
Since Season 3 only released in November of 2019, Netflix could opt for the final month of this year to give just a little bit more time between the two series.
That would also mean the season would be released just in time for the holidays, with more people off work, at home and available to binge watch.
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Who will play Diana in Season 5?
It's since been announced that Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki will portray the Princess of Wales in the fifth season.
In a statement posted by The Crown's official Twitter account, Debicki said: "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."
Debicki has also appeared in British TV drama The Night Manager, and is set for a starring role in Christopher Nolan's upcoming spy thriller Tenet, which has been beset by multiple Covid-triggered delays.