Lesley Manville set to Play Princess Margaret in Season 5 of The Crown

Lesley Manville is crowned to play Princess Margaret in the fifth and final season of the popular historical drama. Playing Queen Elizabeth II’s younger sister, Lesley will be taking over from Helena Bonham-Carter. Carter played the role in season 3 and 4. Prior to Carter, Vanessa Kirby played the Queen’s sister in season 1 and 2.  The Crown is known for its revolving cast that ages up as the story of the royal family unfolds.

The Twitter announcement

“I could not be happier to be playing Princess Margaret. The baton is being passed on from two formidable actresses. I really don’t want to let the side down.” Manville, 64, said in a quote shared on The Crown‘s Twitter account. “Furthermore, to play siblings with my dear friend Imelda Staunton will be nothing short of a complete joy.” the actress added.

Manville is best known for her work in Phantom Thread in 2017. She scored a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for the same. She’s also starred in the Maleficent, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Ordinary Love, and Hampstead.

Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth 

The Crown will witness Imelda Staunton reprising the royal role of Queen Elizabeth. The actress was announced as the series’ final queen earlier this year in January.  She will be succeeding Claire Foy from seasons 1 and 2, and Olivia Colman from seasons 3 and 4.

“At the outset I had imagined The Crown running for 6 seasons. But now that we have begun work on the stories for season 5 it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop.” said creator Peter Morgan. “I’m grateful to Netflix and Sony for supporting me in this decision.”

Season 4 updates

The award-winning series finished filming its fourth season early, despite the corona virus pandemic. Season 4 will see Colman returning as Queen Elizabeth along with Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip. Carter will return as Princess Margaret. Erin Doherty as Princess Anne and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles. The upcoming season will also introduce newcomer Emma Corrin, who plays Princess Diana. 

Though an official release date has not yet been revealed, rumors are that the 4th season is likely to drop in November or December.

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