Another season of The Crown means another era, which means another set of actors have to take the helm. That is the way it has been since the Netflix series’ second season, and that remains true as it heads into its fifth season. In replacing Helena Bonham-Carter as Princess Margaret, The Crown has cast another Oscar nominee to replace her.
While fans are still waiting for Season 4, The Crown is already working on casting Season 5, which will be its last per the surprising announcement by the series’ creator, Peter Morgan. After finding its new Queen Elizabeth II in Harry Potter actress Imelda Staunton, The Crown has cast the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret. Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville will take on the role, according to TVLine.
She is the second Oscar-nominee to take on the role of Princess Margaret on The Crown. Lesley Manville’s predecessor, Helena Bonham Carter, is a two-time Oscar-nominee for 1997’s The Wings of the Dove and 2010’s The King’s Speech. Manville garnered a nomination for 2017’s Phantom Thread in which Manville played Cyril Woodcock, the sister of Daniel Day-Lewis’ character.
Lesley Manville will be the third and final actress to play Queen Elizabeth II’s spirited younger sister. Vanessa Kirby played Margaret in the first two seasons of the Netflix drama before Helena Bonham-Carter took over in Season 3. Bonham-Carter will also play the part in The Crown’s forthcoming season.
It will be a while yet until fans get to see Lesley Manville’s take on Margaret. There is still another season of the show’s current era to get through before Season 5 sees another cast shake-up. As viewers anticipate Helena Bonham Carter’s final episodes as Margaret, they also have Gillian Anderson’s performance as Margaret Thatcher to look forward to in Season 4.
Even if some of the recent royal drama is left out of The Crown’s coverage, fans have that chapter to anticipate. The Crown may be ending, but it should not go out before a lot of interesting stories are delved into first. There is still a lot left when it comes to Princess Margaret’s tale.
The Queen’s younger sister died in 2002 at the age of 71. Despite that, Helena Bonham Carter shared that she believed a psychic had put her in contact with Margaret’s spirit ahead of her taking on the role. She wanted Margaret’s approval and said she got it. I wonder if Lesley Manville has had a similar experience.
Whatever the case, the wildly expensive show is readying for The Crown’s final chapter. When viewers will get to see it is anyone’s guess at this point. The TV industry shut down earlier this year, and things are slowly starting to ramp back up. It all depends on when cameras can start rolling on all of the royal drama.
You can stream the first four seasons of The Crown on Netflix. Season 5 is expected to be among the streamer’s 2020 premieres. While you wait for the Queen to return, check out this summer’s schedules to stay entertained.
