The new Princess Diana and Prince Charles are here.
“The Crown” has released the first images of Dominic West, 51, and Elizabeth Debicki, 30, in character as Prince Charles and Princess Diana for the upcoming Season 5 of the hit royal drama.
They’re taking over the roles from Josh O’Connor, 31, and Emma Corrin, 25, who played the troubled couple at the beginning of their relationship in Season 4 (O’Connor also played Charles in Season 3) and both scored Emmy nominations and Golden Globes.
Season 5 will also see Imelda Staunton, 65, taking over the role of Queen Elizabeth. Claire Foy, 37, played the youngest version of the monarch in Seasons 1-2 while Olivia Colman, 47, played her middle years in Seasons 3-4. Meanwhile, “Game of Thrones” star Jonathan Pryce, 74, is taking over the role of Prince Philip — played by fellow “Game of Thrones” franchise star Matt Smith, 38, in his younger years, and by “Outlander” star Tobias Menzies, 47, in Seasons 3 and 4.
Johnny Lee Miller, 48, is also joining the cast as Prime Minister John Major, whose reign overlapped with Diana’s tragic death in 1997.
Season 4, which covered the time period of 1979-1990, ended with the Queen forbidding Charles from divorcing Diana — so West and Debicki will play the royals during the rockiest part of their marriage and their 1996 divorce.
The image also serves as confirmation that West is indeed playing the older version of Prince Charles, since it was widely reported but hadn’t been officially announced by Netflix. West starred in Showtime drama “The Affair” and also had a bizarre real-life scandal with his own possible affair with Lily James, so he’s a perfect choice for Charles.
For her part, Debecki is no stranger to glamor looks or period pieces, since she co-starred in Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” movie and in “The Night Manager” opposite Tom Hiddleston.
“The Crown” will end with Season 6 and will not cover the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle era. “I sort of have in my head a 20-year rule. That is enough time and enough distance to really understand something,” creator Peter Morgan told The Hollywood Reporter last summer.
Season 5 will premiere on Netflix at an unannounced date in 2022.