You may want to put down your tea for this one.
On Friday (January 31), Netflix announced The Crown will come to an end after the fifth season. The popular royal drama followed a fictionalized version Queen Elizabeth throughout her reign as Monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth nations. Claire Foy portrayed the Queen in the first two seasons of The Crown, while Olivia Colman took over for seasons three and four. Iconic British actress of the stage and screen Imelda Staunton will play the final iteration of Her Majesty in the fifth and final season.
"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," said The Crown creator and showrunner Peter Morgan. "I’m grateful to Netflix and Sony for supporting me in this decision."
Morgan also spoke about Staunton's casting, which was whispered about in the fall of 2019, telling the Hollywood Reporter he's "absolutely thrilled" to have ehr on board. While few details about the fifth and final season of The Crown are known at this time, Morgan said Staunton will be "taking The Crown into the 21st Century."
Though The Crown will be heading towards modern day in the fifth season, it's unlikely viewers will get to see any of the "Megxit" drama play out on screen. The fourth season will introduce Princess Diana as a lead character and depict the beginning of her relationship with Prince Charles. The release date for season 4 hasn't officially been confirmed yet, however, Josh O'Connor - who plays Prince Charles in seasons three and four - revealed it will drop on Netflix "sometime in 2020."
Even though The Crown is coming to an end, viewers still have two more seasons and few more years with the show. And then they can binge it all over again after the finale finally airs.
Photo: Netflix