‘The Crown’: Netflix Reveals First Images of Charles and Diana for the Show’s Upcoming Fifth Season

Enter Charles and Diana. On Tuesday, Netflix released the first images of Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana and British actor Dominic West as Prince Charles from the upcoming fifth season of The Crown.

The image of Debicki as a near-mirror image of Diana shows her reclining on a sofa, her chin resting on her fist, as she appears lost in thought. West’s resemblance to Charles, meanwhile, is questionable, as he’s shown in a suit walking the grounds of what looks like a royal estate. The images were revealed just two weeks after Netflix unveiled the first photo of actress Imelda Staunton, 65, as Queen Elizabeth in the fifth season.

 

 

 

Debicki, 30, and West, 51, take over the roles of Diana and Charles from Emma Corrin and Josh O’Connor. Corrin only appeared as Diana in the fourth season of The Crown, but earned near universal praise for her performance — as well as a Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Television Award. O’Connor, meanwhile, appeared as Charles in the third and fourth season of the series and also earned a Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Television Award. Both Corrin and O’Connor are also nominated for Primetime Emmys for their respective parts.

It’s interesting to note that, while the real-life Charles and Diana had a 13-year age difference between them, there’s a 21-year gap between the actors playing them. As well, as Vanity Fair noted, “Standing at 6 feet 3 inches, Debicki is almost half a foot taller than the rather tall Diana, who clocked in at 5 foot 10 inches.”

The fifth and sixth seasons of The Crown are expected to span the mid-1990s through to the early 2000s and, judging by that time period, many expect the show to include seminal moments such as Diana’s bombshell 1995 Panorama interview as well as her tragic death two years later.

It’s likely, but not guaranteed, that Debicki will only appear as Diana in the fifth season, though fan reaction on social media to the image of her as the People’s Princess has been near universally positive.

Meanwhile, reaction to West as Charles hasn’t been as warm, with many suggesting that the fictionalized version of the prince is far more attractive than the real-life future king.

Those announced so far to join Debicki, West and Staunton in the final two seasons of The Crown are Jonathan Pryce, 74, as Prince Philip and Lesley Manville, 65, as Princess Margaret.

As far as when the new season will arrive, Variety reported that the COVID-delayed production of the fifth season began in July, which could mean that we won’t get to see it until next year.

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