The Affair star Dominic West has been tapped to play Prince Charles in seasons 5 and 6 of Netflix's The Crown. The actor will join Elizabeth Debecki, Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville and Jonathan Pryce in the royal drama that has been changing its lead actors every couple of seasons.
West is expected to take over from Josh O'Connor, who has played Charles in seasons 3 and 4. In season 5, Elizabeth Debecki will star as Prince Diana with Imelda Staunton will take over the role of Queen Elizabeth II. Meanwhile, Lesley Manville has been cast as Princess Margaret and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip.
Seasons 5 and 6 of the drama will be set in the 1990s and early 2000s and will deal with Charles' divorce from Diana, his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles, and Diana’s untimely death. The news of West’s casting comes after tabloid photos had linked him to Lily James, his co-star in The Pursuit of Love, last week. The married actor has denied claims that the two are involved.
The Crown showrunner Peter Morgan stated earlier this year that the show would end after season 5, though now the series had been extended to its originally planned six seasons. "As we started to discuss the storylines for series five, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story we should go back to the original plan and do six," he said.
The fourth season will cover the period between 1977 and 1990 and introduce Diana and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, as well as, Prince William and Prince Harry. The drama will explore the wedding of Charles and Diana, their 1983 tour of Australia and New Zealand, the Falklands War, Lord Mountbatten's funeral, and Diana’s 1989 flight on the Concorde.
The first season of The Crown was released on Netflix on November 4, 2016. The drama has received 39 nominations for its first three seasons at the Primetime Emmy Awards, including three for Outstanding Drama Series. In 2018, Claire Foy won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth. Season 4 is set to premiere on the streaming service on November 15.
Source: Hollywood Reporter