‘The Crown’ Revealed Who Will Play Princess Diana in Seasons 5 and 6

At least The Crown fans are having a pretty good week. Hot off the heels of another casting reveal, the Netflix show announced that Australian actor Elizabeth Debicki will play the role of Diana, Princess of Wales in the show’s final two seasons (seasons 5 and 6).

“Princess Diana’s spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of so many,” Debicki said in a statement, which was posted alongside the announcement tweet. “It is my true privilege and honor to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from Episode One.”

Based on the show’s timeline, it’s expected that Debicki’s depiction of Princess Diana will span her turbulent marriage and separation from Prince Charles, up until her tragic death in 1997.

After that, the show will continue on through the early 2000s, per showrunner Peter Morgan’s promise to extend the series into a sixth season. 

Debicki has some major credits under her belt, including roles in The Great Gatsby, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Vol. 3, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. You’ll see her next in Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated/oft-besieged Tenet, which is (maybe, probably) coming out on September 3rd. 

In typical Crown fashion, the cast for the show’s final two seasons is well and truly stacked. Imelda Staunton (i.e. Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter) will play Queen Elizabeth, Jonathan Pryce (i.e. the High Sparrow from Game of Thrones) will play Prince Philip, and Lesley Manville (who has appeared in seemingly every British movie/show made over the past few decades) will portray Princess Margaret. They’re taking over their respective roles from Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, and Helena Bonham-Carter, who star in seasons 3 and 4. As for Debicki, she’ll be taking over the People’s Princess role from Emma Corrin, who’ll play a young Diana in the show’s upcoming fourth season.

Hard to say when we’ll get to see Debicki in all of Princess Diana’s beloved, bike-shorted, revenge-dressed glory. Season 4 may be released later this year, which means Season 5 likely won’t debut until 2021 or 2022. But, you know, we’ll take another reason to be excited about the future.