The Crown is an excellent Netflix Original show, loosely based on the real-world events following the political rivalries and romances of Queen Elizabeth II's reign, as well as events that shaped the second half of the 20th century. Brilliantly dramatised of course, to make for a great watch. 

Seasons 1 to 4 have given us all a history lesson from the 1940s to the 1980s, and after Margaret Thatcher and Lady Diana Spencer both debuted in season 4, all eyes are on season 5 and which events we will see next. 

Here's everything you need to know about season 5 of The Crown, including who has been cast, when it was released and what we can expect.

The Crown season 5 release date: When is it out?

Netflix released season five of The Crown on 9 November 2022. Season 4 of The Crown arrived on Netflix in November 2020, so we've been waiting two years.

Season 3 appeared two years after season 2 of The Crown though, along with the new cast, so it's not surprising season 5 and its new cast have arrived when they have.

How and where to watch The Crown season 5

Season 5 of The Crown is only available to watch on Netflix. 

The show is a Netflix Original, like Bridgerton, so you if you want to watch it, then you'll need to be subscribed to Netflix.

How many episodes will there be in The Crown season 5?

There are 10 episodes in The Crown season 5. 

Seasons 1 to 4 all have 10 episodes, resulting in a total of 40 episodes prior to season 5 being released, so it's unsurprising season 5 stuck to the same format, especially as a season 6 is planned.

What is expected to happen in The Crown season 5?

The Crown season 5 will carry on from where season 4 left off, which is the latter part of 1990. It is expected that season 5 will therefore cover the 1990s, though it is not totally confirmed which exact events will be given airtime or what showrunner Peter Morgan will focus on.

There's quite a few to choose from though, including the fire at Windsor castle in 1992, the Queen's 40th anniversary of her accession to the throne and the breakdown of several of her children's marriages. All of those appear to be present based on the first full trailer for the show, which you can watch at the top of the page.

There's also Princess Diana in the second half of the decade. Not only her interview with journalist Martin Bashir, but also her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996 and her tragic death in 1997. The season will cover the death, but Netflix told The Sun: "The exact moment of the crash impact will not be shown".

The Queen also celebrated her Golden Wedding anniversary to Prince Phillip in 1997 so Morgan isn't short of stories to tell and there have been rumours there will be scenes suggesting Prince Philip had an affair with a female friend.

The Queen very sadly died on 8 September 2022, but season 5 of The Crown won't cover events that recent.

The Crown season 5 release date and everything we know so far photo 3
Netflix

Who has been cast in The Crown season 5?

As The Crown follows Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that happened within the second half of the twentieth century, the cast changes every two seasons in order to reflect the change in decades and the characters getting older.

Netflix confirmed that Queen Elizabeth II will be played by Imelda Staunton for season 5 and 6, taking over from Olivia Colman who played the Queen in seasons 3 and 4 and Claire Foy from seasons 1 and 2.

Lesley Manville takes on the role of Princess Margaret, taking over from Helena Bonham Carter in seasons 3 and 4 and Vanessa Kirby from seasons 1 and 2. 

Jonathan Pryce plays Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, replacing Tobias Menzies from the last two seasons. Matt Smith played the role in seasons 1 and 2.

Elizabeth Debicki plays Princess Diana, following on from Emma Corrin who introduced Diana into the show in season 4.

Dominic West - best known for his roles in The Wire and The Affair - will play Prince Charles, taking over from Josh O'Connor.

Jonny Lee Miller plays Prime Minister John Major, Olivia Williams will take on the role of Camilla Parker Bowles.

Other cast members include Jonny Lee Miller as Sir John Major, Flora Montgomery plays Norma Major and Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles.

Meanwhile, Princess Anne is played by Claudia Harrison, Prince Andrew by James Murray and Prince Edward by Sam Woolf.

Is there a trailer of The Crown season 5?

There is indeed a trailer for The Crown season 5, which you can watch up at the top of this feature, or on YouTube here.

Where to catch up on The Crown season 1-4?

You can watch all the current seasons of The Crown on Netflix, as well as season 5 now.

All 50 episodes of the show are available to stream on the streaming platform in the UK and the US.

Will there be a season 6 of The Crown?

Yes, there will be a season 6 of The Crown. Peter Morgan - The Crown's creator - had considered ending the show after season 5, despite the show originally planned for six seasons, but he changed his mind. 

The sixth season is expected to be the final season of the show though. Variety reported that Morgan said at the time: "As we started to discuss the storylines for Series 5, 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 seasons. To be clear, Series 6 will not bring us any closer to present-day - it will simply enable us to cover the same period in greater detail.

It is expected season 6 of The Crown will cover the story up to the early 2000s, which includes Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother's deaths in 2002. More recent events, like Prince Phillip's death, the drama with Prince Harry and Meghan, and the Queen's death aren't expected to be part of the show.