After two seasons, Josh O'Connor is ready to hand over the role of Prince Charles to Dominic West in The Crown season 5.
The actor, who won a Golden Globes award for his portrayal as the Prince of Wales, told GQ Hype that while playing the royal's role "has brought me a lot of joy," he is ready to step away from the Netflix series and let West takeover. The Crown season 5 will replace most of the actors in the major roles since the show's timeline is shifting to the 1990s.
Rumors were rife in October 2020 that West has signed on to work opposite Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana. The rest of the new cast members include Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Leslie Manville as Princess Margaret and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip. However, no one from West's camp, The Crown or Netflix has confirmed the actor for the role.
The Crown season 5 will delve into a pivotal time in the British royal family's history with the death of the Princess of Wales. The moments leading up to her untimely passing will put Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth under the microscope again as the villains of the upcoming season.
According to Screen Rant, the previous season of the Netflix royal drama made Diana into a sympathetic character, as she was trapped in a loveless marriage to Charles, who was more in love with his paramour, Camilla Parker-Bowles. This set the stage for the drama for next season with Queen Elizabeth completely unsupportive of a split between the heir to her throne and his young wife, per Biography.
Inevitably, the show's main character, the queen, will be the main villain in season 5. As history showed, public perception of the royal family and Queen Elizabeth dipped because of the way Diana was treated. A report from The Telegraph stated that the queen failed to capture the mood of the public despite addressing the nation at Diana's funeral.
In the documentary Diana: In Her Own Words, the Princess of Wales said that she went to the queen for help and advice on her loveless marriage but she did not get sympathy. But Queen Elizabeth was also equally upset at Charles and it took her a while to accept Camilla as his second wife.
The Crown season 5 will begin filming by the middle of 2021. The new season will likely be out on Netflix by late 2022.
