The Crown season 5 now has a release date: November 9. At its online-only event Tudum 2022, Netflix announced that the fifth season of its period drama about the British royals will arrive in less than seven weeks. With the recent death of Queen Elizabeth II — played in the OTT series by Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix) in season 5, who takes over from Olivia Colman — The Crown season 5 is no doubt going to be an even bigger event for Netflix, given the increased interest in her life these days. Season 5 is set to be the penultimate season of The Crown, with an already-renewed season 6 in the works.

Staunton is not the only change in cast member — naturally. Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) is set to succeed Tobias Menzies in the role of the Queen’s husband and Duke of Edinburg, Prince Philip, who died in April last year. Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread), meanwhile, is going to play Princess Margaret, Elizabeth’s younger sister, taking over from Helena Bonham Carter. Dominic West (The Affair, The Wire) replaces Josh O’Connor, who previously played Prince Charles — crowned King Charles III earlier in September in real life — while Elizabeth Debicki (Tenet, Widows) is the new Princess Diana in the series, replacing Emma Corrin.

Tudum Netflix 2022 — All the Trailers and Biggest Announcements

The Crown season 5 will arrive nearly two years on from the release of season 4 — that was partly intentional, with the creators taking a yearlong filming break after filming on season 4 wrapped in March 2020. Production on the fifth season began in July 2021.

While The Crown season 5 was originally intended to be the show’s final hurrah, that changed while storylines were being written for season 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,” The Crown creator Peter Morgan said then.

All episodes of The Crown season 5 drop November 9 on Netflix in India and around the world.