Everything We Know About The Crown's Big Season 3 Shake-Ups

Does it feel like The Crown's enthralling second season came out one billion years ago? Yeah, same. Despite the lengthy delay between seasons, we haven't been deterred from getting royally pumped for what's to come. There are going to be a number of huge changes made to the Netflix drama in season three, including replacing the entire core cast with new, older actors so as to more accurately portray the passing of time. From the premiere date to what real-life royal events it will cover, read on to see what you should know about the third season.

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When Will The Crown Season 3 Take Place?
Netflix

When Will The Crown Season 3 Take Place?

Back in 2016, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said they see the series running for six seasons spanning six decades. So far, seasons one and two have covered Queen Elizabeth II's reign in the 1950s and early 1960s, so you can expect season three to pick up about where the story left off, covering the late '60s and spanning into the late 1970s.

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Will Princess Diana Be in The Crown Season 3?
Getty | Express Newspapers

Will Princess Diana Be in The Crown Season 3?

The short answer is: no! Given the time periods the show is set to cover, we'll definitely watch Prince Charles grow up and meet Diana Spencer at some point. Unfortunately that won't happen until season four. However, Camila Parker Bowles will indeed be making an appearance! She reportedly met Charles in 1971 since they ran in the same social circles, while 16-year-old Diana came into his life around 1977 (he was actually dating her older sister, Lady Sarah, at the time).

While we assume Camilla — played by Call the Midwife's Emerald Fennell — will get a good chunk of screen time in season three, Diana will only minorly appear in the last few episodes. But never fear — since the resulting love triangle between the three of them is one of the royal family's biggest scandals, it will be explored more fully in seasons four and five.

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Who Is in the Cast of The Crown Season 3?
Netflix
Getty | GP

Who Is in the Cast of The Crown Season 3?

First things first: the cast is going to be totally different. While it's a bummer that we won't be able to see Vanessa Kirby sassing the rest of the royal family as Princess Margaret on screen anymore, Netflix has found the perfect actress to take over for her, as well as a few others. Helena Bonham Carter will be playing Princess Margaret and will be joined by Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II (taking over for Claire Foy). As for Prince Philip, Matt Smith is being replaced by Outlander's Tobias Menzies, and Margaret's husband (originally played by Matthew Goode) is now being portrayed by The Exorcist's Ben Daniels.

The rest of the cast will be rounded out by Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher, Jason Watkins as Prime Minister Harold Wilson, Erin Doherty as Princess Anne, Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles, Marion Bailey as The Queen Mother, and Emerald Fennell as Camilla Parker Bowles.

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When Does The Crown Season 3 Premiere?
Netflix

When Does The Crown Season 3 Premiere?

It took a while, but we finally have an official release date for The Crown's third season! In true royal style, Netflix announced the Nov. 17 premiere date with a mock-up of the easel that's placed outside of Buckingham Palace to announce important royal births. The streaming network also released a sneak peek of Colman as Queen Elizabeth II, and it's safe to say she's going to crush it.