Since starting way back in 2016 with its first season starring Claire Foy and Matt Smith, The Crown has always managed to attract the cream of the crop of acting talent to appear in its dramatisation of the reign of Elizabeth II as part of the cast.
Even in the sixth and final season of the royal drama, that continues to be the case, with major stars Imelda Staunton, Dominic West and Elizabeth Debicki returning as Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Princess Diana respectively.
The new season will be split into two parts, with the first half arriving on Netflix on 16th November 2023 and the second releasing on 14th December 2023.
The first part, made up of four episodes, concerns the final days of Diana, Princess of Wales, her relationship with Dodi Fayed and the period of mourning following her death. The entire first part of the season is set during the year 1997.
The new episodes of season 6 part 1 are titled ‘Persona Non Grata’, ‘Two Photographs’, ‘Dis-Moi-Oui’, and ‘Aftermath’.
We were already introduced to Debicki’s version of Diana and Khalid Abdalla’s Dodi in the show’s fifth season, which dramatised real-life events from 1991 to 1997.
This included Charles and Diana’s divorce, the breakdown of both Princess Anne and Prince Andrew’s marriages, the catastrophic fire at Windsor Castle and ‘Tampongate’.
So, who are the cast members of the sixth and final season of The Crown and what events will come their way?
Cast of The Crown season 6: Full list of actors and characters
The cast of The Crown season 6 features a large ensemble of actors and the following actors have been confirmed.
- Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
- Sir Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
- Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
- Dominic West as Charles, Prince of Wales
- Elizabeth Debicki as Diana, Princess of Wales
- Bertie Carvel as Prime Minister Tony Blair
- Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles
- Claudia Harrison as Anne, Princess Royal
- Marcia Warren as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
- Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed
- Salim Daw as Mohamed Al-Fayed
- Rufus Kampa and Ed McVey as Prince William of Wales
- Fflyn Edwards and Luther Ford as Prince Harry of Wales
- Meg Bellamy as Catherine Middleton
- Lydia Leonard as Cherie Blair
- Andrew Havill as Robert Fellowes
- James Murray as Prince Andrew, Duke of York
- Theo Fraser Steele as Commander Timothy Laurence
- Sam Woolf as Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
- Ben Lloyd-Hughes as Mark Bolland
- Erin Richards as Kelly Fisher
- Richard Rycroft as George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury
- Matilda Broadbridge as Pippa Middleton
- Jamie Parker as Robin Janvrin
Here is what to expect for the major players in the cast of The Crown.
Imelda Staunton CBE plays Queen Elizabeth II
Who previously played the character?
The role of the Queen was played by Claire Foy in the first two seasons of The Crown, while Olivia Colman took over for the third and fourth runs. Foy had cameo appearances in the fourth and fifth seasons for a flashback sequence and a television reel, respectively. Both also reappear in the final season.
What major events await the character?
The Queen will face arguably the biggest threat to her reign when there is a public backlash following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. In 2002, the Queen lost her sister Margaret and her mother before celebrating her own Golden Jubilee.
Where have you seen Imelda Staunton before?
A renowned actress of stage and screen, Staunton has appeared in numerous costume dramas and was Oscar-nominated for her turn in Vera Drake. She has also appeared in the Harry Potter franchise as Dolores Umbridge, the Downton Abbey films, Return to Cranford, Pride and more.
Viola Prettejohn portrays a young Princess Elizabeth in flashback sequences.
Elizabeth Debicki plays Diana, Princess of Wales
Who previously played the character?
Emma Corrin was cast as Lady Diana Spencer/Princess Diana in the fourth season of The Crown.
What major events await the character?
Diana will explore her identity outside of her marriage to Charles after their divorce, pursuing activism and a romance with Dodi Fayed before dying in a car crash in Paris in August 1997. Debicki also portrays the character following Diana’s death in imagined scenes between the Windsors and the late Princess of Wales.
Where have you seen Elizabeth Debicki before?
The Australian actress is best known for her film roles in The Great Gatsby, Widows, Tenet, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. Debicki also stars in the television series The Night Manager opposite Tom Hiddleston.
Sir Jonathan Pryce CBE plays Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Who previously played the character?
Matt Smith played the Duke of Edinburgh in the first and second seasons before Tobias Menzies took over in the following two seasons.
What major events await the character?
In the 1990s, Philip did his best to support the Queen and the family, including following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. The series will also continue to tackle his friendship with Penny Knatchbull, Lady Romsey.
Where have you seen Jonathan Pryce before?
A renowned actor of stage and screen, Sir Jonathan Pryce has starred in numerous shows and films, including Brazil, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, The Two Popes, Tomorrow Never Dies, The Age of Innocence, Wolf Hall and Game of Thrones.
Lesley Manville CBE plays Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Who previously played the character?
Princess Margaret was portrayed by Vanessa Kirby in the first two seasons before Helena Bonham Carter took over for the third and fourth runs. Kirby also appeared via archive footage in the fifth season.
What major events await the character?
The Queen’s younger sister faced continuous health woes in her final years, before dying in 2002.
Where have you seen Lesley Manville before?
A renowned actress on stage and screen, Manville is known for her collaborations with director Mike Leigh, her work on the BBC comedy Mum, her Oscar-nominated turn in Phantom Thread and Mrs Harris Goes to Paris.
Beau Gadsdon portrays a young Princess Margaret in flashback sequences.
Dominic West plays Charles, Prince of Wales
Who previously played the character?
In addition to child actors Billy Jenkins and Julian Baring in the first two seasons, the role of Prince Charles was portrayed as an adult by Josh O’Connor in the third and fourth seasons of The Crown.
What major events await the character?
Charles deals with his divorce from Diana before his life is changed forever by her death and he must support his sons through this. Later in the season, Charles will be seen marrying his long-term love Camilla Parker Bowles.
Where have you seen Dominic West before?
West is best known for his television roles in The Wire, The Affair and his BAFTA-winning turn as Fred West in Appropriate Adult. He has also appeared in films including Chicago, 300, Punisher: War Zone, John Carter, The Square, Tomb Raider and Colette.
Bertie Carvel plays Prime Minister Tony Blair
Who is Tony Blair?
The Leader of the Labour Party and an era-defining politician, Tony Blair served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007.
Where have you seen Bertie Carvel before?
Carvel is an Olivier Award-winning stage star who is also known for his television roles in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Doctor Foster and Dalgliesh.
Lydia Leonard plays Cherie Blair
Who is Cherie Blair?
An English barrister, writer and the wife of Tony Blair.
Where have you seen Lydia Leonard before?
The British actress is best known for her roles in Jericho, Apple Tree Yard, Quacks, Absentia, Gentleman Jack, Flesh and Blood, Red Election, and Ten Percent.
Marcia Warren plays Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Who previously played the character?
Victoria Hamilton portrayed The Queen Mother in the first two seasons before being replaced by Marion Bailey for the third and fourth runs.
What major events await the character?
The Queen Mother faced the death of Diana in 1997 and her own daughter in 2002, Margaret, before she died herself later that same year.
Where have you seen Marcia Warren before?
Warren is a double Olivier Award-winning stage actress and has also appeared in the BBC sitcom No Place Like Home and the ITV sitcom Vicious.
Olivia Williams plays Camilla Parker Bowles
Who previously played the character?
Emerald Fennell portrayed Camilla in the third and fourth runs of The Crown.
What major events await the character?
Camilla continues her relationship with Charles and enters the public spotlight even further. The season also sees her support Charles through the death of his ex-wife Diana, and then finally marry him and become Duchess of Cornwall by the show’s end.
Where have you seen Olivia Williams before? The British actress is best known for her roles in Emma, The Postman, Rushmore, The Sixth Sense, Lucky Break, An Education and The Father.
Claudia Harrison plays Anne, Princess Royal
Who previously played the character?
The role of Princess Anne was portrayed as an adult by Erin Doherty in the third and fourth seasons of The Crown.
What major events await the character?
Anne is now happily married to Commander Timothy Laurence.
Where have you seen Claudia Harrison before?
Harrison has previously been seen in The Cat’s Meow, The IT Crowd and Murphy’s Law.
Salim Dau plays Mohamed Al-Fayed
Who is Mohamed Al-Fayed?
A self-made Egyptian-born businessman who begins to move among the circles of high society in the United Kingdom but fails to gain true proximity to the royals, Al-Fayed becomes friends with Diana and introduces her to his son, Dodi.
Where have you seen Salim Dau before?
Portraying Al-Fayed in the 1990s, Dau is known for his turns in Gaza mon amour, Fauda, and Tyrant.
Amir El-Masry portrays the character in scenes in the show’s fifth season.
Where have you seen Amir El-Masry before?
Portraying Al-Fayed in flashback scenes, British-Egyptian actor El-Masry is best known for his Scottish BAFTA win for his turn in the film Limbo. He has also starred in the BBC/HBO drama Industry, Amazon’s Jack Ryan series, and will appear in SAS: Rogue Heroes.
Khalid Abdalla plays Dodi Fayed
Who is Dodi Fayed?
An Egyptian film producer and the son of billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, Dodi went on to become the final boyfriend of Diana, Princess of Wales before they died in Paris in August 1997.
Where have you seen Khalid Abdalla before?
The Egyptian-British actor is best known for his turns in United 93, The Kite Runner, Green Zone and the documentary The Square.
Rufus Kampa and Ed McVey play Prince William of Wales
Who previously played the character?
Lucas Barber-Grant portrayed Prince William in The Crown season 4, while Senan West – the son of actor Dominic West – plays the character in the fifth season.
What major events await the character?
William will endure the fallout of his parents’ divorce, his mother’s death and attending university and meeting his future wife, Catherine Middleton.
Where else have you seen Rufus Kampa and Ed McVey?
Both actors are newcomers.
Fflyn Edwards and Luthor Ford play Prince Harry of Wales
Who previously played Prince Harry? Arran Tinker played the character in the fourth season, while Will Powell portrayed him in later episodes of that same season.
What major events await the character? Harry will deal with his parents’ split whilst also being changed forever by the death of his mother.
Where else have you seen Fflyn Edwards and Luthor Ford? Both actors are newcomers.
Meg Bellamy plays Catherine Middleton
Who is Catherine Middleton?
A student at St Andrew’s University who crosses paths with Prince William. In real life, Middleton later goes on to become his wife and the Princess of Wales.
What else have you seen Meg Bellamy in?
Bellamy is a newcomer and this is her first major role.
Andrew Havill plays Robert Fellowes
Who is Robert Fellowes?
The Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II from 1990 to 1999 is Princess Diana’s brother-in-law, being married to Lady Jane Spencer.
Where have you seen Andrew Havill before?
A veteran British character actor, Havill is known for his performances in costume dramas including Nicholas Nickleby, The Iron Lady, Hyde Park on Hudson, The Imitation Game, The King, Downton Abbey and The Duke.
James Murray plays Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Who previously played the character?
Actor Tom Byrne portrayed the Queen’s second son Prince Andrew in The Crown season 4.
What major events await the character?
The Duke of York will be seen following his divorce from Sarah, Duchess of York.
Where have you seen James Murray before?
Murray is best known for his television roles in Primeval, Defiance, Cucumber and McDonald & Dodds.
Theo Fraser Steele plays Commander Timothy Laurence
Who is Commander Timothy Laurence?
The second husband of Anne, Princess Royal.
Where have you seen Theo Fraser Steele before?
Steele has appeared in the series Hex and The Thick Of It as well as the films The Golden Compass and Mrs Brown.
Sam Woolf plays Prince Edward
Who previously played the character?
The Spanish Princess star Angus Imrie portrayed Prince Edward in The Crown season 4.
What major events await the character?
In the years covered by the sixth season, Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones.
Where have you seen Sam Woolf before?
Woolf previously appeared in small roles in Strike, Call the Midwife and Humans.
Ben Lloyd-Hughes as Mark Bolland
Who is Mark Bolland?
Prince Charles’s Deputy Private Secretary, who is charged with rehabilitating the image of his relationship with Camilla.
Where else have you seen Ben Lloyd-Hughes?
Lloyd-Hughes has previously appeared in Sanditon, This England, The Ipcress File, Industry and War & Peace amongst other series, as well as the films Insurgent, Me Before You and Breathe.
Erin Richards as Kelly Fisher
Who is Kelly Fisher?
A model and Dodi Fayed’s fiancée before he starts a relationship with Princess Diana.
Where else have you seen Erin Richards?
Richards is probably best known for her roles as Barbara Kean in Gotham, although she has also appeared in series including Misfits and Merlin.
Richard Rycroft plays George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury
Who is George Carey?
The Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002, Carey was the principal leader of the Church of England beneath the Supreme Head: the monarch, the Queen.
Where have you seen Richard Rycroft before?
Rycroft is best known for his role as Maester Wolkan in Game of Thrones, as well as parts in Wolf Hall, Secret Smile, and Not Going Out.
Matilda Broadbridge plays Pippa Middleton
Who is Pippa Middleton?
The sister of Catherine Middleton and the future sister-in-law of Prince William.
Where have you seen Matilda Broadbridge before? Broadbridge is a newcomer and Middleton is her first major role.
The Crown season 5 cast members
Jonny Lee Miller plays Prime Minister John Major
Who is John Major? The leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1990 to 1997 when he lost the general election to Tony Blair. In the series, Major acts as a mediator in the difficult divorce between the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Where have you seen Jonny Lee Miller before? Miller is best known for a plethora of roles, including parts in the films Hackers, Trainspotting and its sequel T2: Trainspotting, plus television roles including as Sherlock Holmes in the television series Elementary.
Natascha McElhone plays Penelope Knatchbull, Lady Romsey
Who is Lady Romsey? The second cousin of Charles, Prince of Wales and a close friend of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Where have you seen Natascha McElhone before? The British actress is a Hollywood star best known for her roles in the films Ronin, The Truman Show and Solaris. McElhone also appears in the television series Californication, Designated Survivor and The First.
Flora Montgomery plays Norma Major
Who is Norma Major? The wife of Prime Minister John Major and an English philanthropist.
Where have you seen Flora Montgomery before? The Northern Irish actress has previously starred in The Bill, Urban Gothic, Pulling Moves, Midsomer Murder, the film The Discovery of Heaven and the film Basic Instinct 2.
Timothy Dalton plays Group Captain Peter Townsend
Who previously played the character? Ben Miles portrayed the character in the first and second seasons.
What major events await the character? Townsend will have a sure-to-be emotional reunion with his old love, Princess Margaret.
What else has Timothy Dalton been in? Of course, Dalton is best known for his two turns as James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill, in addition to film roles in The Lion in Winter, Flash Gordon, The Rocketeer, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Hot Fuzz and The Tourist. Dalton has also had television roles in the likes of Jane Eyre, Doctor Who, Penny Dreadful, and Doom Patrol.
Humayun Saeed plays Dr Hasnat Khan
Who is Dr Hasnat Khan? A British-Pakistani heart and lung surgeon who becomes the lover of Diana, Princess of Wales.
What else has Humayun Saeed been in? A Pakistani actor and producer, Saeed has appeared in numerous Pakistani films and television series.
Prasanna Puwanarajah plays Martin Bashir
Who is Martin Bashir? A BBC journalist who famously interviewed Diana, Princess of Wales on an episode of Panorama.
What else has Prasanna Puwanarajah been in? Puwanarajah has appeared in Mum, Line of Duty, Three Families, and Ten Percent.
Alex Jennings plays Edward, Duke of Windsor
Who is Edward, Duke of Windsor? Formerly King Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor previously abdicated the British throne and was replaced by his younger brother, King George VI, the Queen’s father. The Duke chose his love for Wallis Simpson over duty.
Who else has played the character in The Crown? Jennings played the role in the first two seasons before Sir Derek Jacobi played the character in his final days in the eighth episode of the third season, titled Dangling Man.
What else has Alex Jennings been in? Jennings has appeared as Prince Charles in Peter Morgan’s The Queen, The Wings of the Dove, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Babel, Belle, and The Lady in the Van. He has also starred in the series Victoria, A Very British Scandal, and Small Axe.
Lia Williams plays Wallis, Duchess of Windsor
Who is Wallis, Duchess of Windsor? The American divorcee who King Edward VIII chose to abdicate the throne for to marry.
Who else has played the character in The Crown? Williams played the role in the first two seasons before Geraldine Chaplin played the character for two episodes in season 3.
What else has Lia Williams been in? Williams can also be seen in Seaforth, The Russian Bride, Doc Martin, The Missing, Kiri, His Dark Materials, and The Capture.
Andrew Steele plays Andrew Morton
Who is Andrew Morton? A journalist and biographer who wrote a tell-all book about the troubles facing Diana, Princess of Wales.
What else has Andrew Steele been in? Steele has appeared in Bad Sisters, Outlander and Free Rein, while he also appeared in the 2018 drama The Royals.
Emma Laird Craig plays Sarah, Duchess of York
Who previously played the character? Jessica Aquilina portrayed Sarah Ferguson in The Crown season 4.
What major events await the character? Sarah, Duchess of York will see her marriage to the Duke of York collapse.
Where have you seen Emma Laird Craig before? Craig is a relative newcomer, having previously had a minor role in EastEnders.
Oliver Chris plays Dr James Colhurst
Who is Dr James Colhurst? A doctor and a close friend of Diana, Princess of Wales who aids in the publication of a tell-all book by Andrew Morton.
What else has Oliver Chris been in? Chris has appeared in A Very British Scandal, Trying and Motherland.
Jude Akuwudike plays Sydney Johnson
Who is Sydney Johnson? The former valet to Edward, Duke of Windsor who goes on to be a friend and advisor to Mohamed Al-Fayed.
What else has Jude Akuwudike been in? Akuwudike has appeared in films such as Sahara, The Tempest, Beasts of No Nation, Eyimofe, and Benediction. On television, Akuwudike has appeared in acclaimed series such as Cucumber, Chewing Gum, Kiri, Fortitude, In the Long Run, Moving On, and Gangs of London.
Other supporting actors in the cast of The Crown season 5
Other cast members who played supporting characters are:
- Jamie Glover as Patrick Jephson
- Alastair Mackenzie as Commander Richard Aylard
- Elliot Cowan as Norton Knatchbull, Lord Romsey
- Edward Powell as Nicholas Knatchbull
- Elodie Vickers as Alexandra Knatchbull
- Timothée Sambor as young Prince William of Wales
- Teddy Hawley as young Prince Harry of Wales
- Chayma Abdelkarimi as Samira Khashoggi
- Ahmed Ghozzi as Adnan Khashoggi
- Abdelatif Hwidar as Aly Aly Fayed
- Moemen Heshan as young Ali Fayed
- Mohamed Kamel as Ali Fayed
- Said Chatiby as young Salah Fayed
- Semo Salha as Salah Fayed
- Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu as Monique Ritz
- Hanna Alström as Heini Wathén
- Joshua Kekana as young Sydney Johnson
- Daniel Flynn as Andrew Parker Bowles
- Ben Warwick as Jonathan Dimbleby
- Martin Turner as Lord Chamberlain
- Richard Dillane as King George V
- Candida Benson as Queen Mary
- Adam Buchanan as young Edward, Prince of Wales
- Aleksey Diakin as Tsar Nicholas II of Russia
- Anja Antonowicz as Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia
- Anastasia Everall as Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia
- Julia Haworth as Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia
- Amy Fourman as Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia
- Tamara Sulkhanishvili as Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
- William Bilestsky as Tsesarevich Alexei of Russia
- Anatoly Kotenev as President Boris Yeltsin
- Maria Shimanskaya as Naina Yeltsina
- Gediminas Adomaitis as Yakov Yurovsky
- Michael Jibson as Steve Hewlett
- Olwen Fouéré as Oonagh Shanley-Toffolo
- Phil Cumbus as Charles Spencer, Earl Spencer
- Nicholas Gleaves as John Birt
- Richard Cordery as Marmaduke “Duke” Hussey
- Hadyn Gwynne as Lady Susan Hussey
- Blake Ritson as Andrew Gailey
- Stephen Cavanagh as Michael Robinson
- Gerard Fletcher as Tony Poole
- Adam Damerell as Alastair Campbell
Watch all seasons of The Crown here.
(All images: Courtesy Netflix)
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