The Crown season 5 has been pushed back to 2022 - but why?

The Crown logo

Bad news for Netflix fans!

The Crown season 5 won't be available until 2022, the Netflix series has confirmed.

Speaking to Deadline, the series has confirmed that The Crown will take a filming break this year amid its final cast changeover.

Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies as the Queen and Prince Philip in The Crown season three

Olivia Colman plays Queen Elizabeth II in the third and fourth series (Picture: Sophie Mutevelian) (Image credit: Sophie Mutevelian)

Deadline told readers, "The filming break has always been part of The Crown’s production schedule and is not related to the coronavirus pandemic, although sources acknowledged that the hiatus has been helpfully timed."

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But whilst this news is likely disappointing for fans, we do know that there'll be six seasons of The Crown instead of five.

Recently, series creator Peter Morgan confirmed that The Crown would be getting an additional season.

In a statement, he said, "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.”

Olivia Colman Helena Bonham Carter The Crown

Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter will return for season 4 (Picture: Dave Benett/WireImage) (Image credit: Dave Benett/WireImage)

Harry Potter star Imelda Staunton is set to replace Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II in season 5 and 6, but fans will sadly have to wait even longer to see her in action.

It was confirmed recently that Lesley Manville would star opposite her as Princess Margaret.

However, if you're desperate for your Crown fix, you'll be happy to know that season four has already been filmed.

A release date has not yet been confirmed though, so we'll have to wait and see.

Season four sees Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies and Helena Bonham Carter reprising their royal roles.

It will also introduce Gillian Anderson as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Emma Corrin as Lady Diana Spencer.

The Crown seasons 1 - 3 are available on Netflix now.

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.


She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress