It's been a long time coming but The Crown's return is finally upon us. With a stellar all-star cast, this series is looking like it's going to be incredible. If you want to know a bit more about who will be taking on the royal roles before heading into Netflix hibernation, then look no further. We've done a round-up of all you need to know about the actors playing the iconic royal figures. From other shows they've appeared in, who played the part before them in the first two series, to the new characters appearing in the show, here are all the details you need…
WATCH: HELLO! attends the premiere for The Crown
Olivia Colman – Queen Elizabeth II
Taking centre stage as head of state is Olivia Colman. Olivia is set to play the Queen for the next two series of the Netflix show, and, we have to say, looks the perfect choice to play the monarch, both in terms of character and appearance.
Olivia discussed what it was like taking on the mannerism and speech of the monarch, telling Harper's Bazaar in October: "I thought that general 'posh' would do it, but apparently not. Really unusual vowel sounds. If you're saying 'yes', you say 'ears'."
© Photo: NetflixOlivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II
Fans of Olivia will know this isn't her first royal role. In late 2018, Olivia appeared as Queen Anne in Hollywood film, The Favourite, a role for which she won her first Academy-Award. Go Olivia! Olivia has also appeared in many British television comedies, such as Peep Show and Green Wing, as well appearing in ITV drama, Broadchurch. Prior to Olivia's portrayal, actress Claire Foy appeared as the monarch for the show's first two seasons.
MORE: The Crown's Josh O'Connor reveals most surprising fact he learnt about Prince Charles
Helena Bonham Carter – Princess Margaret
Helena Bonham Carter is taking on the role of Princess Margaret. Like Olivia, this isn't Helena's first royal role. Helena starred as the Queen Mother in 2010 film The King's Speech alongside Colin Firth.
© Photo: NetflixHelena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret
The actress is best known for her work in other blockbuster films such as Fight Club, Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland and as the hauntingly good Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter films. Helena is taking on the role of the Princess from series one and two actress, Vanessa Kirby.
Tobias Menzies – Prince Phillip
Tobias Menzies is taking on the role of the Queen's husband, Prince Philip. Tobias is a stage, film and television actor, and is known for his roles in hugely popular shows such as Outlander and Game of Thrones. In series one and two of The Crown, Matt Smith took on the role of the Duke of Edinburgh.
© Photo: NetflixTobias alongside Oliva Colman in The Crown
Josh O'Connor – Prince Charles
Taking on Prince Charles is Josh O'Connor. Josh has appeared in a number of films including God's Own Country, Only You and BBC's Les Miserables. He has also appeared in The Durrells on ITV, a show the Queen is reportedly a fan of! Josh is playing the role of a young Prince Charles from the 1960s onwards, in the first two series, the role of Charles was played by a child actor.
© Photo: NetflixJosh O'Connor plays young Prince Charles
On playing the role of Prince Charles, Josh told HELLO!: "I hadn't invested deeply in Prince Charles [before], but now, I've done a total reversal, I adore him, I think he's brilliant, he's done incredible work, and I loved playing him." We're looking forward to seeing Josh as Charles. And we can definitely see the resemblance!
MORE: Where was The Crown series 3 filmed? A look at the locations used in the Netflix drama
Erin Doherty – Princess Anne
Like the young Prince Charles, a young Princess Anne was portrayed by an unknown child actor in series one and two of The Crown. Now, the role of Princess Royal is being played by actress Erin Doherty. Also like Josh, Erin appeared in BBC drama Les Miserables. Although Erin may be relatively new to the acting world, we think her portrayal of Anne is going to be brilliant.
© Photo: NetflixErin Doherty as Princess Anne
Emerald Fennell – Camilla Shand
With a young Prince Charles, comes Camilla Shand. His friend at the time and, now, wife. Taking on the role of Camilla is Emerald Fennell. Emerald is best known for playing Nurse Patsy Mount in the BBC drama, Call the Midwife. She's also appeared in films such as Pan and Anna Karenina.
© Photo: Getty ImagesEmerald Fennell is appearing in series three of The Crown
Jason Watkins – Prime Minister Harold Wilson
Jason Watkins is a stage, television and film actor who will be playing Prime Minister Harold Wilson in The Crown. Jason has appeared in plenty of other TV shows such as The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, a role for which he won a BAFTA, BBC's W1A and Trollied.
Jason spoke to HELLO! at the red carpet and revealed what he thought of the former political leader: "I think he had a certain amount of wit and intelligence [and] was a great political operator. The more I researched him, the more I liked him."
© Photo: NetflixCharles Dance – Louis Mountbatten
Charles Dance OBE is a highly-esteemed actor, having been in the business for over 50 years. He's appeared on stage as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and in film and television heavyweights such as Game of Thrones. Film actor Greg Wise played the great-grandson of Queen Victoria and Uncle-figure to Prince Charles in previous seasons.
© Photo: Getty ImagesCharles Dance is taking on the role of Louis Mountbatten
Marion Bailey – The Queen Mother
Marion Bailey is a British film actress taking on the role of the Queen Mother for season three of the Netflix show. Marion has appeared in many film and television hits such as Agatha Christie's Poirot, A Touch of Frost, and Allied which starred Brad Pitt.
© Photo: Getty ImagesMarion was even nominated for Supporting Actress of the Year by the London Film Critics' Circle. In the first two series' of The Crown, the role of the Queen Mother was played by Doctor Foster actress Victoria Hamilton.
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