Lesley Manville Joins 'The Crown' Season 5 As Princess Margaret

The Crown's decision to end its fictionalized biography of Queen Elizabeth II before the turn of the millennium meant the series would no longer extend to the initially planned Season 6. That also means the third and final casting of the titular Elizabeth, plus Prince Philip and Princess Margaret will only last for one season, instead of the standard two. But that doesn't mean the show is going to skimp on this front. It has a reputation to maintain.

The series turned Claire Foy (Wolf Hall) into a household name, made Matt Smith's career extend beyond Doctor Who, and launched Vanessa Kirby. The current line-up of Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Tobias Menzies (Outlander), and Helena Bonham-Carter (Harry Potter) solidified the series a place for A-listers to spend a couple of seasons on streaming. For its final season, the show is finishing strong. Imelda Staunton (Downton Abbey: The Movie) was already announced as the final iteration of Netflix's version of Queen Elizabeth, promising the series would go in a different direction from the Helen Mirren (Prime Suspect) version of the same events in the 1990s, depicted in The Queen.

Staunton takes over the role played first by Foy and now Colman. Now, the production has revealed she will be joined by Lesley Manville. Manville will be playing her sister, Princess Margaret, taking over the part from Bonham-Carter, who took it from Kirby.