Season four marks Olivia Colman’s final outing as Queen Elizabeth II, as well as Tobias Menzies’s final season as Prince Philip.
However, all eyes are likely to be on the show’s newcomers, with season four focusing on two key figures from the 1980s: Margaret Thatcher, played by Gillian Anderson, and Lady Diana Spencer, played by Emma Corrin.
Josh O’Connor will also be returning to the role of Prince Charles, along with Erin Doherty as Princess Anne and Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret.
Playing such easily recognisable characters comes with its own set of challenges for the Crown cast, who have to not only look like the people they’re playing, but also bring their own interpretation to the roles rather than simply parodying them.