'The Crown' has found its Princess Margaret for the final season

"I could not be happier to be playing Princess Margaret."
By Shannon Connellan  on 
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'The Crown' has found its Princess Margaret for the final season
Lesley Manville will play Princess Margaret in the fifth and final season of 'The Crown'. Credit: Mike Marsland / WireImage

Netflix's The Crown is gradually rolling out the casting for its fifth and final season — and now we have a Princess Margaret. 

English actress Lesley Manville will take on the role of Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister in Peter Morgan's series — Princess Margaret has been formidably played by Vanessa Kirby in the first two seasons, and Helena Bonham-Carter in the third.

Manville, who was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA for her role in Phantom Thread, joins Harry Potter actress Imelda Staunton, who was announced as Queen Elizabeth II for The Crown's final season in Jan. 2020, replacing Olivia Colman.

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“I could not be happier to be playing Princess Margaret,” reads a quote from Manville shared by The Crown's Twitter account. “The baton is being passed on from two formidable actresses and I really don’t want to let the side down. Furthermore to play siblings with my dear friend Imelda Staunton will be nothing short of a complete joy.”

Princess Margaret passed away on Feb. 9 2002 at the age of 71. Exactly how Manville intends to prepare for the role of Princess Margaret remains to be seen, but we'll be watching — Bonham Carter consulted a psychic for the princess's "blessing," after all.

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Princess Margaret in 1997. Credit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Get

There's no release date for Season 4 of The Crown, let alone Season 5. For now, Seasons 1-3 are streaming on Netflix.

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Shannon Connellan

Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about everything (but not anything) across entertainment, tech, social good, science, and culture.


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