The final Princess Margaret has been cast! The Crown’s official Twitter account announced Thursday morning that British actress Lesley Manville will take over the role from Helena Bonham Carter in the Netflix series’ fifth and final season. Vanessa Kirby played Margaret in the show’s first two seasons.
“I could not be happier to be playing Princess Margaret. The baton is being passed on from two formidable actresses and I really don’t want to let the side down,” the 64-year-old actress said in a statement. “Furthermore, to play siblings with my dear friend Imelda Staunton will be nothing short of a complete joy.”
Lesley Manville will play Princess Margaret in the fifth season of The Crown. pic.twitter.com/R5aZEBOW0t
— The Crown (@TheCrownNetflix) July 2, 2020
Staunton is taking over as Queen Elizabeth II after both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman have tackled the role in previous seasons. The 64-year-old actress opened up to 360aproko in May about taking on the regal role.
“I’m greatly honored,” Staunton told 360aproko at the time. “I don’t want to let the air go out of the balloon and I really have to bring it home. I would love to do that for all the people who have gone before me.”
Manville received an Oscar nomination in 2018 for her role alongside Daniel Day Lewis in The Phantom Thread. She’s also starred in the films Maleficent, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Ordinary Love, and Hampstead.
The Crown is known for its revolving cast that ages up as the story of the royal family unfolds, starting in the 1940s. Foy and Kirby originally played the royal sisters while Colman and Bonham Carter portrayed them in season three.
360aproko previously learned that the show’s fourth season wrapped filming just days into the coronavirus pandemic, so fans will likely be seeing the show sooner rather than later, though no release date has been announced. Season four will introduce Princess Diana, played by actress Emma Corrin, as the series continues into the 1980s.
