'The Crown' Casts Prince William for Final Seasons

By Allison Schonter

Netflix has found its young Prince William for The Crown Season 5. Newcomer Senan West, the 13-year-old son of Dominic West, who takes over from Josh O'Conner as Prince Charles, has been cast in the role following a "nationwide search," Variety confirmed Thursday. The role will mark Senan's screen debut.

According to the outlet, the teen will be introduced during the final episodes of Season 5 "as a slightly older Prince William, portraying him as he begins to mature into a young man." Prior to the upcoming season, William had only been seen as a toddler on the series. He will star alongside his father and Elizabeth Debicki, who will portray his on-screen mother, Princess Diana. At this time, casting hasn't been revealed for William's younger brother, Prince Harry.

Centered around the British royals and Queen Elizabeth's history-making reign, each season of The Crown documents a decade of the Queen's reign. The first season, which debuted back in 2016, was set between 1947 and 1955, with the most recent season, Season 4, spanning into the late '80s. Season 5, which is slated to debut next fall, will cover the '90s, a tumultuous decade for the royal family. Although it has not been confirmed, it is widely believed the fifth season will tackle 1997 death in a car crash in Paris. At the time, William was just 15 and his younger brother, Prince Harry, was 12. It was confirmed in September that The Kite Runner star Khalid Abdalla will portray Dodi Fayed, the Egyptian billionaire scion, who was romantically involved with the princess. Salim Daw has been cast as Dodi's father, Mohamed Al-Fayed.

In addition to Diana's tragic passing, the '90s also included the Queen's self-proclaimed "annus horribilis" in 1992, the year during which three of her four children separated from or divorced their partners. This included Prince Charles and Princess Diana's divorce. That year also saw the family shadowed in controversy, including the scandal that was Charles' affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles. The decade also included a fire at Windsor Castle, the Queen's golden wedding anniversary, and the deaths of Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother.

Alongside West and his son and Debicki, Season 5 will see Imelda Staunton taking on the role of Queen Elizabeth, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, and Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret. Johnny Lee Miller is set to star as John Major, who served as prime minister and leader of the UK's Conservative party from 1990 to 1997. The Crown Season 5 is slated for a fall 2022 debut.

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