What Dominic West's Son's Casting on The Crown Means for Season 5

Prince William's early teen years will be depicted in season five of The Crown, as Dominic West's son has been cast to play the future King. Here's everything we know about season five.

By Alyssa Ray Nov 17, 2021 7:21 PMTags

The Crown is keeping it in the family, and, for once, we're not talking about the royal family.

On Wednesday, Nov. 17, E! News learned that Dominic West's own 13-year-old son, Senan, will be joining him on-screen for season five of the Netflix hit. Yes, the father-son duo will take their real-life dynamic to the small screen, as Senan has been tapped to play Prince William opposite Dominic's Prince Charles.

According to Variety, which first broke the news, Senan is set to make his Crown debut in the final episodes of season five, portraying Prince William in his budding teenage years. This, of course, has us wondering if this means that Princess Diana's tragic death will be covered in season five of The Crown.

Currently, there's no word from production on whether the tragedy will be a major story line, but recent casting decisions seem to point to yes. Prince William was only 15 when Diana died in a fatal car accident in August 1997.

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The Crown Cast Vs. the Royals They Play

So, if Senan is portraying the now Duke of Cambridge's young teen years, there's a chance this tragedy will be depicted in the new season. Not to mention, back in September, British actor Khalid Abdalla was cast as Dodi Fayed, Diana's boyfriend who also died in the 1997 crash.

As for the iconic moments we do know The Crown will cover? Well, earlier this month, Elizabeth Debicki, who has taken over playing Princess Diana from Emma Corrin, was spotted re-creating the Princess of Wales' "revenge dress." The black off-the-shoulder number received this title after Diana wore it to an event in 1994 amid her then-husband's confession that he was having an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles (now Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall).

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

Curious to learn more about season five? Find everything we know about the new season in the gallery below.

 

How Much of The Crown Is Left?

There are two more seasons to go before the tiaras and tea sets get put away for good (or at least until creator Peter Morgan decides to get them out again). Season five is next, and season six will be the last. 

When Will Season 5 Arrive?

November 2022! 

We know that it feels like we've waited forever, but the show has followed its routine production schedule. Season one came out in 2016, followed by season two in 2017. Season three arrived in 2019, season four in 2020, and now there's another break for season five. Morgan explained in an interview with THR that he needs the time off to both shoot and write the next season, since the show films in two-season chunks. 

The sixth and final season will likely premiere in 2023. 

How Far Will The Crown Get Before It Ends?

Seasons five and six will take the royal family into the 21st century, but not too far into it. Nothing super recent will be covered, but since each season tends to span around a decade, it makes sense that the show might end with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. That would mean William and Kate's 2011 wedding would be featured, but little else from the 2010s. 

The New Diana

Elizabeth Debicki will play a slightly older Diana in season five, which will likely cover the '90s from her split from Charles to her death in 1997. She takes over from Emma Corrin, who debuted in season four.

The former Princess of Wales' boyfriend Dodi Fayed will reportedly be played by Khalid Abdalla, per Variety. Dodi's billionaire father, Mohamed Al-Fayed, will also appear in season five, as Oslo actor Salim Daw has been cast in this role.

The New Queen

The entire cast gets replaced every two seasons, so Olivia Colman will pass the torch to Imelda Staunton, who you may know best as Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter

The New Prince Philip

Game of Thrones star Jonathan Pryce will play Prince Philip in seasons five and six, taking over for Tobias Menzies.

The New Princess Margaret

Lesley Manville will follow in the footsteps of Helena Bonham Carter as the new Princess Margaret in seasons five and six.

The New Prince Charles

The Wire and The Affair star Dominic West plays Prince Charles, succeeding Josh O'Connor in the role.

Dominic's own son Senan will play a teenage Prince William in season five.

Meet Prime Minister John Major

Jonny Lee Miller has joined The Crown for season five as John Major, the British Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997. Gillian Anderson played previous Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who left office in 1990.

Meet Prince William and Kate Middleton

In Sept. 2022, Netflix revealed that two actors will portray a young William in season six: 16-year-old Rufus Kampa and 21-year-old Ed McVey. And 19-year-old Meg Ballamy will play Kate. 

Is There Any Chance of Seeing Meghan Markle on The Crown?

Sadly, no. As much as we keep hoping, Morgan said that Harry and Meghan, despite the captivating drama they've added to the world of the royal family, are too recent to cover with any clarity. 

"Meghan and Harry are in the middle of their journey, and I don't know what their journey is or how it will end," he told THR. "One wishes some happiness, but I'm much more comfortable writing about things that happened at least 20 years ago. I sort of have in my head a 20-year rule. That is enough time and enough distance to really understand something, to understand its role, to understand its position, to understand its relevance." 

Here's hoping for another season in 2040!  

Seasons one through four of The Crown are available on Netflix.

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