Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Feature in 'The Crown' Season Five?

We just got news about the show's final season.

Harry & Meghan
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Along with the announcement that Imelda Staunton will play Queen Elizabeth II after Olivia Colman finishes playing her in the upcoming season 4, we also received the news that The Crown will finish after five seasons. One of the immediate questions in the wake of that announcement is: What time period will the last season cover? And probably just as important: Would it cover this drama with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepping back as senior royals? Would Harry and Meghan...gasp...actually make an appearance on the show? Here's what we know at the moment.

There will be no sixth season of The Crown.

This is, in fact, a change from previous reports on the subject. Initially, there were going to be six seasons of the award-winning and highly popular show. But, according to creator Peter Morgan, "Now that we have begun work on the stories for S5 it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop." Who knows if that has anything to do with...current goings-on in the Royal Family of late, or if it's a purely creative choice.

If you're curious, here's the tweet with the details:

There was a ton of speculation when there were six potential seasons and even now that there's only five—now that Harry and Meghan will actively work to make a living, would they potentially be interested in making an appearance on the preeminent royal TV show right now?

The Crown producers weren't opposed to featuring Meghan and Harry.

Netflix's chief content officer said he was open to the idea of the royals playing a part on the show. "Who wouldn't be interested?" he said at the Producer's Guild Awards. "Yes, sure." And Harry and Meghan pitched themselves (in what sounded semi-joking) for voiceover work at The Lion King premiere in 2019. And Meghan is reportedly looking for an agent. So at least a guest turn on the show wasn't outside the realm of possibility. 

Harry once said he'd "stop" the show if it ever covered him.

This, according to royal biographer Angela Levin. "When I went to interview him in the palace, the first thing he said to me when he shook my hand was, 'Are you watching The Crown?'"

"And I hadn't been at the time," Levin said. "I felt very embarrassed and I got it and he said, 'I'm going to make sure I stop it before they get to me.'"

Soooo maybe the couple wouldn't have participated in the show after all! Either way, the cutting off of the series at the fifth season probably means that the show won't get to present-day events anyways. (Only having five seasons certainly would allow the creators to avoid it, but of course they're not discussing it—so who knows!)

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.