The Crown has reportedly added a new star to the cast, and we have plenty of questions about what it means for new episode plots! According to The Mirror, Natascha McElhone has been cast as the late Duke of Edinburgh’s close friend Penny Knatchbull.
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Penny, 68, is a close friend to the royal family in real life, and is frequently a guest of the royal family at events, including the Royal Windsor Horse Show. She was also, incidentally, one of the 30 attendees at the Duke's funeral back in April.
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Although the pair have a 32-year age difference, they were thought to be close thanks to their love of carriage driving, and it looks like we’ll watch their friendship unfold in the upcoming series, which is set to be released in 2022.
Natascha is reportedly set to play Penny in season five
The show will run for another two series, and is expected to conclude in the early 2000s. Speaking about where the series will end, executive producer Suzanne Mackie previously revealed that the show’s creator, Peter Morgan, is keen for it not to get too close to the present day. She said: “Peter has said it very articulately, that he simply can't write something unless there has been time to gain a proper perspective.
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“I think he's always felt ten years is the minimum amount of time that he can see something in a historical context, to allow him to really understand it. I don't think he'll deviate from that."
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