princess anne the crown s5© Photo: Netflix

The Crown: Where have you seen Princess Anne actress Claudia Harrison before?

Claudia took over from Erin Doherty

TV and film writer
November 11, 2022

The Crown has returned with its hotly-anticipated fifth season, bringing with it a fresh batch of actors to portray the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip the-then Prince Charles and Princess Diana

MORE: The Crown season 5 review: a love letter to the royal family led by a heartbreaking Imelda Staunton 

While the cast includes some high-profile names such as Imelda Staunton and Dominic West, there are some lesser-known faces within the new line-up, including Claudia Harrison, who plays Princess Anne. Read on to find out where you may have seen the actress before…

WATCH: Are you enjoying the series? 

Who plays Princess Anne in The Crown season five? 

Claudia Harrison plays Princess Anne in the fifth series of Netflix's The Crown. The 46-year-old actress takes over from Erin Doherty, who played the Princess Royal in seasons three and four. 

Speaking about the role, Claudia said: "Anne's an extraordinary character. 

"She's not there to make people feel better about themselves, but she is superb at her job and is a proper feminist. She's someone we can really look up to and I think she has no sense of entitlement."

MORE: How The Crown season 5 almost launched a murder investigation

MORE: Meet the full cast of The Crown season five

Season five is set in the 1990s, a turbulent period for the royals and one of the most well-documented eras of Windsor history.

© Photo: Netflix

Claudia plays Princess Anne in season five

The series focuses on significant events that took place in the decade, including the fire at Windsor Castle and Prince Charles and Diana's acrimonious separation. 

Regarding Anne, the show looks into her divorce from her first husband Captain Mark Phillips and marriage to Commander Timothy Laurence, whom she is still with today. 

Where have you seen Claudia Harrison before and what was her role on the IT Crowd? 

Claudia has appeared in various TV shows and films over the course of her career. 

Prior to landing a role in the popular Netflix series, she played Dr. Janice Woods in three episodes of Sky One drama, Delicious, starring Dawn French and Emilia Fox.

© Photo: Netflix

Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne and Theo Fraser Steele as Commander Timothy Laurence 

In 2016, the actress featured in Channel 4's sci-fi drama, Humans, playing Dr Aveling in series two. 

Claudia has also made one-episode appearances in shows such as Holby City, Midsomer Murders and New Tricks. She played the role of Jen's friend Delina in one episode of The IT Crowd back in 2008. 

As for her big screen career, she played the role of Rebecca in 2003 thriller film, Suspicion, alongside Adrian Dunbar. She also appeared in the 2002 psychological thriller, Alone.

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