The Crown Has Picked Its New Prince Philip (And Outlander Fans Will Be Pleased), Plus Everything We Know About Season 3

Prince Philip will be played by Tobias Menzies. Photos: Philip, Ron Bell/PA Images/Getty Images. Menzies, Carlos Alvarez /Getty Images.

For those of us in The Crown withdrawal, the prospect of season 3 is a light at the end of a very long tunnel. Until then, we are left to obsess over every tiny reveal, like the bombshell that Princess Margaret will likely be played by Helena Bonham Carter (huzzah!). Here, more on that and everything else we know about next season.

The new Prince Philip has just been cast

It’s just been announced that Prince Philip (played by Matt Smith in the first two seasons), will be played by Tobias Menzies. Outlander fans will recognize Menzies as the series’ maniacal Captain Jonathan Randall. (He also plays Edmure Tully in Game of Thrones.) And while Menzies is known for portraying characters with smug villainous charm (in addition to his jawline), whether he can capture Philip’s rakishness will remain to be seen.

Olivia Colman will take over the role of the Queen; The Queen in 1973 (Colman: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images; Queen: Archives Canada)

There’s a new Queen in the castle

While it’s hard to imagine anyone other than the mah-velous Claire Foy in the role of Queen Lizzie, series creator Peter Morgan has always said that he would introduce a new cast to play the royals as they age on the show. Last October, Variety reported that English actress Olivia Colman will portray HRH for seasons 3 and 4. Fans of British drama know the 43-year-old actor from Broadchurch and The Night Manager (two worthy dramas if you’re looking for shows to fill the void).

The new season will be set in the seventies

The show left off with the birth of Prince Edward in 1964, but it may not return there. According to one of the show’s producers, season 3 will jump forward a bit to the 1970s, which means plenty of prime ministers, the decline of the Commonwealth and the introduction of a certain future “future queen,” Camilla Parker Bowles, who first met her prince charming at a polo match in 1971. As for the other famous royal blond, Lady Diana Spencer (who met Charles in 1977), she may or may not appear in the series’ third act, according to Morgan, who told Vanity Fair that the so-named “Queen of Hearts” may have to wait until the fourth season.

The Crown Season 2: What The Royals Really Looked Like In The ’50s And ’60s

Princess Margaret will (probably) be awesome …

While Netflix has yet to announce that the amaaaazing Helena Bonham Carter will play the Queen’s rebellious younger sis, Vanessa Kirby (who has played Margaret up until now) seemed to confirm the rumour via this Instagram post.

… and she’ll (still) be unlucky in love

Historically documented spoiler alert! Margaret and her photographer husband won’t make it past the season finale. This per The Crown’s historical consultant Robert Lacey, who says the split (the first royal divorce since 1901!) will be a significant plot line for the coming season.

Season 3 will likely air later this year

Tradition dictates an early winter release (season 1 aired in November 2016; season 2 last December), and it looks like we may have to wait until late 2018 for our next Crown fix. (*Dignified sniff*)

But it will be worth the wait

Admittedly this is just a hunch, but it’s one you could probably bet the crown jewels on.

Watch: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s thank you cards revealed

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