 In the midst of real-life royal family drama, there's big news for the royal family on the small screen, as the successor to Olivia Coleman's Queen Elizabeth II has been revealed. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Matt Rogers. After a two-year hiatus between seasons 2 and 3, production on the fourth season is well on the way, with exclusive images recently leaking of Gillian Anderson in character as the formidable Margaret Thatcher, who is likely to play a big part in the events of the fourth season. But creator and writer Peter Morgan has his sights set on the future of the Crown, especially who will be wearing it. Back in November of 2019, rumours were flying that Imelda Staunton was set to step up and play an older Queen Elizabeth II, and this has now been confirmed. Morgan has stated, quote, I'm absolutely thrilled to confirm Imelda Staunton as her Majesty the Queen for the fifth and final season, taking the Crown into the 21st century. Imelda has an astonishing talent and will be a fantastic successor to Claire Foy and Olivia Coleman. I think many would agree Staunton is a great choice for the role, she is inarguably reguing many of her roles, stealing any of the scenes she finds herself in. Staunton was nominated for Best Actress for playing the title role in the 2004 drama Vera Drake. She most recently appeared in Maleficent Mistress of Evil and the Downton Abbey movie, but I think she is most notorious for her role as Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films. Part of the reason I think she'll do well as the Queen is because of the authority she exerts in this role. Oh, W, apples, more commonly known as owls. Staunton has since released a statement herself saying, quote, I have loved watching the Crown from the very start. As an actor it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Coleman brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan's scripts. I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking the Crown to its conclusion. But the role of the Queen isn't all that has been announced, it was originally believed that the Crown would consist of six seasons, with the cast being replaced every two seasons. However, Morgan has also clarified how this idea has changed over time. He says, quote, at the outset I imagine the Crown running for six seasons, but now that we've begun work on the stories for season five, it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop. I'm grateful to Netflix and Sony for supporting me in this decision. For me it's good to see that they're not dragging the show out for the sake of it. It's a common tactic that successful shows drag on for as long as the distributors allow, but having a clear ending in mind and leaving it at that is admirable. And as Morgan says, Netflix is completely on board with a decision, with Vice President of Original Content at Netflix, Cindy Holland, saying, I fully support Peter Morgan's creative decision and I'm excited to see how he, Amelda Storton and the cast and crew of season five, bring this landmark series to a fitting and spectacular end. Whilst Coleman's Queen Elizabeth has so far covered the 60s and 70s, Storton's time as Queen is expected to cover more recent royal events, including the life and death of Princess Diana. So far that's all we know about the final season, but be sure to subscribe and ring that bell to be notified of any further updates. I just have to say, although ending after a fifth season makes sense, I think we would all support the continuation of The Crown until the events of the current day. Who wouldn't like the idea of keeping The Crown going until we can have Meghan Markle play, well, Meghan Markle?