The Crown Season 4 Cast: Full List, Characters, and Behind the Scenes

Few shows feel the pressure of casting quite like The Crown — imagine having to find an actor who can portray a living former Prime Minister, or a young woman the world already knows as Princess Diana. For Season 4, the producers made bold choices that paid off, and here’s a close look at exactly who stepped into those iconic roles and why the cast lineup matters for the story.

Season aired: 2020 · Number of episodes: 10 · Lead actress: Olivia Colman · New cast additions: Emma Corrin, Gillian Anderson

The table below breaks down five essential data points about Season 4, putting the main details at your fingertips.

Who plays Princess Diana in The Crown season 4?

The role of a young Diana Spencer was given to Emma Corrin, a relatively unknown actor at the time. Corrin’s portrayal captured Diana’s shy, awkward early days in the royal spotlight and her evolving confidence. The casting was announced in 2019, and Corrin’s performance earned widespread critical acclaim (Town & Country).

Who plays Margaret Thatcher?

Gillian Anderson took on the role of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Anderson underwent a physical transformation — including a wig, prosthetics, and a carefully studied accent — to embody the Iron Lady. Her performance added a tense political dynamic to the season (Entertainment.ie).

The implication: Anderson’s layered performance forces viewers to confront the complexity of a polarising leader.

Who returns as Queen Elizabeth II?

Olivia Colman reprised her role as the monarch for the second and final time in Season 4. Colman first played the Queen in Season 3, taking over from Claire Foy as part of the show’s planned time-jump. The decision to recast every two seasons was a creative one, not driven by any health issues with Foy (Town & Country). Colman wore wigs and prosthetics to age into the role, and she won a Golden Globe for her performance.

The pattern: Colman’s portrayal deepens the Queen’s interior life, showing a monarch weighed by duty but capable of unexpected warmth.

What other key cast members appear in season 4?

Beyond the three headline additions, Season 4 kept several familiar faces. Helena Bonham Carter continued her portrayal of Princess Margaret (Entertainment.ie). Tobias Menzies played Prince Philip, and Josh O’Connor returned as Prince Charles (The Crown Wiki). The ensemble also included Erin Doherty as Princess Anne and Charles Dance in a guest role as Lord Mountbatten.

Six main cast members, one pattern: the show chose actors who could carry both the emotional weight and the historical nuance. The implication: The Crown treats every character, no matter how famous, as a three-dimensional person — not a caricature.

How many episodes are in season 4?

Season 4 consists of 10 episodes (The Crown Wiki). Each episode runs roughly 50–60 minutes, covering key events from the late 1970s through 1990, including the Falklands War, Princess Diana’s rise, and the fall of Margaret Thatcher.

What this means: the tight episode count forces the writers to compress years of history, so every scene must carry weight.

What is the most heartbreaking episode of The Crown?

Many fans and critics point to the episode “The Balmoral Test” as the most emotionally devastating. It shows Diana’s awkward visit to the royal estate and the coldness she faces. The episode captures the loneliness of a young woman stepping into a rigid institution. No external source has rated it most heartbreaking, but audience discussions on social media strongly favour this episode.

Why did they replace Claire Foy in The Crown?

The show’s creator, Peter Morgan, planned a two-season cycle for each cast to age the characters realistically. Claire Foy was not replaced due to illness or any behind-the-scenes conflict; it was a creative decision. The same pattern continued with Olivia Colman handing the role to Imelda Staunton in Season 5 (Town & Country).

What illness does Claire Foy have?

Claire Foy has no known illness. Rumours of a health condition are baseless; she left the role because of the show’s predetermined casting schedule.

The catch: despite the clear explanation, online speculation persists, often fuelled by confusion over the time-jump device.

How did Queen Elizabeth feel about The Crown?

The Queen never publicly commented on the series. Palace insiders have said she watched the first season privately but later stopped, finding it too painful or inaccurate. No official statement confirms this (The Crown Wiki).

Did the Queen watch The Crown?

Reports suggest she viewed early episodes, but the royal family’s response remains officially undisclosed. The show’s dramatisation of private moments likely pushed the Queen away from continuing.

The pattern: the show’s popularity forces speculation about the royal family’s private opinions, a dynamic the series itself exploits for drama.

Did Olivia Colman wear a wig in The Crown?

Yes, Olivia Colman wore wigs and prosthetics to match the Queen’s aging appearance. The transformation was extensive: a custom wig, age-spot makeup, and padded clothing (Entertainment.ie).

Did Olivia Colman gain weight for The Crown?

No. The rumour is incorrect; Colman did not gain weight for the role. The appearance of a fuller face came from prosthetics and padding.

The implication: the physical transformation is a testament to the costume department’s skill, not the actor’s body change.

Whose picture did Elizabeth find in Philip’s briefcase?

In Season 4, Queen Elizabeth discovers a photo of Galina Ulanova, a Russian ballerina, in Prince Philip’s briefcase. The scene is dramatised; historians debate whether this actually happened. The show uses it to hint at Philip’s emotional distance (The Crown Wiki).

The catch: the photo scene sparks endless online debate, but its power lies in what it says about the marriage, not historical fact.

Why did the Queen not approve of Meghan Markle?

No official explanation exists. The show presents a fictionalised version of the Queen’s wariness, but real-life royal commentators point to differing backgrounds and media pressure. The true reasons remain inside palace walls.

Who is the least popular member of the royal family?

Public opinion polls vary, but Prince Andrew has often ranked lowest in popularity due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein. Meghan Markle’s popularity fluctuates depending on the news cycle.

What this means: The Crown’s portrayal of Meghan will likely shift public perception further, a responsibility the show’s producers must account for.

Who created and produced The Crown?

The series was created by Peter Morgan, who also served as showrunner for Season 4 (The Crown Wiki). Morgan is known for his historical dramas (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) and has stated that casting decisions are driven by the need to age the characters realistically rather than any behind-the-scenes drama.

The pattern: Morgan’s disciplined casting plan ensures the series avoids the trap of having one actor play a character across decades.

Below is a direct comparison of the Season 4 cast against their real-life counterparts, making the casting choices easy to see.

Five roles, one contrast: the real people were far more private than the show can ever be. The trade-off: dramatic license adds emotional depth but blurs the line between fact and fiction.

The production specs below give a behind-the-scenes view of how the season was made.

Confirmed facts vs. what remains uncertain

The pattern: The Crown is at its best when it sticks to documented events, but its speculative moments — like the briefcase photo — are what spark the most debate. The catch: viewers often mistake dramatised scenes for biography.

“The casting for Season 4 was about finding actors who could carry the weight of living memory — these are people our audience has seen on the news.”

Peter Morgan, show creator (The Crown Wiki)

“I didn’t want to imitate the Queen; I wanted to find her emotional truth. The wig and prosthetics helped me feel 20 years older.”

Olivia Colman, actor (Town & Country)

For the audience following the royal drama, the implication is clear: The Crown Season 4 is a masterclass in casting under pressure. For fans waiting for Season 5, the show’s decision to recast every two seasons means you’ll have a new Queen, a new Diana, and a new Thatcher. The trade-off: you lose continuity but gain the chance to see the same story told through fresh eyes.

For a comprehensive breakdown of every actor and character, check out The Crown Season 4 cast on BritLedger.

Frequently asked questions

For anyone curious about how television handles living history, The Crown Season 4 remains a fascinating benchmark. The cast choices weren’t just about finding good actors — they were about trusting the audience to accept new faces for beloved figures. And that trust paid off. For fans, the casting of Emma Corrin proved that a fresh face could bring a beloved figure to life in unexpected ways, cementing the show’s legacy as a risk-taker.