The Crown series 5 FIRST LOOK: Elizabeth Debicki transforms into Princess Diana
The Crown series 5: FIRST LOOK as Elizabeth Debicki transforms into Princess Diana to film alongside young actors playing William and Harry
- The Australian actress was spotted for the first time as Princess Diana on Wednesday
- Elizabeth, 30, filmed scenes in Scotland alongside two young actors playing Prince Harry and Prince William
- It was announced last August that she would take over from Emma Corrin in the hit Netflix program
- Elizabeth shot to stardom after making her debut in The Great Gatsby in 2013, after impressing the film’s director, Baz Luhrmann
Elizabeth Debicki was seen on the set of The Crown for the first time on Wednesday, as she filmed scenes at Ardverikie Lodge Scotland alongside two young actors playing Prince Harry and Prince William.
It was announced last year that she would take over from Emma Corrin and play Diana for the fifth and sixth series, which will cover Diana’s death in 1997.
Shooting at the majestic Ardverikie Estate, Elizabeth, 30, was the spitting image of the late princess and was dressed in light-wash jeans, a smart navy blazer jacket and a salmon pink shirt.
First look: Elizabeth Debicki, 30, was seen as Princess Diana on the Scotland set of The Crown’s fifth season for the first time on Wednesday
Running ahead of her down a path that stretched across the sprawling estate’s gardens, two young actors playing Harry and William could be seen – the actors have not yet been announced.
Both dressed in jeans and matching striped rugby shirts, the boys’ resemblance to both the Duke of Sussex and Duke of Cambridge was a testament to the series’ casting.
Members of the crew stood outside around the three actors while others wearing masks were visible watching through the estate’s windows.
Spitting image: Shooting at the Ardverikie Estate, Elizabeth was the spitting image of the late princess and filmed scenes alongside actors playing a young Prince William and Prince Harry
Icon: The upcoming series of The Crown will cover Princess Diana’s death in 1997 (Diana is pictured with sons Harry and William at at Smith’s Lawn in 1987)
It was announced that Elizabeth had been cast as Princess Diana last August, and fans of the Netflix show were delighted to hear that the Australian actress would be taking on the role.
From her big break in 2013’s The Great Gatsby to becoming a household name thanks to 2016 TV series The Night Manager, the star steadily climbed up the ranks of showbusiness to secure the career-making role.
A former ballerina in training, Elizabeth switched to theatre during high school. She studied at University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts, where she was also awarded the Richard Pratt Bursary for outstanding acting students.
Idyllic: Elizabeth was filming her scenes at Ardverikie Lodge in Scotland
She shot to stardom after making her debut in The Great Gatsby in 2013, after impressing the film’s director, Baz Luhrmann, with her brief appearance in the 2011 Australian movie A Few Best Men.
Since then, she has appeared in several movies including The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Tenet and The Cloverfield Paradox.
Elizabeth has also done voiceovers for Peter Rabbit and appeared in television series The Kettering Incident and The Night Manager alongside Tom Hiddleston.
Casting: It was announced that Elizabeth had been cast as Princess Diana last August, and fans of the Netflix show were delight to hear that the Australian actress would be taking on the role
The actress said of her casting last year: ‘Princess Diana’s spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of so many. It is my privilege and honour to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one.’
It comes after the very first image of Imelda Staunton in character as Queen Elizabeth II was revealed last week.
The Netflix show took to Twitter on Friday to upload a snap of the actress, 65, dressed as the monarch as she prepares to take over the regal role from current Queen actress Olivia Colman.
Taking over: It was announced last year that Elizabeth would take over from Emma Corrin (pictured in character as Diana) in the hit Netflix program
Alongside the image, The Crown’s official Twitter account simply wrote: ‘An early glimpse of our new Queen Elizabeth II, Imelda Staunton.’
Also joining The Crown in series five is Lesley Manville, 64, who is set to star as Princess Margaret and Jonathan Pryce, 73, will take over the role of Prince Philip for the seasons showing the Royals navigating the 1990s and early 2000s.
The Queen’s younger sister has previously been played by Helena Bonham Carter and Vanessa Kirby. While Tobias Menzies, 47, and Matt Smith, 38, have portrayed past versions of the late Duke of Edinburgh.
Her Royal Highness: The very first image of Imelda Staunton in character as Queen Elizabeth II was revealed last week
James Murray will take on the role of Prince Andrew, replacing Tom Byrne, who played the Queen’s second son in series four.
James’ previous endeavours include his portrayal of Stephen Hart in ITV’s Primeval, playing Liam Carney in BBC One’s season four of Cutting It and acting as the lead DCI in completely improvised show Suspects.
The IT Crowd and Humans star Claudia Harrison has also been announced for the new season and will play Princess Anne.
The Crown series 5: James Murray is set to take on the role of Prince Andrew following his TV appearances in Cutting It and Primeval (James pictured in 2018)
Who’s who? The actress playing Princess Anne in The Crown’s fifth season has been revealed as The IT Crowd and Humans star Claudia Harrison
Theo Fraser Steele, playing Princess Anne’s husband Timothy Laurence, has also been spotted filming this week.
The final two series of The Crown will cover the Royal Family’s history throughout the 1990s and into 2003, however it is not yet known which moments will be seen.
There are several poignant moments which could be used, including the Queen making a speech on her 40th anniversary of her accession in 1992, in which she called the year an ‘annus horriblis’.
She was referring to the breakdown of three of her children’s marriages; Prince Andrew, Princess Anne’s and Prince Charles’ divorce from Princess Diana.
Royal role: The Crown’s fifth season will also feature The Thick Of It star Theo Fraser Steele (left) playing Princess Anne’s husband Timothy Laurence (right)
Happy: Princess Anne and Timothy, who married in 1992, are pictured above after celebrating their first wedding anniversary in 1993