'The Crown' announces release date for its penultimate season and reveals Imelda Staunton as Queen

"The Crown" has announced the release date for its penultimate season, after several delays in filming due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A video shared on the show's social media pages revealed Imelda Staunton's transformation into Queen Elizabeth II for the fifth and the sixth season. The actress, recording the message from the set of the show's fifth season, said that it will start streaming on Netflix in November next year.

"Hello, I am Imelda Staunton, and I am currently on the set of The Crown, where we have begun filming season five. I am delighted to be here inheriting the role of Queen Elizabeth (II) from two outstanding actresses, most recently Olivia Colman and who could forget the actress who originated the part, Claire Foy. I will do my utmost to maintain the very high standard they set," the "Downton Abbey" actress said in the message.

The 65-year-old then quipped, "Hopefully, I look calm, collected and capable; my stomach, meanwhile, is doing somersaults."

"On behalf of the cast and crew, we look forward to bringing you the next season of The Crown in November 2022," she concluded.

"A message from Imelda Staunton, our new Queen Elizabeth. Season 5, coming November 2022," the short teaser was captioned. It apparently mimicked the Queen's annual Christmas message, where she addresses the nation from behind her desk at Buckingham Palace. While the monarch's desk often features framed pictures of her family members, Staunton's desk showed pictures of her predecessors, Claire Foy who portrayed the royal in seasons 1 and 2 and Olivia Colman who took over the character in seasons 3 and 4.

Staunton will play the reigning queen in the fifth and the sixth seasons. The upcoming season will be released in the same year that marks Queen Elizabeth II 70-year reign on the British throne. The platinum jubilee will be celebrated in a number of ways throughout the whole year, including a series of elaborate events from June 2 to June 5.

The hit Netflix original is expected to create quite a controversy with its upcoming season, just like its fourth season which invited criticism from many royal fans as well as some Members of Parliament. The fifth season is due to cover several sensitive events in the royal family's history including The Queen's "annus horribilis" in 1992. The breakdown of the marriage between Prince Charles and Princess Diana, the subsequent death of the Princess of Wales, and its impact on the monarchy and the Queen are expected to be the major storylines.