Who plays Princess Diana in The Crown season 5? (Why did Emma Corrin leave?)

Netflix’s historical drama The Crown is known best for its fantastic performances, having won several Emmy Awards for the cast and the show itself since it premiered in 2016. Each season tackles a different time period of the British Monarchy, a.k.a. the Royal Family, starting with a 21-year-old Queen Elizabeth II in season 1 played by Claire Foy.

Numerous acclaimed actors have taken on parts throughout the series, including Olivia Colman as an older Queen Elizabeth II, Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies playing Prince Philip, Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, and more. By the most recently-released season, we officially hit the year 1990, following Prince Charles’ marriage to Princess Diana and the start of the end of their relationship.

And for The Crown season 5, which hits Netflix this Wednesday, Nov. 9, we’re fully into the 1990s, with the new batch of episodes closely following Princess Diana’s life among other events in Royal history.

The Crown season 5 Princess Diana actress

Emma Corrin portrayed Princess Diana in The Crown season 4, but they will be replaced in season 5 by Elizabeth Debicki. You might recognize Debicki from her roles in movies like The Great Gatsby, Tenent, Widows, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. She’s also part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having played the character Ayesha in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Additionally, Debicki appeared in the shows The Night Manager and The Kettering Incident.

Corrin did a fantastic job bringing Diana to life in The Crown season 4, and they even earned an Emmy nomination for her portrayal. But the reason they’re no longer on the show is simple; they’re being replaced so that an older actress can play an older version of Diana. Just like with previous seasons, actors will be replaced in season 5 to age up the characters.

During an interview with The Guardian in 2021, Corrin said of their departure from The Crown:

"“Though I’m sad I only did one series, I always knew that was all I was signing on for, and I played her from 16 to 28. I took her from girl to woman, and I loved that arc. But I’m also quite pleased to move on. The industry loves to pigeonhole. The sooner I can move away from doing posh English, the better, even though that’s what I am.”"

Though we’ll miss Corrin on The Crown, we’re sure Debicki will do a fantastic job in the role. We’ll get to see some iconic moments in Princess Diana’s life played by Debicki, including her revenge dress power move. Don’t miss that and so much more when The Crown season 5 debuts on Nov. 9.