Who is Penny Knatchbull? A look at Prince Philip’s friend after The Crown controversy

Princess Diana – Elizabeth Debicki

It was announced that Elizabeth, 32, had been cast to play Princess Diana for the next two seasons and fans of the Netflix show were delighted to hear that the Australian actress would be taking on the role – replacing Emma Corrin.

The actress said of her casting: ‘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.’ 

Elizabeth also hit out at critics of the series, stating: ‘It was always very clear to me that one can never know what happens behind closed doors and that a writer is interpreting what may have happened.

‘Now the disclaimer is up there, we can maybe stop talking about it and move on. If that’s helpful for certain people, so be it, and now the conversation can be returned to the creative endeavour of what the show is.’

Prince Charles – Dominic West

Golden Globe nominee Dominic, 53, is set to play Prince Charles in the final two series of The Crown, taking over from Josh O’Connor who played the young prince in season three and four. 

The Prince Of Wales was played in his teenage years by Julian Baring and as a child by Billy Jenkins. 

Dominic is best known for playing Jimmy McNulty in The Wire and Noah Solloway in The Affair and has won two BAFTAs for his work. 

The actor previously revealed that he had contacted King Charles to resign as an ambassador from the Prince’s Trust after being cast in series five over the Netflix drama, over fears his new role would be a conflict of interest.

However, the King did not express any objections when informed that Dominic would be portraying him, refusing his offer.

Camilla Parker Bowles – Olivia Williams

Olivia, 54, will be taking on the role of King Charles’ future Queen Consort, Camilla Parker Bowles, a role previously played by Emerald Fennell in seasons three and four.

The actress, from London, came from ordinary beginnings and was on the verge of giving up on the career when she was named ‘the most beautiful women to come on screen in the last ten years’ by Kevin Costner in 1997.

He picked her to star in his $90-million uber-flop The Postman, in which the two had a raunchy sex scene.

Since then, her rising star has been on the up-and-up, with roles opposite Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense, Carey Mulligan in An Education and even a guest appearance as Matt Le Blanc’s love interest in Friends.

Olivia will have personal insight into the character, having met Camilla after her marriage to Charles, by which time she had become the Duchess of Cornwall.

Queen Elizabeth II – Imelda Staunton 

BAFTA-winning actress Imelda, 66, is taking on the matriarchal monarch for seasons five and six, replacing Olivia Colman who took on the role for season three and four and Claire Foy who played the Queen for the first two series.

A star of both stage and screen, Imelda has won four Laurence Olivier Awards for her work in the theatre and was Oscar-nominated for her starring role in Vera Drake. 

Speaking about joining The Crown, Imelda previously admitted she is ‘frightened’ to take on the Queen Elizabeth role as she has an ‘extra challenge’ playing a recent version as it will be fresh in the audiences mind. 

Imelda said: ‘When Claire was in the first series, to all of us that felt like history. Then following on from that with Olivia, again it seems like history.

‘Now we start in 1991 playing someone much more recent. That’s the extra challenge I have, people saying, “Oh, I don’t think she’s like that at all”‘.

Prince Philip – Jonathan Pryce 

Jonathan, 75, will take on the role of Prince Philip for the final seasons, taking over from Tobias Menzies who played the role in season three and four and Matt Smith who kicked off the portrayal for the first two seasons. 

The actor – who was previously knighted for his services to drama – has two Tony and two Olivier Awards and received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Pope Francis in The Two Popes. 

He previously revealed he’s ‘confident’ about ‘tackling the daunting prospect of portraying Prince Philip’ and it will be ‘a joy’ to act alongside Imelda Staunton as the Queen and Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret.

In a statement shared on social media by Netflix, Jonathan said: ‘I am delighted to be working with Netflix again.

‘The positive experience I had making The Two Popes has given me the confidence to tackle the daunting prospect of portraying Prince Philip.

‘To be doing so with Peter Morgan in the company of Imelda [Staunton] and Lesley [Manville] will be a joy.’

Princess Anne – Claudia Harrison 

RADA-trained performer Claudia, 46, takes on the role of Princess Anne, replacing Erin Doherty in the third and fourth series of The Crown, who followed on from Lyla Barrett-Rye who portrayed the princess as a child. 

She boasts a number of TV gigs on her CV as well as a high-profile co-star following her turn in 2005 thriller Archangel, where she starred opposite Daniel Craig in the show about a mystery concerning dictator Josef Stalin.

The farmer’s wife and mother-of-three is said to have been ‘shocked and delighted’ when she was chosen to play Anne when the Royal was aged in her 40s. 

In 2006, she starred in one episode of The IT Crowd as Delina and in 2015 she was in four episodes of Humans as Dr. Aveling.

Timothy Laurence – Theo Fraser Steele 

The Thick Of It star and London deli owner Theo plays Princess Anne’s husband Timothy Laurence.

The role of Timothy was not played in previous seasons as the pair did not tie the knot until 1992 after she had split from first husband Mark Phillips. 

Theo’s acting career spans back to 1996, when he starred in Casualty while he also played Christian Holhurst in political satire The Thick Of It in 2005. As well as acting, he is a successful deli owner and runs a shop with his wife in Hackney.

He comes from Essex and trained to be an actor in London before working with Bill Nighy and Stella Gonet in Richard Eyre’s production of David Hare’s Skylight at the National Theatre aged just 23.

Prince Andrew – James Murray 

James, 47, will play Prince Andrew in the new seasons, replacing Tom Byrne, who played the Queen’s second son in series four and Marlo Woolley who portrayed the prince as a young boy. 

Speaking about his new role, James revealed that he tries not to judge his scandal-plagued character and he tries not to be influenced by what we know now’ about Prince Andrew.

He said: ‘This is the 90s, so the divorce, Toegate’, referring to the incident where Sarah Ferguson, 61, was photographed as her Texan financial advisor John Bryant sucked on her toes after her separation from Andrew in 1992.

James continued: ‘If I’m being professional, it’s not really my job to feel too much, to judge the character,’ he said. ‘And remember, we’re in the 1990s, before all the things that we know now.

‘I just have to read what’s on the page, do my research and play that quasi-fictional character. Because otherwise, it’s just going to get in the way.’

Sarah, Duchess of York – Emma Laird Craig

Theatre actress Emma, 41, will take on her first big role playing Sarah Ferguson after just a handful of small roles in the likes of EastEnders and Casting Nina.

The Duchess of York offered words of wisdom to Emma upon hearing she’d landed the role, saying: ‘Just do the best job she can. 

‘To be cast in The Crown… a very successful TV show, how fabulous!’ 

Fergie was also forced to deny claims that she ‘made repeated contact’ with The Crown producers after sources say Prince Andrew’s ex-wife sought to partner with them on a TV adaptation of her romance novel, Her Heart For A Compass.

Prince Edward – Sam Woolf

Sam, 30, will be taking on the role of Queen Elizabeth’s youngest child, Prince Edward, previously played by Angus Imrie in his teenage years and Sidney Jackson as a child. 

The British star is relatively new to the acting but has had a minor role in Channel 4’s Humans, where he starred alongside The Crown castmate, Claudia Harrison. 

Sam also appeared in one episode of Call The Midwife and on CB Strike.

While Edward has not featured heavily in the series so far, the fifth and sixth season should offer a meatier part as the final two seasons are set to cover events including his 1999 marriage to the Countess of Wessex.

Princess Margaret – Lesley Manville 

Oscar-nominee Lesley, 66, takes on the role of Princess Margaret, following on from Helena Bonham Carter for the fifth and final series of the Netflix hit.

The lively monarch was embodied by Vanessa Kirby for the first two seasons and by child actress Beau Gadsdon for the early scenes.

Confirming the news in a statement, she said: ‘I could not be happier to be playing Princess Margaret. The baton is being passed on from two formidable actresses and I really don’t want to let the side down.

‘Furthermore, to play siblings with my dear friend Imelda Staunton will be nothing short of a complete joy.’

Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother – Marcia Warren 

Taking on the role of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in her final years before her 2002 death is veteran actress Marcia, 78. 

The Queen Mother was played by Victoria Hamilton in the first two series of The Crown, before the role went to Marion Bailey for series 3 and 4, where the character took a backseat from the main drama and only made a few appearances. 

Marcia trained as an actress at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and has won two Laurence Olivier Theatre Awards. On screen she appeared in No Place Like Home and Edge of Heaven among others. 

Prince William – Timothee Sambo

Timothee, 11, is taking on the role of young Prince William in season five of The Crown, following on from Lucas Barber-Grant and twins Elliott and Jasper Hughes who portrayed the royal in season four. 

Like the prince he’s playing, it’s believed Timothee is a keen footballer, playing for Rockslane Chiswick U11s. 

He’s also a talented writer, receiving a commendation in the Year 5 category for a poem he penned during lockdown in the Chiswick Book Festival’s 10th Young People’s Poetry Competition last year.

Prince Harry –  Teddy Hawley

Teddy, seven, is taking on the role of a young Prince Harry, following on from Arran Tinker’s brief appearance in season four. 

It was previously said there was a dearth of ginger-haired actors who could play Prince Harry when casting agents went on the hunt earlier this year.

The desperation was such that show bosses were considering dyeing a child actor’s hair red so he could bear an adequate resemblance to the Duke of Sussex. 

Penelope Knatchbull – Natascha McElhone 

Not previously featured on the show 

Natascha, 52, takes on the role of the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, the second cousin of Prince Charles and close friend of Prince Philip’s.  

Penny befriended Prince Philip at a polo match in 1975 when she was 20, became one of his closest confidantes despite being 32 years his junior and was pictured on walks with the Duke over the years. 

Also known as Lady Romsey and Lady Brabourne, Penny, 69, bonded with the late Philip over their shared love for the equestrian sport of carriage-driving and their closeness had sparked rumours of an affair over their decades-long friendship.

Prime Minister John Major – Jonny Lee Miller 

Not previously featured on the show 

In a ‘surprise’ casting, it was revealed Trainspotting star Jonny, 49, will play John Major, who was in charge of the country from November 1990 until May 1997.

The Tory Prime Minister followed on from Margaret Thatcher’s leadership, with The Iron Lady played by Gillian Anderson in the wildly-popular Netflix period drama.

Sir John was Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997, and served as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Secretary under Thatcher from 1987 to 1990.

Sir John was known for having a mild-mannered style which may appear to be in stark contrast to Jonny, who is known for playing bad boy characters like Sick Boy in Trainspotting. 

A source said: ‘It may seem like an unlikely casting as the two men couldn’t be more different, but the creators of the Crown aren’t interested in an actor playing a version of themselves.

‘It was a similar idea to when Sex Education star Gillian Anderson was cast as Margaret Thatcher in the last series of The Crown, a decision which surprised fans of the show at the time.’

Northern Irish actress Flora Montgomery takes on the role of Norma Major, the Prime Minister’s wife. 

Tony Blair – Bertie Carvel 

Not previously featured on the show 

Bertie, 45, whose roles have ranged from Nick Clegg to Rupert Murdoch is to portray Tony Blair in The Crown, the Labour prime minister who took over from John Major. 

The actor is famed for his work in the theatre and has twice won a Laurence Olivier Award as well as a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Play.

He is also known for playing Jonathan Strange in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and Simon Foster in Doctor Foster.

Blair’s victory in the 1997 election saw Labour win by a landslide majority, making a net gain of 146 seats and winning 43.2% of the vote.

The overall result of the election ended 18 years of Conservative government, in their worst defeat since 1906.

Blair famously hailed Diana as ‘The People’s Princess’, following her death, while the Queen deemed her death a private matter and was not prepared for the national outpouring of emotion from the public. 

The Crown wants to examine more of the constitutional crisis behind the scenes; and how the Queen was said to have felt bullied by her Prime Minister into making a public declaration about Diana.

Gentleman Jack star Lydia Leonard, 40, will take on the role of his wife Cherie.  

Martin Bashir –  Prasanna Puwanarajah 

Not previously featured on the show 

Doctor Foster star Prasanna, 41, is taking on one of the most controversial roles of the season as journalist Martin Bashir.

An entire episode in the upcoming fifth series will be dedicated to the shocking Panorama sit down which was viewed by more than 22 million people in the UK at the time and described by commentators in 1995 as a ‘bombshell’ that destroyed the image of a ‘contented, caring and united’ Royal Family.

An independent inquiry later found that Martin deceived Diana to get the interview and then lied to BBC managers.

He got a BBC graphic artist to produce fake bank statements that appeared to show payments by a newspaper group to an ex-member of staff of Earl Spencer, Diana’s brother.

Dr Hasnat Khan – Humayun Saeed 

Not previously featured on the show 

Humayun, 50, will reportedly play Princess Diana’s love interest Hasnat Khan – who she branded ‘Mr Wonderful’ – in the highly-anticipated fifth series of The Crown.

As well as being an accoladed actor, the Pakistani film star is also a producer and co-founded the media production house Six Sigma Plus.

During their fling, which ended in the summer of 1997, Diana – who is said to have considered him the love of her life – met the surgeon’s family and even considered converting to Islam.  

Speaking in 2008, the surgeon broke an 11-year silence about the Princess to say, ‘I found her a very normal person with great qualities.’ 

Mohamed Al-Fayed – Salim Daw

Not previously featured on the show 

Israeli actor Salim, 72, takes on the role of Mohamed Al-Fayed, an Egyptian businessman famed for owning Hôtel Ritz Paris and formerly Harrods department store and Fulham F.C. 

Mohamed met Princess Diana in July 1986 when they were introduced at a polo tournament sponsored by Harrods and quickly became firm friends. 

It was in the late Nineties that Diana grew close to Mohamed’s son Dodi after he invited her to spend time with them on his yacht in the summer of 1997. 

Dodi Fayed – Khalid Abdalla

Not previously featured on the show 

Dodi, 42, takes on the role of Mohamed’s son and Diana’s lover Dodi Fayed. 

He established himself as a playboy in the film industry and was often spotted at high-profile parties – and is rumoured to have dated film stars Julia Roberts and Winona Ryder.

Following the publication of photos showing Dodi and Diana getting close on a yacht in St Tropez, the pair ended their holiday and flew to Paris, where they tragically died.

Kelly Fisher – Erin Richards

Not previously featured on the show 

Welsh actress Erin Richards, 36, plays Dodi’s jilted American fiancée Kelly Fisher in the series. 

The model was also in St Tropez when photos of Diana and Dodi looking cosy  were taken – and when they were released to the world, the pair split.

Weeks later, Kelly flew back to the US and organised a press conference in which she publicly accused Dodi of cheating on her and ’emotionally leaving her at the altar’, before announcing she was suing the film producer.