The Crown Season 3 Release Date Announced

Queen Elizabeth II's ongoing story is finally returning to the small screen.

After a lengthy absence, The Crown, which is bringing in an entirely new cast for its third season, has a premiere date. The series will be back on Netflix for season 3 on November 17, as revealed in a rather dramatic announcement video shown above.

The biographical story of Queen Elizabeth's ascent from a young, recently married princess to one of the most iconic monarchs in the history of the world has already aired two seasons on the streaming service. During seasons 1 and 2, Claire Foy (First Man), Matt Smith (Doctor Who), and Vanessa Kirby (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw), played Elizabeth Windsor, her husband Prince Philip, and her rebellious sister Princess Margaret, respectively.

The eldest daughter of King George VI — the subject of the 2011 Academy Award for Best Picture, The King's Speech — Elizabeth served in the second World War and married Philip in 1947 before assuming her late father's throne in 1952. Over the course of nearly seven decades, Elizabeth has remained a largely beloved public figure, and is the longest-running monarch and female head of state in history — making her story a hugely popular topic.

As the characters age, Foy, Smith, and Kirby have been replaced by a more mature group of actors. The Crown season 3 will introduce their replacements: Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Tobias Menzies (Black Mirror, Game of Thrones, & Outlander), and Helena Bonham Carter (basically every Tim Burton movie ever) will play the older versions of Elizabeth, Philip, and Margaret.

The Crown is already a heavily awarded show — both seasons were nominated for Outstanding Drama at the Emmys, and Foy took home Best Actress for her role in 2018 (along with a Golden Globe) — and it's now added two Academy Award nominees in Colman and Bonham Carter to the mix. Bonham Carter has twice been nominated for an Oscar (once, incidentally, for The King's Speech), and Colman famously pulled an upset over fellow nominee Glenn Close at the 2019 Oscars for The Favourite, in which she played another British royal, Queen Anne. Colman is also poised to take home an Emmy this year ahead of The Crown's third season thanks to her nomination for Phoebe Waller-Bridge's breakout hit Fleabag.

Anglophiles can relax now that they know when Queen Elizabeth will be back on their computer and television screens. As November gets closer, new details will undoubtedly emerge about The Crown's next chapter, and we'll certainly keep you updated.