Hold Up — Claire Foy Is Coming Back To The Crown?

If you felt a distinct lack of Claire Foy in season 3 of The Crown, then Netflix is giving you a treat come season 4. Don’t worry — Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, Helena Bonham Carter and the rest of the next generation of cast members are safe, but according to a picture posted by The Daily Mail, it appears Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth in the first two seasons of the historical drama, will return for a flashback in the next slate of episodes. 

In the pictures, the actress appears dressed in a white dress and pearl necklace, a recreation of Queen Elizabeth’s outfit during her 21st birthday speech. The original speech was recorded in 1947 during a tour of South Africa, in which she preaches her dedication to the Commonwealth. However, clear details are sparse, since Netflix could not confirm the rumour when reached by Refinery29.

News of Foy’s possible return comes shortly after Deadline reported that Imelda Staunton is in talks to take over the role of Queen Elizabeth after Colman bows out in season 4. Netflix did not confirm that, either. 

"We are currently filming season 4 of The Crown but have not commissioned any further seasons as yet, therefore any news on casting remains pure speculation,” a spokesperson told Refinery29. 

There is at least one face we can definitely look forward to: Emma Corrin, who plays Princess Diana in season 4. She was spotted in filming costume with Josh O’Connor, who plays Prince Charles. 

Regardless, with the third season dropping on Netflix earlier this month, we still have a long way to go until any of this appears in our queue. In the meantime, if you’re really missing Claire Foy, you can catch her in the upcoming film Louis Wain.