Emma Corrin has been spotted filming scenes with Josh O’Connor and the young actor playing Prince William as The Crown continues shooting for its fourth series.
The actress donned a fake belly to transform into a pregnant Princess of Wales at a Buckingham Palace Easter Egg hunt set in the Spring of 1984.
Running around a field in a bright blue smock dress, the actress cradled a blonde-haired child playing a toddler Prince William, and was seen laughing with Josh, who reprises his role as Prince Charles and Tobias Menzies who plays Prince Philip.
Family fun: Emma Corrin has been spotted filming scenes with Josh O’Connor and the young actor playing Prince William as The Crown continues shooting for its fourth series
Emma captured Diana’s mannerisms and style as the cameras rolled. She was dressed for the eighties time period in a bright blue midi dress with gold buttons and her blonde hair was styled into Diana’s signature short crop.
Josh meanwhile was the spitting image of a young Prince Charles in a brown tweed jacket and maroon tie.
The young actor playing a toddler Prince William looked adorable in a green cardigan and white shirt as he held an Easter basket.
The character of Prince William has previously been spotted on set, when Emma and Josh filmed scenes last year for the family’s 1983 tour of Australia when William was nine months old.
Expecting: The actress donned a fake belly to transform into a pregnant Princess of Wales at a Buckingham Palace Easter Egg hunt set in the Spring of 1984. Pictured right Princess Diana pregnant in April 1984
Sweet scenes: Running around a field in a bright blue smock dress, the actress cradled a blonde-haired child playing a toddler Prince William, and was seen laughing with Josh, who reprises his role as Prince Charles
Getting into character: Emma captured Diana’s mannerisms and style as the cameras rolled on set
Style: She was dressed for the eighties time period in a bright blue midi dress with gold buttons and her blonde hair was styled into Diana’s signature short crop
The long-awaited fourth series of the Netflix show will document Diana’s meeting and eventual marriage to Prince Charles along with the births and early years of the two Princes.
Diana married Charles in 1981, and the couple welcomed sons William in 1982 and Harry in 1984. After separating in 1991, the couple divorced in 1997.
Emma’s casting was announced in April 2019, with The Crown’s creator Peter Morgan calling her ‘a brilliant talent who immediately captivated us when she came in for the part of Diana Spencer.’
‘As well as having the innocence and beauty of a young Diana, she also has, in abundance, the range and complexity to portray an extraordinary woman who went from anonymous teenager to becoming the most iconic woman of her generation.’
Young family: The scene was set when Diana was pregnant with her and Charles’ second child, Prince Harry, who was born in September 1984. Pictured right, Diana, Charles and William in June 1984
Mother: Emma cradled the young actor playing a toddler Prince William who gave a cheeky grin at Tobias Menzies, who reprises his role as Diana’s father-in-law Prince Philip
All star: Marion Bailey (left), who plays the Queen Mother, was also spotted on set for the family Easter egg hunt
Feeling it: Emma looked out of breath as she chased around a cheeky Prince William and his Easter egg basket
Speaking to The Wrap in November, Josh praised his new onscreen love interest Emma, gushing: ‘I obviously won’t go into exactly what we’re doing, but we’re shooting Season 4 at the moment and Emma’s doing an extraordinary job.’
Returning alongside Josh for another series of the Netflix hit are Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth, Tobias Menzie as the Duke of Edinburgh, Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret and Erin Doherty as Princess Anne.
The next series will be released later this year, but it was recently revealed that the show will conclude after its fifth season, with Imelda Staunton taking the throne as its final Queen Elizabeth II.
Show creator Peter Morgan confirmed the Netflix drama – currently airing its third season with Olivia Colman in the regal role – would not include a sixth season while revealing Imelda, 64, will take the role ‘into the 21st century’.
This means that current Royal scandals including the allegations made against Prince Andrew as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘Megxit’ drama won’t be featured on the Netflix hit.
Family of three: The cast were filming in parkland to replicate the grounds of Buckingham Palace
Doting father: Josh was seen grabbing the mischievous actor who plays his son William by the arm
Off we go! Josh beamed as he had fun with the young actor in the sunny setting, while Emma looked on
Animated: The up and coming actress looked right at ease on set, animatedly chatting with cast members in between takes
Harry Potter star Imelda said: ‘I have loved watching The Crown from the very start. As an actor it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan’s scripts.
‘I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion.’
Series three of The Crown hit Netflix in November 2019, with Oscar-winner Olivia taking the throne from Claire Foy, who portrayed the monarch in the first two seasons.
Peter said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to confirm Imelda Staunton as Her Majesty The Queen for the fifth and final season, taking The Crown into the 21st century.
‘Imelda is an astonishing talent and will be a fantastic successor to Claire Foy and Olivia Colman.’
Retro style: Actors were dressed in eighties style to replicate to the time period
We are family: Marion, who has played the Queen Mother in series three and four of the Netflix drama, looked in high spirits
Sit! Erin Doherty was also see on set, in her role as a young Princess Anne. She got to grips with some dog training while dressed in a checked waistcoat and matching skirt
Family fun: Cast members milled around the picturesque setting with filming equipment in the background
Peter has also now revealed he decided against making a sixth season of The Crown because there ‘has to be distance’ between real life and the show.
The writer and producer admitted he had initially sketched out storylines for further episodes beyond series five.
But he explained to the Daily Mail’s Baz Bamigboye: ‘You can’t fully examine incidents that happened yesterday. There has to be ten to 20 years’ distance. And in some instances much longer.’
Peter promised the final series, which won’t be filmed until 2021 or 2022 will be ‘explosive’ and will culminate with Britain entering the new millennium.
However, the showrunner admitted he would like to visit the royal family again in five to 10 years’ time, but to examine a different period.
He said: ‘I don’t know yet, but I might go further backwards in time, perhaps before this Queen.’
The fourth series is currently in production at Elstree Studios and locations across the UK and will see the introduction of Diana as well as Margaret Thatcher, played by Gillian Anderson.
Rising star: Erin played with an actress playing a younger member of the royal family in between takes
Huge shoot: The scale of the production could be glimpsed by the large amount of extras on set
Spring time fun: Josh was dressed in a smart brown tweed jacket and tie for his return as Prince Charles
Getting on well: Emma seemed to have struck up a close bond with the young actor playing William who beamed in her arms
It was initially thought the series would run for six series, spanning six decades.
Cindy Holland, vice president of original content at Netflix, said: ‘The first three seasons of The Crown defined an era, and I know the upcoming fourth season will build further on that success.
‘It’s a stunning example of award-winning entertainment, created in the UK and loved by millions of fans around the world.
‘I fully support Peter Morgan’s creative decision and am excited to see how he, Imelda Staunton and the cast and crew of season five, bring this landmark series to a fitting and spectacular end.’
Key moments in the Royal Family’s history the show will not cover includes Meghan and Harry’s decision to step back as senior Royals.
Monarch: Olivia Colman resumes her role as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the fourth series
Old face: Helena Bonham Carter plays Princess Margaret for the third and fourth series, taking over the role from Vanessa Kirby
Transformed: Tobias Menzies plays Prince Philip, taking over playing the character from Doctor Who star Matt Smith
Meghan and Harry rocked the foundations of the Royal Family when they announced their shock decision as they ‘work to become financially independent’.
Executive producer Suzanne Mackie shared earlier this month: ‘To be honest, whatever the life of ‘The Crown’ is after where we are now, I doubt we’ll ever go as far into the present day.’
Whilst Peter added back in 2018: ‘I feel uncomfortable writing about events within a certain time period. Let’s wait twenty years and see what there is to say about Meghan Markle.
‘I don’t know what there is to say about Meghan Markle at the moment. I wouldn’t know and I wouldn’t presume. She’ll only become interesting once we’ve had twenty years to digest who she is and what her impact has been.
‘If I were to write about Meghan Markle I would automatically be writing journalistically. I’ve got nothing to say about Meghan Markle.’
In a turbulent year for the House of Windsor Prince Andrew was also ‘sacked’ from all Royal duties by the Queen after a disastrous Newsnight interview about his years of friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Pivotal moments from The Crown so far…
King Edward VIII abdicates the throne for love
Edward fell in love with Wallis Simpson, a married woman, and planned to marry her after his coronation when her divorce had come through.
However they were denied the opportunity to marry and due to divorce being forbidden for the Royals and decided to move to France together.
Edward later returned to England to face his family for the funeral of George VI following his death and went on to form a close bond with Prince Charles.
Bigger picture: King Edward VIII abdicates the throne for love
Princess Margaret is also denied her happy ending
Princess Margaret, who is painted as the Royal rebel throughout the first and second seasons, hoped to step outside tradition and marry divorcee Peter Townsend.
However growing public chatter over the illicit relationship begins to overshadow Elizabeth’s post coronation fame.
Margaret makes her intentions to marry Peter clear to Queen Elizabeth II and she asks her to wait until she is 25 to tie the knot with her love.
However when her 25th birthday does roll around the Queen has to go back on her word due to pressure from the Crown, and tells Margaret that she cannot grant her permission to marry Peter.
Devastated: Princess Margaret is denied her happy ending with Peter Townsend
Winston Churchill’s rise and fall
The first and second seasons depicted the Queen’s relationship with the Prime Minister of the time, Winston Churchill.
Following his successful leadership during the Second World War, Winston rises to power again for a second time during Elizabeth’s reign.
The Crown follows Winston’s journey as he adjusts to answering to a woman in power and his deteriorating health.
Royal marriage is rocked Elizabeth’s new role
The power struggle in the relationship is clear to see as Elizabeth’s role as the Queen takes priority over her marriage, while Prince Philip isn’t used to taking a backseat.
The Crown also hints at infidelity in their relationship as Elizabeth finds a picture of Russian ballerina Galina Ulanova among his possessions, before sending him off on a five-month tour on the Royal yacht.
The tension comes to a head during the premiere for season two when the Royal couple argue on board the HMY Britannia as they strive to find a resolution to their problems, due to divorce not being an option for a monarch.
Trouble in paradise: Royal marriage is rocked Elizabeth’s new role
Elizabeth’s journey to accepting the Crown
The start of the series shows a more wary and shy Elizabeth, compared to the formidable monarch she has grown into.
One of the key moments in the first series is her journey to accepting the Crown, after having to reconfigure all of the relationships in her life.
The series shows the Queen growing in confidence as she finds herself on a path of self-discovery.
The Queen visits Aberfan
Aberfan: After reflecting on her decision, she eventually visited alongside her husband and it is claimed her delayed response remains one of her greatest regrets
Episode three of the third season focuses on the Aberfan disaster which killed 144 people, including 116 childrne, after a colliery spoil tip collapsed over a school in a Welsh village.
The Queen did not immediately visit the disaster site, citing that she did not want to distract away from the tragedy with her presence.
However after reflecting on her decision, she eventually visited alongside her husband and it is claimed her delayed response remains one of her greatest regrets.
The Royal Family documentary
Inside the life: In a bid to give the public a better understanding of the Royal family they let a camera crew into their lives for 18 months
In a bid to give the public a better understanding of the Royal family they let a camera crew into their lives for 18 months.
The Crown depicts the whole thing as a disaster with the family reportedly banning the programme from ever being aired again.
However in actuality, the documentary was well-received and had sky high viewing figures.
Prince Charles valuable time in Wales
Touching: Prince Charles valuable time in Wales
After receiving backlash for the title ‘Prince of Wales’, despite not being a citizen or speaking the language, Prince Charles was sent to Aberystwyth University to learn the language.
Charles, who was 20 at the time, finished the trip with an elaborate investiture to pledge his allegiance to the Queen in Welsh.
However he asked to tweak the speech to add in his own voice, promising the Welsh residents that they wouldn’t be forgotten by England again.
Princess Margaret wows at the White House
She impressed! After being sent on a Royal tour of the U.S. in place of her sister, Margaret was invited to dinner at the White House by President Lyndon B. Johnson
After being sent on a Royal tour of the U.S. in place of her sister, Margaret was invited to dinner at the White House by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
The whole night appeared a huge success thanks to Margaret’s quick-wit and charm, with President Johnson seemingly lapping it up.
However across the pond Margaret’s success appeared to worry the Queen as she seemed concerned she was being outshone by her sibling.