Delightful news of a Friday.

Imelda Staunton has officially been cast as The Queen in season five of The Crown.  Netflix announced the news today, while also confirming that the show will end after five seasons instead of six.  Staunton will succeed Claire Foy who played Queen Elizabeth in seasons one and two of the drama, and Olivia Colman who is currently portraying the monarch in the series. "I have loved watching The Crown from the very start," said Staunton. "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. https://twitter.com/TheCrownNetflix/status/1223262356496699394?s=20 "I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion." Series creator Peter Morgan said today that he had originally wanted to shoot six seasons of the programme, but that scripting the fifth season made him realise the end was nearer than he had first anticipated. "Now that we have begun work on the stories for season five it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop," he said. It is expected that season five will take audiences up until around 2003 before the series ends. Staunton is the first cast member to be announced for season five. She is best known for her roles in Harry Potter, Downton Abbey, and her many incredible contributions to the stage.