Jonathan Pryce will play Prince Philip on 'The Crown'

Jonathan Pryce is helping to tell the ending of the highly celebrated historical drama The Crown. Just announced this week, Pryce will be stepping in to play the role of Prince Philip for the final two seasons of The Crown, which is set to wrap up after season six.Pryce will star opposite Imelda Staunton, who has been cast as the final Queen Elizabeth II. The role was previously played by Claire Foy in seasons one and two and Olivia Colman in seasons three and four. Matt Smith originated the role of Prince Philip in the first two seasons, followed by Pryce’s Game Of Thrones co-star Tobias Menzies, who appeared in season three and will return for the upcoming fourth season.

News from the palace: we can confirm there will be a sixth (and final) season of @TheCrownNetflix, in addition to the previously announced five!

— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) July 9, 2020

In addition to Pryce and Staunton, Lesley Manville will also join the decade-jumping series as Princess Margaret, a role that was originally portrayed by Vanessa Kirby and later Helena Bonham Carter.Pryce’s casting in The Crown is a return to Netflix for the Welsh actor, who received his first Oscar nomination in 2019 for his role as Pope Francis opposite Anthony Hopkins in The Two Popes. A two-time Tony winner, Pryce is known for his dramatic stage performances in plays like Comedians and Miss Saigon. The 73-year-old actor broke into the feature film world in 1985 with his role in Brazil and has continued to enjoy a prolific career that recently included playing the High Sparrow in Game of Thrones (stream all season on Crave)and starring opposite Glenn Close in The Wife.Following the news of Pryce’s latest role, the actor released a statement. “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 and Lesley will be a joy.”Since premiering in 2016, The Crown has been an awards show heavyweight. Foy and Colman have both won Golden Globes for their portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II and the show has taken home a Globe for Best Drama. Foy and John Lithgow, who portrayed Winston Churchill on The Crown, have both won Emmys for their work on the series. In 2018, Kirby won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Princess Margaret.Season four of The Crown is expected to arrive later this year and will cover Prince Charles’ courtship and marriage to Princess Diana, as well as the arrival of their sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Emma Corrin has been cast to play Lady Diana Spencer and Gillian Anderson will also make her debut as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. It’s unclear when the fifth and sixth seasons of The Crown will air considering the ongoing shutdown of many TV and film sets.[video_embed id='1600568']RELATED: Princess Diana always wanted to have a daughter[/video_embed]When The Crown does return with its final two seasons, it will enter a new century. Creator Peter Morgan told Variety that the fifth and sixth seasons will cover events from the early 2000s. “As we started to discuss the storylines for Series 5, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story we should go back to the original plan and do six seasons. To be clear, Series 6 will not bring us any closer to present-day — it will simply enable us to cover the same period in greater detail,” said Morgan.The real Prince Harry will be making an appearance on Netflix ahead of Season 4 of The Crown. The Duke of Sussex and creator of the Invictus Games will appear in the upcoming documentary Rising Phoenix, which shines a spotlight on athletes who participate in the Paralympics.

Rising Phoenix tells the extraordinary story of the Paralympics Games. From its humble beginnings post World War II to the global phenomenon it is today. Coming 26 August. #RisingPhoenix pic.twitter.com/OF3H28p2Nq

— NetflixSA (@NetflixSA) August 13, 2020

[video_embed id='2002679']Before you go: Prince Harry wanted out of Royal life before he met Meghan[/video_embed]