Fans hoping for a quick turnaround between season four and five of the hit Netflix show might be a little bit more than disappointed at this news.

'The Crown' season five will not be arriving on our screens until 2022, according to Deadline. The news comes as Left Bank Pictures, the production company involved in the filming process, revealed production on the fifth season will not begin until June 2021.

However, according to the publication, this was always the plan for the series. The crew had planned on taking a hiatus from filming between seasons four and five, and with a global pandemic still lingering around us, the move has been deemed wholly necessary given the circumstances. If you'll remember, there was a similar pause between seasons two and three of 'The Crown', as Claire Foy passed the baton to Olivia Colman.

With that in mind however, season four of 'The Crown' is still set to arrive later this year. The upcoming season will see Colman return for her second and final time as Queen Elizabeth II, before her handover to Imelda Staunton. Gillian Anderson is set to make her debut as Margaret Thatcher, while Princess Diana will be played by Emma Corrin.

Staunton will play the iconic role for a further two seasons, with Netflix recently announcing that they have enough solid material on the Royal Family to add in a sixth and final ever season. The original plan was to have Staunton on board for just one season. In regards to other casting news of 'The Crown' season five, there hasn't yet been too many announcements to go on as of yet. The only one we know for certain is that Helena Bonham Carter's Princess Margaret will be played by Lesley Manville for seasons five and six.