Disappointment for fans of The Crown as series 5 release is set back to 2022

It has been reported that filming for series five won't begin until June 2021, meaning a long wait for fans.

The fourth season of the Netflix smash hit might be set to return to our screens soon, but it will be a long wait before fans finally get to glimpse series five.

According to Deadline, we'll have to wait until 2022 to see Imelda Staunton take her turn as Queen Elizabeth II as the show takes a filming break until next summer.

Filming on the much-anticipated series five is set to commence in June 2021, and will likely air in 2022. It is reported that the filming break is not due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but because of its complicated mix of studio and set piece location shoots.

Season two and season three of the show took a similar two-year break, as Olivia Coleman replaced Claire Foy as the legendary, longest-reigning monarch.

The fifth series is also set to star Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, who will take the royal reins from Helena Bonham-Carter.

In the meantime, we have season four to look forward to, which is set to air later this year. It will take us through until 1990 when Margaret Thatcher, played by Gillian Anderson, is ousted as Prime Minister.

Series four will also cover the eagerly awaited portrayal of Prince Charles' relationship with Lady Diana Spencer, who is to be played by Emma Corrin.

The Crown's production company Left Bank just managed to wrap the series before the Covid-19 pandemic brought television production to a standstill in March. It is reported that the existing cast were disappointed not to have gotten their farewell celebration after filming.

It was initially thought that series five would be The Crown's final season, but creator Peter Morgan reversed the decision earlier this month. The popular Netflix show will now run for six series, much to viewers' delight.

However, the show still will not continue into the present day, much to the disappointment of Duchess Meghan Markle fans.

“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," the show's creator, Peter Morgan, said of the decision.

"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.”