Meet the cast of 'The Crown' season 6 and find out who they play

Imelda Staunton's encore performance as Queen Elizabeth II comes after she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in season five.

Staunton took over the role of the late royal from Olivia Colman (seasons three and four), who was herself handed the reins by Claire Foy (seasons one and two).

Staunton is perhaps best known for playing the villainous Dolores Umbridge in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2007).

Jonathan Pryce returns to play the last iteration of Prince Philip, who spent more than 70 years by the Queen's side. Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies played younger versions of the royal who died in 2021 at the age of 99.

Pryce will be a familiar face to fans of the James Bond franchise as he played the baddie in "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997). He's also known for starring in "Evita" (1996) alongside Madonna, as well as the Netflix movie "The Two Popes" (2019), which earned him an Oscar nomination.

Dominic West returns to portray Charles, the eldest son of Elizabeth and Philip, who ascended to the throne last year.

West has previously appeared in the television dramas "The Wire," "The Affair," and "The Pursuit of Love." His movie credits include "Chicago" (2002), "Tomb Raider" (2018), and "Downton Abbey: A New Era" (2022).

Elizabeth Debicki will reprise her role of Princess Diana for the first half of season six, which chronicles the weeks leading up to her untimely death at the age of 36 in 1997.

Debicki, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the series, made her breakthrough in "The Great Gatsby" (2013), before going on to star in "Widows" (2018), "Tenet" (2020), and the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise.

Joining the cast for part one of season six is Rufus Kampa, who portrays a teenage version of Prince William, the heir to the British throne.

"The Crown" marks Kampa's television debut, though he is no stranger to the stage. He made his professional debut in London's West End in 2019 in a musical adaptation of "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾" and has starred in a number of other productions, according to Deadline.

The young Prince Harry is played by Fflyn Edwards, who has starred in a few other Netflix shows, such as "1899" and "Shadow and Bone."

Lesley Manville is back as Princess Margaret, the Queen's younger sister.

Manville was most recently in "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris" (2022), but is also known for starring alongside her on-screen sibling, Staunton, in "Vera Drake" (2004). She also received BAFTA nominations for her performances in "Another Year" (2010) and "Mr. Turner" (2014).

In "The Crown" season six, Charles and Camilla have gone public with their romance but are still facing difficulty getting the press and public on their side.

Playing Camilla is Olivia Williams, who took over the role from "Saltburn" director Emerald Fennell in season five. Audiences might recognize Williams from her roles in "The Sixth Sense" (1999), "Rushmore" (1998), and "An Education" (2009).

In part one of "The Crown" season six, Khalid Abdalla returns for a final turn as Dodi Fayed, who tragically lost his life in the 1997 car accident that killed Diana.

Abdalla has previously starred in the films "The Kite Runner" (2007), and "Green Zone" (2010), as well as the Disney+ MCU series "Moon Knight."

Bertie Carvel made his debut in "The Crown" in the final episode of season five, which showed Labour leader Tony Blair come into power in the UK.

The role makes Carvel the first actor to play two different roles in the royal drama. He previously made a brief appearance as political TV journalist Robin Day in season two.

Ed McVey will take over the role of Prince William in part two as the heir to the throne enters into adulthood, starting with university.

Like the younger actor playing William, McVey is a newcomer from a theater background. He graduated from Drama Centre London in 2021 and has understudied theater roles.

The older Prince Harry will be played by Luther Ford.

The role marks the actor's on-screen debut. In an interview with Hero magazine, he said he landed the role after he attended an open casting call "on a bit of whim."

Kate, now known as Catherine, Princess of Wales, will be introduced in part two of "The Crown" season six when William begins his studies at the Scottish university, St. Andrews.

The role is played by Meg Bellamy, who landed the role after submitting a self-tape in response to an open casting call for "The Crown" on social media, Deadline reports. She has not professionally acted before and, per an interview with the Telegraph, previously held a job as a red Lego brick at Legoland in Windsor.

Elizabeth and Philip's only daughter, Princess Anne, is played by Claudia Harrison.

She has previously starred in the film "The Cat's Meow" (2001), as well as the British television series "Murphy's Law," "The IT Crowd," and "Humans."

James Murray plays Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Elizabeth and Philip's third child, who has been largely absent from public life since accusations of sexual assault were levied against him by Virginia Giuffre.

Murray has starred in several series that will be familiar to British audiences, such as "Primeval," "Defiance," and "Cutting It." Next, he's set to appear in the Apple TV+ series "Masters of the Air."