As you would expect from a new season of "The Crown," there are a number of new faces for audiences to get to know as the cast has been overhauled to represent a new royal era.
However, the new episodes have also introduced viewers to some new characters, including Penny Knatchbull (Natascha McElhone), who takes center stage as a close friend and confidante to Prince Philip (Jonathan Pryce).
The pair are shown growing closer after the Queen (Imelda Staunton) encourages Philip to pay Penny and her husband Norton a visit following the death of their young daughter, Leonora. Upon finding that Norton is not home, Penny and the Duke begin to open up to each other.
Philip encourages her to set up a charity in memory of her daughter or, better yet, find a hobby to distract her from her grief. Before long, Penny is shown to have taken up carriage driving, just like Philip, allowing the two to spend a lot of time together. Later in the season, Philip is seen telling the Queen about their special "friendship" and requests that she invites Penny into their inner circle.
Here, we compare the show's portrayal of Philip and Penny's friendship to real life.