The Crown: Josh O’Connor appears to let slip who will be replacing him as Prince Charles

Actor seems to confirm long-standing rumours

The Crown’s Josh O’Connor appears to have confirmed who will be replacing him as Prince Charles.

O’Connor – who portrayed the Prince of Wales in the show’s third and fourth seasons – may have let slip on who will be taking over the role next season.

Speaking to GQ Hype, the actor said: “Playing that character has brought me a lot of joy. But it’s lovely to come away and go, ‘Great. Now hand it over to Dominic West.’”

West is best known for his role in the infidelity drama The Affair, which he starred in alongside Ruth Wilson, and The Wire.

Reports emerged last October that the actor was in talks to take the reins from O’Connor for the final two seasons of Netflix’s hit drama, however, they were unconfirmed.

Josh O'Connor y Emma Corrin como los padres de Harry, el príncipe Carlos y la princesa Diana, en The Crown (Des Willie/Netflix)

The Independent has contacted a representative of West’s for comment.

If West is cast – which seems highly likely given O’Connor’s comments – the 51-year-old will star opposite Elizabeth Debicki’s Princess Diana (Debicki will take over from Emma Corrin).

Series five and six will be set in the 1990s and 2000s and are expected to delve into Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s tempestuous marriage and his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.

In 1994, Prince Charles publicly admitted to infidelity in a TV interview, while Princess Diana confirmed it in the 1995 Panorama interview, saying: “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”

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Elsewhere in the interview, O’Connor also opened up about the prospect of moving on from the character that has earned him a Golden Globe award.

“I’ve been asked about it in the past and I’ve said it’s brilliant I don’t have to play [Prince Charles] anymore, which sometimes implies I didn’t enjoy it,” he said. “And I absolutely loved it. But the reason I wanted to be an actor is to play different people.”

Filming on series five is not due to begin until June this year, meaning that the drama is unlikely to return to Netflix before 2022.