The Crown season 5: what music to expect, and everything we know so far

29 September 2021, 11:14 | Updated: 29 September 2021, 11:34

By Sian Moore

The Crown will return to screens for a fifth instalment of the hugely successful historical drama next year.

Olivia Colman has passed on the orb and sceptre to her on-screen successor, Imelda Staunton, who will play Queen Elizabeth II in the final two instalments of The Crown.

Alongside the monarch, Elizabeth Debicki will portray Princess Diana, with Dominic West as Prince Charles, in the season five premiere next year.

We left the fourth series at Christmas 1990, and it’s likely the new season will continue to follow the relationship between Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

Little has been revealed about the fifth instalment of Netflix’s award-winning historical drama, but here’s everything we do know so far, including some speculation on the upcoming soundtrack...

Imelda Staunton delivers message from the set of The Crown as she reveals Season 5 will come in November 22

What music will be in The Crown season 5?

Netflix has kept most details of the upcoming series under wraps.

So far, the streaming giant has only shared a brief message from our latest on-screen Queen Elizabeth II in a lavish, regal setting. Predecessors Claire Foy and Colman make a cameo in the shot, too.

But there’s no musical accompaniment to the short clip to whet our appetites, unfortunately.

A glimpse of Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown season 5. Picture: Alamy

However, looking back at previous seasons gives us some idea of what we might hear in the latest soundtrack.

We can be sure that German film composer Hans Zimmer’s majestic theme will accompany the opening titles, with its unmistakeably grand organ and tense, tremolo strings.

But for the moment, Netflix hasn’t revealed who will be working on the new music.

The series has had three different composers over the years; British composer Rupert Gregson-Williams penned the score for season one, and later, season two alongside Scottish composer Lorne Balfe. British composer Martin Phipps worked on the two most recent series.

Hans Zimmer - The Crown Main Title (2016)

There’s a good chance that Phipps has been enlisted to compose season five’s soundtrack, bringing back the dignified and suspenseful soundworld we’ve heard in earlier series.

One thing that does seem likely to make a reappearance is the combination of music from classical composers and contemporary pop stars.

You might remember that in The Crown season four, Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos and music from Verdi’s La traviata were featured alongside hits from Stevie Nicks and Elton John.