Netflix’s The Crown casts Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret in the final series
SHE’S fast becoming a national treasure, now Lesley Manville’s about to be part of a national institution after signing up to play Princess Margaret in The Crown.
The Oscar and Bafta nominee takes over from Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham Carter as the boozy, chain-smoking sister of the Queen in the fifth and final series of the Netflix drama.
Lesley is best known for starring in several Mike Leigh films and, more recently, playing the lead role in BBC2 sitcom, Mum.
A TV insider said: “Lesley is hugely respected by the creators of The Crown and was their first choice to play Princess Margaret this time.
“They wanted a star who could tackle the difficult role of a royal entering one of the darkest periods of her life, when the Windsors faced endless scandals and she was dogged by ill health.
“That’s why Lesley was one of the first actors they approached to join the new cast, and remains one of the few who has fully committed to The Crown.
“Although several big names are in the frame, producers have only signed up Lesley and Imelda Staunton, who will play the Queen.”
The pair have previously acted together in several films including 2004’s Vera Drake, 2014’s Maleficent and last year’s sequel, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil.
Both also feature in BBC1’s reboot of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads — Imelda reprised the monologue A Lady Of Letters last week, and tonight Lesley performed A Bed Among The Lentils.
The Crown is expected to pick up the story of the Royal Family around 1990 when Princess Margaret was 60.
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The series covers the period when she scalded her feet in a bath and was left debilitated and sometimes forced to use a wheelchair.
The princess, who caused a scandal when she divorced bisexual husband Lord Snowdon in 1978, also suffered a string of strokes which left her with partial vision and paralysis before she died in 2002.
A truly dramatic role worthy of a great actor.
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