As The Crown comes to an end following the final release of its sixth season on Netflix this week, author Peter Morgan looks back at the making of the mega-hit drama.
He has previously spoken of almost overlooking Claire Foy, who played the young queen, even though she auditioned several times.
And now he says Vanessa Kirby almost missed out on the role of Princess Margaret too.
“Everyone was leaning towards a different actress who they felt represented a significant opportunity. “And I wasn't 100 percent sure about that person,” he revealed.
But who was the “significant candidate” who was overtaken by Kirby for the role?
Crown writer Peter Morgan has looked back at the making of the mega-hit drama and revealed that Vanessa Kirby almost missed out on the role of Princess Margaret in the first season
Sources suggest that it was Andrea Riseborough, who was on the rise at the time after playing Wallis Simpson in Madonna's film WE, and almost landed the role
Sources suggest that it was Andrea Riseborough, who was on the rise at the time thanks to her role as Wallis Simpson in Madonna's film WE
The defeat didn't hurt her – she's since starred in films like Nocturnal Animals and To Leslie, for which she was nominated for an Oscar.
Her upcoming projects include two roles alongside Kate Winslet: the film Lee about Lee Miller and the TV drama The Palace.
Kirby, meanwhile, appeared in the Mission Impossible films and also starred in Ridley Scott's Napoleon alongside Joaquin Phoenix.
She told an interviewer this year that Princess Margaret was her favorite role of her career: “She's so much cooler than me, and that was really fun.”
“Playing someone who was so Technicolor and so powerful.”
The sixth part of the second season of “The Crown” arrived on Netflix on Thursday, December 14th and concludes the series about the British royal family.
The episodes cover William and Harry's grief after Diana's death, the final years of Princess Margaret's life, and William and Kate's first love stories while studying at St. Andrews University.
The defeat didn't hurt Riseborough – she has since starred in films such as Nocturnal Animals and To Leslie (pictured), for which she was nominated for an Oscar
Kirby appeared in the Mission Impossible films and starred opposite Joaquin Phoenix (pictured) in Ridley Scott's Napoleon
But the series has proven controversial because of its intimate depiction of recent events, including scenes about living members of the royal family.
The Crown is also criticized for blurring fact and fiction in its depiction of historical scenes.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old Meg Bellamy, who plays young Kate Middleton, admitted she “didn't remember the real-life events” depicted in the final season as the trio revealed how it affected their performances had.
Part two brings to our screens the pivotal university moment in the blossoming relationship between the now-Prince and Princess of Wales.
Meg explained: “We were babies and don't remember anything about the actual events of this series.”
“I think that's helpful because we could just look at it as a character on the page,” Ed added.
The sixth season, part two of The Crown arrived on Netflix on Thursday, December 14, concluding the show about the British royal family (pictured: Imelda Staunton as the queen).
ALISON BOSHOFF: How Vanessa Kirby beat out rising star Andrea Riseborough for the role of Princess Margaret in 'The Crown'