‘The Crown’ Casts The Role Of Camilla Parker Bowles With ‘Call The Midwife’ Star Emerald Fennell

Little by little, fans of the Netflix hit The Crown are learning about the closely guarded secrets behind the new casting of the show. The series, based on the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, is now shooting Season 3. Josh O’Connor from the ITV series, The Durrells of Corfu, will play the younger Prince Charles, and now we know who will play his first love — and current wife — Camilla Parker Bowles.

Town & Country shared the news that Emerald Fennell, one of the stars of the PBS series Call The Midwife, will join the cast of The Crown as Prince Charles’ first girlfriend, mistress, and future wife. Camilla Parker Bowles is one of the many characters who will be introduced early, and who will grow in significance over the seasons.

Producer Suzanne Mackie told fans at the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival that Camilla will be introduced in Season 3 — which is filming back to back right now with season 4.

“Peter’s [creator Peter Morgan] already talking about the most wonderful things. You start meeting Camilla Parker Bowles in season three.”

Long before Prince Charles met Diana Spencer, he dated and palled around with Camilla Parker Bowles — who was part of his polo set.

The Crown Season 3 Has Cast Its Young 'Chain-Smoking, Serial Snogger' Camilla https://t.co/gRxss88RJc

— People (@people) October 23, 2018

Emerald Fennell, for her part, says that she’s thrilled to join the cast as a spoiler, and by Season 4, as the woman who will be the “third person in Princess Diana’s wedding.”

“I’m absolutely over the moon and completely terrified. To be joining so many hugely talented people on The Crown. I absolutely love Camilla, and am very grateful that my teenage years have well prepared me for playing a chain-smoking serial snogger with a pudding bowl haircut.”

Nina Gold, the casting director for The Crown, says that it’s interesting to first cast a Camilla to match up with Prince Charles — rather than a Diana.

“Diana’s not in this season. When we do get to her, that is going to be pretty interesting.”

Nina Gold, who also cast Game of Thrones, says that it’s becoming more and more important to get the casting spot-on as we move toward our own time, says Vanity Fair.

“Not only are we casting real-life characters but as we get closer to the present day, many of these people are very much alive. So we have to honor them by picking the right actor to play them—while making a link between the actors who played these characters in the first seasons.”