The executive producer of The Crown has ruled out any possibility of the Netflix royal biopic continuing after its sixth season, which will take events up to the early 2000s.

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Speaking to Broadcast, Suzanne Mackie explained that creator Peter Morgan "can't write something" unless at least 10 years have passed between a real-life event and the show's later depiction.

"Peter has said it very articulately, that he simply can’t write something unless there has been time to gain a proper perspective. And I think he’s always felt 10 years is the minimum amount of time that he can see something in a historical context, to allow him to really understand it. I don’t think he’ll deviate from that," she said.

"We all know these stories, but what Peter does so brilliantly is get underneath that, and understand the landscape in a more nuanced, complex, surprising way. The minute he starts trying to do that sooner, it will inevitably feel contrived or artificial. So, although this has been an absolute career highlight for me, it will absolutely be time to move on."

Mackie also described the season four casting of Emma Corrin as Diana, Princess of Wales as "probably one of the proudest moments in my career".

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"We knew we didn’t want to cast someone very well known. In Diana, we wanted someone that you almost needed to dress up, and who evolves from being that slightly awkward Sloane Ranger teen to a stronger woman. That’s an extraordinary journey, and one the audience would need to completely accept and understand," she said.

She explained that during the season three casting process for Camilla Parker-Bowles, they decided to bring in an actress to read Diana's lines.

"We decided to get an actor to read Diana’s lines, and this young girl, a student, Emma, comes in to help out. I had a very strong feeling about her, immediately. She read that scene five times and we thought, “Blimey, she’s good.” So we put the camera on her, and had her in the scene. At the end, I looked at her and thought, 'That might be Diana'," she said.

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You can watch seasons 1-4 of The Crown right now on Netflix. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, visit our TV Guide, or visit our Drama hub for the latest news and features.

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