<P> The Crown is a biographical drama television series, created and written by Peter Morgan and produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for Netflix . The show is a biographical story about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom . The first season covers the period from her marriage to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 to the disintegration of her sister Princess Margaret's engagement to Peter Townsend in 1955 . A second season has been commissioned, which is intended to cover the Suez Crisis in 1956 through the retirement of the Queen's third Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, in 1963 following the Profumo affair political scandal . </P> <P> The Crown evolved out of Morgan's 2006 film The Queen and 2013 stage play The Audience . The series is intended to last 60 episodes over six seasons, with 10 one - hour episodes per season, covering the Queen's entire life, and with new actors being cast every two seasons . Claire Foy portrays the Queen in the first two seasons, alongside Matt Smith as Prince Philip and Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret . Filming for the series takes place at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, with location shooting at various locations throughout the United Kingdom . </P> <P> The entire first season was released on Netflix on November 4, 2016, with the second scheduled to be released on December 8, 2017 . The Crown has received overwhelmingly positive reception, with critics praising cast performances, direction, writing, cinematography, production values, and the relatively accurate historical accounts of Queen Elizabeth's reign . Significant praise in the first season was directed towards the performances of Foy in the leading role and John Lithgow as Winston Churchill . The series and its stars have been nominated for, and won, numerous awards, including Best Actress and Best Actor at the 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards for Foy and Lithgow, respectively, and best drama, writing, and directing at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards . </P> <P> The Crown traces the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding in 1947 to the present day . The first season depicts events up to 1955, with Claire Foy portraying the Queen in the early part of her reign . The second season is intended to cover from the Suez Crisis in 1956 through the retirement of the Queen's third Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, in 1963 following the Profumo affair political scandal . A third season will include Princess Margaret's five - year affair with baronet and gardening expert Roddy Llewellyn . </P>

When is the new season of the crown being released