The Crown deny they’re ‘struggling’ to cast Prince Andrew after role advertised on job site

Show bosses insisted listing was ‘normal practice’

The Crown bosses have denied reports that they are “struggling” to cast Prince Andrew for the show’s fifth season.

The upcoming episodes of Netflix’s royal drama will see all characters recast as part of a time jump, with Elizabeth Debicki taking over from Emma Corrin as Princess Diana and Imelda Staunton replacing Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth.

An actor has still not been cast to play Prince Andrew, who stepped back from royal duties in 2019 after a disastrous Newsnight interview in which he discussed his friendship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The interview came after Virginia Roberts – now named Virginia Giuffre – claimed she was forced to have sex with the prince three times between 2001 and 2002 at the age of 17.

Prince Andrew has categorically denied the allegations, as well as claims that he is deliberately "avoiding and evading" the US investigation into Epstein.

According to The Metro, the team behind The Crown is currently searching on Spotlight – a database of young actors’ CVs and jobs – to find the right performer to play the royal when he was in his thirties.

A spokesperson for the show told the publication: “There is absolutely no struggle to cast any role for season five of The Crown and it is normal practice for productions to advertise in Spotlight.”

In the fourth series of The Crown, the young Prince Andrew was portrayed by Tom Byrne.

The Crown seasons one to four are currently available on Netflix.