Tobias Menzies to play Prince Philip in The Crown season 3 replacing Matt Smith

He joins Olivia Colman who replaces Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II

Netflix has confirmed which actor will play Prince Philip in the next season of The Crown.

Following the conclusion of season 2, British actor Tobias Menzies will assume the role played by Matt Smith in seasons one and two.

Menzies has appeared in several high-profile TV shows including The Night Manager, Outlander and Game of Thrones in which he played Edmure Tully - a character “he's still not sure” whether fans will see in the final season.

The only confirmed cast member had previously been Olivia Colman who will play the role of Queen Elizabeth II now Claire Foy's tenure has come to an end.

Helena Bonham Carter will succeed Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret.

Series creator Peter Morgan will recast the royal roles as the characters get older. Speaking about his decision, he said: You can’t ask someone to act middle-aged. Someone has to bring their own fatigue to it. The feelings we all have as 50-year-olds are different than the feelings we all have as 30-year-olds.“

Tobias Menzies (Getty Images)

Paul Bettany was originally set to play the role but was forced to drop out due to the time commitment required, perhaps securing the fate of his character the Vision in future films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Menzies will next be seen in brand new horror series The Terror which is produced by Ridley Scott.

The Crown recently found itself courting controversy following the news that Foy had been paid less than her male co-star Smith with production company Left Bank later issuing a formal apology to its former lead star

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