'The Crown' producer says Netflix drama isn't likely to depict Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'quitting' the Royal family

The Crown is unlikely to show Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘quitting’ the Royal family in future seasons, an executive producer on the award-winning Netflix drama has told fans.

Following the couple’s announcement yesterday, which explained that they are “stepping back” from their “senior” duties in order to split their time between the UK and North America and strive to become “financially independent,” Suzanne Mackie downplayed speculation that it would provide a storyline for later episodes.

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“To be honest, whatever the life of The Crown is after where we are now, I doubt we’ll ever go as far into the present day,” she told PA. “I think we'll probably - we won't travel into the present day.”

The show’s third season, which premiered in November 2019, covered Elizabeth II’s reign from 1964 to 1977.

It is believed that the follow-up instalment, which is set to see Helena Bonham Carter, Tobias Menzies and Olivia Colman reprise their roles as Princess Margaret, Prince Philip and Her Majesty respectively, will depict significant moments of history throughout the 1980s.

It has been rumoured that Imelda Staunton will take over from Colman - who replaced Claire Foy- as monarch in The Crown’s fifth series. However, Netflix denies such claims.

Having become parents last year, Prince Harry and Meghan are keen to raise their son Archie “with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born” but also provide their “family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of [their] new charitable entity.”

According to the BBC, no other senior royals were told about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s plans ahead of them releasing their statement - including the Queen - and several members are said to be “hurt” by the decision.

This isn’t the first time Mackie has insisted that a real-life event isn’t appropriate source material for The Crown.

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When Prince Andrew, the Queen’s son, was quizzed about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and the accusations levelled at him by Virginia Giuffre, in a controversial Newsnight interview, many assumed it would make it into the show.

But Mackie said: "That was a particularly low point and it resonated for us in many ways but in terms of the huge public exposure of it, not great."