TV Shows

Netflix’s ‘The Crown’: See First Photos of Helena Bonham Carter on Set

Helena Bonham Carter has been photographed in full costume for the first time since she joined […]

Helena Bonham Carter has been photographed in full costume for the first time since she joined Netflix‘s The Crown.

Bonham Carter is playing Princess Margaret in the historical drama. She was spotted in full costume alongside Ben Daniels, who plays her on-screen husband, Lord Snowdon. The pictures, published by The Sun, show Bonham Carter in a red and white floral dress, with white gloves extending up past her elbows. She wore a tight pearl necklace as well, and pearl earrings to match. Her hair was up in a regal arrangement — a far cry from the wild mane she wears so often in other movies.

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See the photos here.

The pictures were reportedly taken at Hylands Park in Essex in the United Kingdom. The location was transformed to stand in for the White House in the show.

Of course, Princess Margaret is already an established character on The Crown. She was played by Vanessa Kirby for the show’s first two seasons. Going into season 3, just about every major character has been re-cast, as the story will jump ahead several years. Kirby was the first to suggest that Bonham Carter might be her replacement, long before the official announcement was made.

“Honoured,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. She posted a photo of herself and Bonham Carter smiling, arm in arm, and she tagged the show’s official account as well.

The showrunners reportedly intend to re-cast the show every two years, bringing in older actors to show the passage of years or decades as they move through the life of Queen Elizabeth II. In some respects, this makes it seem easier for the actors, who can step into an established role and pick up a story that they are already familiar with. However, Bonham Carter told The Sun that she is nervous to try and match Kirby’s performance.

“I’m not sure which I’m more terrified about โ€“ doing justice to the real Princess Margaret or following in the shoes of Vanessa Kirby,” she said. “The only thing I can guarantee is that I’ll be shorter than Vanessa.”

Joining Bonham Carter in the new cast is Olivia Coleman, who is replacing Claire Foy the queen herself. She, too, had some reservations about taking over another actor’s job.

“I’m really nervous to take over something that’s been so great โ€” it’s scary,” she admitted. “They’re giving me a great voice coach who will make sure I speak like the Queen. So I’ll just learn the lines and try and copy exactly what they do. Claire Foy has let me know I can call if I need to.”

The Crown is one of Netflix’s most expensive shows, and one of its most ambitious. Season 3 is expected to be released some time in 2019.