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The Affair star Dominic West set to play Prince Charles in the final two seasons of The Crown

Pierra WillixThe West Australian
Dominic West is set to play Prince Charles in the Netflix series The Crown.
Camera IconDominic West is set to play Prince Charles in the Netflix series The Crown. Credit: Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

At a time where he is embroiled in a cheating scandal of his own, Dominic West is set to play the philandering Prince Charles in the final two seasons of The Crown.

The British actor has reportedly emerged as the front-runner to play the next heir to the throne in the Netflix smash-hit series.

British tabloid The Sun first reported the rumours, and said that a “TV insider” has revealed that the role would be a “prestigious casting for Dominic” and that “show bosses looked at several stars for the sought-after role, but he was by far their preferred actor. Now both parties are hammering out a deal”.

The Crown’s fifth season will chronicle the crumbling marriage between Charles and Princess Diana (played by Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki) after rumours of infidelity start to swirl about Charles and his former lover Camilla Parker Bowles.

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But, The Sun’s source added the “irony” of the casting decision “won’t be lost on anyone” after West was spotted apparently cheating on his wife.

Dominic West and Lily James.
Camera IconDominic West and Lily James.

Last week he was photographed kissing his much younger co-star Lily James, 31, in Rome, where they are filming a BBC adaptation of The Pursuit Of Love.

In the series West plays her father.

Dominic West and Catherine Fitzgerald.
Camera IconDominic West and Catherine Fitzgerald.

After the photos emerged, West undertook an awkward photo call with his wife Catherine Fitzgerald outside their country mansion in Wiltshire just days later, where they insisted their decade-long marriage was as strong as ever.

West has previously won rave reviews for his role in the American television series The Affair in which his character cheats on his wife with a younger woman, while James starred in Downton Abbey.

Ruth Wilson as Alison and Dominic West as Noah in The Affair
Camera IconRuth Wilson as Alison and Dominic West as Noah in The Affair Credit: Mark Schafer/SHOWTIME

Her ex-boyfriend, Doctor Who star, Matt Smith also previously took a starring role in The Crown, playing the Duke of Edinburgh over two seasons.

After premiering in 2016, the royal drama’s fourth season will be released next month and introduces audiences to Lady Diana Spencer (played by Emma Corrin) for the first time and is set during Margaret Thatcher’s prime ministership.

It will also depict the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, their 1983 tour of Australia and New Zealand and Lord Mountbatten’s funeral, before the casting of major characters again changes the season after.

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