The fifth season of The Crown — like the third season — introduces a whole new main cast as the story enters a new period in history.

That’s right, The Crown has arrived in the ’90s and swapped out Season 4’s Thatcher-era lineup for a fresh group of actors to represent the regal characters. (It turns out, they’re into Mariah Carey and Apollo 13 just as much as us commoners.) In addition to aging up the drama’s long-standing lead players, the Season 5 cast brings a new prime minister; new friends, family and lovers; and two new journalists, both intent on getting to the truth of Princess Diana’s royal trauma.

“I’m thrilled with what [the new cast has] done,” said series creator Peter Morgan. “They bring the whole new flavor and energy into the show that I think the show really needs and profits from in Season 5.”

Read on for everything you need to know about them.

Queen Elizabeth

Though surrounded by characters who could perhaps be described as more dynamic than she is, the very reliability of the sovereign is one of her greatest assets. In Season 5, the queen continues her reign as steady as ever, but it’s the world around her that’s changing — and neither the public nor some of her family are convinced that she can keep up. She’s disturbed, too, by the collapse of not just one but three of her children’s marriages, fearing the impact that so much divorce could have on the monarchy. “[The season] does start with people questioning, ‘Do we need the monarchy? Do we need the queen?’” said Imelda Staunton. “And she has to ride that particular storm.”

With a rich career in theater, film and television stretching back to the ’80s, Staunton’s résumé boasts over 100 screen credits — including her Oscar-nominated turn as the title character in 2004’s Vera Drake — and she’s been nominated for 13 Olivier Awards, winning 4. For many viewers, the star is most recognizable as the insidious Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films.

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Prince Philip

Even in his older age, the Duke of Edinburgh refuses to slow down. Ever curious, he loves researching new subjects in history and science; having aged out of polo, he develops a passion for carriage riding. He shares these pursuits with a “gang” of friends that includes Penny Knatchbull, the wife of his godson. “What Peter does is think of [Philip] as a man locked into a very restrictive situation, [and he asks,] ‘What must he be thinking? What would I be thinking if I was in that kind of marriage?’” said Jonathan Pryce.

Like his on-screen wife, Pryce has had a formidable career on stage and screen: Beginning his career in theater in the ’70s, his breakout film role came with 1985’s Brazil, from filmmaker Terry Gilliam. Pryce has since collaborated with Gilliam on three more films. One of his many television roles was the High Sparrow in Game of Thrones. The Welsh actor has won two Olivier Awards and two Tony Awards and received nominations for two Primetime Emmys and one Oscar — for The Two Popes.

John Major

New season, new prime minister! Taking over from Season 4’s Margaret Thatcher is the new head of the Conservative party, John Major. When Season 5 begins, the level-headed politician has already been in office for a while and developed a pleasant rapport with the sovereign.

English actor Jonny Lee Miller had his big-screen breakthrough in the same decade that The Crown’s fifth season takes place, with major roles in 1995’s Hackers and 1996’s Trainspotting. (He returned to the latter part for the 2017 sequel T2 Trainspotting). On the small screen, he notably starred as the title character in ABC’s legal dramedy Eli Stone and as Sherlock Holmes in CBS’ Elementary.

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Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret (left) in The Crown, Season 5.

Princess Margaret

The queen’s little sister, now in her 60s, has settled down from her wild youth (and from her failed marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones). She and Elizabeth seem closer than ever, until an unexpected reminder of a past love makes Margaret reflect upon a life she might’ve had — but was royally denied. “There’s all the big, epic stories going on — the stories everyone knows about because they’re history — but then there’s all the little quiet dramas going on underneath,” said Lesley Manville of Margaret’s arc this season.

Manville has racked up over 100 film and TV credits (in addition to her impressive theater résumé) going back to the ’70s. The English actor has made eight films with filmmaker Mike Leigh; she received her first Oscar nomination, however, for Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread in 2017. For her stage work, she’s received three Olivier Award nominations, winning once.

Prince Charles

All is not right with the future king. Unhappy in his marriage to Diana, Charles continues to turn to Camilla Parker Bowles for support. Frustrated by his inherently intermediate position as the Prince of Wales, he’s energized to modernize the monarchy. “The great tension that you see in this season, that Peter’s written about, is between this 1950s outlook on the monarchy and on public life and on marriage and the modern day and how they clash,” says Dominic West. “Diana really represents the modern day and Charles is sort of caught between the two.”

West’s career began in the ’90s, with early roles including Shakespeare film adaptations Richard III and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He may be best known for his television work: The English actor starred in HBO’s The Wire and Showtime’s The Affair.

Princess Diana

The Waleses’ union can’t be saved, and the princess’ loneliness and desperation only increase as time goes on — especially when her older child, William, goes away to school. Diana finally finds a way to tell her side of things to the world via two men who are all too eager to provide her a platform — for better or worse. “As a result of the marriage breaking down — and how she becomes more and more removed from the rest of the royal family — that of course encourages her to grow other pieces of her life and attempt to recoup control of the ones that are spiraling,” said Elizabeth Debicki.

Australian actor Debicki had her breakout role in Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 adaptation of The Great Gatsby, in which she played Jordan Baker. The statuesque star (she’s more than 6 feet tall) has since appeared in The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Widows and Tenet, among other films. She also had a role in AMC’s The Night Manager.

Prince William

The second in line to the throne is growing up and about to begin school at Eton. (He’s spared the grueling education that his father experienced at Gordonstoun in Season 2). Though troubled by the tension — and sometimes open hostility — he detects between his parents, he starts forging a closer relationship with his grandmother, the queen.

Newcomer Senan West scores his first role with The Crown. Fittingly, he’s the real-life son of on-screen father Dominic West.

Camilla Parker Bowles

Camilla remains devoted to Charles but married to Andrew Parker Bowles. That arrangement can only last so long, however, with the ever-intensifying media scrutiny on the Prince of Wales’ personal life. “Camilla goes from being a ‘close friend’ of Charles to being the subject of media scrutiny,” said Olivia Williams.

English actor Williams’ career began in the theater, and she broke into film in the ’90s with Rushmore and The Sixth Sense. Since then, she’s delivered notable performances in An Education and The Ghost Writer and had regular roles in Dollhouse and Counterpart.

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Marcia Warren as The queen mother (left) in The Crown, Season 5.

The queen mother

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother is well into her 90s, and going strong. She still advocates for sticking to tradition whenever consulted, but embraces modernity in the form of satellite TV, which enables her to watch soaps.

The winner of two Olivier Awards, English actor Marcia Warren began her career onstage before her small-screen breakout, a regular role in the British sitcom No Place Like Home from 1983 to 1986. Since then, in addition to various film appearances, her long list of TV credits includes roles in BBC One’s Dangerfield and ITV’s Vicious.

Keith Bernstein/Netflix

Princess Anne

Her marriage to Mark Phillips beyond repair, Anne is granted a divorce. Before it’s even finalized, someone else catches her eye — Tim, her mother’s equerry. (If you think that sounds a bit like something that happened in Season 1, Margaret thinks so, too.) Still a close friend to Charles, Anne is impressed by her brother’s passion for change.

Claudia Harrison made her debut in the 2001 film The Cat’s Meow. Soon after, she scored a role in the first season of the British drama Murphy’s Law. Her other TV appearances include episodes of The IT Crowd and Midsomer Murders.

Prince Andrew

Hey, Charles and Anne can’t hog all the marital crises for themselves. Andrew’s own union to Sarah Ferguson is similarly on its way out. The queen isn’t thrilled (with any of them).

English actor James Murray has dozens of credits to his name, primarily in television. They include parts in ITV’s Primeval, Syfy’s Defiance and the highly anticipated Apple TV+ series Masters of the Air.

Keith Bernstein/Netflix

Prince Edward

An unproblematic prince! As Season 5 opens, Elizabeth’s youngest is not yet married and causing no drama for the family. Good for him!

Sam Woolf has appeared in filmed theatrical performances of Shakespeare plays (The Winter’s Tale and Antony and Cleopatra) as well as episodes of Humans and Call the Midwife, but his turn as Prince Edward in The Crown is poised to be his biggest credit yet.

Penny Knatchbull

The wife of Prince Philip’s godson, Norton, Penny has long been part of the family. When tragedy strikes her family, she’s devastated and adrift. Penny finds distraction from her heartbreak in carriage riding and community in Philip’s new crowd of friends.

Having begun her career in the theater, British actor Natascha McElhone got her first lead role in the 1996 film Surviving Picasso and broke out soon after with The Truman Show and Ronin. She’s best known for her TV roles in Showtime’s Californication and ABC’s (later Netflix’s) Designated Survivor.

Andrew Morton

A journalist on the Princess of Wales beat, Andrew Morton suspects that Diana’s life isn’t the fairy tale that the public believes it to be. Knowing she isn’t free to openly share her perspective, Morton carefully and indirectly approaches her with a means by which she can tell her own story to the world.

Andrew Steele has performed in film and TV for a little over a decade, with credits including E!’s The Royals and Starz’s Outlander as well as Netflix’s Free Rein.

Ana Blumenkron/Netflix

Mohamed al-Fayed

Fabulously wealthy Egyptian businessman Mohamed al-Fayed develops an empire by buying the Ritz in Paris, and then Harrods in London. He seeks not just financial growth but above all social status — and there’s no approval or proximity he craves more than that of the royal family.

Salim Daw has racked up dozens of credits since the 1980s, including starring roles in films like Avanti Popolo, Gaza Mon Amour and HBO’s Oslo, as well as regular roles in FX’s Tyrant and the Israeli sitcom Arab Labor.

Dodi Fayed

The oldest son of Mohamed al-Fayed, Dodi works for his father before setting off on his own to produce films; his credits include Chariots of Fire. As his career picks up steam, he looks to move to Los Angeles.

Egyptian-British actor Khalid Abdalla had his breakthrough in Paul Greengrass’ United 93, followed by a starring role in Marc Forster’s The Kite Runner. His credits since then have included reteaming with Greengrass for Green Zone and, most recently, a part in Disney+’s Moon Knight.

Martin Bashir

Piecing together the obsessive reporting on the implosion of the Wales marriage, ambitious BBC journalist Martin Bashir realizes that a tell-all interview with Princess Diana would be the scoop of the decade — and he’s willing to go to any means necessary to secure it.

This isn’t the first time that the English actor, director and writer Prasanna Puwanarajah has played Bashir; he portrayed the journalist in the 2013 film Diana, starring Naomi Watts as the people’s princess. Other recent credits include Showtime’s Patrick Melrose and Amazon Prime Video’s Ten Percent.

Hasnat Khan

Heart surgeon Hasnat Khan is devoted to his work, so naturally it’d be at the hospital that he might forge a surprising connection — with the Princess of Wales, a friend of the wife of one of his patients.

Actor Humayun Saeed has amassed an impressive list of credits across film and TV, primarily in his native Pakistan, where he’s a major star. He’s won several Lux Style Awards, which honor the Pakistani entertainment industry, and starred in the highest-grossing (domestically) Pakistani film of all time, Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2.

The Crown Season 5 launches on Nov. 9.