The Crown series 4: the key moments from the next series of the Netflix show

With most of us having caught up (read: binge-watched) season three of Netflix's The Crown, we're now looking forward to the fourth season of the epic royal drama.

Not much is known about The Crown series 4, but we do have some clues about the topics that'll be covered in the fourth instalment, given the time period it might stretch across.

The upcoming series of The Crown will pick up where the third leaves off. The Crown season three finished in 1977, so it's likely that the next season will start in that year, and span around 13 years, as season three did. That means it should cover events up to around 1990.

It's reported that season four of the show will hit Netflix in late 2020, meaning there's not too much longer to wait! Reports state that we can expect it in November/December, which is when the previous seasons have launched.

So what exactly can we expect to see in The Crown series 4?

The death of Lord Mountbatten

While it's yet to be confirmed, an intriguing picture on Instagram appears to suggest that season 4 will portray the death of Lord Mountbatten in detail. The authoritative character was played by Greg Wise in season 1 and 2, and Charles Dance in season 3 and 4.

Prince Philip's uncle was a close confidant to the royal family, and in previous seasons, we've seen him act as somewhat of a mentor towards a young Prince Charles and an adviser to the Queen sometimes.

Lord Mountbatten was killed in 1979, at the age of 79, in an assassination by the IRA. He had gone finishing on the lake of his home, Classiebawn Castle, in Mullaghmore, Ireland, when a bomb - planted by the IRA the night before - was detonated, almost blowing his legs off. Although we was pulled to shore alive, he died shortly after. His funeral, which appears to be the scene that was filmed in the above post, took place at Westminster Abbey and was attended by the Queen and the royal family.

It'll likely provide an interesting look at the fallout of Mountbatten's death on the family - in particular, Prince Charles, who is depicted as being very close to his 'Uncle Dickie' in previous seasons of the show.

Diana's wedding rehearsals

Already, pictures have been emerging of the the new actress playing Princess Diana - confirming that season four will introduce the iconic, late Princess.

Emma Corrin, who is 24, will play the Princess of Wales, and scene she's shot recently reveal that they are re-creating the wedding rehearsal for hers and Prince Charles' nupitals.

While the real-life Prince and Princess got married at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, filming for the scenes occured at Winchester Catherdral, which provides a very similar backdrop to the original location. It's not yet clear whether The Crown will portray the royal wedding, which happened in 1981, but it's safe to assume that, as such a huge event, they'll show at least some of it.

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Could we also see the couple's iconic kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, after the ceremony? We'll have to wait and see...

Margaret Thatchers reign as Prime Minister

Season 4 will see the introduction of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister, as she took up the post in 1979.

So far in The Crown, we've seen the Queen interacting quite a lot with her current Prime Ministers, so we're likely to see the same continuing into the fourth series.

Gillian Anderson, from The X Files and Sex Education, will play the 'Iron Lady' in season 4, and we'll see her political career go through its most prominent time.

The Diana/Charles/Camilla love triangle

Of course, turmoil, trauma and grief were to follow Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage in 1981.

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There were evident problems in the royal couple's relationship, and it appears these could well be depicted in the fourth season of The Crown.

In fact, Josh O'Connor, the man playing Prince Charles in the series, hinted recently to PA that the fourth season may change our opinion on the royal a little...

He said, “Well, it’s the Diana years so we know that period so well. And in terms of Charles himself, if series three was to make people feel empathy and sorry for him, I guess we’re going to pull the rug from under him in the next series.”

The return of Claire Foy

Yes, you read that right! It was recently announced that Claire Foy, the first person to play Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, will reprise her role for just one scene in the upcoming fourth season, in a flashback to the monarch's past.

It's believed that the scene depicts the Queen making her 21st birthday speech, which she gave on a tour of Africa back in 1947. It was during that speech that the Queen made her now iconic statement: "I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service."

It's not yet known why the flashback will happen, and whether it will be a memory recalled by the Queen herself, or someone else - but we're looking forward to finding out!

The births of Prince William and Prince Harry

If The Crown series 4 is to cover the late 70 and 80s, it means that it's likely we'll see the births of Prince William and Prince Harry depicted on screen. And it now seems all but confirmed, as recent pictures have surfaced of the actress playing Princess Diana with a baby bump!

The now Duke of Cambridge was born in 1982, while Harry was born just two years later in 1984, and as two of the most significant births of the British royal family in recent years, it would make sense to see them on screen in the Netflix show.

Back in the 80s, Prince Charles, Diana, and their young family, were quite the celebrities (as the young Princes and their dad still are today), so expect to see evidence of the huge media interest in them too.