The Crown creator Peter Morgan has revealed that the fourth season of the show will be released on Netflix in November.

Filming on the latest instalment of the epic royal drama was brought to a halt two weeks earlier than planned in March due to the coronavirus shutdown, but rather than restart production Morgan has decided to put together season four using the material he already has.

"In order to hit the release schedule for season four, we needed to start editing and lock episodes, which we've been doing throughout this time," he told The Hollywood Reporter.

"And everything takes much longer under these new social distancing regulations and rules. So if we'd, for example, waited until next month, when a number of people are starting to film again in late August, beginning of September, to pick up these extra scenes, I think a) everyone would have been out of the rhythm of it and it would have felt very strange, and b) I think it would have compromised our post schedule.

"And we had to weigh up, 'Is it worth it or not?' And, actually, that we're still able to hit our release schedule in November for season four has been worth it."

Season four will be the last to feature Olivia Colman as The Queen, with Imelda Staunton taking over the role for the fifth and sixth seasons.