Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal exit won't feature in The Crown

Since 2016, The Crown has gripped viewers with its re-telling of royal stories, dramatising the lives of the Queen and her family since she took the throne in 1953 - although Her Majesty and Prince Philip have some strong opinions about the show.

While it has included storylines involving Prince Charles, Princess Diana and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, it has been confirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to step back as senior royals won't be portrayed on screen.

Last year, creator and screenwriter Peter Morgan revealed that due to his '20 year rule' he won't be re-telling the stories of the younger generation of royals.

He told the Hollywood Reporter: 'I just think you get so much more interesting (with time).

'Meghan and Harry are in the middle of their journey, and I don't know what their journey is or how it will end.

'I sort of have in my head a 20-year rule. That is enough time and enough distance to really understand something, to understand its role, to understand its position, to understand its relevance.

'Often things that appear absolutely wildly important today are instantly forgotten, and other things have a habit of sticking around and proving to be historically very relevant and long-lasting.

He continued: 'I don't know where in the scheme of things Prince Andrew or indeed Meghan Markle or Harry will ever appear. We won't know, and you need time to stop something being journalistic.

'There've been wives that have been married into the Royal Family that have felt unwelcome and that they don't fit in. So, there are plenty of stories to tell without telling the story of Harry and Meghan.'

Fans will have to wait until 2022 for the fifth series, as filming is not due to start until this summer.

However, we do know that Queen Elizabeth II will be played by Imelda Staunton, with Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana.

Excited? Same.