We all thought we knew how The Crown would work: every couple seasons, the historical drama would jump forward in time, requiring new actors to play Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, and other members of the British Royal Family. Claire Foy was duly succeeded by Olivia Colman for season three, which launched on Netflix earlier this month, and season four, which is due in 2020.

However, Foy has just been photographed on the set of Peter Morgan's award-winning drama, which is currently filming its fourth season. In snaps published by the Daily Mail, she's seen wearing a white dress and pearl necklace while sitting in front of a BBC radio microphone.

The scene is presumably a flashback sequence recreating a famous speech that Elizabeth gave in South Africa on her 21st birthday, in which she dedicated herself to the Commonwealth: a union of nations formerly presided over by the British Empire. You can check out archive footage of the real-life speech below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUlToHE_27U&feature=emb_title

Netflix hasn't confirmed anything to with Foy's rumored return to the series, so for now, we'll have to watch this space. Last week it was reported that BAFTA winner Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter, Vera Drake, Harry Potter) was being lined up to follow in Foy and Colman's footsteps by portraying Queen Elizabeth II in seasons five and six. However, Netflix declined to confirm these rumors, saying: "We are currently filming season four of The Crown but have not commissioned any further seasons as yet, therefore any news on casting remains pure speculation."

Colman and her The Crown co-star Helena Bonham Carter recently dropped into The Graham Norton Show to chat about season three of The Crown. Check out a clip below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0htcvq78nRY&t=146s

Are you excited to see Claire Foy in The Crown again?