The Crown finally confirmed that Emerald Fennell will be starring as a young Camila Parker Bowles in the third season of the royal Netflix drama after an on-set image of the actress in character leaked online.

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The 33-year-old actress said in a statement: "I'm absolutely over-the-moon and completely terrified to be joining so many hugely talented people on The Crown.

Emerald Fennell pinterest
David M. Benett//Getty Images

"I absolutely love Camilla, and am very grateful that my teenage years have well prepared me for playing a chain-smoking serial snogger with a pudding bowl haircut."

It's been a busy year for the star - whose father is famed jewellery designer Theo Fennell, and sister is fashion designer Coco Fennell - as she's also written the screenplay for the second series of acclaimed thriller Killing Eve.

Fennell has taken over from Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge - who's currently writing the second instalment to her award-wining drama - and filming for the anticipated second series starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer has almost finished.

Speaking about Fennell penning the screenplay, Comer recently told Harper's Bazaar UK: "Emerald is so brilliant and also a very close friend of Phoebe's. They have a very similar sense of humour and Emerald really understands the characters and the tone of the show."

Fennell has previously written two episodes for E4 sitcom Drifters, in which she also starred in 2016.

Emerald Fennell in Call the Midwife pinterest
BBC/Neal Street Productions/Sophie Mutevelian//BBC

Besides screenwriting, Fennell is arguably best known for her role as Nurse Patsy Mount in beloved BBC drama Call the Midwife, which she played from 2013 to 2017. She also starred as Lady Lovelace in ITV's royal drama Victoria, and her film credits include Albert Nobbs, Anna Karenina, and the Oscar-winning Danish Girl.

Josh O'Connor and Emerald Fennell in The Crown pinterest
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Playing a young Camilla in the new series of The Crown, Fennell stars opposite Durrells actor Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles. The drama will focus on their friendship and on/off romance in the early 1970s.

Meanwhile, Olivia Colman takes over from Claire Foy as the Queen, while Tobias Menzies replaces Matt Smith as Prince Philip.

The Crown's season 3 will return to Netflix in 2019. Killing Eve's second season will air on BBC One next year too.