The Crown: Netflix has ‘cast an actor’ to play controversial role of Prince Andrew

Season four of the royal hit will cover the Thatcher era, when the Duke of York was in his 20s

Netflix has reportedly cast an actor to play Prince Andrew in season four of The Crown.

The royal hit’s fourth series is expected to cover events during Margaret Thatcher’s years as prime minister, between 1979 and 1990, when the Duke of York was in his 20s.

According to The Sun, an inside source confirmed that newcomer Tom Byrne has been cast in the role.

They told the paper: “Tom probably couldn’t believe his luck when he landed a part playing a senior member of the royal family.

“After all, he’s yet to land a major TV role and the Netflix show is one of the most-watched dramas on the planet.

“But his heart might have sunk when he found out he would be playing a man who is now known as being the pal of a notorious paedophile.”

Prince Andrew’s friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein has come under scrutiny in recent months and his disastrous Newsnight interview on the subject has been widely mocked since it aired last November.

US federal investigators have since accused the Duke of York of providing “zero cooperation” in their investigation into Epstein and his co-conspirators.

Byrne’s previous credits include small parts in A Discovery of Witches and Black Mirror.

Netflix declined to comment on the report of his casting when contacted by The Independent.