It's yet to be announced who will play the controversial royal.

The long-awaited fifth season of The Crown is set to start production soon, but it's not all roses in the land of semi-fictional royals as Netflix is forced to deny an allegation that they're "struggling" to cast the role of Prince Andrew. According to The Sun newspaper, eyebrows were raised when producers placed an ad on the website Spotlight, a move considered somewhat unusual for such a high profile project. Netflix was quick to slam the reports, releasing a statement to Deadline magazine insisting it's standard practice, “There is absolutely no struggle to cast any role for season 5 of The Crown, and it is normal practice for productions to advertise in Spotlight.” According to the original report in The Sun, a source close to the production revealed, "Prince Andrew is one of the most unpopular members of the royal family and wannabe stars aren’t exactly queuing up to play him." Prince Andrew stepped away from royal duties in 2019 after his ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light. [caption id="attachment_507608" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Getty Images[/caption] Production for the fifth series is set to begin in June and will feature a slew of new faces taking on the iconic royals, with “Tenet” star Elizabeth Debicki starring as Princess Diana; Dominic West portraying Prince Charles; Imelda Staunton playing the Queen; and Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret. Fans have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the upcoming season as it deals with the tumultuous nineties. The nineties were considered a massively turbulent time for the royals, with scandal after scandal landing at the palace doors. The last season focused largely on Princess Diana (played to perfection by Emma Corrin) and the early days of her marriage. The beloved show is set to end after season six.