The Crown was almost a film rather than a television show, the creator Peter Morgan has revealed.

The critically acclaimed and award-winning Netflix series begins with Claire Foy as a young Elizabeth at the beginning of her reign and subsequent Coronation as the Queen.

"I started writing this and my original thought was that this would be a film," Morgan said at the Royal Television Society's Deconstructing the Coronation conversation in London yesterday.

"I always find it hard, the struggle of what is the beginning, where does this start? With the Queen I kept thinking, it all starts when she meets Churchill, but for her to meet Churchill, her father needs to die, and she needs to get married. And I suddenly thought, hang on, this is a messy first start.

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"It was really going backwards that I ended up thinking that this may have longer legs and could be more appropriate for TV."

On what the focus of the movie would have been, he continued: "My original instinct was to do this is a film and just to have it about the relationship between a young Elizabeth and Winston Churchill.

"Because we never see him old and we never see her young. So I suddenly thought there was so many interesting things about his frailty, and also the way in which he behaved towards her.

"He used her to prolong his time in office. And I thought, ooooh, this is good."

Morgan also spoke about casting the lead roles of the Queen and Prince Philip, admitting that while Foy was the one they wanted straight away, they "met a number of Philips".

"The moment she [Foy] spoke... She's so wonderful, she's going to have such a wonderful career ahead of her.

"[But] No, it wasn't always going to be Matt [Smith]. We met a number of Philips, but Matt and Claire together... I saw the two of them together [and then] I behaved like an irresponsible child I gave Andy [Harries, the producer] no choice.

"Andy said, 'Matt's agent is being really tricky, I'd appreciate some leverage.' And I said, 'I'm afraid I can't give you any. I want him. He's the only one.'"

The forthcoming second series will feature Foy and Smith from 1956 until 1964. It is rumoured for release in November.

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