Vanessa Kirby has impressed as Princess Margaret in the first two seasons of Netflix's The Crown, and now she's admitted that she's "gutted" at having to leave the show.

As the series moves forward in time for season three, Claire Foy's Queen Elizabeth II will be replaced by Olivia Colman, and an as-yet unnamed actor will take on the part of the princess.

"I was desperate to carry on," Kirby told The Telegraph, adding that she pleaded with series creator Peter Morgan to let her continue.

Alex Bailey/Netflix

"I was like, 'Right, Peter [Morgan, The Crown creator], what do you want me to do? I'll smoke a million cigarettes in real life, I'll do anything to age myself…'

"I'm gutted. There hasn't been a part that's made me happier on-screen, and I really hope it has changed people's minds about her."

Vanessa went on to share her own thoughts on Princess Margaret after taking on the role for the Netflix production.

"I hope we would have been friends, but don't think I'd have been cool or wild enough – maybe she'd have slept with all my male friends though," she added.

The Crown's second season will introduce Matthew Goode as Princess Margaret's future husband Lord Snowdon.

Netflix

"One thing I really noticed in that first season was that at every funeral and state occasion I was on my own," Kirby said. "Elizabeth had Philip – Claire and Matt [Smith, playing the Duke of Edinburgh] were partners in crime – but Margaret was a bit of a spare part.

"I could feel her isolation and fragility, how she was desperate to do more but there was never space for a life force her size. It gave me a pretty good understanding of why she was attracted to Tony and what he represented."

For what it's worth, Matt Smith – who plays Prince Philip in seasons one and two – has no problem with being replaced.

"I think it's really interesting to see how people are going to reinterpret it, and I think it keeps it fresh," he said.

Watch a new trailer for The Crown season two below:

The Crown airs on Netflix.

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