Ever since we finished watching The Crown season three at the end of last year, we’ve been looking forward to the fourth instalment of Netflix’s award-winning original series.

And now, in the lead-up to the show’s release on 15 November, we’re finally being treated to our first glimpse of one of the show’s most hotly anticipated moments: Diana and Charles’ wedding.

The exclusive image, which was posted on Netflix’s Twitter account, shows Emma Corrin – who will be playing the late princess in series four of the show – in a remake of Princess Diana’s iconic wedding dress. 

“A first glimpse of Princess Diana’s wedding dress,” the tweet reads. “Emmy award-winning costume designer Amy Roberts wanted to capture the same spirit and style of David and Elizabeth Emanuel’s original design, without creating a replica for Emma Corrin.”

Although the dress may not be an exact replica of the royal’s 1981 gown, it’s safe to say that Corrin shares a pretty close resemblance to Diana – something fans of the show were quick to point out.

“Oh, my goodness, the spirit of the dress has certainly been captured!” read one response. “And well done to the casting team and makeup/styling crew – I had to double-check. Can’t wait for the premiere date.”

“She really looks like Diana,” another read. “I had to do a double take.”

And a third added: “The resemblance is uncanny. Amazing casting and costume design!”

Season four of The Crown will document the romance between Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, including their wedding in 1981. We also know that the show will depict Princess Diana’s struggles with bulimia and that eating disorder charity Beat have provided guidance to ensure it is portrayed in a “sensitive and non-glamourising way”. 

Speaking to Glass Magazine about the experience of bringing Princess Diana to life on screen, Corrin described wearing the wedding dress as “an insane moment” and explained how she had to come to terms with the fact that everyone would have their own opinions about how the late princess would be portrayed.

“I think I realised quite quickly that if I were to do this any justice, I was going to have to come to terms with that and put it to one side,” she explained.

“I needed to shut off all the noise that was saying, this is huge. It’s her, how are you going to do this? What will people think? It was terrifying and it’s not conducive to good work.”

Corrin will portray the role of Diana in series four of the show before handing over the baton to Elizabeth Debicki, who will portray the late princess in the show’s final two seasons.

As previously reported by Stylist, The Crown’s sixth season will take the story up to the early 2000s, which means that it will include the break-up of Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ marriage and her death in 1997, which plunged the Royal Family into crisis.

For now, however, we’re looking forward to seeing Corrin take on the role of Diana in season four – you can find out more about what to expect from the upcoming season by checking out our guide.

Images: Netflix