Dominic West in Talks to Portray Prince Charles on The Crown : Reports

Dominic West might be preparing to take on the role of Prince Charles on The Crown.

The 51-year-old actor is in talks to star as the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth in seasons 5 and 6 of the Netflix drama series, according to reports from Deadline and Variety, citing sources close to the production. A spokesperson for Netflix did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

West, best known for lead roles on shows like The Wire and The Affair, made headlines recently when he was spotted in Rome, getting close with Downton Abbey alum Lily James, 31. Days later, West and his wife Catherine FitzGerald, 49, publicly addressed the reports, telling reporters: "Our marriage is strong and we're very much still together. Thank you. Catherine and Dominic."

Charles, 71, famously had an affair with his now-wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, while she was married to her first husband Andrew Parker-Bowles and the Prince of Wales was married to the late Princess Diana. (Diana also admitted to having affairs of her own while married to Charles but had said she was most upset by her husband’s closeness with his former flame Camilla.)

In the upcoming fourth season of The Crown, which premieres next month, Charles is played by Josh O'Connor and Diana is portrayed by Emma Corrin. Diana will be played by Elizabeth Debicki in future seasons.

RELATED: Olivia Colman's Surprising Advice for The Crown's Next Queen, Imelda Staunton

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Olivia Colman returns as Queen Elizabeth in season 4 of The Crown (Claire Foy originated the role in the first two seasons), and she is set to be replaced by Imelda Staunton for the final two seasons. It has also been announced that Jonathan Pryce will play Prince Philip (played by Matt Smith then Tobias Menzies) for the final seasons.

A trailer released in August gave fans a glimpse of Corrin wearing a replica of Diana's memorable wedding gown as she prepared to marry Prince Charles in the 1981 royal wedding – a scene that made everyone go “completely silent” on set, Corrin recently told the October edition of British Vogue.

RELATED VIDEO: The Crown Star Emma Corrin on Wearing Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress: ‘Everyone Went Silent’

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“We were filming the scene when you first see her in the wedding dress — I think it was Lancaster House in London — and I had a team of about 10 people helping me put it on, because it’s massive,” she said. “I walked out and everyone went completely silent. More than anything else I wear in the series, it’s so … It’s her.”

Speaking with The Sunday Times earlier this month, Corrin, 24, said taking on the role of the beloved British royal, — who died in a car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997, at age 36 — was intimidating at first.

Corrin explained that "there's a huge amount of pressure" that comes with the iconic territory. "Everyone has this ownership," she said of fans' connections to Diana, who was mother to Prince William and Prince Harry. "[Expectations have been] overwhelming since the beginning."