This first look of Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip in The Crown season 3 is making us all kinds of excited

And we cannot wait.

Even though it feels like season two of The Crown has just left our screens, we're already looking forward to its third season - and mourning the loss of its stars from the episodes ahead.

It was announced last year that this season would be the current actors’ last, with the characters recast to older actors to reflect the passing of time – something that is set to happen every two seasons.

With Claire Foy and Matt Smith leaving impossibly big shoes to fill, fans have been obsessed with news of The Crown castings, from who will take on the role of Princess Margaret to whether the Queen’s corgis will remain the same.

Olivia Coleman was the first actress confirmed for season 3, coming onboard as Queen Elizabeth and Helena Bonham Carter was announced to be playing her sister, Princess Margaret, replacing Vanessa Kirby.

Some of the most surprising casting however revolved around Prince Philip’s character, with Game of Thrones actor, Tobias Menzies, announced to be officially taking on the role.

First it was thought that Hugh Laurie had snagged the role, then Paul Bettany was reportedly the frontrunner - supposedly withdrawing from talks about the role due to time commitments, and now we finally have our Prince Philip. with Tobias officially taking over from Matt Smith to play the Duke of Edinburgh for season three and four, with the time period spanning from the 1960s to the 1980s.

In response to the excitement that has been building around the show's third season, Netflix has been releasing portraits of the new cast of The Crown, posting headshots of Olivia Coleman as Queen Elizabeth and Helena Bonham-Carter as Princess Margaret. Today was Tobias' turn as a photograph was released of the actor as Prince Philip, and it's safe to say he is the Philip of our dreams.

But who is Tobias Menzies, and where have we seen him before?

Well, the 44-year-old actor has actually been on our screens for years, with his credits including Outlander, The Night Manager, Casino Royale, Catastrophe and Atonement, among others.

He is most known however for his role in Game of Thrones, where he played Edmure Tully.

Yes, the new Prince Philip is Sansa and Arya's uncle - you know, the one that's in prison.

While some fans have voiced their surprise at his casting as Prince Philip, others claim to have predicted the news, with Menzies dropping a not so subtle hint in a recent interview with Digital Spy, suggesting that he wouldn’t be returning for the final season of Game of Thrones.

‘[Edmure Tully is] obviously somewhere in prison, he’s still around somewhere,’ he explained. ‘I feel like they have so many stories to tie-up, whether that’s a story they’ll want to go back to, I don’t know.’

The latest casting news has prompted a positive reaction, with Menzies' former cast mates seeming to be the most excited by the news.

'Yes!!!' tweeted Outlander's Catriona Balfe. 'Congratulations darling. So excited for you and so excited to see this!'

And it's safe to say she's not the only one - season three cannot come soon enough.