Netflix has launched an international search for a Kate Middleton lookalike for the sixth and final series of The Crown.

       A casting call notice reveals that the show is seeking “an exceptional young actor” bearing a “strong physical resemblance” to the future Queen when she was an 18-year-old student.

       It says no previous acting experience is required. Shooting is expected to begin in the UK in August.

       Three photographs of a young Duchess of Cambridge taken in the early 2000s are included in the casting brief, offering potential candidates an idea of the specific look they are seeking.

       One, seen below, was taken for the Telegraph in July 2004, when the Duchess was 22, anshows her posing in front of Blenheim Palace, a tweed jacket slung over her shoulder.

       The others depict her at around the same age or slightly younger, wearing a V-neck pink jumper and low slung jeans and a blue jumper with a necklace.

       Last month, a casting call was released for actors to play Prince William and Prince Harry, aged between 16 and 21.

       The young royals will appear in the final season, which will bring the action up into the early 2000s.

       The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met at St Andrew’s University in 2001, when they both started the same history of art course.

       Scenes depicting their blossoming romance will mark some of the most recent storylines to be covered in The Crown.

       The fifth series was originally expected to be the last but Peter Morgan, the show’s writer and creator, later revealed that one further instalment would be added.

       He said: "As we started to discuss the storylines for series five, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story we should go back to the original plan and do six seasons.”

       Applicants hoping to play the Duchess are asked to send in their personal details as well as a short video of themselves discussing something they love doing, with their name, age and height. The deadline is May 20.

       Robert Sterne, the casting director, said: “This is a good role in this award-winning drama and we are looking for a strong physical resemblance.”

       The notice adds that due to the “international nature” of the search, a swift response is not guaranteed.

       Recent series of The Crown have proved controversial, with critics questioning its depiction of certain events.

       However, the Duke of Sussex, who has signed a lucrative deal with Netflix, has defended the show for portraying the pressures of royal life, despite acknowledging that it is not “strictly accurate.”