Imelda Staunton, well-known for her portrayal of the pink-obsessed, manipulative and ruthless quasi-Headmistress of Hogwarts Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is set to play Queen Elizabeth II in the widely-acclaimed Netflix series The Crown.
Created by Stephen Daldry and based on Peter Morgan’s award-winning play The Audience, this lavish series provided viewers with a deeper insight into the personal and political life of Queen Elizabeth II, tracing her ascent of the throne in the 1940s at the young age of 25, following her father’s tragic demise to the modern times. It gave the viewers an intimate view into the Queen’s political, social and romantic pursuits, humanising her while providing a steady commentary on the major events of the late 20th century.
Claire Foy had been dexterous in her portrayal of the young Queen in seasons one and two which won her multiple awards, including a Golden Globe and two SAGs, before Olivia Colman took over in seasons three and four, portraying the Queen’s middle-age, winning a Golden Globe yet again. Given the emotional depth of the role as well as the Queen’s luck surrounding it, it is probably only a matter of time before Staunton gets one as well.
On July 30, 2021, Netflix released a picture on their Twitter account, sharing an “early glimpse” of the 65-year-old actress dressed immaculately as Queen Elizabeth II.
On Instagram, they released the actress’ statement who expressed her joy and elation at being able to portray such a strong character. “I have loved watching The Crown from the very start. As an actor, it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special unique to Peter Morgan’s script,” said Staunton, before adding, “I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking the crown to its conclusion.”
The showrunners have confirmed that, despite the immense success and flattering response from the audience, the series will most definitely come to an end following season six. The final two seasons are set to end in the early 2000s and shall encompass the 1990s that was filled with controversies ranging from the split between Prince Charles and Diana, the Princess of Wales, the end of the Duke of York’s marriage to Sarah Ferguson, the infamous fire accident at the Windsor Castle as well as the much-debated death of Princess Diana.
With Dominic West portraying Prince Charles and Elizabeth Debicki taking up the role of the nation’s sweetheart, Princess Diana, Imelda Staunton is set to portray one of the most tumultuous and complex eras of the Queen’s reign and fans cannot wait to see the veteran actress bring in unimaginable passion and depth into her character.
