Imelda Staunton will take on the role of an older Queen Elizabeth II in the upcoming Season 5 of The Crown. The show has released Staunton’s first look as the Queen.
Claire Foy opened up the character in the show’s very first season, playing the Queen for ages 21 through 38. Then came Olivia Coleman in Season 3, who carried it for years 39 to 64.
Now, in the fifth season, Imelda Staunton will play the Queen during her reign in the year 1991 and onwards.
A big salute to the costume department who have impeccably replicated the Queen’s look in both the previous actors and continue to do so for Staunton. Here is her first look in costume, clad in muted gold, signature royal handbag and the wise curls.
Season 5 will serve as the second last season of The Crown. Along with Staunton, the other characters will also be due for a cast change too, given that they will now be aged up.
This includes Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana.
As the new season will explore the involvement of Prime Minister John Major, Jonny Lee Miller (Sherlock on CBS’ Elementary) is called in to play the role.
The turn of the century will bring in heavy political and personal scenarios in play, especially the dissolution of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage and her sad demise.
Staunton faces two dilemmas — one, that her Queen is much closer to the present, thereby allowing fans to draw more open comparisons and criticisms. Second, her time as a certain, cough, cough, lady in pink, may paint a prejudice in the audience’s mind.
That being said, Staunton has an array of work (Pride, Vera Drake, Downtown Abbey) to prove her mettle. And we’re definitely looking forward to her in her new colors as Queen Elizabeth II!
As per schedule, Season 5 of The Crown began filming in June 2021. Staunton in costume gives it a nod and sure drives up anticipation, but we are not likely to have the show back until 2022.
About The Crown
The Crown is a historical drama on Netflix which revolves around the British royal family. It focuses on Elizabeth II’s journey from a princess to the revered queen of England. The series is created by screenwriter Peter Morgan, and produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for Netflix.
The first season covers the period from Elizabeth’s marriage to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947 to the disintegration of her sister Princess Margaret’s engagement to Group Captain Peter Townsend in 1955. The second season covers the period from the Suez Crisis in 1956 to the retirement of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in 1963 and the birth of Prince Edward in 1964.
The third season spans 1964 to 1977, including Harold Wilson’s two periods as prime minister, and introduces Camilla Shand as Queen Elizabeth. The fourth season spans 1979 to the early 1990s and includes Margaret Thatcher’s tenure as prime minister and Prince Charles’s marriage to Lady Diana Spencer.
Source: Twitter
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