The Crown bosses have revealed that they have cast the third and final actress who will portray the Queen in the hugely popular Netflix show. Imelda Staunton, who is perhaps best known for her roles in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, will play Queen Elizabeth II in the fifth season. The exciting news was announced on Twitter, with Imelda saying: "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 and unique to Peter Morgan's scripts. I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion."
Imelda was in the latest Downton Abbey film
The tweet also announced that the fifth season would be the show's last, reading: "Imelda Staunton will play Queen Elizabeth II in the fifth and final season of The Crown." Fans were quick to respond to the news, with one writing: "As much as I (and the rest of the world) hate Dolores Umbridge, Imelda Staunton is AMAZING and I can’t wait to see her play Queen Lizzie!" Another added: "In my head it was going to have eight seasons. Right up to present day! I’ve imagined this. Imelda Staunton a great choice."
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Imelda opened up about taking over the iconic role
Another fan joked that they wanted to see Meghan Markle play herself in a later season of the show, writing: "No you're not cancelling The Crown until Meghan Markle wins an Emmy for her role as Meghan Markle." Imelda was rumoured to be taking over the role back in November, with the Daily Mail revealing that she was in talks to replace Olivia Colman. At the time, a Netflix spokesperson said: "We are currently filming season 4 of The Crown but have not commissioned any further seasons as yet, therefore any news on casting remains pure speculation."
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