:quality(70):focal(4278x1948:4288x1958)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/thenational/WOGHZMVVDBAELPDBF4EWHGHAEQ.jpeg)
Netflix has revealed the first look of British actress Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II in the fifth season of The Crown, expected next year.
Staunton, 65, takes the reins from Olivia Colman who portrayed the monarch in seasons three and four. Claire Foy played the same role in seasons one and two.
The new season of the hit drama will follow the British royal family in the 21st century.
“An early glimpse of our new Queen Elizabeth II, Imelda Staunton," the official Twitter account posted on Friday.
Best known for her role as Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films as well as in the Oscar-nominated 2004 film Vera Drake, this is not the first time Staunton has portrayed Queen Elizabeth II, having played the role in the BBC series Cambridge Spies in 2003.
"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," Staunton said when her name was first revealed for the role last year. “I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion.”
Show creator and writer Peter Morgan said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to confirm Imelda Staunton as Her Majesty The Queen for the fifth and final season, taking The Crown into the 21st century."
Other actors who have joined the fresh cast include Oscar-nominated actress Lesley Manville who will play Princess Margaret; Jonathan Pryce as the Duke of Edinburgh and Elizabeth Debicki, who will play Princess Diana opposite Dominic West as Prince Charles. Actor Jonny Lee Miller will portray former British prime minister Sir John Major.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/thenational/S5AHQIXE7YUH3PFJZH7AJUPFUU.jpg)
Seasons five and six are set to encompass the 1990s – the decade in which Prince Charles and Diana split, the collapse of the Duke of York's marriage to Sarah Ferguson, the Windsor Castle fire and Princess Diana's death.
The show will then end after season six, with executive producer Suzanne Mackie telling Broadcast magazine The Crown’s creator Morgan cannot write another season because it would be such recent history that he hasn’t “had time to gain a proper perspective”.
"I think he's always felt 10 years is the minimum amount of time that he can see something in a historical context, to allow him to really understand it. I don't think he'll deviate from that," she said.
One of the most expensive television series in history, The Crown premiered in 2016 to critical acclaim and has so far won two Golden Globes for Outstanding Television Series – Drama and three Primetime Emmy Awards, including one for Lead Actress for Foy in 2018.