Imelda Staunton was once again seen filming series 5 of The Crown on Tuesday, with the actress transforming into an older version of Queen Elizabeth II.
The screen star, 65, is set to take over the role of the monarch for series’ five and six of the Netflix drama, and was once again seen filming scenes at Scotland’s Covesea Lighthouse.
Joining Imelda on the set was an actress who appeared to be taking on the role of Princess Anne, as well as Theo Fraser Steele, who is thought to be playing Anne’s second husband Timothy Laurence.
Back to work! Imelda Staunton, 65, was once again filming series 5 of The Crown on Tuesday, with the actress transforming into an older version of Queen Elizabeth II to film at Scotland’s Covesea Lighthouse (the Queen is pictured right in 1991)
Imelda perfectly embodied an older portrayal of the Queen in her simple ensemble as she strolled along the beach with her on-screen daughter.
She sported a prim tartan skirt and cardigan, teamed with one of Her Majesty’s silk headscarves as she walked along the sand.
Meanwhile the actress who appeared to be playing Anne opted for a similar bonnet as Imelda, alongside a thick padded jacket, jeans and a matching fleece.
Look familiar? Also seen on set was an actress who appeared to be playing an older incarnation of Princess Anne (pictured in 2016), with the cast appearing to recreate scenes which saw her visit a stables in Covesea in 2002
Mr and Mrs: Joining the Princess Anne actress was The Thick Of It star Theo Fraser Steele, who appeared to be playing Anne’s husband Timothy Laurence, with the pair filming a 2002 visit Anne made to a stables in Covesea
Happy: Princess Anne and Timothy, who married in 1992, are pictured above after celebrating their first wedding anniversary in 1993
She was accompanied by The Thick Of It star Theo, who cut a dapper figure to play the role of Anne’s spouse, who she married in 1992 after splitting from Mark Phillips.
Due to the location of filming at Covesea Lighthouse, production was stopped multiple times due to RAF fighters jets flying overheard to land at the nearby RAF Lossiemouth base, situated just a few hundred metres away.
It appeared that the cast were filming scenes which saw Anne pay a visit to Covesea in 2002 to appear at a stables, because she was President of the Riding for Disabled Association.
Need a drink? In a breather between scenes, Imelda took a sip from her water bottle while a crew member touched up her costume before the cameras started rolling
Here she comes! Imelda was seen sporting a look that would have been right at home on Her Majesty as she made her way down to the Scottish beach to being work on the scenes
WHO HAS PLAYED QUEEN ELIZABETH II IN THE CROWN?
CLAIRE FOY – Series 1 and 2 (2016-2017)
Claire portrayed the Queen in the early part of her reign, from her wedding to Philip in 1947 to events leading up to 1964.
Claire portrayed the Queen in the early part of her reign, from her wedding to Philip in 1947 to events leading up to 1964
OLIVIA COLMAN – Series 3 and 4 (2019-2020)
Olivia took over the role in 2019 and played out events from 1964 onwards, such as the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
She played out 26 years of the Queen’s reign, ending in the year 1990 before Imenda will step in for the rest of the 90s.
Olivia took over the role in 2019 and played out events from 1964 onwards, such as the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
IMELDA STAUNTON – Series 5 (2022-)
Imelda will replace Olivia for series 5 of the hit series.
The final two series of The Crown will cover the Royal Family’s history throughout the 1990s and into 2003, however it is not yet know which moments will be seen.
Poignant portrayal: The final two series of The Crown will cover the Royal Family’s history throughout the 1990s and into 2003, however it is not yet know which moments will be seen
It’s not thought that the Queen was present for the visit, meaning it’s possible producers have added her involvement for dramatic effect during the scenes.
The stable’s owner, Ernest Graham, was honoured to receive such a prestigious guest, as he was a respected member of the community offering free riding lessons to young girls.
However, Graham was later jailed for six years after being found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage girl in 2004, but his sentence was later reduced on appeal because the victim was discovered to be 13, not 12.
Vast: The show, which has been the most expensive produced in Netflix’s history, is expected to air it’s fifth series in 2022, and will conclude with a sixth and final series the following year
What are you filming? It appeared that the cast were filming scenes which saw Anne pay a visit to Covesea in 2002 to appear at a stables, because she was President of the Riding for Disabled Association
Historic: The stable’s owner, Ernest Graham, was honoured to receive such a prestigious guest, as he was a respected member of the community offering free riding lessons to young girls
His ex, Caroline Lundon was also jailed for four years in 2005 for encouraging the girl to have sex with him.
Following his release, it was reported in 2012 that Graham was still running a riding school offering lessons to teenage girls, according to The Daily Record.
He told the publication: ‘Yes, there are young girls coming up here for riding lessons but it’s with my daughter. It’s nothing to do with me.
‘I come and go and I’m not around here that often. The police and authorities take care of things and I’m not allowed to teach youngsters.
Her Royal Highness: The very first image of Imelda Staunton in character as Queen Elizabeth II was revealed on Friday
Reigning: Olivia Colman is currently in the role of The Queen but will bow out in series 5 when Imelda takes over
Original: Claire Foy portrayed the monarch in the first two series (pictured in 2016)
Congrats! Lesley Manville has been cast as Princess Margaret (right in 1966) for the fifth and sixth seasons of The Crown
The sighting comes as the Netflix show took to Twitter on Friday to upload a snap of the actress dressed as the monarch as she prepares to take over the regal role from current Queen actress Olivia Colman.
Alongside the image, The Crown’s official Twitter account simply wrote: ‘An early glimpse of our new Queen Elizabeth II, Imelda Staunton.’
Imelda perfectly portrayed the monarch in the first look snap, donning a smart shirt with a bow on the front of the collar, with her greying locks in curls and even a slight touch of red lipstick as well as a set of pearls around her neck.
Harry’s off the hook! The Crown has covered controversies from Royal affairs to family feuds but it’s conveniently going to end in the early 2000s and miss of perhaps some of the most controversial storylines of all
Moving on: Suzanna Mackie revealed that the Royal drama will come to an end in the early 2000s, when Prince Harry and William were just teenagers, meaning Harry’s past behavior will be avoided by the creators (pictured in 2002)
Final season: The Crown creator Peter Morgan will end the show after season six because the plot is too close to present day, executive producer Suzanne Mackie confirmed this month
Also joining The Crown newcomer in series five is Lesley Manville, 64, who is set to star as Princess Margaret and Jonathan Pryce, 73, will take over the role of Prince Philip for the seasons showing the Royals navigating the 1990s and early 2000s.
The Queen’s younger sister has previously been played by Helena Bonham Carter and Vanessa Kirby. While Tobias Menzies, 47, and Matt Smith, 38, have portrayed past versions of the late Duke of Edinburgh.
Filming on series 5 will involve following strict Covid rules, however the UK is hoping to ease restrictions throughout the summer with some measures already changing.
What you WON’T see – the key Royal moments that will be skipped as The Crown comes to an end in the early 2000s
- HARRY, MEGHAN AND MEGXIT
Harry’s off the hook! Key moments in the Royal Family’s history the show will not cover includes Harry’s romance with Meghan Markle and the couple’s decision to step back as senior Royals
Meghan and Harry rocked the foundations of the Royal Family in 2020 when they announced their shock decision as they ‘work to become financially independent’.
In an extraordinary statement, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they wanted to ‘carve out a progressive new role’ and ‘step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family’.
HARRY’S NAZI SHAME
In 2005, he caused major controversy as the then 20-year-old Prince was widely condemned for wearing a Nazi uniform, complete with swastika armband, to a fancy dress party.
Images of Harry, pictured holding a drink and a cigarette caused ‘public outrage’, with the young Prince forced to issue and apology.
BOMBSHELL OPRAH INTERVIEW
The show will of course skip the latest controversy surrounding the Royal family – Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they made a number of claims about ‘the firm’.
Claims included allegations of racism aimed towards their son Archie, while it was also said that Meghan’s pleas for help were ignored when she was suicidal.
Skipped: Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they made a number of claims about ‘the firm’, will be missed
PRINCE ANDREW’S EPSTEIN SCANDAL
In a turbulent time for the House of Windsor Prince Andrew was also ‘sacked’ from all Royal duties by the Queen after a disastrous Newsnight interview about his years of friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince Andrew was also alleged to have had sex with then 17-year-old Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, and has denied any wrongdoing.
Scandal: It will also not include Prince Andrew’s scandalous friendship with billionaire paedophile Epstein, which engulfed the Royals and resulted in his ‘sacking’
CHARLES AND CAMILLA’S MARRIAGE
The latter years will notably skip Charles’ relationship with Camilla following Diana’s death in 1997.
The couple were photographed publicly together for the first time in two years later 1999, though they had tried to keep their rekindled romance out of the public eye amid the huge outpouring of grief over Diana.
Charles and Camilla moved in together in 2003, announced their engagement in 2005 and went on to tie the knot at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in April that year.
Love: The latter years will notably skip Charles’ relationship with Camilla following Diana’s death in 1997 (Charles and Camilla on their wedding day in April 2005)
The final two series of The Crown will cover the Royal Family’s history throughout the 1990s and into 2003, however it is not yet know which moments will be seen.
There are several poignant moments which could be used, including the Queen making a speech on her 40th anniversary of her accession in 1992, in which she called the year an ‘annus horriblis’.
She was referring to the breakdown of three of her children’s marriages; Prince Andrew, Princess Anne’s and Prince Charles’ divorce from Princess Diana.
Other notable events during the time period included a fire at Windsor Castle, her golden wedding anniversary in 1997, and the deaths of Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother and the Princess of Wales.
Speaking about joining the hit show, Imelda admitted she is ‘frightened’ to take on the Queen Elizabeth role in The Crown.
The 65-year-old actress is following on from Claire Foy and Olivia Colman, but says she has an ‘extra challenge’ playing a recent version as it will be fresh in the audiences mind.
Speaking to The Sun, Imelda said: ‘When Claire was in the first series, to all of us that felt like history. Then following on from that with Olivia, again it seems like history.
‘Now we start in 1991 playing someone much more recent. That’s the extra challenge I have, people saying, “Oh, I don’t think she’s like that at all”‘.
Many members of the series four cast have also joked that they won’t be giving any advice to their successors. Oscar-winning actress Olivia said recently: ‘I haven’t spoken to Imelda and I wouldn’t dare offer any advice about playing the Queen. Imelda is extraordinary and she’s going to do it all much better than me. I can’t wait to watch what she does.’
While Josh, who won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Charles, also appeared to confirm his successor is The Affair star Dominic West – and joked he’d ‘laugh him off’ if the 51-year-old approached him for advice in an interview with GQ.
He said: ‘Playing that character has brought me a lot of joy. But it’s lovely to come away and go, “Great. Now hand it over to Dominic West” … But if Dominic West came to me asking me for advice, I’d laugh him off. I’d be like, “Dom! You’re Dominic West!”‘The Crown has covered controversies from Royal affairs to family feuds but it’s conveniently going to end in the early 2000s and miss of perhaps some of the most controversial storylines of all.
The Royal drama won’t be covering Prince Harry’s wild years and Megxit because recent events haven’t had enough time to ‘gain a proper perspective’, an executive producer has confirmed.
Suzanna Mackie revealed that the Royal drama will come to an end in the early 2000s, when Prince Harry and William were just teenagers, meaning Harry’s past behavior will be avoided by the creators.
Speaking to Broadcast earlier this month, the producer, 35, claimed the Netflix show’s creator Peter Morgan ‘simply can’t’ write another season because recent history hasn’t ‘had time to gain a proper perspective’.
Key moments in the Royal Family’s history the show will not cover includes Harry’s romance with Meghan Markle and the couple’s decision to step back as senior Royals.
Meghan and Harry rocked the foundations of the Royal Family in 2020 when they announced their shock decision as they ‘work to become financially independent’.
In an extraordinary statement, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they wanted to ‘carve out a progressive new role’ and ‘step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family’.
They said they wanted to balance their time between the UK and North America, ‘continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages’.
Since their exit, the couple first moved to Canada before later settling in an £11m mansion in Montecito in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles.
With The Crown ending in the early 2000s, the show will of course skip the latest controversy surrounding the Royal family – Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they made a number of claims about ‘the firm’.
Claims included allegations of racism aimed towards their son Archie, while it was also said that Meghan’s pleas for help were ignored when she was suicidal.
Meanwhile, with the current series of The Crown largely focusing on the love triangle between Charles, Diana and Camilla, the latter years will notably skip Charles’ relationship with Camilla following Diana’s death in 1997.
The couple were photographed publicly together for the first time in two years later 1999, though they had tried to keep their rekindled romance out of the public eye amid the huge outpouring of grief over Diana.
It is said that Camilla was first introduced to William in 1998, though Harry was not present. Camilla later accompanied Charles and the boys on a trip to Greece in 1999.
Charles and Camilla moved in together in 2003, announced their engagement in 2005 and went on to tie the knot at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in April that year.
Netflix announced last July that The Crown will air for six series after originally being confirmed to end with season five.
Royally good: Imelda Staunton is to play the Queen in The Crown’s final two series. The 63-year-old will take over the role of Elizabeth II for seasons five and six of the Netflix drama
Portrayal: The star, who is believed to have been producers first choice for the role, is set to play the Queen’s younger sister during one of the ‘darkest periods of her life’ (pictured 1995)
Award-winning: Oscar-winner Olivia (L) is playing Queen Elizabeth II (pictured right in 1964) in series three and four of The Crown
Creator Peter Morgan revealed he decided to ‘return to the original plan,’ meaning Imelda will now appear for two series as an older Queen Elizabeth II instead of the planned one.
In recent times, The Crown has faced mounting criticism from politicians, Royal experts and friends of Charles for fabricating a string of controversial incidents.
In December last year, Netflix broke its silence on the controversy over the series, insisting there was no need to warn its millions of viewers that key scenes are invented.
Coronation: Claire Foy (L) played a young Queen Elizabeth II (pictured right in 1955) as she ascended the throne following her late father’s death during seasons one and two
New guard: The fourth season, which will air in 2020, sees the addition of Emma Corrin as Princess Diana (L) and Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher (R)
Shock: It comes after it was revealed that The Crown bosses had cast Jonny Lee Miller as Prime Minister John Major last week (pictured in Elementary)
The streaming giant claimed it was widely understood the hit series was a ‘work of fiction’ based on historical events.
And it wrote to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, rejecting his suggestion that a disclaimer at the start of each episode would be helpful.
In a public statement on the controversy, Netflix told The Mail on Sunday: ‘We have always presented The Crown as a drama, and we have every confidence our members understand it’s a work of fiction that’s broadly based on historical events.
‘As a result, we have no plans – and see no need – to add a disclaimer.’
But the statement was described by one critic as ‘arrogant’. Others said the company’s intransigence was adding to the Royal Family’s disquiet over the affair.
Insiders told The Sun: ‘It may seem like an unlikely casting as the two men couldn’t be more different, but the creators of the Crown aren’t interested in an actor playing a version of themselves’
It comes after it was revealed last week that The Crown bosses have cast Jonny Lee Miller as Prime Minister John Major in the upcoming series.
In the ‘surprise’ casting, Netflix chiefs revealed the Trainspotting star, 48, who is rumoured to have rekindled his romance with ex Angelina Jolie, will play the Tory Prime Minister, who was in charge of the country from November 1990 and May 1997.
He followed on from Margaret Thatcher’s leadership, with The Iron Lady played by Gillian Anderson in the wildly-popular Netflix period drama.
Insiders told The Sun: ‘It may seem like an unlikely casting as the two men couldn’t be more different, but the creators of the Crown aren’t interested in an actor playing a version of themselves.
‘It was a similar idea to when Sex Education star Gillian Anderson was cast as Margaret Thatcher in the last series of The Crown, a decision which surprised fans of the show at the time.
‘But at 48, Jonny is actually the perfect age to play Sir John, who became PM at the age of 47 after Maggie was removed from power.’
Sir John was Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997, and served as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Secretary under Thatcher from 1987 to 1990.
Major entered politics at a young age, standing as a young Conservative for Lambeth Council at the age of 21 and became chairman of the Housing Committee.
He then stood for Parliament twice in St Pancras from 1974 and lost, before winning in Huntingdonshire in 1979.
The politician became a minister in 1985 and became a part of the Cabinet in 1987 as Chief Secretary to the Treasury before being promoted to Foreign Secretary in 1989, and shortly after he was named Chancellor.
Major replaced Mrs Thatcher in 1990 after winning a leadership contest which she dropped out of.