news ‘The Crown’ Alums Olivia Colman and Claire Foy Pay Tribute to ‘Incredible Monarch’ Queen Elizabeth II

Claire Foy and Olivia Colman are honoring the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The dual Emmy winners, who won their respective awards portraying the history-making monarch in Netflix’s “The Crown,” opened up about Queen Elizabeth II’s death during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Queen Elizabeth II died at age 96 on September 8 after serving the United Kingdom and Commonwealth as Sovereign for 70 years.

“I think that she was an incredible monarch,” Foy told BBC while at TIFF. “She united people and she was a massive symbol of continuity and dignity and grace.”

Foy added, “My main feeling is just thinking about her as a mother and a grandmother and a great-grandmother, really. I’m very honored to have been a teeny tiny, small part of her story.”

Foy played the Queen in the first two seasons of “The Crown,” spanning the years 1947 to 1964 of the Queen’s reign. Oscar winner Colman took over the role for Seasons 3 and 4.

When speaking on the Queen’s legacy, Colman told Variety, “I wouldn’t know where to begin with that. She made a promise as a young woman and she absolutely kept it with such dignity. We’re all incredibly impressed by what she did.”

Former co-star Matt Smith, who played Prince Philip, shared during “The Today Show” that he “heard” the Queen watched “The Crown.”

“She used to watch it on a projector on a Sunday night apparently,” Smith said, adding that Philip was not a fan. “A friend of mine [said], ‘Philip I have to ask, have you watched ‘The Crown’?’ and apparently he turned round to him and went, ‘Don’t be ridiculous.'”

The “House of the Dragon” actor revealed that Prince Harry also jokingly called him “granddad” for portraying the late ruler.

Following the Queen’s death, “The Crown” paused filming, with creator Peter Morgan noting the break was “out of respect” to the grieving royal family.

“‘The Crown’ is a love letter to her and I’ve nothing to add for now, just silence and respect,” Morgan wrote, via Deadline. “I expect we will stop filming out of respect too.”

“The Crown” has been nominated for 63 Emmy Awards and has won 21 titles. The upcoming fifth season marks Imelda Staunton’s first turn as Queen Elizabeth II, opposite fellow new cast members Jonathan Pryce, Lesley Manville, Jonny Lee Miller, Dominic West, and Elizabeth Debicki joining the ensemble.
 
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