Claire who? That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but Olivia Colman certainly looks the part in the first photo of her on the set of The Crown.
The Broadchurch star is taking over from Claire Foy, who set a very high standard with her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in seasons one and two, but we’re more than on-board thanks to the photo released by Netflix this morning (July 16):
Patience. pic.twitter.com/7F2f2aBON3
— The Crown (@TheCrownNetflix) July 16, 2018
Patience? Hrrngh! We’ve got at least another six months to wait with the next season of The Crown expected in 2019. Or does the one-word caption refer to the Queen herself, as she copes with the stress of being the figure head of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth?
Olivia will play Elizabeth II in seasons three and four of the show, which will cover the 1970s and 1980s respectively, when Princess Margaret‘s marriage to photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones fell apart and Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer.
She’ll be joined by her Night Manager co-star Tobias Menzies, who’ll succeed Matt Smith as Prince Philip, acting royalty Helena Bonham-Carter will pick up where Vanessa Kirby left off as the Queen’s sister Margaret, while Ben Daniels will take over as her hubby Antony from Matthew Goode.
The rest of the cast is a mix of established stars and relative newcomers. W1A and Being Human‘s Jason Watkins will play Harold Wilson, who was Prime Minister from 1964-1970 and again in 1974-1976; Call the Midwife‘s Erin Doherty follows up her stint at Nonnatus House as the Queen’s daughter Princess Anne; and God’s Own Country‘s Josh O’Connor is tipped to take the reins as a young Charles. Who will play Diana, who was just 16 when she met Charles in 1977, is the source of much speculation.
Olivia-as-Elizabeth is the image of decorum and poise, however, as she lifts her teacup from the breakfast table. Which is more than you can say about us, as we count down the days until The Crown returns to our screens.
Are you excited to see what Olivia does with this role?