THE NEW ROYAL FAMILY Behind the upcoming new season of The Crown
Olivia Colman stars as Queen Elizabeth in The Crown
Dressed in a lilac floral coat, Oscar-winner Olivia Colman looks every bit the royal in The Crown. In new pictures from the set of the series, a regal-looking Colman is seen walking with the new royal family, including Prince Philip (now played by Outlander star Tobias Menzies), the Queen Mother (Marion Bailey) and Princess Anne (Erin Doherty). It’s easy to forget fans were initially divided when they found out Colman was taking over the role of Queen Elizabeth II from Claire Foy in the hit Netflix drama. Over two salacious seasons, viewers fell in love with Foy in her role as the reigning monarch. She won a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for her performances as the Queen, who she portrayed in Seasons 1 and 2.
Now, in Seasons 3 and 4, Colman, fresh from her Best Actress Oscar win for The Favourite, plays an older version of Her Majesty. Filming took place at St Mark’s Church in Englefield, which is where Pippa Middleton married James Matthews in 2017. Previous shots from the set of The Crown showed the Queen wearing a light blue dress and a tiara, out with Prince Philip. Colman, of course, is no stranger to playing royals, having portrayed Queen Anne in The Favourite.
Speaking to her former Broadchurch co-star David Tennant on his podcast in February, Colman spoke of her respect for the Queen, describing her as an “incredibly impressive human being”. “I’m slightly obsessed with her,” she said. Colman went on to say the Queen made a vow “as a very young woman to serve her country, which is an extraordinary thing to do. And she genuinely has stuck to it. I think that’s amazing. She’s an even keel. I think it’s going to be a terrible, terrible shock when she’s not our even keel anymore.”
Season 3 of The Crown is expected to land later in the year.