Claire to claim a crown of her own

SHE has played queens of England past and present, and so it’s fitting that Claire Foy will receive a crowning of her own – as Bafta’s British Artist Of The Year.

The 33-year-old actress, who has recently had critical acclaim for her portrayal of our current

Queen in the Netflix series The Crown, and as Anne Boleyn in BBC One’s Wolf Hall, will be honoured at the Britannia Awards in LA next month.

The annual ceremony celebrates the best of British talent in the UK film industry. Previous winners of the prestigious award, include Harry Potter stars Emma Watson and Helena Bonham Carter, 007 actor Daniel Craig and Oscar winner Kate Winslet.

Bafta chairman Kieran Breen described Claire as the “perfect encapsulation of the enduring legacy of British talent succeeding on a global stage”.

He adds: “Her performances this year have been nothing short of phenomenal, including of course her iconic role in The Crown portraying the longestever serving British monarch in history.”

The Stockport native – who has a two-year-old daughter with actor husband Stephen Campbell Moore, 39 – has already won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award for her portrayal of the Queen in the hit show, which traces the early days of the monarch’s reign.

She stars opposite former Doctor Who actor Matt Smith, 34, who plays Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

The ceremony will be hosted by British comedian and actor Jack Whitehall at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 27.