The queen on screen: The most memorable portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II, who died today at the age of 96, was Britain’s longest-ruling monarch, a World War II vehicle mechanic, and a huge fan of neon suits. She was also a leader of staggering depth whose life is impossible to sum up in a single obituary, much less in a single film or TV portrayal. Still, many actors have taken up the challenge, and each has captured unique aspects of her life and her personality. Because Queen Elizabeth ruled for so long, these performances span decades and cover many different periods of her life, from Freya Wilson as a young Princess Elizabeth in The King’s Speech to Dame Helen Mirren in The Queen. Here are some of the most memorable on-screen portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II.

Claire Foy (The Crown)

Claire Foy first appeared as a version of Queen Elizabeth II that most of us were not well acquainted: a young, new ruler. When premiered in 2016, the then-89-year-old monarch was far older than the majority of her subjects, most of whom had only known her as diligent and acclimated. In the first two seasons of the series, Foy imbued Elizabeth with the trademark quiet dignity we all know now, even as Peter Morgan and Co. peeled back the curtain—marital strife and all—to depict a scared 25-year-old growing into the earliest version of the person we all came to know. [Drew Gillis]