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

From Helen Mirren to Claire Foy to Jeanette Charles, here's a look at actors who depicted the queen across films and shows

Aux Features Elizabeth II
The queen on screen: The most memorable portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II
Graphic: The Queen (courtesy of Pathé), The Crown (courtesy of Netflix), and Spencer (screenshot via Neon)

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.

previous arrowImelda Staunton (The Crown) next arrow
Imelda Staunton (The Crown)
Imelda Staunton in Photo Alex Bailey/Netflix

No, despite our elite industry-insider status, we at The A.V. Club have not yet seen season five of The Crown. But if there’s one thing we know about British Academy Film Award winner Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton CBE, it’s that she’s going to absolutely nail her portrayal of latter-years Liz. Peter Morgan’s hit Netflix drama needed a fearless actor, someone versed in both compellingly expressive emotion and dignified restraint, to succeed (hah) Colman’s award-winning take on the queen. Rest assured the wondrous—and, in this humble writer’s opinion, underrated—Staunton is more than up to the task. Every leading actress in a drama this year should just give up hope of winning that Emmy now. [Jack Smart]

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