God save the first of three fictional Netflix queens! Per on-set paparazzi photographs obtained by The Daily Mail, Claire Foy will be reprising her role as Queen Elizabeth II in the upcoming fourth season of The Crown thanks to a flashback sequence. (No act of thespian regicide here, don’t worry. We all love Olivia Colman.) The photos of Foy’s wardrobe and props strongly suggest the flashback will be set in 1947, when Elizabeth was still a princess and not yet a queen: She did a radio broadcast while touring South Africa to celebrate her 21st birthday, where she pledged her eternal dedication to serving the Commonwealth. You can watch it below, if not just for the amazing pearls.
With Foy and Colman serving as The Crown’s first and second Elizabeth, respectively, reports surfaced last week that Netflix had already found its third: Harry Potter actress Imelda Staunton. The streaming service went on to clarify Staunton’s casting is nothing but speculation, you commoners.