The (real) queen is dead, long live the (Netflix) queen. While appearing on The Graham Norton Show, Imelda Staunton revealed that she was in the midst of playing Queen Elizabeth for the final season of The Crown when news broke of the actual monarch’s death. “Lesley Manville, who plays Princess Margaret, and myself were filming, and at lunchtime we were told we might hear some sad news…about the queen,†she said, adding that she opted to “carry on†with filming as the old British adage goes. “So we finish the day, and go home and then we all found out at about six o’clock…and then weirdly, in the schedule I had 10 days off, which was the 10 days of mourning,†she said, referring to the national mourning period observed by the United Kingdom.
“I was inconsolable that night, and I would have of course been sad, but obviously I think I was fueled by living with her for so long,†Staunton continued. “I did watch the funeral, and then I filmed the next day. And I think it was very difficult for people looking at me,†she said about the supporting artists on set seeing her arrive dressed as the late monarch. The sixth and final season of The Crown is now streaming on Netflix.