Imelda Staunton reveals she was filming for 'The Crown' when she learned of Queen Elizabeth's death
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Imelda Staunton has revealed the time when she came to know about Queen Elizabeth's demise. While appearing for 'The Graham Norton Show' on Friday, December 15, the 67-year-old actress shared her reaction to the loss of the late monarch who breathed her last in September 2022.
When asked by the host whether she was filming for 'The Crown' at the time of the Queen's death, Staunton, who portrayed the last of three iterations of the royal in the popular Netflix drama, said, "Lesley Manville, who plays Princess Margaret, and myself were filming, and at lunchtime we were told we might hear some sad news."
Imelda Staunton was asked if she wanted to pause filming when she learned of the Queen's death
The actress noted that she was initially confused and said that production then alerted her it was tied to the Queen's death and asked if she wanted to pause filming, which she declined.
"We carried on and finished the day, ... and weirdly, in the schedule, I had 10 days off, which was the 10 days of mourning," she continued, according to Independent.co.uk. "I was inconsolable that night. And I would have been sad, but obviously, I think it was fuelled by living with her for so long."
Queen Elizabeth died at the age of 96
Queen Elizabeth's death was announced on September 8 last year. The late monarch was 96.
"The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon," Buckingham Palace announced in an official statement at the time. "The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow." Queen Elizabeth left behind four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren at the time of her death.
Who else played the character of the Queen Elizabeth?
Staunton portrays Queen Elizabeth in 'The Crown's final two seasons after Claire Foy helmed the role during seasons 1 and 2 and Olivia Colman took over the part for seasons 3 and 4.
When she acquired the role, Staunton spoke to presenter Emma Barnett on BBC radio's 'Woman's Hour' about the "extra challenge" that came with playing a more contemporary version of the Queen.
"I think my sort of extra challenge, as if I needed it, is that I’m now doing the Queen that we’re a little more familiar with," the actress, who is most popularly known for playing Dolores Umbridge in the -Harry Potter' films and as Lady Bagshaw in the 'Downton Abbey' movie, explained at the time.
"With Claire Foy, it was almost history, and now I’m playing one that people could say, 'She doesn’t do that,' or 'She’s not like that,' and that’s my personal bête noire," Staunton added. The final episodes of 'The Crown' are currently streaming on Netflix.
