Imelda Staunton was ‘inconsolable’ night Queen died after playing her that day

Actor said others on set found it hard to look at her in character after the Queen died

The Crown star Imelda Staunton has shared her reaction to the historic death of Queen Elizabeth II, which was announced on 8 September 2022.

Staunton plays the last of three iterations of the late monarch in the hit Netflix drama, which has followed the royal family during Elizabeth II’s reign across six seasons.

The 67-year-old actor appeared on The Graham Norton Show on Friday’s (15 December) episode where she discussed her role on the show.

Asked if she was filming when the Queen died, Staunton revealed: “Lesley Manville [who plays Princess Margaret] and I were filming and were told there might be some sad news and were asked if we wanted to carry on. We carried on and finished the day.

She continued: “Weirdly in the schedule I had 10 days off, which was the 10 days of mourning. I was inconsolable that night. Obviously, I would have been sad, but I think it was fuelled by living with her for so long. I think when I went back to work people found it hard looking at me.”

The Harry Potter star has previously defended the series against critics who argue it strays too far from the truth.

“Here we are fictionalising real events that are very close to us,” she told Sky News. “Of course, people feel that – ‘no, that wasn’t right, that didn’t happen’.

Imelda Staunton in ‘The Crown’ (left) and Queen Elizabeth II (Netflix/Getty)

“[Showrunner] Peter Morgan is making a drama about a family where there were lots of dramas within the family but he’s also making a drama for entertainment as well.”

Staunton follows performances by Claire Foy, playing the Queen in her early years across seasons one and two, followed by Olivia Coleman in seasons three and four.

On 14 December, the six final episodes of The Crown were released on Netflix, which follow the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death in 1997, as well as Prince William attending university and meeting his future wife, Kate Middleton.

The series ends before reaching modern-day events and does not feature Prince Harry meeting Meghan Markle, but includes the now-Duke of Sussex’s Nazi costume disgrace.

Though previous episodes have received widespread praise, The Crown’s final instalment doesn’t seem to have impressed as many critics, with The Independent’s Katie Rosseinsky giving the programme two stars.

She writes: “As the final six episodes arrive on Netflix, bringing a saga spanning half a century to a close, Morgan’s drama is haunted by the ghost of past glories. Remember when this all felt exciting – when these on-screen royals seemed painfully, gloriously human? Now they exist less as characters, more as vessels for exposition and knowing nods to present-day royal in-fighting.”

You can read the full review here.