It’s alleged that Imelda Staunton will be replacing Olivia Colman in series four the The Crown and will fill the boots of Queen Elizabeth.
The Bafta-winning actress, 63, will follow in the footsteps of Claire Foy who played Her Majesty for two seasons.
MailOnline have reported that Imelda will play the from series four when she will be the same age Her Majesty was during the early 90s when the series will be set.
Olivia Colman made her debut as the Queen on Sunday when all 10 episodes of series three were released on the streaming service, Netflix.
(Image: Daily Mirror)
Imelda received an Oscar nomination for best actress for her role in the 2004 drama, Vera Drake. She is also known for playing Dolores Umbridge in the mega film hit, Harry Potter.
Speaking to The Sun, a source said: “Imelda was given the role of the Queen last year but it’s been kept under lock and key.
“She’s acting royalty so is a perfect fit, but there were a couple of other points which gave her the edge against others in the running.”
They went on to say: “Imelda will be the same age as the queen was in the early ‘90s, which is when the fifth series will be set.
“Plus Imelda met the Queen in person at her 90th birthday celebration – so she’ll be the only actress who’s played the role in The Crown to do so.
“Imelda has reached out to Olivia about the role and they’re helping one another.”
The series will feature several royal crises, including the Prince of Wales’s split from the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Crown first graced screens in 2016, with Claire Foy originally playing the Queen and Doctor Who star Matt Smith taking on the role as the Duke of Edinburgh. Princess Margaret was played by Vanessa Kirby.
It’s believed that producers of the hit show chose to refresh the cast when it came to a later period in Her Majesty’s reign, rather than digitally enhance the actors.
This season sees Tobias Menzies play Prince Phillip and Harry Potter actress, Helena Bonham Carter has taken to playing party Princess Margaret.
The Crown is now available on Netflix.
