The queen on screen: The most memorable portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II

From Helen Mirren to Claire Foy to Jeanette Charles, here's a look at actors who depicted the queen across films and shows

By Jen Lennon, Drew Gillis, Jack Smart, Matt Schimkowitz, Saloni Gajjar, Cindy White | September 8, 2022 | 9:25pm

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The queen on screen: The most memorable portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II

Graphic: The Queen (courtesy of Pathé), The Crown (courtesy of Netflix), and Spencer (screenshot via Neon)

Queen Elizabeth II, who died today at the age of 96, was Britain’s longest-ruling monarch, a World War II vehicle mechanic, and a huge fan of neon suits. She was also a leader of staggering depth whose life is impossible to sum up in a single obituary, much less in a single film or TV portrayal. Still, many actors have taken up the challenge, and each has captured unique aspects of her life and her personality. Because Queen Elizabeth ruled for so long, these performances span decades and cover many different periods of her life, from Freya Wilson as a young Princess Elizabeth in The King’s Speech to Dame Helen Mirren in The Queen. Here are some of the most memorable on-screen portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II.

Claire Foy (The Crown)

The Crown | Official Trailer | Netflix

Claire Foy first appeared as a version of Queen Elizabeth II that most of us were not well acquainted: a young, new ruler. When premiered in 2016, the then-89-year-old monarch was far older than the majority of her subjects, most of whom had only known her as diligent and acclimated. In the first two seasons of the series, Foy imbued Elizabeth with the trademark quiet dignity we all know now, even as Peter Morgan and Co. peeled back the curtain—marital strife and all—to depict a scared 25-year-old growing into the earliest version of the person we all came to know. [Drew Gillis]

Helen Mirren (The Queen)

The Queen | Official Trailer (HD) - Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen | MIRAMAX

At surface level, you might think Dame Helen Mirren is a glass-slipper fit for playing Queen Lizzy: both posh, excessively British, and, with some impeccable makeup and costuming, sharing a passing resemblance. But the thing about Mirren is she exudes qualities the monarch emphatically did not: wickedness, frankness, an absolutely devastating sex appeal. Perhaps that’s why audiences, not to mention Academy Award voters, were so enchanted by Mirren’s transformation in Stephen Frears and Peter Morgan’s 2006 film, where her performance delivered a nuanced restraint like we’d never seen from her before. Fun fact: the actor was too busy filming her next project to accept the approving queen’s . [Jack Smart]

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Jeanette Charles (All You Need Is Cash; National Lampoon’s European Vacation; The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!; Austin Powers In Goldmember)

National Lampoon’s European Vacation - Ellen’s Dream Sequence

: Jeannette Charles was the obvious choice to play the matriarch in Eric Idle’s pitch-perfect Beatles parody All You Need Is Cash. Idle’s spoof group, The Rutles (Idle, John Halsey, Ricky Fataar, and Neil Innes), star in this mock-rockumentary about Rutle-mania taking over the world. Parodying the Beatles’ famed Royal Variety Performance in 1963, specifically Paul’s singing of “,” Charles plays it straight, yawning her way through the Rutles’ performance.: Armed with her signature yawn, Charles delivers another star-making cameo as the queen in National Lampoon’s European Vacation, and she even got some lines this time, saying “Wonderful” as she stands in awe of Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase). : Charles is almost as much a part of The Naked Gun series as O.J. Simpson, popping up in the first two movies. And these movies were respectful. Not only does The Naked Gun feature Charles throwing a , but the whole plot revolves around an assassination attempt on the queen. Thankfully, Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) is on the case.: In her final film appearance, Charles stars opposite Beyoncé, Michael Caine, Quincy Jones, Britney Spears, Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Gwyneth Paltrow, John Travolta, Danny DeVito, Nathan Lane, and Mike Myers, who spends much of the movie screaming “I love gold.” What a movie to go out on. A Mike Myers vanity project that features a mid-film performance from his band Ming Tea. Things go downhill shortly after Charles’ scene, but at the very least, the last time Charles appeared on the silver screen, she was knighting Austin Powers. Weirdly, her final words on film were the same as the real queen’s: “Arise, Sir Austin Powers. Your father must be very proud of you.” Thank you for your service, Jeannette Charles. [Matt Schimkowitz]

Stella Gonet (Spencer)

Spencer (2021) Dinner Scene

Of all the movies and TV shows made about the queen, Spencer was probably near the bottom of her list of favorites. A brutal portrait of a royal family pushing their beloved princess to bulimia, depression, and psychosis, Queen Elizabeth lives in a castle haunted by Anne Boleyn and asks people to weigh themselves upon entry. Stella Gonet plays the queen as a fancy-pants dowager more obsessed with tradition and appearances than the well-being of her daughter-in-law. If there are any royal haters out there today, this is the movie for you to channel your rage into. [Matt Schimkowitz]

Freya Wilson (The King’s Speech)

the king’s speech - World war II Speech (with Subtitles)

The King’s Speech is unique in that it shows Queen Elizabeth II before she was queen: the film takes place during the reign of her father, King George VI, so Freya Wilson actually portrays a young Princess Elizabeth. Though the film mostly focuses on George VI (Colin Firth) and his stammer, there are a few shots of Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret (Ramona Marquez). Notably, she appears next to her mother, Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) during George’s final speech in the film. [Jen Lennon]

Verity Russell (The Crown)

Verity Russell delivers another portrayal of a young Princess Elizabeth in The Crown season one. She also returns as a 17-year-old Princess Elizabeth in season three. Though she appears only in a few flashbacks, those scenes are vital to the series as a whole, and help create a fuller portrait of Queen Elizabeth II’s life before her coronation. [Jen Lennon]

Olivia Colman (The Crown)

Best of Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II | The Crown

Thanks to her dazzling portrayal as Queen Elizabeth in seasons three and four of Netflix’s The Crown, Olivia Colman scored a well-deserved Emmy win in 2021. The actor perfectly embodies the actual queen’s regal stature. Even when she’s seemingly teetering on the edge of an emotional breakdown, she never truly lets her guard down. Colman’s sublime yet often biting work as Elizabeth—from dealing with Margaret Thatcher’s rise to meeting Princess Diana—is one of the most remarkable depictions of the royal on screen. [Saloni Gajjar]

Carol Burnett (The Carol Burnett Show)

Carol Burnett Show - Royal Family - Carol Cracks Up

There’s arguably no one on this side of the Atlantic who has had more influence on comedic portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II than Carol Burnett. On her show Burnett played Her Majesty in a number of sketches that lampooned the royal family, but her best performances can be found in the sketches where she interacts with Tim Conway’s deadpan palace guard. Burnett’s affected British accent (it doesn’t have to be accurate, it’s comedy!) and escalating pitch as she gets more and more riled up at Conway’s increasingly elaborate demands (he doesn’t even attempt an accent) are hilarious. And a good outlet for those of us who could really use some laughter today. [Cindy White]

Imelda Staunton (The Crown)

No, despite our elite industry-insider status, we at The A.V. Club have not yet seen season five of The Crown. But if there’s one thing we know about British Academy Film Award winner Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton CBE, it’s that she’s going to absolutely nail her portrayal of latter-years Liz. Peter Morgan’s hit Netflix drama needed a fearless actor, someone versed in both compellingly expressive emotion and dignified restraint, to succeed (hah) Colman’s award-winning take on the queen. Rest assured the wondrous—and, in this humble writer’s opinion, underrated—Staunton is more than up to the task. Every leading actress in a drama this year should just give up hope of winning that Emmy now. [Jack Smart]

Mike Myers and Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)

Pippa Visits the Queen - SNL

Queen Elizabeth II has been played by various actors over the years on SNL. Since the show’s cast turns over so often and the Queen held her position for so long, Mike Myers, Fred Armisen, and Kate McKinnon all had a chance to play her on screen. While Armisen’s wacky take is most well-remembered, is also worth a revisit. [Jen Lennon]

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