- Queen Elizabeth II has been portrayed across movies and TV
shows of all kinds throughout her historic reign
as Britain's monarch.
But the hit Netflix drama "The Crown" paints
a picture of the span of Elizabeth's life and rule.
- I think "The Crown," whether or not you
like the queen or you love the royal family
or you don't, you know, believe it should be abolished,
I think "The Crown" has done a really good job of capturing
what she's actually been doing for all of these years
and what she's been confronted with privately and publicly
and how much she has witnessed in her lifetime.
- By the end of its run,
four women will have played Queen Elizabeth on the show.
While Claire Foy was the first to wear the crown,
the show also features
flashbacks of the queen as a young girl.
In Season 1, Verity Russell played Elizabeth
when she was still a princess.
- Your Royal Highness? Come on.
- We're so used to seeing the queen as an older woman.
It really does a good job of showing
that this all began with her being born into this family,
and suddenly, you are a royal.
- Foy assumed the role of Elizabeth
as she officially ascended to the throne at age 25.
- Claire Foy did a really wonderful job
of portraying that moment in the queen's life
where she suddenly realized,
"I'm inheriting not just the throne
but all this responsibility.
Like, all eyes in Britain are on me,
but also around the world."
- Mummy, you decide, then, as head of the family.
- But she's not head of the family.
I am.
- It's interesting, her and her husband and her private life.
I think Foy did a really great job
of showing that vulnerable side of the queen
and highlighting the fact
that when you strip it all back, she's still human.
Like, it humanized her that she had this big,
daunting task to take on.
- She's arriving.
The dreaded Gold State Coach.
Made in the 1760s and the most uncomfortable ride known to man.
- Viewers are given a front-row seat to her coronation,
which was the first-ever televised event of its kind.
- That really showed just, like,
the fascination with the royal family,
and you got a look at,
like, what a massive moment this was for the country
and also for her as a young woman
sort of inheriting the throne after the death of her father.
- Be thy Head anointed with holy Oil.
- Foy depicted some of Elizabeth's toughest battles
ruling as a young woman
and showed how particularly hard it could be at times
to navigate a world where she was surrounded by men.
- Are you my wife or my queen? - I'm both.
- I want to be married to my wife.
- Politics was very male dominated,
and she was now meeting with prime ministers
and trying to make changes and be taken seriously.
It seems, especially early in her reign,
that there were a lot of doubts
about whether she would be able to fulfill the role.
- She said that I must not blame myself.
I'm already mother to the nation.
- Olivia Colman began playing the queen from the age of 38,
which showcased her as a lot less vulnerable,
more of a hardened exterior.
- You will not separate or divorce
or let the side down in any way.
And if one day you expect to be king.
- I do.
- Then might I suggest you start to behave like one.
- Very matter of fact,
very blunt in the way that she had
some of those conversations with family members.
And I think Colman did a great job
of showcasing that side to the queen
that probably people are a bit more familiar with.
- Though we do see a glimpse or two of tearful moments.
- Of all the people everywhere,
you are the closest and most important to me.
- "The Crown's" Queen Elizabeth acknowledges
that her lack of showing emotion is nothing new.
- I have known for some time
there is something wrong with me.
- Not wrong. - Deficient, then.
- Queen Elizabeth will be played by Imelda Staunton
in Seasons 5 and 6,
the first of which is set to be released in November 2022
and will pick up in the '90s.
- I'm delighted to be here inheriting the role
of Queen Elizabeth from two outstanding actresses.
- "The Crown" has shown,
whether you believe in the existence of a monarchy or not,
that the queen has been that pillar of civility.
I think opened a lot of Americans' eyes
as to what the monarchy serves to do
and just how much responsibility it is
for somebody to come to the throne.