Subject of all fantasies, the British royal family has been represented many times on television and in cinema. Behind the white walls of Buckingham Palace, the charismatic presence of Elizabeth II fascinates and impresses. In office for almost sixty-nine years, the queen has seen herself embodied by a multitude of actresses in works that are sometimes humorous and others more dramatic and realistic. Who are these actresses who interpreted the mythical sovereign?
Helen Mirren - The Queen (2006)
In Stephen Frears' The Queen released in 2006, Helen Mirren plays Elizabeth II, who mourns the death of her stepdaughter. Lady Diana has just had her car accident and the people are torn between grief and anger. Helen Mirren has a nuanced interpretation to lift the veil on the realities of life as a sovereign. She chose to interpret Elizabeth II with coldness, but also with charm, as well as her humor and the hidden aspects of her personality. This daring choice earned Stephen Frears a Golden Globe, an Oscar and a Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival. That same year at the Golden Globes, she won an award for portraying another crowned head: Elizabeth 1st in Tom Hooper's TV movie.
Claire Foy - The Crown (2016-2017)
After Anne Boleyn in the series Wolf Hall, Claire Foy rose to international fame in The Crown. Airing since 2016 on Netflix, the American-British series follows Queen Elizabeth II from her first steps in public life until today. The accent, the pace, the accuracy…His impeccable performance helped quickly make the series cult. Through hard work, Claire Foy won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Dramatic TV Series in 2017.
Olivia Colman - The Crown (2019-2020)
Where some series do not dare to bring up the past, The Crown does. Rather than evoking only the early years of Queen Elizabeth II, the Netflix production chose to recount the close past of the British royal family. The next masterpiece that has aroused the curiosity of the public: the arrival in seasons 5 and 6 of the much-loved Diana Spencer, played by Elizabeth Debicki. Olivia Colman took over the role of Claire Foy in 2019 to play the queen from 1964. Oscar winner the same year for The Favourite, the actress delivers a performance that many qualify as extraordinary. In Elizabeth II harder and more mature than the mutineer Claire Foy, Olivia Colman stands out as a credible heir to this role. For season 4, she will give the answer to Gillian Anderson who will play the frightful Margaret Thatcher.
Emma Thompson - Playhouse Presents (2012)
The British series Playhouse Presents broadcasted in 2012, features a different cast and story in each episode. In episode 8 of Walking the Dogs season one, British actress Emma Thompson dons Elizabeth II's impeccable pursuits to reenact a scene inspired by real-life events well known in the UK. In July 1982, Michael Fagan, a 31-year-old man with schizophrenia, entered the royal family's residence and then the monarch's bedroom. After multiple attempts, a valet manages to evict the intruder and hand him over to the police. In 2018, Emma Thompson was among the personalities with the rank of Officer of the Order of the British Empire alongside Keira Knightley and Tom Hardy.
Julie Walters - Royal Corgi (2019)
From Billy Elliott to Harry Potter and Mamma Mia!, Julie Walters is a great figure in British drama. So much so that in 2018 she was appointed Lady Commander of the British Empire by the Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In 2019, she was the voice actor for Elizabeth II in the animated film Royal Corgi by Ben Stassen and Vincent Kesteloot. The film humorously recounts the adventures of the Queen of England's favorite dog, who has now become a true symbol of the British royal family.
Jeannette Charles
If the French public is not familiar with this actress, Jeannette Charles has become one of the United Kingdom's celebrity icons. For more than forty years, she embodied the double Elizabeth II on television and in the cinema. Featured in films like, Queen Kong, Is there a cop to save the queen?, and Austin Powers in Goldmember, she started her career in 1974 and stopped in 2010, at the age of 83.
Translated by Constance Caiola
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