Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96, on 8 September 2022. She was the longest reigning monarch surpassing her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria by 7 years. When Elizabeth became Queen in 1952, she was only 25 years old. She married Prince Philip at the age of 21. They both had 73 years of matrimony until Prince Philip’s death in 2021.
The late Queen was known for being private and secretive. This was one of the reasons why the public liked movies based on the late Queen’s life. Her Majesty was portrayed in movies numerous times by many talented actors in the industry. In honor of the late Queen, here is the breakdown of 10 actresses who have played Her Majesty on screen.
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Top 10 Actress Who Played Queen Elizabeth On Screen
1) Dame Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren was greatly praised for her best portrayal of the late Queen Elizabeth II in the film, ‘The Queen’. She was knighted by Her Majesty just three years before she took on the role of the monarch. Many critics have praised Mirren for her humanly acting which was not overtly theatrical and convincing.
The movie follows the tragic death of Princess Diana. Dame won an Academy Award for her performance in the film and was allowed to have dinner with the Queen.
2) Jeannette Charles
Ms. Charles holds the Guinness World Record for having played Her Majesty in the most number of films to date. She is well known for her mirror resemblance to the late Queen. Her first appearance as Queen Elizabeth II was in a movie called ‘Loriots Telecabinet’.
Following this, she portrayed Her Majesty in many films including 1985’s ‘National Lampoon’s European Vacation,’ 1988’s ‘The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad,’ and the TV movie ‘The Queen Special’. She additionally played Queen Elizabeth in a 1977 ‘Saturday Night Live’ episode.
3) Sarah Gadon
Gadon portrayed Queen Elizabeth in the 2015 British comedy-drama ‘A Royal Night Out‘. The film follows the fun night out the late Queen and her sister Princess Margaret took on on Europe Day.
This is one of the rare depictions of the monarch. The monarch was portrayed as an impulsive girl who yearned for freedom, adventure, and love whilst bearing the burden of a nation on her shoulders.
4) Claire Foy
Clair Foy won an Emmy for her portrayal of the late Queen in seasons 1 and 2 of the Netflix series, ‘The Crown,‘ in 2016. Her role was focused on the monarch’s early years and her marriage to Prince Philip.
5) Olivia Colman
Oscar winner, Olivia Colman took on the role of the Queen in the Netflix series, ‘The Crown,’ in the third and fourth seasons. Her portrayal of the Queen revealed a sensitive, sympathetic nature of a woman managing a nation through the 1960s. She won a Golden Globe and Emmy for this role.
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6) Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson played the late Queen in a 2012 episode of the ‘Sky Arts’ series titled ‘Walking the Dogs’. The plot followed a true story, in which an intruder entered Buckingham Palace and chatted with the monarch. The guard at that moment was not available because he stepped away to walk Queen’s corgis.
7) Neve Campbell
Neve Campbell in the film ‘Churchill: The Hollywood Years,’ portrayed Queen Elizabeth II with an over-the-top posh British accent. This film was a parody of dramatic World War II films.
8) Jane Alexander
American actress Jane Alexander played Her Majesty late Queen Elizabeth II in 2011, ‘William & Catherine: A Royal Romance’. This movie told the love story of William and Catherine, from their time as students at St. Andrews. The highlight of the movie was the royal advice from the queen to Kate Middleton.
9) Maggie Sullivan
Sullivan was the queen in 2018’s ‘Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance’. This film was a follow-up of the hit Will & Kate romance film. Although, in this film, the focus was on the “more unorthodox” Harry & Meghan. The movie was also extended to two sequels, also featuring Sullivan as the Queen, ‘Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal‘ and ‘Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace‘.
10) Rosemary Leach
‘Margaret’ the BBC Drama centered on the last part of the reign of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Lindsay Duncan played Thatcher and Rosemary Leach played Elizabeth.
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