Which actor portrays Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 5 and 6?

Imelda Staunton portrays Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 5 and 6 of The Crown. She took over the role after Olivia Colman, who played the Queen in seasons 3 and 4.

Staunton's casting continued the series' unusual two-season recasting pattern. Claire Foy portrayed the younger Elizabeth in seasons 1 and 2, Colman portrayed her through the middle years, and Staunton played the monarch during the 1990s and early 2000s. This approach allowed the actors' ages to follow the historical timeline.

Staunton's seasons cover the Queen's annus horribilis era, Diana's death, the Golden Jubilee, and the monarchy's adjustment to a changing public mood. Viewers sometimes confuse Staunton with Helen Mirren, who played Elizabeth II in the film The Queen, not in The Crown.