Comparing the 3 Performances of Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown

Comparing the 3 Performances of Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be Comparing the 3 Performances of Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown

In this essay, we’ll be looking at what the three actresses who played the monarch in the Netflix drama brought to the role and what made them each stand out.

Which performance surprised you the most with its accuracy? Let us know in the comments.

Playing a figure as renowned as the Queen comes with its own challenges. Everyone’s looking to see how accurately they move, behave and even dress as the Monarch. Foy credits her strong posture to the corset she wore throughout season one due to having recently given birth, while Colman said that a director told her she walked “a bit like a farmer” and had to be taught to walk like a royal. Others will listen intently for the Queen’s distinguishable dialect. Subsequent Queen Elizabeths Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton also had the added pressure of following their predecessor’s performances. So, how do they compare to the real Queen Elizabeth II? How do they compare to each other? And what unique spin did each actress bring to her time on the show?

All three actresses, and the rest of the cast, worked closely with dialect coach William Conacher. He compared teaching an accent to a choreographer breaking down dance moves, one step at a time. The actresses were taught how to train the muscles in their mouths to improve their diction, to barely let the words slip between their teeth, and use specific keywords and phrases to help them tune in to the voice. While all three maintain the Queen’s tight-lipped and distinct way of speaking, you can also hear more modern undertones as time progresses.

Still, going back to the very beginning, we first meet a young Princess Elizabeth ahead of her wedding day, aged 21. Her world gets turned upside down when the king passes away, and she ascends to the throne at 25. The first two seasons focus on the young Monarch finding her footing as head of state which is acted stunningly by Claire Foy. The actress captures the character’s youth and naivety perfectly. She was praised for her poised and unflappable characterization of a young monarch settling into her new position. Throughout the second season, we saw the young royal’s confidence grow, paving the way perfectly for her successor.

In season three, we were reunited with a more self-assured monarch. While Foy’s challenge was to convince a Britain recovering from a war that she could lead them forward, Colman’s task as Queen was to unite a divided country and meet the ever-changing expectations of her role. You can see that this Queen still holds onto the same values she had in her youth; however, she’s more settled in her position. Still, you can also see how the pressures of being Head of State have taken their toll. We also need to shout out the exceptional work of the hair, costume, and make-up team. It’s almost as if we’d traveled back in time.

Imelda Staunton takes things one step further. As the Queen enters her golden years, she begins to reflect on the past several decades. From the very first episode, her advancing age is made abundantly clear, and it’s a theme that silently follows throughout. The actress does a phenomenal job at playing a woman who carries the burdens of the past while still remaining somewhat hopeful for the future. As she told “ET Canada,” she studied the real Queen Elizabeth II as research ahead of donning that Crown. If, like us, you can watch her and not just see Dolores Umbridge, well, that’s a job well done.


Another theme throughout the show is the never-ending battle between family and duty. Foy’s Queen Elizabeth fights hard to find the balance but often finds herself forced to side with the Crown. The actress did a phenomenal job of relaying the confusion, frustration, and loneliness that come with such difficult decisions. Additionally, we learn that even the Queen must fight for her voice to be heard and her rank respected. The character’s discomfort and irritation are incredibly relatable. The world was changing quickly, and we saw the royal fight to keep up and ensure everyone remembered who the big boss lady truly was.

By the time Colman takes over, the Queen has accepted that her duty must always come first. While in her youth, she tried to negotiate, reason, and even bend the rules, this older Queen almost too willingly sides with the Crown, even at her family’s expense. This could’ve made the character highly unlikeable if it wasn’t for the actress’ perfectly-placed nuances. We love seeing these private moments with the Queen where the challenges of her position are etched on her face. We can sympathize with the complexities of the Queen’s dual responsibilities thanks to Colman’s impactful performance.

As we mentioned, Staunton’s Queen Elizabeth is more reflective. As she reaches the end of her “Annus Horribilis,” she notes how her decisions have impacted her family, although that isn’t to say that the hard choices are all behind her. Still, her sadness is more apparent as she remembers how much she and her family have sacrificed for the country.

It’s also been fascinating to see how the Queen’s evolved as a wife and mother. Foy’s parenting doesn’t get much screen time, but her chemistry with Matt Smith is on fire. You can tell these two people enjoy each other’s company, which helps make their on-screen love all the more believable. They’re a totally relatable duo with the ups and downs of any relationship, and boy, do they hit some major icebergs, but their love for each other is undeniable.

By seasons three and four, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are more settled; they’re comfortable and less guarded around each other. We get some heartwarming moments, although the power struggle from the earlier seasons is still very prevalent. However, this time we see more of the Queen’s maternal side, or in some cases, lack of it. Some of the seasons’ most fascinating storylines center around her relationship with her children, especially her heir. While some of the Queen’s actions might seem unimaginable to many parents, Colman’s compelling performance probably had a lot of parents rooting for her too.

The generational rifts deepen in the fifth season as the Queen struggles to accept her children’s decisions, especially when they don’t align with her own values as Queen. The Monarch-heir relationship becomes more convoluted when Prince Charles decides that his mother’s time on the throne is up. Meanwhile, the poor Queen’s marriage seems to be on the rocks as Prince Philip becomes more distant. Perhaps season six will turn this around, but this Queen has a lot on her plate, and Imelda Staunton brilliantly shows how even the family’s rock can start to erode.


Ultimately what makes the three Queens so compelling is the seamless continuity between them. Colman and Staunton have definitely put in the work to make these time shifts believable. And, of course, the utmost props to everyone who helped create their royal transformations. However, as Staunton explained, they play three versions of the Queen at different life stages. So, it was more effective to research the actual Queen Elizabeth than to try and mirror their predecessor’s performance. Even so, each actress flawlessly continues from where the last left off while making the character entirely their own. Claire Foy and Olivia Colman won multiple awards for their portrayals, and we have no doubt Imelda Staunton will join their ranks. If you ask us, they’re all worthy of the titular Crown.