The Last Queen of The Crown: Who is Imelda Staunton?

The Crown stars Imelda Staunton and Lesley Manville.

The first season of The Crown met with its audience in 2016. The series began with the death of Elizabeth and Margaret's father, King George VI, and Elizabeth's accession to the throne. Since 2016, The Crown has become Netflix's numerous award-winning production. It attracted the attention of millions of people around the world. However, as time went on, the series divided critics and viewers. As the series approached the present day, the dose of criticism increased. Oscar-winning British actress Judi Dench said that the script began to ignore the difference between fiction and reality and that this could be perceived as "the truth itself" for audiences outside the UK.

Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton CBE (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre productions in the United Kingdom.

A friend of King Charles also described what was told in the TV series "The Crown" as "exploitation" and said, "Netflix has no hesitation in damaging people's reputations. "What people forget is that these are real people and real lives at stake here," he said. Netflix also added the phrase "Fictional drama inspired by real events" to the beginning of the series starting from the fifth season.

She became the third actress to portray the Queen, following Imelda Staunton, Claire Foy, and Olivia Colman.

What is told in the last season of the series?

The first episode of the 6th season, which deals with Princess Diana's relationship with Dodi Fayed and her tragic death in 1997, met with the audience in November 2023. The last six episodes were released on December 14, 2023. The last six episodes covered the death of Princess Margaret and then focused on the story of how Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, met the future Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton.

So who is Imelda Staunton?

Imelda Staunton, born in London on January 9, 1956, graduated from RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), one of the most prestigious art institutions in England, in 1976 and started her acting career on the theater stage.

Staunton, who has appeared in many theater and stage productions, television series, and films throughout her acting career, reached a wider fan base with the character of Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter film series.

Staunton, who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance as the lead character Vera in the movie Nurse/Vera Drake in 2004, was recently praised for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in the fifth season of The Crown.