As prestige parts go, Queen Elizabeth II had been a juicy one for actors over several decades.
The latest high-profile entry in the ranks is Imelda Staunton (whom you may remember as Dolores Umbridge from the “Harry Potter” movies), who’s playing the royal in seasons five and six of Netflix’s hit drama “The Crown” (the fifth is set to premiere in November).
Her majesty has also been a frequent character cameo in comedies and parodies.
In honor of her 70-year reign, The Post takes a look back at the many incarnations — from the memorable to the cheeky and the semi-biopics to the downright fictional — and the famous actresses and actors who have portrayed Her Royal Highness, who died at 96.
Claire Foy on ‘The Crown’
Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II with Matt Smith as Prince Philip in the first season of “The Crown” in 2016.©Netflix/Courtesy Everett CollectionFoy won an Emmy for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in seasons one and two of the acclaimed Netflix series, which focused on the monarch’s early years and her nascent marriage to Prince Philip (Matthew Smith).
Freya Wilson in ‘The King’s Speech’
Colin Firth (from left), Helena Bonham Carter, Ramona Marquez and Freya Wilson in 2010’s “The King’s Speech.”©Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett CollectionWilson plays the child Princess Elizabeth in this World War II-set 2010 Best Picture Oscar winner, in which Colin Firth starred as Elizabeth’s father, George VI, who learned to overcome a stammer.
Helen Mirren in ‘The Queen’
Helen Mirren as the monarch in 2006’s “The Queen.” ©Miramax/Courtesy Everett CollectionMirren’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in this 2006 drama has become the standard-bearer for the role. Stephen Frears’ film follows the monarch in the time around the death of Princess Diana.
Sarah Gadon in ‘A Royal Night Out’
Sarah Gadon as Princess Elizabeth in 2015’s “A Royal Night Out.”Courtesy Everett CollectionThis 2015 indie comedy is a fictional imagining of a teenage Elizabeth (Gadon) and her sister Margaret (Bel Powley) escaping their royal guards on Victory in Europe Day in 1945 and getting to know the locals.
Olivia Colman on ‘The Crown’
Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II in the third season of “The Crown” in 2019. ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett CollectionOscar winner Colman lived up to the high bar set by Foy, as she took on the role of the Queen in the third and fourth seasons of the series, set in her middle age.
Emma Thompson in ‘Playhouse Presents’
Emma Thompson as the royal in a 2012 “Playhouse Presents” episode, “Walking the Dogs.”Sky ArtsIn a 2012 episode of the Sky Arts series titled “Walking the Dogs,” Thompson plays the queen in a plot riffing on a true story, in which an intruder (Eddie Marsan) gets into Buckingham Palace and chats with the monarch, whose guard has stepped away to — as the title suggests — walk her corgis.
Neve Campbell in ‘Churchill: The Hollywood Years’
Neve Campbell in 2004’s “Churchill: The Hollywood Years.”PATHEIn this 2004 parody of dramatic WWII films, Christian Slater plays Winston Churchill as a Bruce Willis-esque action hero. Campbell’s Elizabeth has an over-the-top posh British accent and finds herself in the middle of various slapstick scenarios, including getting whacked in the face by a Nazi salute.
Julie Walters in ‘The Queen’s Corgi’
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in the animated film were voiced by Julie Walters and Tom Courtenay, respectively.LionsgateThis animated 2019 kids’ movie focuses more on the dog than the queen, but British actress Walters aptly voices the royal, who famously cherishes the stubby-legged canines (she has reportedly owned more than 30 of them in her life).
Jane Alexander in ‘William & Catherine: A Royal Romance’
Jane Alexander in 2011’s “William & Catherine: A Royal Romance.”©Hallmark Entertainment/Courtesy: Everett CollectionAmerican actress Alexander plays the queen in this schmaltzy Hallmark version of the courtship and marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Maggie Sullivun in ‘Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance’
Maggie Sullivun as the queen in 2018’s “Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance.”©Lifetime Television/Courtesy Everett CollectionSullivun (“To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You”) plays the monarch in Lifetime’s film, a follow-up of sorts to the hit Will and Kate romance, this time centered on the more unorthodox Harry and Meghan. It spawned two sequels, also featuring Sullivun: “Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal” and “Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace.”
Jeannette Charles in ‘Austin Powers in Goldmember’
Jeannette Charles has portrayed the queen in several films, including the “Austin Powers” sequel and in 1985’s “National Lampoon’s European Vacation” with Chevy Chase (above). ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett CollectionCharles is the reigning champ of comedic Elizabeth impersonators, having played the monarch in “The Naked Gun,” “National Lampoon’s European Vacation,” the Beatles satire “The Rutles” and many more — including the 1975-set “Austin Powers” sequel, which was released in 2002.
Cate Blanchett on ‘Family Guy’
Cate Blanchett voiced the queen in a 2012 episode titled “Family Guy Viewer Mail 2.”FoxBlanchett bucked her serious-actress rep with a cameo as the voice of the monarch on Seth MacFarlane’s irreverent cartoon.
Rosemary Leach in ‘Margaret’
Rosemary Leach in 2009’s “Margaret.”BBCThis BBC drama centered on the last part of the reign of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Lindsay Duncan), with Leach (“A Room With a View”) playing Elizabeth.
Jennifer Saunders in ‘Minions’
Jennifer Saunders voiced the queen in 2015’s “Minions.” Universal PicturesSaunders (“Absolutely Fabulous”) voiced Elizabeth in this “Despicable Me” sequel. In 2002, Saunders turned down the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth. “We thought, ‘There’s a lot of people who deserve these things,’ and for us to get it sort of made it a mockery. There are people who work for the NHS or do great charity work and we hadn’t really done anything. It was silly,” she told Best Magazine.
Eddie Izzard in ‘The Simpsons’
Eddie Izzard voiced the monarch in a 2010 episode of “The Simpsons.”FOXThe transgender comic voiced the queen (as well as Prince Charles) in a 2010 episode of “The Simpsons,” titled “To Surveil With Love.”
Scott Thompson in ‘The Kids in the Hall’
Scott Thompson as the royal in a 1991 episode of “The Kids in the Hall.”This Canadian sketch show is known for its versatile male members playing female roles, and Thompson — who was one of the first openly gay comics — played the queen in multiple sketches over the years.
Kristin Scott Thomas in ‘The Audience’
Dame Kristin Scott Thomas bows at the curtain call after a press performance of “The Audience” in 2015 in London. Getty ImagesIn 2013, Helen Mirren once again took on the role of the queen on Broadway in Peter Morgan’s stage play “The Audience”; two years later, Thomas played the part onstage in London.
Fred Armisen on ‘Saturday Night Live’
Fred Armisen as Queen Elizabeth, Elton John and Bill Hader as Prince Philip in a 2011 episode of “Saturday Night Live.”©NBC/Courtesy Everett CollectionArmisen played a salty Queen Elizabeth in multiple sketches during his tenure on “SNL,” including opposite Anne Hathaway in “Kate Middleton Meets the Real Royal Family,” Katy Perry in “Pippa Visits the Queen” and Elton John in “Elton John and the Royal Wedding.”
