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JUST LIKE FAMILY

The Crown star Olivia Colman misses the chance to meet the Queen she plays on screen as collects CBE from Princess Royal

OLIVIA Colman grinned as she rubbed shoulders with royalty today - despite missing out on the chance to meet the monarch she plays.

The Oscar-winner was awarded her CBE from Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace today, just a week before her portrayal of the Queen is launched on the popular Netflix drama, The Crown.

 Olivia Colman is presented with the honour for her services to drama
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Olivia Colman is presented with the honour for her services to drama
 The actress has taken on the role of Queen for the Netflix series The Crown
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The actress has taken on the role of Queen for the Netflix series The CrownCredit: PA:Press Association

The 45-year-old, who was made a CBE for her services to drama, smiled as she spoke with the Princess Royal during the ceremony.

She received the honour under her real name Sarah Sinclair.

The Crown returns on November 17 and sees Colman replace Claire Foy as the royal drama moves into the turbulent new world of the 1960s and 70s.

In a recently-released trailer for the show she is preparing for her silver jubilee and considering the impact she has had during her reign, saying in voiceover: "On days like today, ask yourself in the time I've been on the throne what have I actually achieved?"

But reports have suggested the Royal Family aren't too keen on the popular Netflix series - with a royal biographer claiming the Queen didn't watch it as it "came too close to the truth".

It was also revealed The Crown stars had not attended a Netflix event to avoid the ";distraction" as members of the Royal Family were also expected to attend.

As part of the battle against The Crown, last month The Queen’s communications secretary Donal McCabe wrote an extraordinary letter to The Guardian newspaper where he insisted the Royal Family “is not complicit in interpretations made by the programme”.

He added: “The royal household has never agreed to vet or approve content, has not asked to know what topics will be included, and would never express a view as to the programme’s accuracy.”

ROYAL DUTY

Last week the Queen was on investiture duty at Windsor Castle presenting Canadian author Margaret Atwood with an Order of the Companions of Honour for services to literature.

The Queen, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cambridge and the Princess Royal all take turns to hand out the gongs.

Anne will feature as a character in The Crown for the first time in the forthcoming third series being played by British actress Erin Doherty.

Colman first found fame as Sophie, the girlfriend of David Mitchell's character Mark, in the British comedy Peep Show.

She went on to have a successful career on the small screen with roles in Green Wing, That Mitchell And Webb Look and Twenty Twelve, and in British films including Hot Fuzz and Tyrannosaur.

Colman then won the best actress Oscar earlier in 2019 for her role as Queen Anne in The Favourite.

Her first brush with Hollywood success came when she played the role of Carol Thatcher in The Iron Lady, for which Meryl Streep won an Oscar for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher.

Colman followed up the film's success with a star role in the BBC drama The Night Manager, for which she won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Emmy and, in Phoebe Waller-Bridge's black comedy Fleabag, playing the title character's loathsome artist stepmother.

 The actress received the honour under her real name Sarah Sinclair
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The actress received the honour under her real name Sarah Sinclair
 The 45-year-old was made a CBE for her services to drama
6
The 45-year-old was made a CBE for her services to drama
 Olivia Colman has taken over the role of Queen from Claire Foy
6
Olivia Colman has taken over the role of Queen from Claire Foy
 The Queen smiles this week as she attends the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust at Buckingham Palace
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The Queen smiles this week as she attends the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust at Buckingham PalaceCredit: PA:Press Association
The Crown series three full trailer sees Olivia Colman play Queen Elizabeth II as Netflix royal smash returns


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