Imelda Staunton to replace Olivia Colman on The Crown as Queen Elizabeth

IMELDA Staunton will play the Queen in the fifth and sixth series of The Crown.

The Bafta-winning actress, 63, will follow Claire Foy, who played the young Queen and Olivia Colman, who plays her in the current series.

A source said: "Imelda was given the role of the Queen last year but it’s been kept under lock and key.

"She’s acting royalty so is a perfect fit, but there were a couple of other points which gave her the edge against others in the running.

"Imelda will be the same age as the queen was in the early ‘90s, which is when the fifth series will be set.

"Plus Imelda met the Queen in person at her 90th birthday celebration – so she’ll be the only actress who’s played the role in The Crown to do so.

"Imelda has reached out to Olivia about the role and they’re helping one another."

Imelda won a Best Actress Bafta for her role in 2005 film Vera Drake and most recently starred alongside her husband Jim Carter in the film adaptation of Downton Abbey.

The Sun went to Netflix about Imelda’s hiring as the new Queen yesterday morning.

They refused to answer our questions and instead gave our story to a favoured journalist at a rival newspaper.