Netflix shares first pictures of Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth in The Crown

The actress will be playing a Queen many viewers are already familiar with.

As we eagerly await season 5 of The Crown, Netflix has given fans a glimpse of what to expect from the show's leading lady. The streaming platform has shared a photo of Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, and she looks phenomenal. The highly acclaimed actress will be taking over from Olivia Colman to portray the Queen during the seven-year tenure of Prime Minister John Major, who will be played by Johnny Lee Miller. Other new additions to the cast include Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana and Dominic West as Prince Charles. Season 5 will explore a number of royal storylines, including Princess Diana's bombshell interview on BBC's Panorama. https://twitter.com/TheCrownNetflix/status/1421108568980430853 Staunton has spoken previously about the challenge of portraying Queen Elizabeth. The Oscar-nominated actress told the BBC: "I think my sort of extra challenge, as if I needed it, is that I'm now doing the Queen that we're a little more familiar with." She continued: "With Claire Foy, it was almost history, and now I'm playing one that people could say 'She doesn't do that,' and that’s my personal bête noire." The fifth season of The Crown is expected to be released in 2022. Until then, all episodes of the show are available to watch on Netflix.