Queen Elizabeth, who marked 70 years on the throne this year, was the oldest and longest-reigning monarch in British history. She passed away on Thursday at the age of 96.
After her accession to the throne 70 years ago, the media's desire to portray royalty at every opportunity has never waned. She has been the subject of TV parodies, series as well as movies. Here are some of the most beloved pop culture portrayals of the queen and the actors who took on the role of Elizabeth.
Helen Mirren starred as Elizabeth in the movie "The Queen" and won the Best Actress Oscar in 2007 for her outstanding role. The 2006 British biographical drama film, written by Peter Morgan and directed by Stephen Frears, depicts the death of Princess Diana while the queen receives backlash from the public after not addressing the collective grief of the nation.
Jeannette Charles played Queen Elizabeth in productions that were mostly comedies. She took part in many well-known movies such as "National Lampoon's European Holiday," "The Naked Gun: From the Files of the Police Squad!" and "Austin Powers in Goldmember." Her acting performance, especially in "The Naked Gun" was outstanding as she created a near-perfect portrayal of the queen.
The Carol Burnett Show was an American variety comedy television show in which host Carol Burnett tickled the funny bones of the viewers with her sketches together with a team of other comedians. On the show, Burnett portrayed the royal family and Queen Elizabeth II many times.
Prunella Scales starred in both the stage and TV adaptation of "A Question of Attribution," a play written by Alan Bennett about the famous British art expert and former Soviet agent Sir Anthony Blunt. In the story of the play and TV adaptation, Blunt is artfully questioned by the queen and the men from MI5, the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency.
The Emmy-winning comedy showcase Saturday Night Live has hosted actors, comedians and artists that perform short, hilarious skits on current, intelligent and ridiculous topics. Mike Myers, Fred Armisen, Joan Cusack, Jon Lovitz and Kate McKinnon were among the actors who played Queen Elizabeth in these skits.
June Squibb played the queen in "Mockumentary 7 Days in Hell," which is about two rival tennis players, Isner-Mahut, who faced each other in the historic match at Wimbledon. Dubbed as "the longest and greatest game in tennis history," the clash takes seven days as unrestrained Queen Elizabeth II appears at the match.
"Downton Abbey" co-star Penelope Wilton played the queen in Steven Spielberg's live-action "The BFG." As a close follower of the monarch’s public image, Wilton watched a series of videos to recreate the image of the queen.
In "Pennyworth," focusing on the story of Bruce Wayne's loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth, in the alternate Britain of the 1950s and '60s, Jessica Ellerby revived Elizabeth's youth. Ellerby's portrayal is a young Queen Elizabeth II, through an effort to historically accurate representation rather than a direct portrayal.
While Kristen Stewart played Princess Diana in the biographical movie "Spencer," Stella Gonet played Queen Elizabeth. The psychological drama film revolves around Princess Diana's existential crisis as she considers divorcing Prince Charles and leaving the British royal family in 1991's Christmas.
Claire Foy portrayed Princess Elizabeth before her becoming monarch in the Netflix drama "The Crown." Telling the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign, the drama series has won 21 Emmy Awards. The show also brought an Emmy to Foy for her portrayal of the queen.
The second actress that starred as Queen Elizabeth II in "The Crown" was Olivia Colman. Depicting the early years of Elizabeth as the queen, Colman also won an Emmy for her role in the fourth season of the production.
Imelda Staunton, who we know from "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" as the remorseless Hogwarts principal, takes over the role of the queen at age 64 and on in "The Crown." Staunton will be portraying the queen in the annus horribilis of 1992, during Prince Charles' scandal divorce from Diana, and the deaths of Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother.
