Olivia Colman has described the Queen as the “ultimate feminist” ahead of the new season of the Crown arriving this weekend.
The Oscar award-winning actress, 45, has taken over the role of Her Majesty after Claire Foy bowed out in 2017.
The third season will cover 1964 to 1977, ending at the time of the Silver Jubilee, and will cover moments in history such as Harold Wilson’s time as Prime Minister, the Aberfan disaster and the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Helena Bonham-Carter will play Princess Margaret while Tobias Menzies plays Prince Philip.
Speaking to the Radio Times, Colman said: “[The Queen is] the ultimate feminist. She’s the breadwinner. She’s the one on our coins and banknotes. Prince Philip has to walk behind her.
“She fixed cars in the Second World War. She insisted on driving a king who came from a country where women weren’t allowed to drive [King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, at Balmoral in 1998]. She’s no shrinking violet.”
Colman added that she found herself impersonating Foy when she first started shooting the series.
“[I was] definitely channelling her, but then I just started to do what the script says and I’ve fallen in love with the Queen,” she said.
“We’re used to people being a little unclassy and she’s the opposite of that. She’s extraordinary.
"I hadn’t spent much time thinking about it before, but now I love her. She’s changed my views on everything.”
Colman’s role comes after a standout year which has seen her awarded an Oscar, a Bafta and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Queen Anne in Yorgos Lanthimos’ film, the Favourite.
Ahead of its release, the new series of The Crown has received generally positive reviews from critics.
Colman's full interview is available in the Radio Times magazine, out now. The Crown arrives on Netflix on Sunday.
