Claire Foy weighs in on her unexpected cameo in season five of Netflix’s The Crown

One fan wrote on Twitter, “#TheCrown season 5: *opens with Claire Foy’s Queen Elizabeth* me, out loud, to my computer: I MISS YOU!!!!!!” Another chimed in, “Claire Foy popping up in season 5 of The Crown makes me so happy.”

However, this was all news to Claire, who told E! News at the Chanel x Academy Luncheon Nov. 16, “I didn’t know there was a reaction.”

Nonetheless, Claire made it clear that she was happy to once more participate in Peter Morgan‘s Netflix drama. “I’m just really proud,” she said. “I’m really proud to have been part of the show ever so, yeah, it’s a great thing.”

Following the criticism that the programme has received recently, Claire has come out in support of The Crown. For instance, prior to the show’s return on November 9, Dame Judi Dench referred to it as “cruelly unjust.” The actress from Belfast was upset with way Dominic West’s Prince Charles was portrayed in the television programme attempting to force his queen mother to abdicate.

The Times published a letter from Judi on October 19 that stated: “This is both cruelly unjust to the individuals and damaging to the institution they represent. Given some of the wounding suggestions apparently contained in the new series—that King Charles plotted for his mother to abdicate, for example, or once suggested his mother’s parenting was so inadequate that she might have deserved a jail sentence.

Judi, who is a friend of Queen Consort Camilla, continued, “The closer the drama comes to our present times, the more freely it seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism.”

She also alleged that the series spread “an inaccurate and hurtful account of history” and called for a disclaimer to be added ahead of each episode.

Jonathan Pryce, who stars as Prince Philip in season five—and its forthcoming sixth and final season—defended the show’s storytelling, noting exclusively, “It’s really underestimating your audience to think that they don’t know it’s a drama.”

He added, “Some of the words that are used is that the series is ‘damaging and hurtful.’ I found it personally damaging and hurtful because it was questioning my integrity and my belief in this series. I do believe in it, and I do believe in the honesty of it.”