Why Imelda Staunton Is the best queen Elizabeth in season 5 of “The Crown”?

• The Crown will examine the circumstances leading up to Queen Elizabeth II’s tragic demise.
• The Crown has replaced its cast every two seasons in order to depict the passage of time without the use of makeup or prosthetics.
• Elizabeth displays a comparable level of grief as Windsor Palace burns.

It is difficult for one project to examine a historical icon’s life in its entirety. The best biopics in movie history frequently focus on a single point in a person’s life and elaborate on it in great detail. With The Crown, however, Peter Morgan undertook a challenging assignment; he decided to examine the life of the longest-reigning monarch in British history from her coronation to the present. The Crown will examine the circumstances leading up to Queen Elizabeth II’s tragic demise. The Crown has replaced its cast every two seasons in order to depict the passage of time without the use of makeup or prosthetics.

The Crown is able to depict its main characters in quite different stages of their life, whereas big-time jumps on shows like House of the Dragon are distracting because the audience has not had time to get invested in the new cast members. Because she is a woman, Claire Foy’s Queen Elizabeth must live up to the high expectations that the public has for a monarch following the popularity of her father, King George VI (Jared Harris). Elizabeth as portrayed by Olivia Colman depicts an older woman who is now juggling her roles as a mother, modernizer, traditionalist, and patriot.

Even though Imelda Staunton has only played Elizabeth for one season thus far, she has already established herself as the character’s undisputed embodiment. While Staunton had the issue of portraying the Queen that the bulk of the audience was familiar with from the last few decades of news coverage, Foy and Colman had to rely on archive footage for their performances. The most nuanced representation thus far comes from her guarded, softly reflective performance. While the other Elizabeths had to contend with the burden of their country’s misdeeds, Staunton’s Elizabeth must deal with the fallout from her own choices.

An Awareness of Legacy

Elizabeth is already aware of her legacy because Season 5 takes set in the 1990s. She is keen to remind her allies of the fact that everything about her reign is unprecedented. Compared to the previous seasons, Season 5 has less humor, however there is a particularly funny scene when Elizabeth meets John Major, her new Prime Minister, at the beginning of the season (Jonny Lee Miller). She seems to take pleasure in telling him about all the prime ministers she has worked with and their unique quirks.

When Major suggests that the public not contribute to the Royal yacht, the conversation turns quite tense. This ship has been by her side for years, and she has always taken it for granted. Elizabeth sees this as a personal affront to her family. Staunton effectively conveys Elizabeth’s shock upon realizing that she is suddenly the one who is out of date. This is a luxury item, yes, but it also holds sentimental importance. This is a significant seasonal topic. Elizabeth displays a comparable level of grief as Windsor Palace burns. For a moment, set aside the historical significance of this and remember that this is also a family’s home.

Words of Significance

Because Elizabeth is aware of her own past, her comments have much more weight, and Staunton demonstrates why she is so restrained. Elizabeth understands that the reputation she has built for herself will depend on her ability to pick and choose when to express herself. When she claims that 1992 is a “Annus Horribilis” because of the fire and her family’s split, it’s a significant occasion. It’s a rare occasion when one of the most powerful persons in the world can cry in front of a crowd when she expresses her sorrow on a public stage.

The vulnerable moments Staunton shares are deeply poignant. Elizabeth sincerely appreciates Major for his service to the nation when Tony Blair replaces him, despite their past disputes (Bertie Carvel). While drawing parallels between him and Winston Churchill (John Lithgow) is impactful in and of itself, it’s also crucial since it marks one of the few occasions when Elizabeth is so outwardly sympathetic. A similar scene occurs near the end of the season when the Queen and Princess Diana share a little moment of serenity (Elizabeth Debicki). Elizabeth, unable to justify her actions any longer, tenderly apologizes to Diana for her actions.

Regrets and Redemption

Elizabeth still has to deal with the consequences of her past actions, as shown by a few flashbacks to a younger Elizabeth and Princess Margaret (Vanessa Kirby). She had finally reconciled with Margaret (Lesley Manville) in their later years, but her sister is still resentful because she wasn’t able to wed Peter Townsend (Timothy Dalton). When Elizabeth permits her daughter, Princess Anne (Claudia Harrison), to remarry, Margaret calls her out. Elizabeth will always have the greatest regrets for the harm she did to her own family, regardless of the mistakes she made on a public stage.

Elizabeth played by Staunton must also deal with a controversy she has never had to consider. With Diana’s popularity skyrocketing and Prince Charles’ (Dominic West) rising hostility, the public starts to despise the monarchy itself. This is a critique of Elizabeth as a leader as well as a sign of where the nation wishes to go in the future. Has it been concluded that Elizabeth has failed as a leader, a mother, and a monarch? Elizabeth feels as though her own legacy is in doubt. Are they so furious with her behavior that they want to abolish one of the nation’s most enduring customs?

Uncertainty surrounds how much of recent events will be covered in The Crown’s sixth and final season. Even if the presently filmed final season doesn’t cover the recent past, it will be impossible to watch it without thinking back on Elizabeth’s untimely loss. Elizabeth is presented by Staunton in a subtle, respectful performance that is sympathetic but not entirely sympathetic. She should naturally follow in the footsteps of her predecessor and win the Primetime Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama Series. Not only is it the role’s logical growth, but it’s also the best portrayal to date.

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