With the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II, many have come out to give their condolences and take time to remember the life of the extraordinary monarch. One such person is actress Helen Mirren, who not only played Her Royal Highness but met with the Queen upon receiving her damehood in 2003.
The actress paid tribute to the late monarch releasing a statement, saying “I’m mourning along with the rest of my country, the passing of a great Queen. I’m proud to call myself of the Elizabethan age.
“If there was a definition of nobility, Elizabeth Windsor embodied it.”
The actress also shared the sentiments on Instagram, where she posted an image of the young Queen in black and white, writing underneath “I am proud to be an Elizabethan. We mourn a woman, who, with or without the crown, was the epitome of nobility.”
As a prominent public and historical figure, the Queen has been portrayed by many throughout her long life. Mirren would set the bar for her portrayal going on to win an Academy Award and BAFTA for her role in the 2006 film The Queen. She later revisited the role in a 2013 stage production called The Audience which looked at the many weekly meetings the Queen would have with her various Prime Ministers who governed during her time. For this portrayal, Mirren went on to win a Lawrence Olivier Award and Tony Award for Best Actress.
Mirren is, of course, not the only actor to have portrayed the famous figure, with the Netflix series The Crown using multiple actors to showcase the various stages of the Queen’s life over the many decades. Clare Foy, Olivia Colman, and soon-to-follow Imelda Staunton have all stepped into her shoes for the drama, but have yet to comment on her recent passing at the time of publication.
Our condolences are with the Royal Family and those mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II at this time.
