Imelda Staunton says she was ‘inconsolable’ following the death of the Queen

Imelda Staunton, who plays the Queen in the new series of The Crown, has revealed she was ‘inconsolable’ after the monarch’s death in September, while her co-star Dominic West was glued to Her late Majesty’s state funeral which he described as a ‘goldmine’ for research into his role as King (then Prince) Charles.

Multi award-winning actress Staunton, 66, admitted the death of Queen Elizabeth II hit her hard, and also revealed she had been playing the late monarch on set when news of her death broke – but the thespian didn’t find out until she had wrapped filming for the day.

Meanwhile, West, 53, admitted the back-to-back coverage of the Queen’s death and state funeral during the national period of mourning was crucial to his understanding of the role he was playing, claiming he ‘watched the television for a week solidly’.

Imelda Staunton (pictured as the Queen in series five of The Crown), 66, revealed she was ‘inconsolable’ upon hearing the news Queen Elizabeth II had died on 8 September

Dominic West (pictured as King Charles in The Crown), 53, admitted he was glued to the TV following the Queen’s death as it was a ‘goldmine’ for learning more about the role he played in series five and will reprise in series six

Speaking to Radio Times, the pair spoke of the pressure they felt taking on the enormous roles, with West playing the man who is now King while Staunton took on the role of the longest-serving monarch in British history.

Staunton, who has won a BAFTA and an Olivier award among a dozen other gongs, said she felt she had been handed a ‘heavy baton’ as she took over a role that had been played by Claire Foy and Olivia Colman in previous seasons, and she feared she may ‘let the whole thing down’.

She added that, after learning the Queen had died, she had burst into tears – and was grateful she hadn’t been due to film for the next few days because her sadness was so evident on her face. 

‘They couldn’t have filmed on this face,’ she admitted.

The new series of The Crown will depict the 1990s, including the Queen’s ‘annus horribilis’ in 1992, which saw several of her children getting divorced, as well as the fire at Windsor Castle (pictured: The Queen’s official portrait, 1992)

The new series will also focus on King Charles after his split from Princess Diana, as he and his ex-wife gave contrasting media interviews about their marriage. Pictured: King Charles in Ukraine, 1996

The actress stars alongside Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, who hit back at criticism of the storyline between the late Duke of Edinburgh and his long-time friend, Penny Knatchbull.

Amid uproar from royal fans about the depiction of the relationship between the pair, Pryce insisted the storyline was essential to understanding Prince Philip’s personality.

In particular, he pointed to the Duke’s ’empathy’ as he became a confidante to Penny in the early 1990s when her daughter Leonora died at the age of five from kidney cancer.

In an apparent nod to rumours the plot would show the Duke ‘attempting to pursue a sexual relationship’ with Knatchbull, Pryce said: ‘It’s not what people think it is.’

Elsewhere in the interview, West revealed he struggled at first to get to grips with playing King Charles – a man he has met several times.

West is even an ambassador for the King’s charity, the Prince’s Trust, and offered to resign from that role after being cast in series five of the Netflix drama. However, he revealed his offer was refused in a letter of response from the King’s private secretary.

Luckily, it seems the King and Queen Consort have made peace with West’s role – as the actor revealed Camilla jokingly called him ‘Your Majesty’ at a party last year.

As he sat glued to the TV following the Queen’s death on 8 September, West described the events of the mourning period, including Her late Majesty’s state funeral, as ‘fascinating’.

He added that, while he had always been fond of the King, his affection for the new monarch grew after watching his accession and his involvement in the funeral – and in particular a moment in which he grew frustrated with a leaking pen.

West also revealed the pros and cons of working with his son on set – Senan, who plays his onscreen son Prince William.

The trailer debuted with Windsor Castle’s Great fire of 1992, with the Queen looking on in disarray. She later referred to the year as her ‘annus horribilis’

He said he ‘loved’ watching the 13-year-old, who has never acted before, play the role and added the pair have a ‘natural physical bond’.

However, the 53-year-old added he found it difficult to watch his son acting out emotional scenes – recalling it was ‘horrible’ watching him cry. 

As Senan sat down to film a scene with Staunton, West said he mde sure his son knew how lucky he was to be sharing the screen with such a revered actress.

Series five of The Crown is due to premiere in the UK on 9 November on Netflix. 

Earlier this month, the streaming service dropped its explosive trailer for the new series, which depicts the breakdown of Charles and Diana’s marriage and the fallout of the split.

The trailer debuted Imelda Staunton as the late sovereign reacting to the Windsor Castle Fire of 1992, the Queen’s ‘annus horribilis’, and suggested the show would re-enact the lead up to Diana’s Panorama 1995 interview with Martin Bashir. 

The trailer focused heavily on the fall out between Princess Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki and King Charles, then Prince of Wales, culminating in their very public divorce.