Imelda Staunton Was on The Crown Set When She Learned of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: ‘I Was Inconsolable’

Imelda Staunton reveals where she was when she learned of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

The 67-year-old actress appeared on The Graham Norton Show Friday, where she shared her reaction to the loss of the late monarch, who passed away in September 2022.

After host Graham Norton asked her if she was filming Crown when the Queen died, Staunton — who portrays the last of three iterations of the royal family in the Netflix series — said: “Lesley Manville, who plays Princess Margaret, and I were filming and at lunch we were told we might hear some sad news .”

Noting that she was confused at first, the actress said that production then warned her that it was related to the Queen’s death and asked if she wanted to pause filming, which she declined.

“We went ahead and finished the day, … and weirdly, I had 10 days off in my schedule, which was 10 days of mourning,” she continued. “I was inconsolable that night. And I would have been sad, but obviously, I think it was driven by living with her for so long.” Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Imelda Staunton attends ‘The Crown’ Finale Celebration at The Royal Festival Hall on December 5, 2023 in London, England.

Karwai Tang/WireImage

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The death of Queen Elizabeth was announced on September 8, 2022. The late monarch was 96 years old.

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” Buckingham Palace said in an official statement at the time. “The King and Queen Consort will stay at Balmoral this evening and return to London tomorrow.” After the Queen’s death, the United Kingdom — where she ruled for a record 70 years — and other nations that called her Head of State or Sovereign went into public mourning. Queen Elizabeth left behind four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren at the time of her death.

Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II in ‘The Crown’ season 6.

Justin Downing/ Netflix/ Courtesy of the Everett Collection

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Staunton portrays Queen Elizabeth on Crownthe last two seasons, after Claire Foy took over the role during seasons 1 and 2, and Olivia Colman took over the role for seasons 3 and 4.

When she got the part, Staunton spoke to BBC Radio presenter Emma Barnett Women’s Watch about the “extra challenge” that comes with playing a more contemporary version of Queen.

“I think my kind of extra challenge, like I need it, is that now I’m doing a Queen that we’re a little more familiar with,” the actress — who’s best known for playing Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter films and as Lady Bagshaw in Downton Abbey film — it was explained then.

“With Claire Foy, it was almost history, and now I’m playing someone who people might say, ‘She doesn’t do that’ or ‘She’s not like that,’ and that’s my personal bête noire,” Staunton added.

The last episodes Crown currently streaming on Netflix.

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Source: HIS Education