The Crown season six ‘to pay tribute to late Queen with return of Claire Foy and Olivia Colman’

The Crown will pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in its final season with four different depictions of the late monarch, according to reports.

After five successful seasons on Netflix, the historical drama series will conclude with season six later this year.

Created by Peter Morgan, The Crown is based on the British royal family throughout the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

As the show has moved through time periods spanning several decades, the monarch has been played by a variety of actors.

Claire Foy played her in the first two seasons, documenting her earliest years on the throne. Olivia Colman succeeded her in seasons three and four, and Imelda Staunton plays the Queen in her later years for seasons five and six.

A recent report has claimed that all three versions of the Queen will feature in the forthcoming final season, as well as a new young, pre-coronation version played by Viola Prettejohn.

A show source, speaking to The Sun, said: “Netflix are playing a clever hand with these four queens, bringing the story of Her Majesty to a sensational end after telling virtually all of her life story over 60 episodes.

“It also indicates the respect and affection which the creators have for the late monarch, even though they might not feel the same way about the royals as an institution.”

According to the source, the idea to combine depictions of the Queen was most likely born soon after her death last September.

The source also noted the logistics of getting the actors in the same place at the same time for the tribute due to their busy schedules: “Getting the actresses together was no mean feat as both Claire and Olivia went on to bigger things after making The Crown and have packed schedules.”

The Independent has reached out to Netflix for comment.

Though a premiere date has not yet been confirmed, the final season is likely to follow the pattern of previous runs and launch in November.