'The Crown' shares the first photo of Imelda Staunton as the Queen for the Netflix show's upcoming fifth season

• Imelda Staunton is playing Queen Elizabeth II in season five of Netflix's "The Crown."

• The series released the first photo of Staunton in her royal costume on Friday.

• Staunton will be the third actress to portray the Queen for the Netflix series.

• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix's "The Crown" has shared the first photo of actress Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II.

Staunton will play the monarch in season five of the series.

Staunton has been acting for decades, and she is known for her performances in "Downton Abbey," "Paddington," and as Dolores Umbridge in the "Harry Potter" series.

She will be the third actress to portray the Queen on "The Crown."

Netflix shared a glimpse of Staunton in the role to Instagram on Friday.

"An early glimpse of our new Queen Elizabeth II, Imelda Staunton," the account captioned the image.

In the image, Staunton wears a yellow-and-black patterned top with a bow on the neckline. Her hair is entirely gray in the shot, highlighting that she will be playing an older version of the monarch.

Season five of the series will cover John Major's time as Prime Minister, as well Prince Charles and Princess Diana's divorce and his public affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles, according to Harper's Bazaar.

Staunton is inheriting the throne from Olivia Colman, who played the Queen for seasons three and four of the show. Claire Foy portrayed the monarch in the first two seasons of the series.

Colman was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama Series for her depiction of the Queen in both 2020 and 2021. She will be competing against her co-star Emma Corrin, who played Princess Diana, for the award this year.

Colman said was "quite pleased" to hand over the reign to Staunton at the end of 2020, adding that it was one of the most difficult roles she has ever played.

"The Crown" began filming its fifth season in July 2021, but it will not be available for streaming until 2022, according to Elle.

Netflix announced in July of 2020 that the series would end after six seasons.

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