The Crown star Olivia Colman reveals she ‘copied’ everything predecessor Claire Foy did in the role as she admits portraying The Queen was ‘one of the most difficult things’ she’s ever done

• The Oscar-winning actress, 45, took over the reigns from Claire Foy, who portrayed The Queen for the first two series 
• Olivia admitted that she ‘copied’ everything Claire in a bid to perfect the iconic role
• The star admitted that playing Her Majesty was ‘one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done’
• The Crown returns to Netflix for a third series on Sunday, November 17

She’s set to take on the role of Queen Elizabeth II in the award-winning Netflix series.

And ahead of her making her debut as The Queen in series three of The Crown, Olivia Colman admitted that she carefully ‘copied’ everything her predecessor Claire Foy did in a bid to perfect the iconic role.

The Oscar-winning star, 45, also revealed that playing the long-reigning monarch was ‘one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done’.

For two seasons, actress Claire wowed audiences with her portrayal of Her Majesty The Queen, with the star scooping numerous awards in the role.

Opening up on how she took inspiration from Claire as she stepped into The Queen’s shoes, Olivia told The Mirror: ‘She did the most exquisite job… For the first couple of weeks I copied everything she did and I tried to imagine how she’d do it, because I was such a fan.’

Further heaping praise on Claire, Olivia insisted that she was ‘incredibly encouraging’ when it came to handing over the mantle.

In her own right, Olivia is a decorated actress, having an Academy, Golden Globe and BAFTA award under her belt.

But despite her achievements, the star revealed that portraying the monarch was one of the most ‘difficult’ jobs she’s taken on.

She said: ‘It’s one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done because everyone knows the Queen’s voice and knows what she looks like.’

Speaking further about The Queen, she added: ‘It’s not a job I’d want, but I think the Queen certainly is a solid rock for us all. If you’re going to tell a story about a human being, she is the most extraordinary.’

Meanwhile, fans were recently treated to a new The Crown series three trailer, which features a brief cameo from Claire.

The teaser sees Elizabeth II being shown the updated version of the British postage stamp – which features her own profile.

Scrutinising it in a room full of men (and two corgis), the Queen wears a mauve suit and pearls as she surveys the old stamp – featuring Foy – against the new – featuring Colman.

‘Everyone is delighted with the new profile, ma’am,’ one of her advisers says. ‘Which they feel to be an elegant reflection of her majesty’s transition from young woman to…’

‘Old bat?’ the Queen interrupts.

To which her adviser responds: ‘Settled sovereign!’

As she looks at the two enlarged stamps before her, her adviser adds: ‘Just the tiniest changes.’

To which Elizabeth corrects him: ‘A great many changes. Nothing one can do about it. One just has to get on with it!’

While that’s where the teaser ends, fans’ appetites will surely be whetted sufficiently with this morsel from season three, which is not streaming on Netflix for another two months.

The third season of The Crown sees a new guard sweep into Downing Street, as Queen Elizabeth and her family struggle to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing Britain.

From cold-war paranoia, through to the jet-set and the space age – the exuberance of the 1960s and the long hangover of the 1970s – Elizabeth and the Royals must adapt to a new, more liberated, but also more turbulent world.

Written by Peter Morgan, The Crown also stars Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, Tobias Menzies as The Duke of Edinburgh, Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles, Erin Doherty as Princess Anne, Ben Daniels as Lord Snowdon, Jason Watkins as Prime Minister Harold Wilson and Charles Dance as Lord Mountbatten.

The Crown Season 3 launches globally on Sunday, November 17.