The Crown star Olivia Colman pays tribute to the Queen and welcomes King Charles III

Olivia Colman, 48, famously played the role of Her Majesty in season three and four of Netflix’s The Crown - a dramatised series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

On Thursday, 8 September, Her Majesty passed away peacefully at her home in Balmoral, Scotland.

Whilst at the Toronto International Film Festival yesterday, Olivia addressed the death of the longest reigning monarch for the first time.

She told Variety: “She made a promise as a young woman and she absolutely kept it with such dignity.

“We’re all incredibly impressed by what she did.”

The former Prince of Wales, now King Charles II, was formally proclaimed in a televised ceremony on Saturday.

The Crown actress also addressed the speech that His Majesty made whilst at the Variety Studio.

The British actress said: “From a British point of view, he did it so beautifully. He did it about love, tolerance and gentleness, and that is what she always wanted and she’s done.

“From the outside world looking at Great Britain, at the moment, we’ve got some comedy going on at one side — politics — and something so dignified. I felt proud to be British. I think he’s going to do a good job.”

The 48-year-old also posted a photo to Instagram of herself shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth II.

Olivia won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama Series in 2020, for her role as Queen Elizabeth II.

She later won an Emmy Award in 2021 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, for her role in The Crown.

However, Imelda Staunton will now replace Olivia as The Queen in season six of the hit Netflix series.

Actress Dame Helen Mirren is also well known for playing the monarch in both the 2006 film The Queen, and in the 2013 West End play The Audience.

The 77-year-old posted a black and white photo to Instagram, telling her followers that she is “proud to be an Elizabethan”.