Arise, Queen Olivia. Netflix has confirmed that Olivia Colman will take on the role of Queen Elizabeth II in the third and fourth seasons of its hit royal drama The Crown.



The Broadchurch star will take over from Claire Foy, who has played the monarch in the first season and will do so again in the forthcoming second season.

Netflix has not revealed when the third season starring Colman will be released, and no other casting details have been announced.

Foy has won both a Golden Globe and a Bafta for her turn as Elizabeth, whom she has portrayed during the early years of her reign. She returns to Buckingham Palace in season two, which is due for release in December.

The lavish biographical drama series, created by Peter Morgan and which stars Matt Smith as Prince Philip, John Lithgow as Winston Churchill, Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret and Victoria Hamilton as the Queen Mother, debuted last year.

The series started in 1947 and ended in 1955, portraying the earlier days of the Queen’s reign. The second season is set to pick up in 1956 and will cover the years through to 1963.

The critically acclaimed first season was thought to have been the most expensive series yet commissioned by Netflix, at a reported cost of £100m.

Foy has previously discussed her two-season role, explaining that a different actress will portray the monarch every couple of series as she ages. She told The Graham Norton Show: “This is the last stint, it’s over, I’m done. I always knew it was only going to be two series and then the part would be reincarnated and someone else takes over. That’s the nature of the part.”

Colman, 43, who won a Golden Globe for her role in the BBC hit The Night Manager, will reportedly begin filming episodes next year.