The Queen star Helen Mirren pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth upon her passing. England’s longest-reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday at the age of 96. Tributes have naturally been pouring in all day from all over the world, with the entertainment industry leading the way in sharing its heartfelt condolences.
One of the most touching Queen Elizabeth tributes in fact came from an actual fictional character, the animated bear Paddington, who famously shared the screen with the queen for a sketch aired during this year’s Platinum Jubilee. “Thank you Ma’am, for everything,” reads the tweet posted to the Paddington Twitter account. Entertainment luminaries from Paul McCartney to Mick Jagger to Elton John have also gotten on social media to bid farewell to the late monarch.
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And yet another moving tribute came from Mirren, a film actor with an intimate knowledge of Queen Elizabeth and her life. Mirren of course actually played the monarch in The Queen, the 2006 Stephen Frears film depicting the events following the death of Princess Diana. “I am proud to be an Elizabethan,” Mirren said in an Instagram post. She added, “We mourn a woman, who, with or without the crown, was the epitome of nobility.” See the full tribute in the space below:
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Mirren of course is not the only actor to tackle the task of portraying Queen Elizabeth II on-screen in recent years. Famously, Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton and Verity Russell have all played her, at different points in her life, on the show The Crown (indeed, The Crown finds itself in a bit of a quandary in the wake of the queen’s death, and there are reports that the show may shut down production on season 6 out of respect for the late monarch). Young Princess Elizabeth was also tackled in The King’s Speech by Freya Wilson, and by Sarah Gadon in A Royal Night Out. Some comedic takes on the queen have also found their way onto screens, headed up by Cate Blanchett’s voice portrayal on Family Guy.
But of all these Queen Elizabeth II portrayals, Mirren’s Oscar-winning turn in The Queen may be the most memorable of all. Given Mirren’s personal connection to the queen, it’s no surprise that she would be among the first wave of entertainment stars offering her tribute on the sad occasion of the monarch’s passing. Mirren indeed served up eloquent words in honor of the woman who provided the inspiration for one of her most acclaimed performances.