“The Crown” brings back former stars to join Imelda Staunton for emotional series finale

Show creator Peter Morgan brought back some familiar faces for the royal drama's conclusion.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the series finale of The Crown.

What is the collective noun for queens?

Imelda Staunton's Elizabeth II is joined by younger versions of herself, played by Claire Foy and Olivia Colman, on the series finale of The Crown, which is now streaming on Netflix. Foy portrayed the monarch on seasons 1 and 2 of the royal drama while Colman took over the role on seasons 3 and 4.

On the episode, which concerns the 2005 wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, the Queen considers abdicating so that the former can become king. As the monarch mulls the matter, she is visited by the iterations of Elizabeth played by Foy and Colman, who offer differing advice.

Colman's Queen tells Staunton's septuagenarian Elizabeth that the time has come for her to leave the throne, saying, "Your first loyalty's always been to the crown, sometimes at the expense of being a mother. Stepping down is the right thing to do, as Queen and as a mother."

Foy's version of the Queen offers a different opinion when she subsequently appears on the episode.

"Have you forgotten the oath that you took?" Foy asks. "'I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, will be devoted to your service.' You're fit enough to ride and drive, so you're fit enough to wear the crown... Monarchy is something you are, not what you do. The crown is a symbol of permanence, of stability, of continuity. If you step down, you'll be symbolizing instability and impermanence. You'll also be indicating the luxury of choice, which is the one thing we cannot have if we claim the crown is also our birthright."

Later in the scene, Foy says to Staunton, "You say that Charles is in his prime, well, I see you in yours. And, admit it, you sometimes think there's a difference between you and the rest of the family."

"Yes," agrees Staunton.

"It comes naturally to you," continues Foy. "They all seem to make such a mess of it."

Staunton's Queen ultimately decides not to abdicate. In real life, Elizabeth would continue her reign until the monarch's death in September 2022. At the very end of the episode, Elizabeth receives a vision of her end at Windsor Castle's King George Chapel, standing next to a coffin, on which has been placed her crown. Then, after receiving a salute from actress Viola Prettejohn, playing an even younger version of the monarch, Staunton is joined by both Foy and Colman before walking away, and out of the show, forever.

The Queen's death last year prompted The Crown creator Peter Morgan to pause production on the show's sixth and final season.

Dominic West, who plays Prince Charles on the show, previously told EW he had just taken a flight to start shooting his role on the season when he heard about Elizabeth's passing at the age of 96.

"I'd just flown to Barcelona to shoot my first day of season 6," he recalled to EW last year. "When I arrived in the hotel, one of the assistant directors said to me, 'Have you heard the news? The Queen's very unwell.' I went up to my hotel room and I just watched the telly for three days and then went home. We didn't shoot at all, out of respect."

All six seasons of The Crown are now streaming on Netflix.

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