‘The Crown’s Claire Foy remembers Queen Elizabeth as a symbol of ‘dignity and grace’

British actress Claire Foy, best known for portraying Queen Elizabeth II on screen in The Crown, has shared a heartwarming tribute to Her Majesty following her death last week.

Foy played the character of Britain’s longest serving monarch in the first two seasons of Netflix’s hit royal drama, which earned her two Emmys and a Golden Globe for her outstanding performance as the late monarch.

Speaking to the BBC at the Toronto Film Festival, the 38-year-old actress said of the Queen, “I think that she was an incredible monarch.”

“She united people and she was a massive symbol of continuity and dignity and grace,” she said in honor of the late monarch, who ‘peacefully’ died at her Balmoral residence in Scotland on September 8.

Sharing her thoughts, Foy added, “My main feeling is just thinking about her as a mother and a grandmother and a great-grandmother, really, and I’m very honored to have been a teeny-tiny, small part of her story.”

Foy made her debut in the role in 2016 for The Crown’s first season alongside Matt Smith as the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip and John Lithgow as Winston Churchill.

She handed over the role to Olivia Colman for season three and four. Imelda Staunton is set to portray the late monarch in upcoming season five and six of the show.

Filming on the latest series of The Crown was halted following the death of the Queen last Thursday and filming will also be suspended on Monday for the Queen’s funeral.