How many times has Dame Helen Mirren played the Queen?
Posted by  badge Boss on May 15, 2022 - 08:29PM
Playing royalty is second nature to Dame Helen (Picture: AP/REX/Sky TV)

Dame Helen Mirren is leading the stars at the Queen’s celebration on ITV, alongside the likes of and Alan Titchmarsh.

The legendary actress is set to play I during an throughout British history.

It will be made up of four acts and will take viewers on a journey from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I to the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, culminating in a grand finale.

Set to include 1300 performers and 500 horses, it looks pretty huge.

However, it’s not the first time – in fact, she’s played our current Queen on more than one occasion.

How many times has Dame Helen Mirren played the Queen?

Dame Helen has starred as Queen Elizbabeth II twice – in the 2006 film The Queen, and in the 2013 West End play The Audience.

She has also played Queen Elizbeth I in the 2005 TV series, making her the only actress to have played both queens on screen.

The Queen

Dame Helen received an Oscar for her role in The Queen (Picture: Pathe/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

The Queen, written by Peter Morgan (who also wrote The Crown) and directed by Stephen Frears, was a biographical drama that depicted the death of Princess Diana.

The actress has said that, to complete the transformation into the monarch, she studied film and video footage of the Queen, and kept photos of her in her trailer, as well as undertaking extensive voice coaching.

Her hard work clearly paid off – she landed an Academy Award and a Bafta for the widely-praised role.

The Audience

The Audience was also written by The Crown writer Peter Morgan (Picture: AP)

The Audience, also written by Morgan, centred on the weekly meetings held between the Queen and her prime ministers.

Dame Helen once again took on the role of Queen Elizabeth, with the play debuting in the West End in 2013.

She reprised the role in the Broadway in 2015, while Kristen Scott-Thomas took over on the West End the same year.

Dame Helen landed more accolades, most prominently a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award.

Elizabeth I

Dame Helen starred alongside Jeremy Irons (Picture: HBO)

Dame Helen also starred in the 2005 two-part drama Elizabeth I, directed by Tom Hooper.

The episodes covered the last 24 years of her 45-year reign, with the series winning Emmy, Peabody, and Golden Globe Awards.

The Madness of King George

She also played Queen Charlotte alongside Nigel Hawthorne’s King George III (Picture: Allstar/CHANNEL FOUR)

Finally, Dame Helen also played Queen Charlotte in the 1994 film The Madness of King George.

The    comedy-drama tells the true story of George III and his deteriorating mental health.

Dame Helen was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress.