Imelda Staunton will play the Queen in the final series of The Crown, Netflix has announced, adding that the show will end with its fifth season. 

The actress said she is “genuinely honoured” to be starring in the lavish royal drama as it reaches its conclusion.

Staunton will take over the role played by Claire Foy and then Olivia Colman, who made her debut as the monarch in the third series. 

Peter Morgan, the show’s writer and creator, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to confirm Imelda Staunton as Her Majesty The Queen for the fifth and final season, taking The Crown into the 21st century.

“Imelda is an astonishing talent and will be a fantastic successor to Claire Foy and Olivia Colman.”

Staunton, best known for her roles in Vera Drake and the Harry Potter film series, previously played the Queen in the 2003 TV series Cambridge Spies.

She said: “I have loved watching The Crown from the very start. As an actor it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan’s scripts.

“I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion.”

The streaming service previously revealed that more than 73m households have streamed at least part of the show since it first launched in November 2016.

The third series followed events including the Aberfan mining disaster, the moon landing, the romance between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles and the investiture of Charles as the Prince of Wales.

The fourth series – which is currently in production – will see the introduction of Diana, Princess of Wales, played by Emma Corrin, and Margaret Thatcher, played by Gillian Anderson.

It was initially thought the series would run for six series, spanning six decades.