Olivia Colman reveals if she has spoken to The Crown successor Imelda Staunton

Olivia Colman has not spoken to her The Crown heir Imelda Staunton but backed her to be success as the Queen.

Colman, 46, completed her two-series stint on the Netflix regal drama when season four aired in November.

She will be replaced in the final two seasons by Staunton, 64, who will play an older version of the Queen.

Oscar-winner Colman, whose portrayal of the monarch has been met with critical acclaim, said she “wouldn’t dare” offer Staunton any advice.

She told the Radio Times: “Me? I haven’t spoken to Imelda and I wouldn’t dare offer any advice about playing the Queen. Imelda is extraordinary and she’s going to do it all much better than me. I can’t wait to watch what she does.”

During Colman’s stint as the Queen, The Crown tackled key moments from her reign, including the Aberfan mining disaster, the Prince of Wales’ marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales and the premiership of Margaret Thatcher.

Colman, who took over the role from Claire Foy, said one of the biggest challenges of playing the Queen was resisting the urge to cry during emotional scenes.

She said: “The Queen is as strong as steel, which I think is extraordinary. She’s a superhuman, which is very far removed from me. Staying in her stoic mindset was always a challenge because I’m very emotional and I cry a lot.

“Whenever anyone says anything sad, I burst into tears. If I see a picture of a puppy, I’ll burst into tears. I feel like the Queen might naturally want to do that, but she’s not allowed to, so I wasn’t.”

Read the full interview in the Radio Times.