Claire Foy says love for Imelda Staunton enticed her back to The Crown

Claire Foy has said she reprised her role as the Queen in the latest series of The Crown because of her love for Imelda Staunton and because “it is a lovely thing to do”.

The actress, 38, appears in a flashback scene that opens the fifth series of the Netflix drama, showing the late Queen’s visit to Clydebank in 1953 to launch the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Foy portrayed the Queen in the first two series, Olivia Colman took over for series three and four, and Staunton stars in series five and six.

Appearing on The Graham Norton Show, she said: “I went back and did it again because it is a lovely thing to do and I really love Imelda, I think she is amazing.”

Production is under way for the sixth and final series of The Crown, with scenes being filmed this week at Winchester Cathedral.

Foy also discussed her film Women Talking, about a group of women in an isolated religious colony who attempt to bring to light a series of sexual assaults by some of its male members.

The film, which was inspired by real-life events in Bolivia, also stars Rooney Mara, Jessie Buckley, Ben Whishaw and Frances McDormand, and has been nominated for best picture at the Oscars.

Asked whether she would be attending the ceremony in March, Foy said: “I don’t know. There are 12 of us in the cast so it depends on who they pick to go with them.

“It’s my child’s birthday that day so I probably shouldn’t go. Either way I’ll have a great time.”

Asked about playing a member of the Mennonite community, she added: “We had no hair and make-up at all and wore polyester dresses, so what got us through filming was the thought of a party at the end when we could wear make-up and shave our legs.

“I thought not worrying about shaving would be a real moment of empowerment, but actually it was horrible and reminded me of puberty.”

The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday January 27 at 10.40pm.