The Crown to 'Stop Filming' After Queen Elizabeth's Death as Creator Calls Drama 'a Love Letter' to Monarch
The Crown is paying respect to its legendary inspiration as the world mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
"The Crown is a love letter to [the Queen] and I've nothing to add for now, just silence and respect," creator Peter Morgan wrote in a statement to Deadline on Thursday. "I expect we will stop filming out of respect too." (Variety confirmed on Friday that season 6 production had halted.)
Director Stephen Daldry previously told Deadline the series has long had plans in place in the event of the historic monarch's death.
"None of us know when that time will come but it would be right and proper to show respect to the Queen. It would be a simple tribute and a mark of respect. She's a global figure and it's what we should do," he said after the Emmy-winning Netflix drama made its debut in 2016.
The sixth and final season of the show — which has chronicled decades of the monarch since a young Princess Elizabeth's ascent to the throne after her 1947 wedding day to Prince Philip — is not expected to dramatize present-day events.
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Netflix did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on the immediate future of the series, including whether it will move forward with an anticipated fall premiere for season 5.
RELATED: Everything to Know About The Crown Season 5
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Claire Foy won three Emmys for her portrayal of the Queen in seasons 1 and 2, as well a 2021 statuette for her guest appearance in a season 4 flashback. Olivia Colman took over the role in seasons 3 and 4, also winning an Emmy last year for her work in season 4. Imelda Staunton will sit atop the throne for seasons 5 and 6.
Staunton has admitted said the public's familiarity with Queen Elizabeth was nerve-racking as she prepared to embody a fictionalized version of the monarch. "I think my sort of extra challenge, as if I needed it, is that I'm now doing the Queen that we're a little more familiar with," she said during an episode of BBC radio's Woman's Hour in 2021.
Robert Viglasky/Netflix Claire Foy in The Crown
Season 6 of the series is already planned, and casting has begun for some of the modern monarchs. Prince William and Kate Middleton actors were chosen, with Meg Bellamy playing Middleton and two actors — 16-year-old Rufus Kampa and 21-year-old Ed McVey — splitting the role of William.
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Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning monarch in Britain's history after she assumed the title of Queen in 1952.
Buckingham Palace shared news of the Queen's declining health on Thursday morning, noting that she remained "comfortable" but her doctors were "concerned for Her Majesty's health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision."
Hours later, the palace announced the monarch had died at age 96 and that her first-born son, known until today as Prince Charles, will accede to the throne as King Charles III.
