The Crown viewers hail return of ‘irreplaceable’ original star in season 5

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Viewers of The Crown are reacting to the return of one of the show’s original stars.

The Netflix series is back for its fifth and penultimate run with a brand new cast, including Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Pryce and Lesley Manville.

Those tuning in to see what Staunton would bring to the role of Queen Elizabeth II were immediately treated to a comparison in the form of returning star Claire Foy.

Foy played the Queen in the first two seasons of the show, earning acclaim as well as two Emmy Awards for her performance.

One of these trophies was for her guest appearance in season four of the series, and viewers are convinced she will receive another award for this new two-minute cameo, which occurs in the first scene of season five.

“WOW! Is Claire Foy coming for her second Guest Actress Emmy?” one fan wrote, with another adding: “I guess that’s her third Emmy right there, huh.”

Many hailed Foy’s performance, with one calling her “irreplaceable” and another stating she is “by far the best portrayal of the queen I’ve seen”.

“Claire Foy in the opening scene of The Crown s5 I’ve won today,” a fan said, with one stating: “One second into The Crown season five and already a guest appearance by Claire Foy. you can’t outdo the doer!!!!!”

The Crown season five is available to stream on Netflix now. Find The Independent’s review here.

In the new season, one scene appears to address the controversy surrounding Prince Andrew, while another is leaving fans “emotional” due to a touching interaction between Princess Diana and Prince Harry.

However, many are admitting to “struggling” with the casting of two different cast members – one because of their “hotness”, and the other due to a previous role they played in Harry Potter.

Meanwhile, the season five scene that infuriated Dame Judi Dench has been revealed.