A regal proclamation. Succession creator Jesse Armstrong made a joke about recent “successors” when accepting the evening’s top Emmy prize in 2022.
“Big week for successions,” the 51-year-old producer joked after receiving the trophy for Outstanding Drama Series on September 12 at the awards ceremony. “New king in the United Kingdom. For our use. Evidently, our victory required a bit more voting than Prince Charles’.”
Brian Cox, who portrays the character Logan Roy on the HBO show, added his own joke: “Keep it royalist, keep it royalist.” Before thanking the actors and crew, Jesse Armstrong made one last joke about the 73-year-old new monarch, stating, “I’m not claiming our position is more legitimate than his. We’ll let others handle that.”
Prince Charles III became king last week after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away at her Balmoral residence in Scotland on Thursday, September 8. She was 96 years old. The announcement came hours after Buckingham Palace disclosed that the queen had been placed under medical monitoring.
Although Charles assumed the throne immediately following his mother’s death, his coronation may not occur for some time. On September 10, he was officially proclaimed the new monarch.
“It is my most regrettable duty to inform you of the passing of my much cherished mother, the queen,” the former Prince of Wales, 73, said while addressing the accession council at St. James’s Palace. “I am aware of the depth of your, the nation’s, and, may I say, the world’s sympathy for the irreparable loss we have all endured.”
The Emmys are an American awards programme, but The Crown, one of the most successful series in recent Emmy history, focuses on the British royal family. Since its 2016 release, the Netflix drama has received 21 Emmys in categories such as Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.
In 2021, it was the first drama to win prizes for Outstanding Drama Series, leading actor, leading actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, directing, and writing.
Olivia Colman stated during her acceptance speech for the prize for best actress, “I would have bet money against that occurring.” “I have no idea what to say. This is incredible. What a beautiful conclusion to a wonderful adventure with this great family. I adored every moment and can’t wait to see what comes next.”
The 48-year-old Oscar winner replaced Claire Foy as Elizabeth in seasons three and four, portraying the monarch between 1964 and 1990. Imelda Staunton will portray the monarch in seasons 5 and 6 alongside Jonathan Pryce as her husband, Prince Philip, and Lesley Manville as her sister, Princess Margaret.
“I have loved The Crown from the very beginning,” the 66-year-old Harry Potter icon said in a statement following her casting announcement. “As an actress, it was a pleasure to observe how Claire Foy and Olivia Colman each added something new and unique to Peter Morgan’s scripts. I am truly delighted to be a part of such an extraordinary creative team and to see The Crown through to its end.”