From ‘The Crown’ to ‘Minions’, revisit 8 depictions of Queen Elizabeth II in pop culture

Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday, bringing to an end the longest tenure of any monarch in the history of the United Kingdom.

Over the past 70 years of her reign the Queen was a pop culture staple, appearing in television and films spanning decades. Her broad appeal led to portrayals not only by Oscar-winning actors, but also Saturday Night Live performers, and she has been depicted in animated films.

Here are 8 high-profile depictions of the late Queen in pop culture.

Helen Mirren won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in Stephen Frears’ 2006 film, which was also nominated for Best Picture.

The Queen played a surprisingly large role in “Minions”, with Kevin, Stuart and Bob tasked with kidnapping Her Royal Highness in order to steal her crown. The film would go on to gross over $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

A young Elizabeth appears in the Best Picture Oscar winner at the 2010 Academy Awards.

In one of her last filmed appearances, the Queen shot a short film with the beloved Paddington Bear to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee.

The 2021 film follows Princess Diana during a Christmas with the Royal Family as she agonizes over whether to divorce Prince Charles, who is now the King of England.

The Queen made an on-camera appearance with Daniel Craig’s James Bond in a promotional video for the London Olympics. Bond accompanies Her Majesty to the opening ceremony during a helicopter ride over an adoring London crowd before the pair parachute into the Olympic Stadium.

Leslie Nielsen is tasked with protecting Queen Elizabeth II during a trip to Los Angeles in the 1988 hit comedy.