Claire Foy Admits She 'Ended' Role On 'The Crown' For Her Own Sanity

Claire Foy said she ended her role on the Netflix series "The Crown" for the sake of her mental health but has no regrets portraying the role of Queen Elizabeth II.

The 39-year-old played the former monarch during her youth in the first two seasons of the show. Since then, different actresses took on the role as the timeline of the story progressed. The actress said she too has since "moved on" following her departure from the series in 2017, and only has nice things to say about those still involved with it.

"I've got a lot of love for the people who are still doing the show, but for my own sanity, I ended the show when I ended it," Foy told People

Olivia Colman succeeded Foy for seasons three and four, then Imelda Staunton took over the role of Queen Elizabeth II for seasons five and six. Foy admitted shortly after she left "The Crown" that she was not afraid to leave the iconic show behind because she did not think that she was "defined by playing Queen Elizabeth".

She told the publication at the time: "It's a huge honour that people liked that character and therefore see me as that character. So, I'm not trying to actively go against that."

Foy shared that while she was "really, really proud" of her involvement in the show, she was also looking forward to what was in store for her.

"My career is only for me, really. I can't do it for anybody else and so the choices and decisions I make are purely based on what I want to do," she explained adding: "That's it really. It's a really selfish thing."

Foy won a Golden Globe award, two Primetime Emmy awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II on "The Crown". She was considered the perfect actress to portray the monarch during her early years because she "captured" the queen's glamour.

"They were very glamorous years. The Queen was the most glamorous figure in the world, and Claire Foy captured that well," explained historical consultant Robert Lacey, who was a member of the show's team.

He added: "She also conveyed her fragility and her uncertainty and how she grew into the role."

Meanwhile, Amy Roberts, costume designer for "The Crown" said of the era that Foy portrayed Queen Elizabeth II: "This young girl growing up, the discipline that she brings on herself is quite remarkable. Her clothes might be fashionable, but there's a more controlled element about them."

"The Crown" is now on its sixth and final season. It has been divided into two parts with the first already available to watch on Netflix. The second part will premiere on December 14. Foy made a surprise cameo in season 5 during a flashback scene which showed Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Clydebank in 1953 to launch the Royal Yacht Britannia.