Imelda Staunton AKA Dolores Umbridge Will Play the Queen on 'The Crown' and the Internet Lost It

Shortly after Netflix's The Crown made its debut in 2016, it was revealed that Claire Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth in her younger years, would not play the character for long. The casting speculation as to who would succeed her polarized fans, but when Olivia Colman took Claire's place in Seasons 3 and 4, she was a natural fit.

While some assumed that Olivia might play the character for the rest of the show's duration, it was announced on Jan. 31 that Imelda Staunton would take the role for the show's fifth and final season. 

The show's creator, Peter Morgan, had originally promised that The Crown would last for six seasons, and fans were more than upset at the nixed final season. But, Imelda's casting news truly stole the show because she's best known for playing Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter series.

Umbridge was the nasty, cat-loving, pink-wearing headmaster in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and fans couldn't help but wonder if Imelda would bring that same energy to the Netflix show.

We've rounded up the most hilarious Dolores Umbridge as the Queen on The Crown memes from the internet — and they definitely didn't disappoint. While we ponder if Queen Elizabeth will be wearing a pink uniform or ditching her signature corgis for cats, you can read the internet's best reactions to the casting news. 

When any casting news is released, it's almost guaranteed that Twitter and Instagram will showcase the public's reaction. The memes almost created themselves when the actress who played Dolores Umbridge was cast as Queen Elizabeth on The Crown. But, since they didn't write themselves, here are the best ones:

While the news of Imelda Staunton taking on the coveted role of Queen Elizabeth in The Crown Season 5 got a lot of buzz, the most jaw-dropping part of the announcement was that the wildly popular Netflix series was ending.

Peter Morgan, The Crown's creator, confirmed the news in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

"At the outset I had imagined The Crown running for six seasons but now that we have begun work on the stories for season five it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop. I’m grateful to Netflix and Sony for supporting me in this decision," Peter said in the statement.

Imelda also commented on the casting news, and she expressed her gratitude and excitement to be part of the show.

"I have loved watching The Crown from the very start," she said. "As an actor it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan’s scripts. I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion."

A release date for Season 5 of The Crown has not yet been revealed. Season 4 will drop sometime in 2020. Seasons 1 through 3 are available to stream on Netflix.