Dame Helen Mirren has paid tribute to the Queen, remembering her as “epitome of nobility”.
The actor portrayed Her Majesty in the 2006 film The Queen, as well as on stage in the original West End and Broadway productions of The Audience – a role for which she won both Olivier and Tony Awards.
Reacting to the announcement on Thursday evening that the Queen had died at the age of 96, Helen shared a black and white image of the monarch on Instagram.
“I am proud to be an Elizabethan,” wrote Helen, who was awarded a Damehood by the Queen in 2003.
“We mourn a woman, who, with or without the crown, was the epitome of nobility.”
Former James Bond star Daniel Craig, who appeared alongside the Queen in a sketch for the 2012 London Olympic Opening Ceremony, also said the Queen leaves “an incomparable legacy and will be profoundly missed”.
In a statement to the PA news agency, he added: “I, like so many, was deeply saddened by the news today and my thoughts are with the royal family, those she loved and all those who loved her.”
Meanwhile, the Twitter page for beloved character Paddington Bear – with whom the Queen appeared in a sketch for her Platinum Jubilee earlier this year – echoed the final words from their appearance, writing: “Thank you Ma’am, for everything.”
Many other names from the world of entertainment, including the likes of Elton John, Stephen Fry and Lorraine Kelly shared emotional tributes to the Queen on social media following her death.
A string of political figures and world leaders have also been paying their respects, including Emmanuel Macron, Justin Trudeau and Volodymyr Zelensky.