Over the years, Queen Elizabeth II has been portrayed by some of the biggest names in the acting world, from Dame Helen Mirren and Imelda Staunton to Olivia Colman and Claire Foy.
But now, an even more impressive and beloved thespian is set to play the late monarch on stage.
Who’s ready to see Denise Welch in action as the Queen?
On Wednesday morning, it was announced that the Loose Women panellist would be joining the cast of the musical Diana (yes, the one that became a cult classic despite being a critical bomb when it hit Netflix in 2021) when it comes to the London stage later this year.
The TV Choice Award winner will be playing the Queen opposite West End darling Kerry Ellis as Princess Diana, a role she’ll be sharing with Maiya Quansah-Breed.
It didn’t take long for the news of Densy sitting on the throne to spark a big reaction on social media, where people were living for the very camp announcement:
This incarnation of the Diana musical – which briefly ran on Broadway in 2021 – will be a reimagined concert version at the Eventim Apollo on 4 December.
Although the show was initially met with negative reviews from critics, it gained something of a following when clips from a recorded version on Netflix began going viral, with songs including This Is How You People Dance, Whatever Love Means Anyway, Here Comes James Hewitt, Him & Her (& Him & Her) and The Dress.
Tickets are already on sale for the one-night-only performance here.