Queen’s close friend Prue Penn praised Claire Foy’s depiction of the monarch in The Crown and said it was ‘brilliant’ because she spoke like her and had same ‘aura of dignity’

• Lady Penn, who was lady-in-waiting to Queen Mother, died last month aged 97
• She exchanged hundreds of emails with Charles Moore, former Telegraph editor 

The Queen’s close friend Prue Penn thought Claire Foy’s depiction of Her Late Majesty in The Crown was ‘brilliant’, according to her acquaintance Charles Moore.

The former editor of the Telegraph revealed in his column in the Spectator that Lady Penn, who died last month aged 97, was a fan of the first two seasons of the controversial Netflix series. 

Quoting from ‘several hundred emails and text exchanges’ he had with her, Lord Moore revealed Lady Penn’s warm words for Foy’s depiction of the Queen. 

Foy, 39, portrayed her across 20 episodes before the role passed to Olivia Coleman for series three and four.   

Lady Penn said of her: ‘The girl who plays HM is brilliant. She speaks like her and she has the same aura of dignity and self-assurance that HM has had all her life’. 

The Queen’s close friend Prue Penn thought Claire Foy ‘s depiction of Her Late Majesty in The Crown was ‘brilliant’, according to her acquaintance Charles Moore.  Above: Lady Penn (centre) with Princess Margaret (right) and policewoman Margaret Liles at a lunch to mark the Women of the Year celebration in 1975

The former editor of the Telegraph revealed in his column in the Spectator Magazine that Lady Penn, who died last month aged 97, was a fan of the first two seasons of the controversial Netflix series. Above: Foy as the Queen alongside Matt Smith as Prince Philip in a scene from The Crown’s first season in 2016

She added: ‘You ask The Queen a question, she thinks before she answers and she always gets it right. She has wisdom.’ 

However, Lord Moore claimed that Lady Penn did find The Crown ‘increasingly detestable’ as the production continued.

Critics have pointed out dozens of historical inaccuracies and have slammed the fictionalised depiction of seismic events in royal history.

The first four episodes of the latest and final series – which depicts the last days of Princess Diana – are available on Netflix. 

Imelda Staunton is the final star to portray the monarch in the show.  

Lady Penn, whose late husband Sir Eric served as Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain’s office, was lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother.

She and the Queen, who were born 12 weeks apart, got married in the same year and both had nine great-grandchildren.

Lady Penn was left distraught when the Queen died in September last year. 

She told Lord Moore: ‘HM and I were born three months apart. 

The late Queen at Balmoral waiting to meet new prime minister Liz Truss. She passed away just two days later

Foy, 39, portrayed her across 20 episodes before the role passed to Olivia Coleman for series three and four. Lady Penn said of her: ‘The girl who plays HM is brilliant. She speaks like her and she has the same aura of dignity and self-assurance that HM has had all her life’. Above: Foy and Smith portraying the Queen and Prince Philip

The Queen and Prince Philip examining the Royal Yacht before it was officially launched

‘We were in the departure lounge together but her flight has been called first! My Eric will be at the gate to ensure that protocol is properly adhered to. I feel deeply sad.’

Lady Penn’s husband passed away in 1993. 

His uncle had served as groom-in-waiting to King George VI and then as private secretary and treasurer to the Queen Mother.

The couple’s son David and their grandson Rory both served as page of honour to the Queen.

Lady Penn came to know the then Princess Elizabeth and her sister Margaret through her husband.  

The Queen Mother and Princess Elizabeth attended the Penns’ wedding in January 1947, ten months before the future monarch tied the knot with Prince Philip. 

Sir Eric formally entered the royal fold in 1960, when he became Assistant Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office.

He was promoted to Comptroller in 1964 and served in the role until 1981, when he retired.

In 1964, she became one of the godmothers to Princess Margaret’s daughter Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, who was christened at Buckingham Palace. 

King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, confided in her when he was set to marry Princess Diana, expressing his concerns over the union.

Lady Penn was at the heart of royal life for decades and was a close friend of the Queen

Lady Penn also worked in the world of music in a voluntary capacity, mixing with the likes of Benjamin Britten and Sir Frederick Ashton. Above: Lady Penn with Britten in 1970

Lady Penn was appointed as a lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother in 1994. 

The Queen and Prince Philip would sometimes stay for the weekend at Lady Penn’s home in Suffolk.

The royal couple also attended her 90th birthday party at Bellamy’s in Mayfair in 2016.

She remained close to the Queen until she passed away in 2022 and spoke to her on the phone just ten days before her death.

Lady Penn was also a close admirer of the King, telling one friend how he had ‘grown in stature’ since his accession.

She added: ‘I am devoted to him and know that he will take on the mantle with sensitivity, wisdom, and strength.’

Source: Read Full Article