Helen Mirren, who played Queen Elizabeth II in the film The Queen, paid a heartful tribute to her after her death.
The 77-year-old actress portrayed the late Queen on the silver screen in the 2006 biographical film and one year later, she triumphed in her role by winning an academy award for best actress.
In a post shared on her Instagram page, the British star shared a few words of mourning following Her Majesty's death on September 8.
"I am proud to be an Elizabethan," Mirren wrote in her post. "We mourn a woman, who, with or without the crown, was the epitome of nobility."
Check out her tribute below:The Caligula actress further reflected on the beloved monarch's death in a statement obtained by E! News, where she wrote that she is "mourning along with the rest of my country, the passing of a great Queen".
"I'm proud to call myself of the Elizabethan age," Mirren added. "If there was a definition of nobility, Elizabeth Windsor embodied it."
While accepting her Oscar in 2007, Mirren painted a picture of the monarch she personified on-screen during her speech, saying: "Now, you know, for 50 years and more, Elizabeth Windsor has maintained her dignity, her sense of duty, and her hairstyle."
"She's had her feet planted firmly on the ground, her hat on her head, her handbag on her arm and she's weathered many, many storms," she quipped.
Before taking home the honor for her performance, the Red actress was interviewed by the New York Times and revealed how she read biographies that focused on the monarch's life before taking the throne.
"Her iconic role is something she accepts and plays and has played all of her life," Mirren said to the outlet. "There is this massive great structure that is the monarchy, performing all the things that the British public feels the monarchy should perform."
"But the extraordinary thing is that within the structure there is a human being, with insecurities and dignity and strength of character," she added.
Back in 2019, the Dame opened up about a lesson she was taught during tea with Queen Elizabeth II at the "Helen Mirren and Hawk Koch Discuss the Magic of Movies" event.
"She invited me for tea," Mirren began, per People. "I thought it was going to be in a room with 200 other people, which it often is. I've met her once before and it was in a room with 200 other people."
"So I said, 'Oh, well, I can manage that.' So it was at the horsey place and the message came to me that the Queen would like to invite you to tea, she knows you're here," she added.
The monarch was a well-respected figure in the UK and the world as a whole due to her lifetime of service. Tributes to her from British stars such as Sir Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne, Victoria Beckham, and Sir Philip Pullman poured in on social media.
British actor, Daniel Craig, also shared in a statement to the PA news agency regarding Queen Elizabeth II's death, writing that she leaves "an incomparable legacy and will be profoundly missed".
"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," the James Bond star added, per the Daily Mail.
Following her death, the late Queen will be succeeded by her eldest son, formerly known as Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, now known as King Charles III.
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