'The Crown' Declared A 'Love Letter' To Late Queen Elizabeth II, Filming Paused Out Of 'Respect'

Netflix drama "The Crown" is passing its final respects to Queen Elizabeth II

Fans of the hit historical series may have to wait longer than they expected for the debut of its sixth and final season in the wake of the Queen's passing. Peter Morgan, the creator of the Emmy-winning series, has revealed plans to pause production on the upcoming season regarding the bad news.

According to Deadline, Morgan — who also wrote the 2006 film "The Queen"—  stated in an email on Thursday, "The Crown is a love letter to [the Queen], and I've nothing to add, for now, just silence and respect. I expect we will stop filming out of respect too."

It is worth noting that Netflix already made plans if the Queen passed away during its run. Following the 2016 debut of "The Crown" on the streaming platform, one of its directors and success pioneers, Stephen Daldry, spoke on what would happen following the matriarch's death. In his words:

"None of us know when that time will come but it would be right and proper to show respect to the Queen. It would be a simple tribute and a mark of respect. She's a global figure and it's what we should do."

Daldry also highlighted that the Queen was "an extraordinary woman and people will be upset." Since its debut, "The Crown" has had three actresses who have portrayed the Queen: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton, whose reign is set to begin on Netflix later this year.

Amid the pause on "The Crown," Helen Mirren — who portrayed Elizabeth in "The Queen" and the 2015 Broadway play "The Audience" — has paid her tribute. The Blast noted that Mirren — appointed a dame by the Queen in 2003 — shared the tribute via Instagram, where she wrote:

"I am proud to be an Elizabethan. We mourn a woman, who, with or without the crown, was the epitome of nobility."

The post has received over 60k likes and a thousand comments, with one writing, "You brought her so much justice playing her! RIP." Another Royal Family sympathizer added, "That's the most beautiful post I have read this evening xx [broken heart emoji]," and a third person told Mirren that she worded the tribute "beautifully."

The Blast recently reported that The British Royal family announced that the 96-year-old Monarch had passed away, just hours after her doctors declared concern for her declining health. In a statement before her death, The Royal Family wrote:

"Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen's doctors are concerned for Her Majesty's health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral."

The next announcement from the ruling family read, "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow." Queen Elizabeth II — born in 1926 — became Queen in 1953. Her husband, Prince Philip, passed away last year at 99. 

However, after just a few months of his death, a news outlet erroneously reported that the 96-year-old monarch had died of natural causes. And while the news was outed as false, it evoked concerns about her health, mainly after she tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this year.

Following that, Buckingham Palace stated that even though the Queen was experiencing "mild cold-like symptoms," she would keep carrying out "light duties" at Windsor Castle as she recovered. Later in May, Elizabeth canceled several of her engagements before the kick-off of the Platinum Jubilee celebration.

Releasing a statement on May 9, Buckingham Palace said, "Her Royal Highness continues to experience episodic mobility problems." On Thursday, June 2, the late 95-year-old withdrew from attending the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral that was set to happen the next day.

Buckingham Palace's statement at the time noted that although she was reluctant to stay away, the Monarch had experienced "discomfort" during the first full day of celebrations. Her son, Charles – current King and former The Prince of Wales – had represented her at the service, which marked her 70th anniversary as Queen.