Royals Imelda Staunton Recreates Queen Elizabeth's 1994 Visit to Russia While Filming 'The Crown' The fifth season of The Crown will focus on 1990 to 1997, including the Queen's "annus horribilis" By Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit is a Royals Writer and Reporter at PEOPLE. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 11, 2022 10:51 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Imelda Staunton. Photo: splash Imelda Staunton is recreating Queen Elizabeth's state visit to Russia in the latest scenes from The Crown. The upcoming season Netflix's hit drama will include the monarch's 1994 visit to Russia. In photos from the set, Staunton sports a yellow dress topped by a fur coat and accessorized with gloves, her signature handbag and a coordinating hat, recreating the ensemble worn by the Queen as she inspected Russian service personnel at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow. The Queen's three-day visit in October 1994 marked the first time a ruling British monarch had visited Russia — and it remains her only visit to the country. She was accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, on the trip. The Duke of Edinburgh, who died last year at age 99, will be portrayed in season 5 and 6 of The Crown by Jonathan Pryce, as the Netflix drama switched out their cast as the characters age. Shooting the scenes is of particular significance given Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Britain's royal family for voicing their support for the country on March 1. Thieves Steal $200K Worth of Antique Props from the Set of The Crown Queen Elizabeth. Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Zelenskyy tweeted that he and his wife, Olena, "are grateful to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge @RoyalFamily that at this crucial time, when Ukraine is courageously opposing Russia's invasion, they stand by our country and support our brave citizens." "Good will triumph," he added. Queen Elizabeth, 95, also made a "generous donation" last week to the Disasters Emergency Committee's Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Naina Yeltsin, Queen Elizabeth, President Boris Yeltsin of Russia and Prince Philip. Anwar Hussein/Getty The fifth season of The Crown will reportedly focus on 1990 to 1997 and feature a new cast, including Dominic West playing Prince Charles and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana. The storyline may focus in part on 1992, which the Queen declared to be an "annus horribilis" (Latin for "horrible year"). It was the year in which three of her four children were separated from their spouses and a devastating fire hit Windsor Castle. Though season 5 was initially intended to be the series' curtain call, creators changed their minds and, to fans' great relief, promised that the historical drama will continue to rule Netflix queues for a final, sixth season. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! "As we started to discuss the storylines for Series 5, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story we should go back to the original plan and do six seasons," creator Peter Morgan said in July 2020. "To be clear, Series 6 will not bring us any closer to present-day — it will simply enable us to cover the same period in greater detail."