Here’s why Claire Foy quit 'The Crown'

After two seasons on The Crown, Claire Foy willingly left the role of Queen Elizabeth II to preserve her sanity, despite the acclaim and awards.

The British actress, 39, who originated the role, said she 'let it go' once the decision was made to step away from the critically acclaimed show.

Foy, a Golden Globe and Emmy winner for her portrayal, departed at the height of its success, succeeded by Olivia Colman

'I've got a lot of love for the people who are still doing the show, but for my own sanity, I ended the show when I ended it,' she told People magazine.

'I let it go and moved on and I think that's quite healthy.'

Despite her desire to move on from the glossy Netflix hit, it seems that she hasn't been fully able to leave it behind her after a flashback cameo last year and a forthcoming one in the final episodes.

She previously said that while she was 'really, really proud' of the role that she won in 2016, she was keen to move on in her career.

'I don't feel like I'm defined by playing Queen Elizabeth,' she said after stepping down in 2017.

'It's a huge honour that people liked that character and therefore see me as that character. So, I'm not trying to actively go against that.'

She added: 'My career is only for me, really. I can't do it for anybody else and so the choices and decisions I make are purely based on what I want to do. That's it really. It's a really selfish thing.'

The actress has since starred in several hit big screen films including playing Lisbeth Salander in The Girl in the Spider's Web and Neil Armstrong's wife Janet in First Man.