HELEN MIRREN has the crowning glory of an Oscar and a West End reign to show for her portrayal of the British queen. But BAFTA-winning actress Kristin Scott Thomas will be next to the throne as she prepares to play Elizabeth II in “The Audience.”

    Kristin, 54, was pictured for the first time in costume as the queen before she replaces Mirren in the West End in April 2015, while she will take the starring role to Broadway.

    Mirren, 69, has played the British monarch since her Oscar-winning role in 2012’s Hollywood epic “The Queen.” She took the role to London’s Gielgud Theater in 2013 and later won an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a play. Now Thomas is ready to steal her crown and continue the record-breaking run of Peter Morgan’s play at London’s Apollo Theater.

    The queen’s weekly meetings with the senior cabinet ministers are the focus for the show.

    Thomas’s movie credits include “The English Patient” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” She is currently playing the title role of Electra at the Old Vic while living in Little Venice now that her three children have grown up.

    The actress was discovered originally by Prince who put her in his 1986 film “Under the Cherry” and made 65 films in 30 years before hitting the theater.(SD-Agencies)