'Fifty Shades of Grey's' Rachel Skarsten to Play Queen Elizabeth I on 'Reign'

Rachel Skarsten is getting the royal treatment.

The “Fifty Shades of Grey” actress has been cast to play a young Queen Elizabeth I on The CW’s “Reign.” She will debut Thursday, March 19 during the Season 2 finale of the network’s regal, romance-filled drama.

See Photos: The Faces of Pilot Season 2015

Born to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth assumed the throne of England in 1558. Her character has been referenced frequently throughout the first two seasons of the show, which focuses primarily on the time Mary, Queen of Scots (Adelaide Kane) spent living in France.

As TheWrap previously reported, The CW renewed “Reign” for an additional season in January. Queen Elizabeth is said to be one of the primary focuses of the upcoming Season 3, with her on-screen arrival acting as a major catalyst for how the story will unfold.

See Photo: CW's 'Reign' First Look: King Francis' New Edict Has Bloody Ramifications (Exclusive)

“I’m delighted to cast Rachel Skarsten as Elizabeth, a female monarch still in her twenties, early yet in her rule. She is a beautiful, cunning and brave mix of opposites: a young woman hardened too soon by life’s events, but vulnerable when it comes to love,” executive producer Laurie McCarthy told TheWrap in a statement.

Prior to sharing the screen with Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan in Focus Features’ steamy hit “Fifty Shades of Grey,” Skarsten starred on multiple seasons of Syfy’s “Lost Girl.” She also appeared on two episodes of The CW’s “Beauty and the Beast” and had an arc on the Canadian police drama “Flashpoint.”

See Video: 'Reign' Star Adelaide Kane on Francis' Indiscretion: Casual Slap Across the Face Required

APA and Creative Drive Artists represent her.

“Reign” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on The CW.

The CW Diversity Scorecard: From 'Arrow' to 'Vampire Diaries' (Photos)

Its cast is large, but "The 100" features only 3 non-white characters out of 11.
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"Arrow" is one of the network's highest-rated shows, but is not very diverse, with only one non-white cast member in a main roster of 8.
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"Beauty and the Beast" is among the most diverse shows on the network, with a cast led by Kristin Kreuk.
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Rachel Bilson-led "Hart of Dixie" features only one non-white character among six, ranking it among the least diverse shows on the CW.
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All of The CW's new shows are overall more diverse than past seasons, but midseason drama "iZombie" is the least diverse amongst the newbies, with 4 white and 2 non-white leads.
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"Jane the Virgin" starring Gina Rodriguez is the most diverse show on The CW for the 2014-2015 season, featuring a cast of 5 non-white and 2 white characters.
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"Reign," heading into its second season, is one of two shows on the network featuring zero non-white lead characters.
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"Supernatural" is the only other show besides "Reign" on The CW that features an all-white series regular cast.
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"The Flash" deliberately made white comic book characters African-American, and has surrounded its hero with a diverse group of allies.
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Not much is known about midseason sci-fi thriller "The Messengers," but its balance between white and non-white lead characters -- five to three -- is among the network's best.
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"The Originals" features vampires, werewolves and hybrids -- but most of them are white, with only one non-white character out of six.
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"The Vampire Diaries" also features all sorts of supernatural creatures, but only managed to scare up one non-white character out of a large group of 11.
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