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‘The Crown’ Star Claire Foy Says Women Are ‘Judged’ For Not Having Children

And addresses the difficulties of returning to work for new mums

The Crown star Claire Foy has spoken out about the pressures placed women—particularly in the UK—about parenting and returning to work.

“When a woman gets to childbearing age, she has to disappear or not have children and then be judged – it’s really weird,” she told The Sunday Times

“Women find it incredibly difficult to go back to work after children.

“It’s not encouraged, especially in the UK. It’s just not the norm.”

Clare Foy

But Foy explained that she was lucky enough to receive support while pregnant and breastfeeding while making The Crown. The actress began filming the first season of the hit Netflix show just four months after she gave birth to her daughter Ivy Rose, and she breastfed her baby on set.

The 33-year-old recounted that she was “very fortunate [the production] supported me in doing that”.

Foy also pointed out the difficulties new mothers often face upon returning to work in an interview with W Magazine in June last year. 

“I think especially now, and I don’t know what it’s like so much in America, but in England, women going back to work after having a child, it’s not made easy for them,” she said. 

“Childcare costs a huge amount of money and you’re sort of made to feel like, it’s very difficult to go back to work and be a mother. It’s just really, really hard. And that’s the role of the mother. So it’s a really interesting thing to go through.”

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