After an explosive five seasons on Netflix, The Crown has garnered a whole new generation of royal fans and naysayers alike.
Bringing to light a ”dramatised” depiction of the British monarchy in the years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, each season has carefully revisited the highs, lows and many a personal scandals of the world’s most famous family.
So how do the royal family feel, seeing their personal histories repeat themselves on screen?
Turns out, some are fans!
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
Played opposite Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth in season five of The Crown is Game of Thrones star Jonathan Pryce.
(IMAGE: Netflix)After his portrayal of the late Prince in the first two seasons of the show, Matt Smith admitted that he had an inkling of what his in real life character counterpart thought of his portrayal.
”I met the now King Charles [III], I told him he had fabulous shoes…and then I met [Prince] Harry once at the Polo,” he said on the Today Show.
”[Harry] walked up to me and he went, ‘Grandad,’ because he watched the show.”
He added: ”I heard the Queen [Elizabeth II] had watched [The Crown}, and she used to watch it on a projector on a Sunday night, apparently.”
Fellow first two season actress Vanessa Kirby who portrayed Princess Margaret shared a similar story: ”A friend of mine was at a party where he didn’t know anyone, so [he] sidled up to a group who were discussing the show,’ she described on The Graham Norton Show.
”One of the women said, ‘My granny kind of likes it.”
‘The affectionate term of course referred to the late Queen and the woman who was talking was either Princess Eugenie or Beatrice.
King Charles III
Dominic West plays Prince Charles in season five of The Crown.
(IMAGE: Netflix)In season five of The Crown, audiences were introduced to Dominic West as Prince Charles during the 90s and during his highly publicised marriage breakdown with Princess Diana and scandalous affair with the now Queen Consort Camilla.
Unlike many of his fellow castmates, Dominic had actually met members of the royal family, and was an ambassador of The Prince’s Trust, which he offered to resign from due to his role.
”I just thought I would inform the Prince’s trust that I was playing the part. And I felt they had a right to know that. So, that’s as far as it went,” the actor told Entertainment Tonight.
Prince William
Olivia Coleman and Prince William had a very awkward encounter.
(IMAGE: Getty)Olivia Coleman, who played Queen Elizabeth for seasons 3 and 4 on the hit show has spoken of her awkward encounter with Prince William at a charity event (yikes).
”It didn’t go very well. I met Prince William at a dinner, and he asked what I was doing at the moment before he quickly added, ‘Actually I know what you’re doing,” she said.
”I was so excited and asked, ‘Have you watched it?’ His answer was a firm, ‘no’. But he was very charming and very lovely.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
It is unlikely that we will see ‘grown up’ versions of Prince Harry and Prince William given the show is set to only run for one more season, which is expected to cover the death of Princess Diana, and aftermath.
(IMAGE: Netflix)In news that may come as a surprise to readers, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are actually fans of the show, citing their preference to The Crown rather than tabloid media.
”They [Netflix] don’t pretend to be news, it’s fictional. But it’s loosely based on the truth. Of course, it’s not strictly accurate, but loosely,” he told The Late Late Show With James Corden.
”It gives you a rough idea about what the lifestyle, what the pressures of putting duty and service about family and everything else, what can come from that.”
He added: ”I’m way more comfortable with The Crown than I am seeing stories written about my family, or my wife, or myself,” he told Corden.
”Because it’s the difference between, [The Crown] is obviously fiction, take it how you will, but [tabloid stories] are being reported on as fact, because you’re supposedly news. I have a real issue with that.”
According to Harry, he can envision Billions and Homeland star Damian Lewis playing him in later seasons (if The Crown even runs that far into the future).
Sarah Ferguson
Not happy: Sarah Ferguson wishes she had more screentime on The Crown!
(IMAGE: Getty)Whilst most royals would have preferred less screen time on the show, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York couldn’t get enough of it!
The ex wife of the disgraced Prince Andrew even told Town & Country Magazine that she offered to advise on her portrayal in The Crown. But following her brief appearance in the fictionalised drama, it was clear the royal was turned down.
”Hello? Where is Fergie?,” she asked producers of the show.
The now author went on to say she emailed the executive producer Andy Harries. ”I said to him, ‘Why can’t I help my character?” she shared with the magazine.
Not all was negative though, Sarah later telling US Magazine that she thought The Crown was ”filmed beautifully.” ”The cinematography was excellent.”
Princess Anne
Princess Anne has been rather vague about her thoughts on The Crown.
(IMAGE: Getty)The usually reserved only daughter of the late Queen admitted that she found some episodes of The Crown ”quite interesting”, in her appearance on the 2020 ITV documentary Anne: The Princess Royal at 70.
Whatever interesting means, we can only read between the lines….
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