The wildly successful show The Crown has arrived on Netflix with a new season, and the British monarchy is none to pleased about it. They actually claim that the things mentioned in The Crown are only very loosely based on the true history of the royal family, and they want Netflix to add a disclaimer to the show that it’s a work of fiction. Naturally, Netflix declined to do so, so we can expect this story to continue in the press and the courts.
But what better reason than a bit of controversy to look at the different people playing the characters in the show, and how they compare to the “real deal”. Especially now that the latest season introduces two very important people in recent British history.
Prince Philip
Tobias Menzies, also known as Edmure Tully, is barely recognisable as Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Tobias also starred in Outlander and Casino Royale, among a plethora of other things.
Prince Charles
The role of Prince Charles was given to Josh O’Connor, who is probably the best visual match with his character of all the people on this list. Playing in The Crown is his first big role so I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more from this guy in the future.
Queen Elizabeth II
In the recent seasons, Queen Elizabeth II is portrayed by none other than famous British actress Olivia Colman. You probably know her from her roles in Murder on the Orient Express, The Iron Lady and of course The Favorite, for which she received an Oscar.
The Queen Mother
The unforgettable “Queen mum”, Queen Elizabeth, is portrayed by none other than Marion Bailey. She’s not the most famous actress on this list, especially outside of the UK, but she has played in Allied and Vera Drake.
Princess Margaret
I can imagine being played by Helena Bonham Carter seems a bit of a mixed honor as it implies you’re a bit of a loose cannon. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Helena Bonham Carter play a mentally stable character before, and I refuse to believe that’ll ever change. It shouldn’t.
Princess Anne
Princess Anne is portrayed by Erin Doherty, who doesn’t really look a lot like Princess Anne. Erin is doing a stellar job however, and especially considering this is actually one of her first roles as an actress.
Camilla Parker-Bowles
You can’t really have a discussion about the intrigue of the British Royal Family without throwing Camilla in there. Emerald Fennell has the honor of playing this important character, and she’s thrilled to play her. She’s happy that her teenage years prepared her to play a character that’s mostly known for her weird haircut and her smoking.
Lord Mountbatten
Charles Dance, or Tywin Lannister as we all know him, has the honor of once again starring in a successful series where his character gets assassinated. This time it’ll be because of a terrorist bombing on his boat, and not because of his imp son on the toilet, however. I guess that’s an upgrade?
Princess Diana
I can imagine very little established actors would even dare to play the ill-fated Princess Diana in a show about the British monarchy, but young upcoming star Emma Corrin just rolled with it. She looks amazing as the newly-introduced Diana, which makes her scenes with Josh O’Connor’s Prince Charles seem all the more realistic.
Margaret Thatcher
The second new character this season, the “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher, the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Not to be confused with Iron Man, who is a guy in a robot suit. None other than Gillian Anderson – yes, from the X-Files – is going to portray her, meaning there’ll be plenty of reasons to watch the new season on Netflix.
