The Crown has a few fans inside The Firm.
With so much controversy surrounding the fifth season of the Netflix series, we wondered how the real royal family feels about the drama. And, surprisingly, there are several viewers inside the House of Windsor.
While some members of the royal family, like Prince William and his late grandfather Prince Philip, have chosen to abstain from watching the fictionalized retelling of the late Queen Elizabeth II's reign, others have openly admitted to turning on the critically acclaimed series. For instance, in a 2021 appearance on James Corden's The Late Late Show, Prince Harry noted that The Crown gives viewers some insight into what royal life is really like.
"It's fictional," he said, "but it's loosely based on the truth."
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, and Princess Eugenie are also said to be fans of the show.
Still, there are some who've tuned in and are refusing to hail The Crown as a success. (Spoiler: King Charles III allegedly has a strong stance on the series.)
Keep reading for the royal family's thoughts on Netflix's hit period drama:
According to Matt Smith, who played Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip on seasons one and two of The Crown, the late monarch did in fact watch the Netflix drama about her illustrious reign. Following the Queen's passing in September, Smith told Today, "I heard the queen had watched it, and she used to watch it on a projector on Sunday night, apparently."
Philip on the other hand? Smith also revealed that he heard the Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away in April 2021, had no interest in the critically acclaimed drama. "A friend of mine sat next to him at a dinner once," Smith shared with Today, "and my friend couldn't resist by the end of the meal, he was like, ‘Philip, I have to ask, have you watched The Crown?' And apparently he turned around to him and said, 'Don't be ridiculous.'"
According to an August 2022 report by Daily Mail, King Charles III told Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar "Hello, nice to meet you all. I'm nowhere near how they portray me on Netflix."
Charles' wife Camilla has also queued up The Crown. A Vanity Fair source shared in 2020, "She has watched it, of course she has and I believe [Charles] has too. I don't think she has any real issue with it."
Prince William has not watched the show, however. Olivia Colman, who played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons three and four of The Crown, shared on The Graham Norton Show that the new Prince of Wales gave her "a firm, 'No,'" when asked if he tuned in.
There's no word if his wife, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has watched the series.
During a 2021 appearance on James Corden's The Late Late Show, Prince Harry confirmed that he had seen episodes of the series. King Charles III's younger son said the show gave viewers a "rough idea about" royal life, adding, "What that lifestyle, what the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else, what can come from that."
In fact, the Duke of Sussex said he'd rather watch The Crown than read what the tabloids write about his family. "Because it's the difference between that is obvious fiction," he noted, "take it how you will, but this is being reported on as fact because you're supposedly news. I have a real issue with that."
He further confirmed that he watches the show during a January 2023 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. When asked if he fact checks the drama, the duke replied, "I do, actually."
And it's not just Prince Harry who has tuned into The Crown. Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, told Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 that she's "watched some of it."
In an ITV documentary special for her 70th birthday—titled Anne: The Princess Royal At 70—Queen Elizabeth's daughter Princess Anne shared that she had watched some of the early seasons, calling them "quite interesting".
During a 2017 event in London, Princess Eugenie reportedly revealed that she did watch Netflix's The Crown. "It is filmed beautifully," the princess, according to Daily Mail, told attendees at the China Exchange. "The music is wonderful, the story is beautiful. You feel very proud to watch it. I can't speak for everyone but that's how I felt when I watched it."
Princess Eugenie's mother Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, is also a fan of the period drama. In fact, she "loved the way they put my wedding in as well," as she told Us Weekly.
"I thought it was filmed beautifully," she added. "The cinematography was excellent."
Season five of The Crown is now available to stream on Netflix.