The Royals vs. 'The Crown' — How Do the Stars Compare to the Real-Life Monarchy? (PHOTOS)
Queen Elizabeth
Between her voice, costumes, and physical appearance, the similarities between orignal Crown star Claire Foy and the Queen are uncanny. Though it’s hard to picture anyone else in the iconic role, Olivia Colman’s first photo suggests she’s up to the challenge giving fans exactly what’s expected when it comes to the mostly historically accurate series.
Prince Philip
Earning his first Emmy nomination for the role of Prince Philip, Matt Smith certainly embodied the mystifying counterpart to Queen Elizabeth. Taking on the older portrayal is Outlander‘s Tobias Menzies who has transformed himself for the first released image of the character in Season 3 proving he’s a worthy follow-up to Smith’s powerful performance.
Princess Margaret
Vanessa Kirby wowed audiences with her edgy and raw performance as Queen Elizabeth’s lovelorn sister Princess Margaret, and Season 3 is shaping up to be just as good with Helena Bonham Carter stepping into the role. The actress known for her many films has some familiarity with the royals — she played the Queen Mother in 2010’s Oscar Winning film The King’s Speech.
Antony Armstrong-Jones
Portrayed by Matthew Goode in Season 2, the role of Princess Margaret’s husband will be filled by actor Ben Daniels who is known for his roles in House of Cards, Fox’s The Exorcist, and the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story . Both actors certainly capture the suave side of the photographer.
The Queen Mother
Queen Elizabeth’s mother certainly shared her opinion when it came to her daughter’s actions in power based on Victoria Hamilton’s portrayal in Seasons 1 and 2. During the upcoming season Marion Bailey will step into the Queen Mother’s shoes, and looking back on images of the real-life royal, these actresses are nailing it.
Prince Charles
Julian Baring was the young actor behind Season 2’s Prince of Wales, but Josh O’Connor will take over in Season 3 as time shifts to a more vital time in royal’s life. While fans saw Baring’s version of Charles struggle at school, O’Connor’s will be present when Princess Diana is introduced.
Camilla Parker Bowles
Call the Midwife‘s Emerald Fennell has been cast in the pivotal role of Camilla — Prince Charles’ love interest during the ’70s-set third season. The actress will be the first to take on the role in the series, so her portrayal remains a mystery, but she did say in a statement released by Netflix, “I’m absolutely over the moon, and completely terrified, to be joining so many hugely talented people on The Crown.”
Margaret Thatcher
She won’t appear until Season 4 and is not part of the royal family, but Gillian Anderson will portray the famous Prime Minister. Despite the divisive reaction to Anderson’s casting from those who have strong opinions about the public figure, her resemblance to Thatcher is certainly there.
One of Netflix's biggest series is nearly back with Season 3, but while fans wait for The Crown to return, we're taking a look at how the actors compare to the real-life inspiration.
From Queen Elizabeth to Prince Charles, viewers have seen some incredible casting for one of the world's most famous families. Netflix subscribers aren't the only ones who have noticed the uncanny similarities as star Claire Foy received the 2018 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
See Also'The Crown' Season 3: Netflix Series Casts Its Prince Charles & Queen Mother
Foy also won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Elizabeth, while costars Matt Smith and Vanessa Kirby were nominated alongside Foy for the 2018 Emmys. Now with the next season on the horizon, we're sure the upcoming cast will be just as gifted in their dramatized portrayals of the royals.
As fans await the November 17 release date, scroll through the images above to see a side-by-side comparison of the real-life royal along with their onscreen counterparts from The Crown both past and present.
The Crown, Streaming now, Netflix
