Done with The Crown on Netflix? 6 more dramas, movies and documentaries about the British royal family – from Queen Elizabeth to Princess Diana, and beyond
From Colin Firth in The King’s Speech to Judi Dench’s Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown, the UK royal family has served the source material for numerous classic on screen portraits – feeding our fascination for the longest running soap opera the world has ever known
The British royal family are some of the most sought-out celebrities on the planet, so it’s no surprise that their fascinating stories have been detailed in a plethora of movies, TV series and documentaries. Here are our picks of the best shows to watch mixing real-life drama with a historical education.
Diana: In Her Own Words (2017)
If ever a documentary was an insider’s guide to what it’s like being part of the royal family, it’s this Channel Four-produced one. It contains several minutes of footage of Princess Diana chatting about her personal life to a voice coach. During the frank discussions, her eloquence and humanity shine through as she reveals how her dream marriage to Prince Charles descended into a nightmare.
The Queen (2006)
This biographical drama chronicles the reaction of the House of Windsor to the death of Princess Diana, in a 1997 car crash. Initially, the queen and most of her circle believed the tragedy an entirely private matter. However, an outpouring of grief by the general public for the “people’s princess” meant they had to reconsider. Directed by Stephen Frears, Helen Mirren won an Oscar for her performance in the titular role.
The Crown (2016-present)
Created by Peter Morgan, the writer of The Queen, this series has taken the world by storm. According to its distributor Netflix, the historical drama has been seen by 73 million households since its inception. Approaching its fourth season, the show recounts the life of Elizabeth II over a more than 50-year period, starting with her marriage to Phillip Mountbatten in 1947.