Queen Elizabeth II
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."
Prince Philip
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.'"
King Charles III
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."
Queen Consort Camilla
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
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.
Prince Harry
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."
Meghan Markle
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."
Princess Anne
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".
Princess Eugenie
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."
Sarah Ferguson
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."