Now that you’ve finished all four seasons of The Crown and watched enough royal documentaries to feel like a legit expert on the British monarchy, you’re probably itching to get your next royal fix. And fortunately, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime offer plenty of options that appeal to any royal enthusiast. Whether you’re into hysterical satires like The Windsors or feel-good romances like Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance, check out our comprehensive list of royal family movies and shows, featuring fictionalized depictions of the famous royals.
30 Compelling Movies & Shows that Depict the British Royal Family
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Published Sep 5, 2021
Movies
1. ‘william & Kate’ (2011)
Who’s in it? Nico Evers-Swindell, Camilla Luddington, Samantha Whittaker, Jonathan Patrick Moore
What’s it about? Prince William and Kate Middleton’s fairytale romance faces a number of challenges as they have to deal with family pressures and constant media scrutiny. While critics weren’t too fond of this retelling, it turned out to be a huge ratings success for Lifetime.
2. ‘william & Catherine: A Royal Romance’ (2011)
Who’s in it? Alice St. Clair, Dan Amboyer, Jane Alexander, Victor Garber
What’s it about? The Hallmark film boasts a number of awe-worthy scenes, but it also does a great job of humanizing the royals. This romance film offers a deeper look at William and Kate's relationship history, depicting crucial moments like their breakup, their reunion and their televised wedding.
3. ‘mary Queen Of Scots’ (2018)
Who’s in it? Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn
What’s it about? It’s a refreshing, feminist retelling of the infamous rivalry between young queens Elizabeth I and her cousin, Mary Stuart. After refusing to give in to the pressure to marry, Mary goes to Scotland to secure the throne. However, she’s stunned to learn that her country and England is under Elizabeth’s rule.
4. ‘the Queen’ (2006)
Who’s in it? Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Helen McCrory, Alex Jennings
What’s it about? This film depicts the aftermath of Princess Diana’s untimely death in 1997, but through the eyes of Her Majesty. When the royal family decides against treating her passing as an official royal death, the queen is forced to deal with major backlash from the media and the public.
5. ‘victoria And Abdul’ (2017)
Who’s in it? Ali Fazal, Judi Dench, Eddie Izzard, Adeel Akhtar, Paul Higgins
What’s it about? Based on the book of the same name by Shrabani Basu, Victoria and Abdul focuses on the unlikely bond that developed between Queen Victoria (Dench) and her Muslim servant, Abdul Karim (Fazal).
6. ‘whatever Love Means’ (2005)
Who’s in it? Olivia Poulet, Laurence Fox, Michelle Duncan, Alexandra Moen a
What’s it about? Everyone knows about Prince Charles’s controversial relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles, but very few know how it all began. In this dramatized version of events, we see how the two lovebirds first met and fell in love before the prince tied the knot with Diana.
7. ‘her Majesty, Mrs. Brown’ (1997)
Who’s in it? Judi Dench, Billy Connolly, Geoffrey Palmer, Antony Sher, Gerard Butler
What’s it about? Following the death of her husband, Queen Victoria (Dench) falls into a depression and isolates herself from the public. But when the court appoints her husband's servant, John Brown (Connolly), to help her, they grow close, which sparks tons of rumors about the nature of their new relationship. (FYI, Dench’s performance earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.)
8. ‘elizabeth’ (1998)
Who’s in it? Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, John Gielgud,
What’s it about? When Mary I passes away, her rightful heir and half-sister—whom she had locked away for conspiracy charges—is set free and crowned the new queen of England. The only problem? People don’t seem too thrilled to see her take Mary’s place...
9. ‘the Young Victoria’ (2009)
Who’s in it? Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Harriet Walter, Mark Strong
What’s it about? Before she was the girl on the train, Blunt was the young Victoria, an 18-year-old heir who faces a challenging first year as queen (and falls in love in the process).
10. ‘the King’s Speech’ (2010)
Who’s in it? Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce
What’s it about? King George VI hires a speech therapist to help him with his stammer before delivering his first ever wartime radio broadcast in 1939, right after Britain declares war on Nazi Germany. The King's Speech wound up with a whopping 12 Oscar nominations, winning for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director (Tom Hooper) and Best Actor (Firth).
11. ‘the Madness Of King George’ (1994)
Who’s in it? Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Ian Holm, Amanda Donohoe
What’s it about? Set during the Regency Crisis of 1788/89, the biographical drama follows King George III (Hawthorne) while he experiences a complete mental breakdown after losing the American colonies. Meanwhile, the king struggles to maintain a healthy relationship with his eldest son George, Prince of Wales.
12. ‘a Royal Night Out’ (2015)
Who’s in it? Sarah Gadon, Bel Powley, Jack Reynor, Rupert Everett
What’s it about? A different side of Her Majesty is unveiled in this bubbly rom-com, where a teenage Princess Elizabeth (Gadon) joins her little sister, Princess Margaret (Powley), for a fun night out in celebration of V.E. Day (a celebration that marked the end of World War II in 1945).
13. ‘the Favourite’ (2018)
Who’s in it? Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone
What’s it about? Weisz and Stone star as Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough and Abigail Masham, two cousins who compete for the favor of Queen Anne (Colman) as her health declines.
14. ‘w.e.’ (2011)
Who’s in it? Abbie Cornish, James D'Arcy, Andrea Riseborough, Oscar Isaac
What’s it about? In Madonna’s film directing debut, Wally Winthrop (Cornish), a lonely housewife, finds solace in the legendary love story of King Edward VIII (D’Arcy) and Wallis Simpson (Riseborough). But in doing research on the couple, she discovers that their relationship wasn't as perfect as she'd always imagined.
15. ‘harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance’ (2018)
Who’s in it? Parisa Fitz-Henley, Steve Coulter, Burgess Abernethy, Laura Mitchell
What’s it about? The Lifetime romance depicts the beginning of Prince Harry (Coulter) and Meghan Markle's (Fitz-Henley) highly publicized relationship, from their very first meeting to the reactions of their families and friends. Hopeless romantics will appreciate the strong chemistry between the leads.
16. ‘harry And Meghan: Becoming Royal’ (2019)
Who’s in it? Charlie Field, Tiffany Smith
What’s it about? Set immediately after the events of A Royal Romance, this follow-up (which features different actors) chronicles the royal couple’s wedding and their first year of marriage. While the film does address the media abuse, it also maintains a fairly positive and uplifting tone.
17. ‘the Duchess’ (2008)
Who’s in it? Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Dominic Cooper
What’s it about? From Knightley’s stellar performance to the opulent fashion, this Oscar-winning romance is totally worth two hours of your time. It’s based on Amanda Foreman's biography of English socialite Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, who is forced to deal with a broken marriage and her husband’s mistress.
18. ‘the Other Boleyn Girl’ (2008)
Who’s in it? Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Kristin Scott Thomas
What’s it about? In this riveting tale of love and betrayal, Anne Boleyn (Portman) and her sister Mary (Johansson) vie for the love of the handsome King Henry VIII (Bana).
19. ‘diana’ (2013)
Who’s in it? Naomi Watts, Naveen Andrews, Cas Anvar, Laurence Belcher
What’s it about? Based on Kate Snell's book, Diana: Her Last Love, the movie examines the last two years of the late royal’s life, starting with Diana's (Watts) divorce from Prince Charles. Watch for all the epic recreations of Diana’s best looks.
Series
20. ‘the Crown’
Who’s in it? Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, Eileen Atkins, Emma Corrin
What’s it about? The Crown follows the life of Queen Elizabeth II and her family during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The series explores the inner workings of the famous monarchy, depicting events like Winston Churchill’s resignation and Princess Diana’s troubled marriage.
21. ‘the Tudors’
Who’s in it? Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Sam Neill, Callum Blue, Maria Doyle Kennedy
What’s it about? This racy period drama follows the reign of King Henry VIII (Meyers) during the 16th-century, highlighting his troubled marriage to Catherine of Aragon (Kennedy) and his relentless pursuit of multiple women.
22. ‘victoria’
Who’s in it? Jenna Coleman, Tom Hughes, Peter Bowles, Catherine Flemming
What’s it about? Coleman stars as 18-year-old Queen Victoria in this historical drama, which details her struggle with navigating royal duties, motherhood and being a wife.
23. ‘the Prince’
Who’s in it? Gary Janetti, Orlando Bloom, Condola Rashād, Lucy Punch, Sophie Turner, Alan Cumming
What’s it about? It’s like the royal version of Family Guy, complete with razor-sharp humor and pop culture references. The comedy includes satirical portrayals of the British royal family, where a sassy Prince George creates quite a bit of chaos while navigating royal life. Trust us when we say you won’t be able to keep a straight face.
24. ‘the Windsors’
Who’s in it? Harry Enfield, Haydn Gwynne, Hugh Skinner, Louise Ford, Richard Goulding
What’s it about? Similar to The Prince, this soap opera-style parody dramatizes the royal family’s everyday life, and it certainly doesn't pull any punches. Prepare for all the laughs and the most ridiculous plot twists.
25. ‘the White Queen’
Who’s in it? Rebecca Ferguson, Amanda Hale, Faye Marsay
What’s it about? Set during the Wars of the Roses, this captivating drama centers on Elizabeth Woodville (Ferguson), Margaret Beaufort (Hale) and Anne Neville (Marsay), three determined women who manipulate and scheme to gain more power in England.
26. ‘the White Princess’
Who’s in it? Jodie Comer, Rebecca Benson, Jacob Collins-Levy, Kenneth Cranham
What’s it about? In this sequel to The White Queen, Henry VII ties the knot with Elizabeth of York, ending the War of the Roses. However, this temporary fix does nothing to ease the friction between these families, which could ultimately tear their kingdom apart.
27. ‘reign’
Who’s in it? Adelaide Kane, Megan Follows, Torrance Coombs, Rachel Skarsten
What’s it about? This is essentially Gossip Girl’s regal twin, offering plenty of drama and steamy intimate scenes with a soap opera vibe. The series follows Mary, Queen of Scots (Kane), as she rises to power in the French court. Skarsten is especially compelling as Elizabeth I in the final two seasons.
28. ‘the Hollow Crown’
Who’s in it? Ben Whishaw, Jeremy Irons, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch
What’s it about? Inspired by William Shakespeare's famous plays, the period drama follows the lives of kings Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V during the 14th and 15th centuries. Aside from its stunning cinematography, the series tackles violence, betrayal, politics and power struggles in a compelling way.
29. ‘charles Ii: The Power And The Passion’ (2003)
Who’s in it? Rufus Sewell, Helen McCrory, Martin Turner, Ian McDiarmid
What’s it about? The British miniseries chronicles the life of Charles II, including his many years of exile, his return to the throne in England and his many affairs. (P.S., Harry Potter fans will recognize quite a few familiar faces.)
30. ‘world Without End’
Who’s in it? Cynthia Nixon, Miranda Richardson, Ben Chaplin, Peter Firth, Charlotte Riley
What’s it about? Based on Ken Follett's novel of the same name, the drama series follows King Edward III (Ritson) as he leads his people into the Hundred Years' War against France in 14th century England.
