Has the Royal Family seen The Crown and what do they think of it?

Netflix’s hit drama The Crown depicts the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, with Season 1 starting in 1947 and the recently released Season 4 taking viewers up to 1990. 

• Some sources suggest that members of the Royal Family might have watched some episodes of The Crown.
• The Queen has not officially revealed her opinions on the Netflix drama. 
• In other Royal News (opens in new tab), the heartbreaking reason the Queen and Prince Philip don't live together has been revealed (opens in new tab). 

With each season, The Crown has not only gained fans across the world, but has got that little bit closer to home for the younger generations of the Royal Family in particular. Whilst the earlier seasons covered the years of Queen Elizabeth’s early reign, Season 4 (opens in new tab)focused upon the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana (opens in new tab). 

With the release of Season 4 on Netflix in November, questions have been raised by some about the show’s use of dramatic license and blend of fact and fiction. 

And as the show depicts the lives of the Royal Family, the question of whether or not any royals have watched The Crown themselves is perhaps just intriguing.  

Does the Queen watch The Crown and what does she think of it?

Some people have suggested the Queen might perhaps have watched some episodes of The Crown. According to The Sun, royal biographer Robert Lacey has revealed that the Queen isn’t an avid watcher. 

He supposedly claimed that "Whenever any of them are asked about The Crown, they always deny watching it. And that may be because imagination can convey a truth that the facts themselves cannot.”

However, other sources have suggested that the Queen might have seen a bit of the show. According to Express.co.uk, in 2017, when The Crown season 1 was out, a royal source allegedly told the Sunday Express: “Edward and Sophie love The Crown.” 

Prince Edward is the Queen’s youngest son and he and his wife Sophie (opens in new tab), Countess of Wessex are thought to be very popular with the monarch (opens in new tab). 

The royal source supposedly explained that: “It has been a longstanding arrangement that they drive to Windsor (opens in new tab)at the weekend to join the Queen for an informal supper while watching TV or a film.

“They have a Netflix account and urged her to watch it with them.”

However according to one royal source, it seems the Queen was not pleased with Season 2's portrayal of her husband Prince Philip.

A senior courtier reportedly told Express.co.uk: “The Queen realises that many who watch The Crown take it as an accurate portrayal of the Royal Family and she cannot change that.

“But I can convey that she was upset by the way Prince Philip (opens in new tab) is depicted as being a father insensitive to his son’s wellbeing”.

The Queen herself has never publicly commented on The Crown.

Have other members of the Royal Family seen The Crown and what do they think of it?

Whilst the Queen may not be a committed viewer, other members of the Royal Family seem to have watched a little of it. According to Hello! magazine Princess Eugenie (opens in new tab)previously told the audience at the China Exchange in London: "I did watch a couple of episodes of The Crown. It is filmed beautifully”. 

Meanwhile Olivia Colman, who plays Queen Elizabeth in The Crown Season 3 and Season 4, met Prince William at a Buckingham Palace (opens in new tab) reception and they reportedly had a conversation about the show. 

As reported by Cosmopolitan.com, she revealed on The Graham Norton Show that “I was so excited and asked, ‘Have you watched it?’ His answer was a firm no. But he was very charming and very lovely.”

What have the Royal Family said about The Crown?

The Royal Family have never publicly spoken out about watching The Crown, or their opinions on the events it shows. The Guardian previously published a letter from the Queen’s communications secretary.

This stated that that the royal household ‘would never express a view as to the programme’s accuracy’. 

Following the release of The Crown Season 4 some have called for the show to carry a "disclaimer" of some sort, reminding viewers of it’s fictional nature (opens in new tab). Whether one will be added has yet to be confirmed. 

The Crown Season 4 is available to watch on Netflix.