Sometimes real life is even better than fictional drama, which is why so many television shows and movies are based on historical events. Take England, for example. You can’t honestly claim that you’ve never been fascinated by something that’s happened to a king or queen of the country’s past or present, right? Everyone loves to hear about the strong-willedQueen Elizabeth I,orKing Henry VIIIand his six wives. And especially after her recent passing,Queen Elizabeth II, and her long legacy. Luckily, Hollywood feels the same way, and movies and television shows based on stories about English royalty have been made for decades now, with more coming out each year. But which ones are the best?
RELATED:‘The Crown’ Season 5: Why Imelda Staunton Is the Best Queen Elizabeth
Yes, this one’s a given for a list like this. Created byPeter Morgan,The Crownis a Netflix series that focuses on the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her coronation through to her later years. Beginning withClaire Foyas Queen Elizabeth andMatt Smithas Prince Philip, the series spends two seasons with the characters at a certain point in their life before completely changing the cast. While Seasons 1 and 2 focus on the years between Queen Elizabeth’s wedding in 1947 to 1964, the year Prince Edward is born. In Seasons 3 and 4,Olivia ColmanandTobias Menziesplay Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, showcasing their story from the late 1960s into the 1990s and introducing other key figures throughout English history, such as Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) andLady Diana Spencer(Emma Corrin). The recently released Season 5 and Season 6, which will be the last two beforeThe Crowncomes to a close, featureImelda StauntonandJonathan Pryceas Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, taking over from Colman and Menzies. While there are obviously creative liberties taken for the series (as with any movie or TV show on this list),The Crownis renowned for its attention to detail and supreme acting, and it’s a certified must-watch show.
The Madness of King George
Released in 1994,The Madness of King Georgeis a biographical dramedy about the life of King George III and his older years dealing with what many historians believe was mental illness. The movie is directed byNicholas Hytnerand written byAlan Bennettwho adapts the story from his own play calledThe Madness of George III. This film is a smart, hilarious snapshot of the strenuous Regency Crisis of 1788, which occurred as a result of King George III’s supposed mental illness and a deteriorating relationship with the power-hungry people around him in court. While a lot of English history is interesting and surprising, this period of King George III’s life is generally given less attention than say, the emerging American nation of the time, but it’s definitely one of the more unique stories to come out of English royalty. StarringNigel Hawthorneas King George III,Helen Mirrenas Queen Charlotte, and a slew of other fantastic British actors likeIan Holm,Rupert Graves,Jim Carter, and many more,The Madness of King Georgeis a witty and enjoyable film for any and every English history fan.
The White Queen, The White Princess, and The Spanish Princess
Combining three series into one entry to save space,The White Queenand its two spinoff shows are based on the historical novels byPhilippa Gregory. The first series, which was initially intended to be a one-and-done project, is 2013’sThe White Queen, which tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, played byRebecca Ferguson, who was Queen of England alongside King Edward IV, played byMax Irons, in the 1400s. The show centers around the War of the Roses and features a lot of drama and intense political intrigue, and it was extremely well-received upon release, leading to the follow-up seriesThe White Princess, which stars Emmy winnerJodie Comeras the daughter of Queen Elizabeth and King Edward IV, Elizabeth of York, who sees the War of the Roses end shortly before her marriage to King Henry VII, played byJacob Collins-Levy. Themost recent addition to this franchiseis the 2019 seriesThe Spanish Princess, which starsCharlotte Hopeas Catherine of Aragon, the Queen of England during her time as the first wife of King Henry VIII (Ruairi O’Connor). But as the title suggests, the show actually focuses on the beginning of Catherine’s relationship with King Henry VIII and the English throne, before their marriage.
The King’s Speech
Another singular story from centuries of English royal history, the 2010 filmThe King’s Speech, whichwon Best Pictureat the Academy Awards that year along with a few other awards, focuses on the relationship between King George VI (Colin Firth) and his speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). The story follows King George VI in the time shortly before his brother, King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), abdicates the throne in 1936, as he tries to overcome his stammer and prepare himself for the difficult times ahead as the ruler of England.The King’s Speechis a great drama film that boasts a wonderful cast, includingHelena Bonham Carter,Timothy Spall,Derek Jacobi,Jennifer Ehle, andMichael Gambon— basically the who’s who of top British actors.
The Royal House of Windsor
While we love dramatic retellings of English royal history, sometimes you just want the straight facts. There are plenty of great documentaries on the subject out there, but the 2017 six-episode docuseriesThe Royal House of Windsoris a great choice if you are looking for one to watch. The series starts in 1917 with the founding of House Windsor by King George V and travels with the family all the way to modern times, revealing aspects of the royal family never shown on television before. Of course, expect to hear about parts of British history that you probably already know, but given that it’s all a part of the story of House Windsor, it’s to be expected.The Royal House of Windsoris a straightforward docuseries perfect for all of the English history nerds out there.
An earlier appearance by Claire Foy as an English royal, this time around she goes back a bit farther into the past to play Anne Boleyn oppositeDamian Lewisas King Henry VIII inWolf Hall. Sure, the story of King Henry VIII’s deadly reign and six wives is well-known, but there’s a reason for that, as his story is one of the most intense and memorable throughout royal history. But what makes this series a bit more unique is that it really focuses on the historical figure of Thomas Cromwell, played byMark Rylance, a manipulative, charming man who uses his close relationship with King Henry VIII to gain more power for himself. With a target on Anne, attempting to get King Henry VIII away from her influence, Cromwell plays a risky game that might not end in his favor (Spoiler alert: it doesn’t).
The Favourite
Directed by the esteemed and wholly original directorYorgos Lanthimos,The Favouritestars Olivia Colman as another queen from English history — Queen Anne, who ruled England in the early 1700s. Co-starring with Colman areRachel Weiszas Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, andEmma Stoneas Sarah’s cousin, Abigail Masham, who are in a rivalry to win the position of “favourite,” or someone who is the closest companion to a royal or other prominent, influential person. Throughout history, these relationships have been complicated yet strong, with some a friend and always dependable support to the influential individual, while other instances involve sexual or otherwise different relationships.The Favouriteinvestigatesthe strange and layered relationshipsbetween Abigail, Sarah, and Anne, as the former two do whatever they must to gain Anne’s favor and maintain a position of power at court, to hilarious and emotional results.
Also starring Helen Mirren (if you haven’t noticed yet, you’ll see a lot of repeating names on this list),The Queendepicts Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family’s response to the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. The film depicts the clashing beliefs of the time, as the more traditional royal family don’t plan to treat Diana’s death as an official royal death, which would lead to public acknowledgment of the events and mourning. Conversely, Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) and Prince Charles (Alex Jennings), Diana’s ex-husband, want to address the nation’s love of Diana and mourn her death together. The Queen slowly comes to realize that her country has changed and modernized quite a bit throughout her reign, and the people truly love Diana.The Queenalso starsJames Cromwell,Roger Allam, and the lateHelen McCrory, and it received critical acclaim when it was released, winning Mirren many awards. Taking on a truly difficult topic within English history,The Queendoes a wonderful job showing how much Diana’s death affected both England and the royal family, as well as the modernization of the monarchy.
Beginning with Season 1 in 2016, the television seriesVictoria, created byDaisy Goodwin, starsJenna Colemanas Queen Victoria from the beginning of her reign at 18 years old in 1837 and on through key moments in her life. There are three seasons total (so far), with Season 1 depicting her early years up to her marriage to Prince Albert (Tom Hughes), while Season 2 explores her time after juggling her roles as a wife, mother, and queen, with ongoing international issues being the famine in Ireland in the 1840s and tension between England and other European countries. While many people know of Queen Victoria’s long and lasting marriage to Prince Albert and her later years after, there haven’t been too many movies and television series exploring Victoria’s time as a new queen and how she navigated being the youngest ruling monarch, butVictoriadoes this very well.
Directed byShekhar Kapurand written byMichael Hirst, the 1998 filmElizabethis all about Queen Elizabeth I of England, who ruled from 1558 to her death in 1603.Cate Blanchettplays the title character, one of the most prolific rulers in English history. The film depicts Queen Elizabeth I’s ascension to the English throne after the death of her half-sister, Queen Mary I, and her early years navigating a treacherous court. England isn’t in such a great place when Queen Elizabeth I becomes the monarch, with Queen Mary I having persecuted Protestants throughout the country, a lot of debt building up, and the increasingly tense battlefield that is Europe at the time.Elizabethspotlights a truly outstanding performance from Blanchett, who portrays Queen Elizabeth I as a strong, clever woman both while fighting on the battlefield and in her own court.Joseph Fiennesplays Robert Dudley, who some believe the Queen had a sexual relationship with, and Geoffrey Rush as Francis Walsingham, the queen’s lead advisor and spymaster. Many of the players inElizabethreturned for the sequel film,Elizabeth: The Golden Age, which was released in 2007.
