73 million people have watched The Crown since it premiered on Netflix in 2016. Part of it is the acting—so far, it's been nominated for 39 Emmys and won 10. Part of it is the lavish visuals—rumor has it that The Crown is the most expensive show ever made for the streaming service. But part of it is also delicate balance of dramatizing the royal family's private lives while, at the same time, refusing to stray far from real-life events. Whether we'd like to admit it or not, we're insatiably interested in palace intrigue.
Throughout its multiple seasons, the creators of The Crown have taken great care in casting talent that captures the complicated essence of their royal personas. Claire Foy, for example, was critically lauded for her reserved, poised portrayal of a coming-of-age Queen Elizabeth. Josh O’Connor, who takes a spotlight-sharing role as Prince Charles, has mastered his aristocratic accent and mannerisms. Then there's Emma Corrin, who holds an uncanny resemblance to Princess Diana. Below, we've chronicled a master list of the cast compared to their real-life counterparts, from season one all the way to season six.
Claire Foy as a Queen Elizabeth II (Seasons 1 and 2)
When she became queen at just 25 years old, Queen Elizabeth II was seen by many as the new modern face of the monarchy. And while we now picture her as a sweet old monarch with a regal white coif and a fabulous collection of hats, it turns out she was once kind of a babe. Claire Foy played the queen in the first two seasons of the show.
Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II (Seasons 3 and 4)
Olivia Colman is brilliant as an older, more self-assured queen struggling to lead her nation.
Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II (Seasons 5 and 6)
Best known for her role as Harry Potter's Dolores Umbridge, Staunton will play Queen Elizabeth in the final two seasons of the show, which will take place during the 1990s.
Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret (Seasons 1 and 2)
Queen Elizabeth’s only sibling, Princess Margaret, was known as the more fun-loving and free-spirited royal. When she was 22, she scandalously fell in love with her father’s aide, Group Captain Peter Townsend, a divorced man 16 years her senior. Their romance was frowned upon within the royal family, and after much pressure, she ended their relationship. Vanessa Kirby played the role before Helena Bonham Carter assumed it in season 3.
Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (Seasons 3 and 4)
Among other things, Princess Margaret was known for initiating one of the most infamous divorces in royal history. Helena Bonham Carter brought new life to the character in season 3, making Margaret's frustration with her marriage and family role clear.
Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret (Seasons 5 and 6)
Taking over for Bonham-Carter will be Lesley Manville, who received an Oscar nomination for her role in 2018's Phantom Thread. It's sure to be a poignant performance for Manville, as Margaret was in poor health for much of her later life: in 1993, she was hospitalized for pneumonia, and in 1998 suffered a mild stroke that affected her mobility.
Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles (Seasons 3 and 4)
While a non-factor in the early episodes, Prince Charles emerges as a major character in season 3 and season 4. He's played by English actor Josh O'Connor.
Matt Smith as Prince Philip (Seasons 1 and 2)
Were we the only ones Googling “Young Prince Philip” after falling for Matt Smith’s charming version of Queen Elizabeth’s dashing husband? That hair! That style! No wonder Elizabeth never loved anyone else.
Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip (Seasons 3 and 4)
Tobias Menzies took over the role of Prince Philip from Matt Smith for the show's third season. The resemblance is a little uncanny, you have to admit.
Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip (Seasons 5 and 6)
The Two Popes actor will play the man Queen Elizabeth has called her "strength and stay" in seasons 5 and 6. She'll surely need it: 1992 was the year the queen dubbed her "annus horribilis" due to the many scandals that plagued the royal family.
Emma Corrin as Princess Diana (Season 4)
Emma Corrin will originate the role of Princess Diana for The Crown. She'll play a teenage Lady Di—she married Charles when she was only 19—throughout her twenties.
Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana (Seasons 5 and 6)
The Great Gatsby actor will take over the role from Corrin in season 5 and season 6, which will likely cover Diana and Charles's tumultuous divorce.
Emerald Fennell as Camilla Shand (Seasons 3 and 4)
Camilla Shand (later Parker-Bowles), the woman who would eventually come between Charles and Diana, was introduced in season 3. She's played by English actress Emerald Fennell, who was also the showrunner for the second season of Killing Eve.
Matthew Goode as Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowden (Season 2)
A dapper photographer who married Princess Margaret in 1960, Armstrong-Jones was a bohemian who suddenly entered a life of privileges, parties, quarrels, and infidelities that ended in divorce 18 years later. Known as a bit of a womaniser, he shook up the monarchy as outsiders like Wallis Simpson had in the past. Matthew Goode took on the mantle of this divisive character in The Crown's second season.
Jared Harris as King George VI
King George VI wasn’t supposed to be king at all. His brother, Edward VIII, was destined for the throne, until he abdicated the crown in order to marry American socialite Wallis Simpson. George famously had a stammer and was terrified of public speaking, but eventually overcame it with the help of his speech therapist and friend Lionel Logue.
John Lithgow as Winston Churchill
It was an interesting choice to cast an American actor to play Britain’s most memorable statesman, Prime Minister Winston Churchill. But Lithgow delivers a captivating performance of the British bulldog during his last years in office.
Victoria Hamilton as the Queen Mother
Queen Elizabeth II’s mother was one of the most popular royals in British history. In fact, she was so beloved by the people that Adolf Hitler once described her as “the most dangerous woman in Europe.” She lived to be 101 years old before peacefully dying in her sleep, her eldest daughter by her side.
Ben Miles as Group Captain Peter Townsend
A war hero and equerry to King George VI, Townsend became a scandalous figure in Britain after falling in love with Princess Margaret.
Alex Jennings as the Duke of Windsor
King Edward VIII is best known for almost destroying the monarchy after proposing to the twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. His decision to marry a woman with two living ex-husbands would have created a constitutional crisis in Britain, so Edward renounced the throne in order to wed Simpson. The couple later went into exile in France, where they spent much of the rest of their lives.
This article originally appeared on Vogue.com
Also read:
The Crown season 4: A complete break down of the new trailer
The Crown season 6 on Netflix: Everything you need to know about the final season
