See the Cast of 'The Crown' Side-by-Side with the Real People They Play on the Netflix Hit

Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth

The late Queen Elizabeth was first portrayed by English actress Claire Foy during seasons 1 and 2 of the hit Netflix show. During these seasons, which covered the time period of 1947 through 1964, viewers saw Elizabeth ascend to the throne at just 25 years old and find her footing as Queen. It also followed the early days of her marriage to Prince Philip. (Fans also got to see Foy reprise her role during flashback scenes in seasons 4 and 5.)

Aside from her turn as "Her Majesty the Queen," Foy has had roles in various movies and TV series, including Season of the Witch (2011), The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018), A Very British Scandal, Women Talking (2022) and All of Us Strangers (2023). For her work on The Crown, the actress took home two Emmys and a Golden Globe.

Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth

Foy passed the reins to award-winning actress Olivia Colman for seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown, which covered 1964 through 1990 of the Queen's reign. These seasons depicted a more self-assured Queen as she continued to lead the U.K. and raise her four children — who became much more of a focus on the show.

Colman told The Daily Mirror in 2020 of playing the British monarch (who was still alive at the time), "There is much more pressure when you're playing someone who is still living, and you have this fear that they're watching it, and won't like it."

The actress continued, "You're thinking, 'Oh my God, what if Queen Elizabeth II ­watches the series and sees me? Perhaps she will think that my interpretation is completely wrong. She's going to change channels.' "

Colman won an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth and can also be seen in Fleabag, The Favourite (2018), The Lost Daughter (2021), Heartstopper and Wonka (2023).

Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth

Seasons 5 and 6 of The Crown, which follow the royal family's life from the early-1990s to the early-2000s, see actress Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth. Staunton has appeared in projects such as Vera Drake (2004); a few Harry Potter films as Dolores Umbridge; Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) — and fans can now watch her take on the role during what was a very turbulent time for the royal family.

In November 2022, Staunton opened up to Entertainment Tonight about what it was like to film the show following Queen Elizabeth's death. "Everyone was extremely sad, and I know I was very inconsolable that evening," Staunton said. "My reaction surprised me. Of course, I would feel something. But having lived with her very closely for two years, it felt strange."

She added, "We filmed the day after the funeral, and I felt it was difficult for the other people looking at me 'cause we have a lot of supporting artists and they were all looking at this act of playing the person who had been buried yesterday."

Matt Smith as Prince Philip

Doctor Who actor Matt Smith played Queen Elizabeth's late husband Prince Philip in seasons 1 and 2 of the series. The first two seasons of the show saw a young Philip struggling to adjust to his wife's new role as Queen and his own role as the Duke of Edinburgh.

"He's torn between the duty to his wife and a duty to himself," the actor told the L.A. Times in 2017. "And I found that conflict very interesting to explore and play because he's pulled in two different directions constantly. No other man in that period would kneel before his wife or walk two feet behind her. That was very difficult for him."

Smith earned an Emmy nomination for his supporting role on the show and went on to star on HBO's House of the Dragon.

Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip

Tobias Menzies added The Crown to his list of acting credits when he took over the role of Prince Philip during seasons 3 and 4. During these seasons, viewers watched as Philip visited with survivors of the Aberfan mining disaster, became enthralled with the Apollo 11 moon landing and more.

In 2018, his performance on The Crown won him an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor. Menzies' other credits include Outlander, Game of Thrones and You Hurt My Feelings (2023).

Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip

Jonathan Pryce portrays Prince Philip during seasons 5 and 6 of the show.

"I am delighted to be working with Netflix again. The positive experience I had making The Two Popes has given me the confidence to tackle the daunting prospect of portraying Prince Philip." Pryce said in August 2020. "To be doing so with [director] Peter Morgan in the company of Imelda and Lesley [Manville] will be a joy."

The Crown is just another addition to Pryce's impressive résumé. He is also known for Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), The Wife (2017) and All the Old Knives (2022).

Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret

Vanessa Kirby played Queen Elizabeth's late sister, Princess Margaret in seasons 1 and 2, which followed the glamorous, romantically risky royal as she pursued a relationship with Group Capt. Peter Townsend before marrying photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones.

Kirby's other notable roles include Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018), Pieces of a Woman (2020), The Son (2022) and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One (2023).

Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret

In seasons 3 and 4, Helena Bonham Carter took over Kirby's role as Princess Margaret and continued to channel the royal's outspoken attitude. The two seasons showed her marriage to Armstrong-Jones begin to fall apart as well as her affair with Roddy Llewellyn.

Fans most likely recognize Bonham Carter from her role as Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter franchise, but she has also appeared in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Dark Shadows (2012), Enola Holmes (2020) and Enola Holmes 2 (2022).

Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret

Lesley Manville plays Princess Margaret in the final years of her life in seasons 5 and 6.

During a 2020 interview with Deadline, Manville recalled the moment she was offered the role. "There was never any doubt that I would say yes," she said. "When they said 'Margaret,' I hadn't really thought about it. Then I thought, 'Yes, Margaret!' That's fabulous because she was so avant-garde. So naughty, delightful and funny. What a wonderful woman to play."

Viewers might recognize Manville from her roles in Phantom Thread (2017), Ordinary Love (2019), Let Him Go (2020) and Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022).

Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles

Viewers first got a glimpse of the future King of England — played by child actors Billy Jenkins and Julian Baring — as a boy in seasons 1 and 2. In seasons 3 and 4, they got to see Prince Charles as a young adult, played by Josh O'Connor, as he grappled with his role as heir to the throne. These seasons had Prince Charles and Princess Diana's dysfunctional relationship at the forefront and they also explored the early days of his romance with Camilla Parker Bowles.

O'Connor earned a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the now-King and has also appeared in God's Own Country (2017), Only You (2018), Emma. (2020) and the upcoming Challengers.

Dominic West as Prince Charles

In the show's final seasons, Prince Charles is played by Dominic West. West takes on the role just as Charles and Diana's marriage begins to unravel and as his affair with Camilla begins. Seasons 5 and 6 also follow the family as they are hit with plenty of scandals and crises, including Diana's tragic death in 1997.

West has other credits to his name, including projects like The Wire, The Affair and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022).

Emma Corrin as Princess Diana

The Crown first introduced viewers to the "People's Princess" in season 4, with actor Emma Corrin cast in the role. Corrin played the beloved royal for just one season, which spanned 1979 through 1990, before passing off the role. At that time, they portrayed Princess Diana's rise to fame and gave viewers a closer look into the princess's difficult marriage to Charles.

Corrin received lots of acclaim for their portrayal and has taken on roles in Amazon Prime Video's My Policeman (2022) and FX's miniseries A Murder at the End of the World.

Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana

Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki stepped into Diana's shoes for seasons 5 and 6, which cover the mid-'90s to early-2000s. Viewers can see the dissolution of Princess Diana and Prince Charles' marriage as well as the princess's 1997 death.

During a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Debicki opened up about her handling the role. "I went off instinct, and I didn't overthink it. I've watched this show and loved it for years," she said. "I knew I was stepping into working with people who were extremely intelligent and very sensitive about how they went about creating the script and making decisions. So I never felt like I'd jumped on unstable ground."

The Crown is one of her many acting credits, which also include The Great Gatsby (2013), Vita & Virginia (2018), Tenet (2020) and two Guardians of the Galaxy movies.

Rufus Kampa and Ed McVey as Prince William

In both of their first on-screen roles, Rufus Kampa and Ed McVey portray Prince Charles and Princess Diana's eldest son in season 6.

Kampa plays Prince William in his childhood days, grappling with his mother's death in the first part of season 6, while Ed McVey plays the now-Duke of Cornwall during his college years at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland — where he met his future wife, Kate Middleton.

Fflyn Edwards and Luther Ford as Prince Harry

In the first installment of season 6, Fflyn Edwards plays the younger version of Prince Harry. The actor has also been seen on 1899, Shadow and Bone and The Continental: From the World of John Wick.

Meanwhile, acting newcomer Luther Ford takes on the ginger prince in the second part of season 6, where the royal family shifts into the new millennium. Talking about his approach to playing Harry, Ford told Hero magazine in 2023, "I think the thing that helped me the most was that Diana said to Harry, 'You can be as naughty as you like, just don’t get caught.” And I was just like, 'Yes!' It kind of summed up my experience of being in The Crown."

He continued, "A lot of what is being explored is the dynamic between Harry and William, of the heir and the ‘spare,’ and having your brother as the closest person to you but also underlying feelings of competition."

Erin Doherty as Princess Anne

Erin Doherty played the Queen's only daughter, Princess Anne, in seasons 3 and 4 of the drama series, calling the royal "a woman of great strength and heart" when her casting was announced.

Departing from her role on The Crown — which she viewed as "kind of like mourning someone" — Doherty has held roles on Chloe and in Firebrand (2023).

Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne

In seasons 5 and 6, Claudia Harrison portrays Princess Anne, post-divorced from her ex-husband, Mark Phillips.

In 2022, the actress told The Guardian she wanted “[Princess Anne's] wit and her sense of humor" to be expressed through her portrayal. "Look at what she has done. With her role as the Princess Royal, she has been exceptional, and I hope The Crown is part of turning her into a feminist icon,” she said.

Outside of the hit Netflix series, Harrison is known for her roles in The Cat's Meow (2004) and episodes of Murphy's Law, The IT Crowd, Humans and Delicious.

Emerald Fennell as Camilla Parker Bowles

Emerald Fennell played the now-Queen Consort during seasons 3 and 4, which showcased the early days of Camilla and Prince Charles' romance. By the end of season 4, fans saw Camilla and Prince Charles both married — just not to each other.

"I'm absolutely over the moon, and completely terrified, to be joining so many hugely talented people on The Crown," the actress and director said of taking the role, which earned her an Emmy nomination.

During the same year as her last season on The Crown, the actress launched her 2020 directorial debut, Promising Young Woman, which earned her an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay — becoming the first woman to win in the category. Her second film, Saltburn, which stars Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan, was released in November 2023, just months after she appeared in Greta Gerwig's Barbie (2023) as Midge.

Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles

Donning Camilla's signature bob haircut, Olivia Williams took on the role in the final two seasons, which cover Camilla and Prince Charles' affair during the collapse of his and Princess Diana's relationship.

In a 2022 interview with The Times, Williams described season 5's reimagined version of "Tampongate" — the infamously leaked private phone conversation between Camilla and Prince Charles — as "the absolute best scene in The Crown." She said, "I think the writing and the way this episode is structured is so brilliant."

The actress' other credits include Rushmore (1998), The Sixth Sense (1999), The Ghost Writer (2010), The Father (2020) and The Nevers.

Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton

Meg Bellamy makes her on-screen debut as Kate Middleton — the now-Princess of Wales — in the second part of season 6, which depicts the beginnings of her and Prince William's romance.

Announcing the news in 2022, the actress wrote on Instagram, "Pinch me please.. So excited to announce that I will be playing Kate Middleton in Series 6 of Netflix's 'The Crown'. It is such an honour to be joining the most incredible cast and crew, and I will strive to do Kate justice."

Gillian Anderson as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

Gillian Anderson added another dose of star power to the show as Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female prime minister who served the nation from 1979 to 1990. To capture the character, Anderson said she first had to push her own personal opinions to the side.

"I had to get to a point where it's nothing to do with my opinions of her policies, of her actions," she told Harper's Bazaar in 2020.

The result, Anderson said, is that her portrayal became "only about her as a human being and her motivation as a politician and as a mother."

In addition to The Crown, Anderson has had roles on the series The X-Files, Hannibal, Sex Education, The Great and The First Lady, as well as in White Bird: A Wonder Story (2023).

Greg Wise and Charles Dance as Lord Louis Mountbatten

While Greg Wise portrayed Prince Philip's uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten in the first two seasons, Game of Thrones actor Charles Dance took over the role for seasons 3 and 4. In these seasons, Mountbatten keeps Prince Charles from marrying Camilla by sending him overseas through the Navy and arranging for the now-Queen Consort to marry Andrew Parker Bowles.

Victoria Hamilton as The Queen Mother

In seasons 1 and 2, Victoria Hamilton played the older Queen Elizabeth, also known as the Queen Mother.

Chatting with Metro.co.uk about acting post-The Crown, Hamilton joked, "I have an innate need to kill the Queen Mother in every job I do now until the day I die, I think.... She was wonderful to play but I spent two years in a padded swim costume with fake boobs and a grey wig."

The Tony-nominated actress has also appeared on the series Deep State, Life and Cobra.

Marion Bailey as The Queen Mother

After Hamilton's two-season portrayal, Marion Bailey took over the role for seasons 3 and 4.

"It's a brilliant show, and we have a tough act to follow, but what a gift to be playing the fascinating and greatly loved Queen Mother," Bailey said after news of her casting was announced in July 2018.

Bailey also has acted in projects like Obsession and All the Light We Cannot See.

Marcia Warren as The Queen Mother

Appearing on the series No Place Like Home, Dangerfield and Agatha Raisin, veteran actress Marcia Warren stepped into the Queen Mother's shoes for seasons 5 and 6, which cover the then-oldest-living royal's final years until she died on March 30, 2002.

When Warren landed the role, she "thought it was a joke and burst out laughing." The actress told Saga Magazine in 2022, "I’d never even seen it because I don’t have Netflix. Once I’d caught up with all four series, I realized how incredible The Crown is, so was even more terrified when I started filming. It was such a terrific responsibility."

Matthew Goode and Ben Daniels as Antony Armstrong-Jones

In seasons 1 and 2, Downton Abbey actor Matthew Goode played Antony Armstrong-Jones, the photographer who would go on to become Princess Margaret's husband. The actor also earned acting credits for The King's Man (2021), A Discovery of Witches and The Offer.

Ben Daniels — known for his roles on Flesh and Bone, The Exorcist, Jupiter's Legacy and Foundation — took over the role of Armstrong-Jones for seasons 3 and 4.

Lia Williams and Geraldine Chaplin as Wallis Simpson

In seasons 1 and 2 of The Crown, Lia Williams portrayed Wallis Simpson, the American divorcée whom parliament would not allow Edward VIII to marry and whom he abdicated the throne for. (The actress went on to appear on HBO's His Dark Materials.)

In season 3 (and one season 5 episode), Geraldine Chaplin played the controversial woman, and viewers saw Chaplin's Simpson offer Prince Charles some advice on his relationship with Camilla. Chaplin's acting credits include Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), Britannia, Luka (2023) and Seneca (2023).

John Lithgow as Prime Minister Winston Churchill

John Lithgow won an Emmy and was nominated for a Golden Globe for playing Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the first season of The Crown. Lithgow's other work includes 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dexter, Perry Mason, The Old Man, Sharper (2023) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).

Jason Watkins as Prime Minister Harold Wilson

During season 3, Jason Watkins portrayed Prime Minister Harold Wilson, who served two tenures as head of the U.K. government in the late-'60s and the '70s.

"I am delighted to become part of this exceptional show. And so thrilled to be working once again with Peter Morgan," Watkins said at the time of his casting. "Harold Wilson is a significant and fascinating character in our history. So looking forward to bringing him to life, through a decade that transformed us culturally and politically. And excited to be working so closely with Olivia; and the whole team."

The actor has also made appearances in Des, The Catch and Wicked Little Letters (2023), among other titles.

David Wilmot as Arthur Scargill

In one season 3 episode, David Wilmot played Arthur Scargill, who was President of the National Union of Mineworkers during some of the most tumultuous years for British Industry. He eventually triumphed over Prime Minister Edward Heath.

Outside of The Crown, the actor has built an impressive résumé, which includes credits for Anna Karenina (2012), Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), Station Eleven and The Wonder (2022).

Harry Treadaway as Roddy Llewellyn

Harry Treadaway played Roddy Llewellyn, Princess Margaret's lover, during season 3 of the hit show. While she was still married to Lord Snowdon, Princess Margaret was introduced to her landscape gardener, Llewellyn. At 25, he was 17 years younger than her — but he became a regular visitor to her private island in Mustique. Their love affair lasted eight years.

The actor also had TV roles on the series Penny Dreadful, Mr. Mercedes, Star Trek: Picard and Chemistry of Death.

Jared Harris as King George VI

Jared Harris played Queen Elizabeth's father, King George VI, in season 1. Harris's character only appeared in half of the season before he died, making way for his older daughter's ascension.

Post-The Crown, the Mad Men alum starred in projects like Chernobyl, Carnival Row, Foundation, Morbius (2022) and more.

Ben Miles as Peter Townsend

Ben Miles played military hero Group Capt. Peter Townsend, whose ill-fated love affair with Princess Margaret provided plenty of drama for the show's first season.

His other credits include films and TV shows like Red Joan (2018), The Capture, Andor, Tetris (2023) and Napoleon (2023).

Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed

In seasons 5 and 6, Khalid Abdalla takes on the role of Dodi Fayed, the Egyptian billionaire heir who was in a romantic relationship with Diana before they both died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

"Since people have known that I'm playing this role, they've expected me to be the token Arab character who passes across the screen and is irrelevant," Abdalla told Town & Country Magazine in 2022. "One of the great things about what's happening here is that the Fayeds — Dodi, Mohamed and the family — are being treated with the same respect and cultural space that is given to other figures in the royal family."

The actor has been seen in films like United 93 (2006), The Kite Runner (2007) and Green Zone (2010), as well as on the series Hanna and Moon Knight.