Queen Elizabeth II was a royal reviewer, claims Matt Smith. The late queen reportedly used to watch Netflix’s fictionalized drama of her life, according to the House of the Dragon actor, who played a young Prince Philip in seasons one and two of The Crown.
“I heard the queen had watched it. And she used to watch it on a projector on a Sunday night, apparently.” Smith stated when making an appearance on Today on September 15.
However, the late Prince Philip, Smith’s inspiration, could not share the same fate.
“I know that Philip definitely didn’t. A friend of mine sat next to him at a dinner once, and he asked him. My friend couldn’t resist. By the end of the meal, he was like, ‘Philip, I have to ask. Have you watched The Crown?’ And [he] apparently turned ’round to him and went, ‘Don’t be ridiculous.'” He went on.
According to Smith, the couple wasn’t the only family member to sneak a peek at the Netflix series. The actor, who was nominated for an Emmy, recalled an occasion when he ran into Prince Harry at a polo event, but the prince was aware of who he was.
“He walked up to me, and he went, ‘Grandad. He’d watched the show!”Smith said, extending his hand to the host, Jenna Bush Hager.
The Prince will soon be able to glimpse his own duplicate if he keeps watching. Teddy Hawley and Will Powell have been cast to play the young monarch in season five of The Crown, which is due to debut in November and is set to center on the 1990s.
