From its extravagant production costs to surprising casting decisions, here are the secrets behind The Crown, one of the most popular British dramas of all time.
#1. The show cost a fortune to make
The Crown is one of Netflix’s most expensive series. According to Forbes, season five alone had a production cost of $143.3 million (£115.7 million), bringing the overall cost of the show to $504 million (£407.1 million) since its debut.
#2. Olivia Colman struggled to contain her emotions
Unlike Queen Elizabeth II’s famous stoicism, Olivia Colman is naturally expressive. To help her maintain composure in emotional scenes, the crew played the BBC’s Shipping Forecast in her earpiece, distracting her enough to stop her from crying.
#3. Josh O’Connor and Emma Corrin had quirky tricks for their roles
Josh O’Connor (Prince Charles) mimicked a body language sequence involving cufflinks and a pocket square to get into character. Emma Corrin (Princess Diana) found her rhythm by focusing on how Diana’s tone would drop at the end of sentences, using the word “alright” to help perfect her voice.
#4. Cast members stayed in character by keeping the accents on set
Claire Foy (Queen Elizabeth II), Matt Smith (Prince Philip), and Vanessa Kirby (Princess Margaret) often spoke in their characters’ accents off-camera to maintain authenticity.
#5. Silent video clips helped actors master royal mannerisms
Supervising dialect coach William Conacher encouraged the cast to watch silent clips of the royal family, focusing on their body language to nail their characters’ movements.
#6. Claire Foy found her Queen’s voice with one simple word
To perfect Queen Elizabeth II’s accent, Foy would say “one” with her lips turned down, which helped her stay in character.
#7. Claire Foy questioned her decision to take on the role at first
After her first day of filming, Foy found herself atop a Scottish mountain, struggling with a broken breast pump while trying to feed her baby. She thought she’d made a terrible mistake going back to work so soon after giving birth.
#8. Claire Foy almost missed out on the role of the Queen
Foy didn’t initially impress during early auditions. After four read-throughs, creator Peter Morgan finally noticed her, saying, “This one is sensational, who’s this?”
#9. Felicity Jones was a contender for Queen Elizabeth II
In 2014, The Mirror reported that Felicity Jones auditioned as a young Queen Elizabeth for an early reading of the series.
#10. Elizabeth Debicki auditioned for a much smaller role
Before being cast as Princess Diana, Debicki auditioned for a minor role in season two, but producers saw her potential for Diana.
#11. Some actors had experience portraying royals
Claire Foy previously played Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall, and Olivia Colman portrayed Queen Anne in The Favourite, a role that won her an Oscar.
#12. Claire Foy was paid less than Matt Smith
Despite playing the lead, Foy earned less than Matt Smith in season one due to his Doctor Who fame. Producers pledged to rectify this by ensuring “no one gets paid more than the Queen” in future seasons.
#13. Dominic West nearly resigned from a charity over his role as Prince Charles
West offered to quit his ambassadorship at The Prince’s Trust to avoid any conflict of interest but was told he could remain in his role.
#14. Elizabeth Debicki found the fake paparazzi scenes uncomfortable
Debicki, who played Princess Diana, struggled with recreating scenes of paparazzi harassment, calling it “incredibly invasive.”
#15. Diana’s death was handled delicately
The producers approached Princess Diana’s tragic 1997 car crash with extreme care, avoiding showing the crash itself.
#16. Filming paused after Queen Elizabeth II’s death
Production came to a halt after the Queen’s passing in September 2022, resuming after her funeral.
#17. Imelda Staunton found it hard to return to work after the Queen’s death
Staunton, who played the Queen in later seasons, said it was difficult to get back into character following the monarch’s death.
#18. The costume designer wanted Michael Fagan’s look to be perfect
Amy Roberts, the costume designer, put extra effort into dressing Michael Fagan, the intruder who broke into the Queen’s bedroom, as she felt it symbolized Britain’s struggles.
#19. A heist on set saw 350 props stolen
In 2022, over $200,000 worth of props, including a replica Fabergé egg and crystal glassware, were stolen from the set.
#20. Prince Harry fact-checks the show
Prince Harry admitted to Stephen Colbert that he watches The Crown and even fact-checks it, particularly the earlier seasons.
#21. The Queen reportedly watched the show
While unconfirmed, it’s rumored that the late Queen enjoyed watching The Crown on a projector on Sunday nights.
#22. Camilla joked with Dominic West about his role as Prince Charles
West revealed that when he met Queen Consort Camilla, she humorously addressed him as “Your Majesty,” acknowledging his casting as Charles.
#23. Paul Bettany was almost cast as Prince Philip
The Avengers star Paul Bettany was initially in talks to replace Matt Smith as Prince Philip for seasons three and four but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
#24. The new Prince Harry actor speaks Welsh as his first language
Fflyn Edwards, who plays a young Prince Harry in the final season, revealed that he had to adjust to speaking English all day on set, as his first language is Welsh.
