It seems that while there has always been a fascination with the British Royal Family, its impact on media has grown exponentially in the last 15 years. Between Mary Queen of Scots, The Favourite, and last year's Spencer, the past few years alone have seen an influx of films about the monarchy. The Royal Family has this 'above human' quality that makes them feel so interesting to 'normal' people with everyday struggles. They seem to fascinate and get chronicled even when they're just eating breakfast or taking the corgis for a walk.
In America, there's no monarchy (they have a different 'fresh prince'), which might explain the fascination overseas; for the people of England, there's a long history of being attached to the British Royal Family, in good ways and bad ways. On a negative note, media is part of what led to Princess Diana's untimely passing. On the other hand, media like The Crown teaches us about the inner workings of the Royal Family and the history behind their reign. Not only is this educational but interesting and inviting for audiences who love the British Royals. The shows and films listed below follow this trend of educating while being enjoyable. They paint the Royal Family in an accurate light and allow audiences to learn and love through media.
5 The Royal House of Windsor
The only documentary on this list, The Royal House of Windsor is the most accurate portrayal of the Royals on this list, sometimes to a meticulous excess. The Netflix docuseries contains material (home videos and newly-found footage) that has never been seen on television or to most of the public eye. This obviously drew audiences in and gave the show quite a bit of hype. While said hype has since died down, the show is still listed among some of the best portrayals of the Royal Family. Most importantly the show serves as an educational outlet for fans of the Royals and other Royal family programming. The Royal House of Windsor has become the perfect educational palette cleanser for Royal Family fans.
4 The King
If you are a fan of the British Royal Family who knows very little about who came before Queen Elizabeth II, The King is the perfect watch to teach you. While it is not a documentary and thus not the most accurate portrayal of King Henry V, it is a very fun theatrical depiction. The film is based on a Shakespearean play, and while the facts about Henry V are stylized, the movie recreates the time period wonderfully, and while he has little impact on the Royal Family today, his story is still very interesting and contains universal themes. With great performances by Timothee Chalamet and Robert Pattinson (who gives arguably his best work), The King lives up to Henry V's legacy.
3 The Other Boleyn Girl
Another film following the Royal Family well before the ones we know and love today, The Other Boleyn Girl centers around Henry VIII and his many wives and mistresses. Henry VIII in particular has come into the media quite a bit recently with the new Broadway musical Six about his six wives. The Other Boleyn Girl was made quite a bit before Six and focuses specifically on Henry VIII's most famous wife Anne and her sister Mary (wonderfully played by Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson respectively) who was once a mistress of Henry VIII. The story follows the sisters and their relationship with each other, as well as how they interact with and love Henry. Similar to The King, Henry VIII and his depressing legacy may not have a large impact on the current Royal Family, but it's a stranger-than-fiction story that's fascinating to watch.
2 The Queen
As we return to the current Royal Family on this list, The Queen with Helen Mirren simply had to be an entry. Mirren plays Queen Elizabeth II (after having played Elizabeth I in the series of the same name) in the most modern moment on this list. The Queen follows Elizabeth II immediately after the death of Princess Diana and the subsequent fallout among the Royal Family. At this time, Elizabeth II felt that her country had turned against her, as she had chosen to grieve privately with her family while the country wanted to see if she was actually grieving and thus make a public display. Mirren gives a strong performance in an emotionally complex film; occurring in 1997, many viewers of the film may have witnessed this tragedy and questioned the Royal Family's subsequent choices. Many fans of the Royal Family also have emotional ties to Princess Diana and thus were against the Royal Family in some way when she passed.
1 The Crown
The Crown is probably the most popular portrayal of the Royal Family on television (as The King's Speech might be in film), but definitely not the most historically accurate. In fact, its lack of sticking to the facts may be a legal problem for the show in the future. Nonetheless, it is a huge success because it portrays the House of Windsor from beginning. Considering the show is still in production and preparing for a new season, it is unknown just how modern the story will go. Thus far it has portrayed Elizabeth II's wedding all the way to Charles and Diana's impending divorce.
The Crown allows viewers to better understand the inner workings of the current royal lineage despite its inaccuracies. The show was not immediately commercially popular, not for any particular reason, but it was a critical hit from its first season. Over time the show has garnered a massive audience that is not so patiently awaiting the fifth season. The show has been able to continuously captivate and grow its audience base, and will most likely do so until its last episode airs. If anything, its success just proves how curious the world is about the British Royal Family.