The British royals are one of the most revered and mysterious families in history, which is why it’s always so exciting to get a glimpse of what goes on behind castle walls in a new movie, documentary or drama series. But with such massive shoes to fill, it can be hard for actors to really nail a royal performance.
For instance, royal fanatics were excited to hear about the new Princess Diana flick that’s currently in the works. But most were confused by the announcement that American actress Kristen Stewart, best known from her performance in teen-vampire romance Twilight and the Charlie’s Angels reboot, would be taking on the role of the ‘People’s Princess’, according to Deadline.
However, Stewart might not even be the weirdest choice to portray royalty. So, in case you forgotten, here are some of the best – and worst – on-screen royal portrayals!
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Dame Helen Mirren is definitely royalty in the acting world so who better to play not one, not two, but three historic queens on three separate occasions. In 1994 she played Queen Charlotte in The Madness of King George, followed by her Oscar-winning performance as Queen Elizabeth in The Queen in 2007 . And most recently she played Russian empress Catherine the Great in the new HBO miniseries simply titled Catherine the Great.
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Despite looking fairly similar and being the highest profile biopic of Diana to this day, Aussie actress, Naomi Watts’ performance as Princess Diana in the 2013 film Diana was poorly received by critics and the public. The film focused mostly on Diana’s love affair with heart surgeon Dr Hasnat Khan and the last two years of her life.
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In 2010, Colin Firth starred in the critically-acclaimed film The King’s Speech. Firth’s incredible performance included adopting King George’s stutter while also encompassing his strength and determination as the monarch during WWII.
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Helena Bonham Carter is no stranger to playing royals as her roles as King George’s wife Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, in The Kings Speech and Anne Boleyn in Henry VIII have proven, but it’s her stunning performance as Princess Margaret in the television hit The Crown which really showed off her acting chops.
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Dame Judi Dench is yet another royal in the acting world, which is why her performances of famous monarchs never go unnoticed. However, it was her work as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare In Love that garnered the most attention thanks to her seamless performance which (rightly) earned her an Oscar in the end.
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Although this Australian action star isn’t the first person you’d think of when casting a royal drama, his portrayal as the infamous King Henry VIII fit the bill quite well. The Other Boleyn Girl was a success with critics and still stands as one of best takes on this period in royalty.