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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Both Admit to Having Watched The Crown

It would certainly be a strange experience to watch your family's most private moments chronicled (and sometimes fictionalized) in an extremely popular Netflix series. But we don't blame the royals for being at least a little curious about The Crown. Here's who all in the family is rumored to have watched the series (and who most definitely hasn't).

Camilla

Prior to the debut of The Crown's third season, Camilla's nephew Ben Elliot told Vanity Fair that his aunt enjoys the series, but that she “wasn’t looking forward to the bits to come,” presumably, her extramarital affair with Prince Charles

Photo credit: Getty / Netflix
Photo credit: Getty / Netflix

Arthur Chatto, Princess Margaret's Grandson

Queen Elizabeth's nephew, Arthur Chatto, told the Telegraph that he does watch the show, but doesn't let its storylines influence his perspective on his family members.

“Yes, I have watched it,” he said, “I guess it’s only an interpretation. So I just kind of remember what they’re actually like and don’t let the TV persona mar my judgment of any of them.”

Princess Eugenie

Princess Eugenie has also publicly admitted that she's a fan of the series. "I did watch a couple of episodes of The Crown. It is filmed beautifully. The music is wonderful, the story is beautiful," she told the Daily Mail. You feel very proud to watch it. I can't speak for everyone but that's how I felt when I watched it."

The Queen

Queen Elizabeth is the current wearer of the show's titular crown, but it's unclear if she's watched the show that centers around her reign. But Vanessa Kirby, who played Princess Margaret in the first two seasons, heard the British monarch might be a fan from a friend.

"A friend of mine was at a party and didn’t know anyone, so he sidled up to this group who were talking about The Crown," Kirby told Harper's Bazaar. "One girl said, 'Well, my granny watches it and really likes it.' It slowly dawned on him that the girl was Eugenie and her granny was the Queen." That said, Buckingham Palace has not confirmed the Queen's viewing habits.

Photo credit: Des Willie
Photo credit: Des Willie

Harry and Meghan

The Sussexes have long been rumored to watch the series. In her biography Harry: Life, Loss, and Love, author Katie Nicholl alleges that Prince Harry and his then-fiancée Meghan Markle both loved to watch The Crown.

"An accomplished cook, Meghan loved to make extravagant dinners for Harry, and they enjoyed staying in and eating her delicious homemade meals and watching films and TV shows like The Crown on Netflix," Nicholl wrote.

During their sit down interview with Oprah Winfrey, both Harry and Meghan admitted to having seen some of the series (though they didn't discuss specific plot points).

Princess Anne

In a documentary made to mark her 70th birthday, the Princess Royal admitted to having watched at least some of the Netflix series, describing it a "quite interesting," but she isn't an avid viewer.

Prince Philip

There's at least one royal who almost certainly doesn't watch the program: Prince Philip. Like his co-star Vanessa Kirby, Matt Smith, who played the Queen's consort in seasons one and two, learned of the royal's viewing habits second hand.

"A friend had dinner next to [Prince Philip] and asked him if he'd watched The Crown," Smith told the Mirror in 2018. "He turned around to him and went, 'Don't be ridiculous.'"

Sarah Ferguson

Prince Andrew's ex-wife only had good things to say about the show when asked, and had particular praise for her wedding being included in season four. “I thought it was filmed beautifully. The cinematography was excellent,” Ferguson told Us Weekly. “I loved the way they put my wedding in as well.”

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