Actors and actresses who have portrayed royalty in film and TV

The world is fascinated by the royal family, so it seems hardly surprising that their stories, and the tales of their predecessors, have been told time and time again on film and television. Whether through award-winning shows like The Crown, or films that chronicle one particular event like The Queen, interest in the monarchy is certainly shared by some of the best and brightest in Hollywood, who have taken on the challenge of portraying these iconic roles. Click through our gallery to see which stars played members of the royal family - some may surprise you!

Claire Foy – The Queen

Claire Foy played the Queen for the first two seasons of the critically acclaimed Netflix show The Crown, where she portrayed her Majesty as she ascends to the throne following the death of her father, King George VI, and struggles with her marriage to Prince Philip in the wake of her new role.

Speaking about the show, Claire told Town and Country magazine: "I would hate the idea of her watching it. When you're playing a real person, you never want to be ghoulish. I don't want to pick apart a person. I want to invent someone. So I would hate for her to watch it and think I overdramatised anything."

Burgess Abernathy, Prince William, Laura Mitchell, Kate Middleton, Preston Karwat, Prince George and Briella Weintraub, Princess Charlotte

Lifetime released the images of the actors who will play the Cambridges in the upcoming film, Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance. The movie will focus on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's whirlwind romance, but will feature various members of the royal family.

Colin Firth – King George VI

King George VI was the monarch during WWII, having taken over the role from his brother who abdicated to marry Wallace Simpson. Not only was he beloved by the public, he also overcame a severe stutter with the help of a speech therapist, and Colin's performance as the determined King in The King's Speech won him an Oscar.

Emily Blunt – Queen Victoria

Emily played a sprite Queen Victoria in The Young Victoria, which chronicled her ascension to the throne and falling in love with her husband, Prince Albert.

This isn't the first time that the Devil Wears Prada star has played a royal, as she also played Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife, in the 2003 TV series, Henry VIII.

Helena Bonham Carter – The Queen Mother

Helena played King George VI's wife and the Queen's mother, Queen Elizabeth, perfectly in The King's Speech. As a concerned wife who supports her husband when he is thrust into the pressure of becoming a King after his brother abdicates, Queen Elizabeth is instrumental to finding him the help he needs with his famous stutter, while supporting him all of the way.

Helen Mirren – The Queen

Perhaps known as "the queen" of playing the queen, Helen Mirren has stepped into royal shoes many a time. Notably, she played the Queen at a time of crisis for the royal family following the death of the beloved Princess of Wales, Diana. With the popularity for the monarchy at an all-time low, Helen acted in The Queen as she attempted to navigate rocky political waters while dealing with her family's grief.

Recently, Helen took to the West End and Broadway to play Elizabeth in the acclaimed show The Audience, which won her a TONY award.

Dame Judi Dench – Queen Victoria

Dame Judi has played Queen Victoria twice; once in a film that looked at her relationship with John Brown, and most recently in Victoria and Abdul, which fcused on her close friendship with her Indian 'Munshi', Abdul. Speaking to the New York Post about playing the role for a second time, Dame Judi said: "I hadn't known about this part of her life. John Brown had died. She was lonely and the general business of being in her 80s was very, very hard for her."

Matt Smith – Prince Philip

The former Doctor Who star took on Prince Philip, and nailed his unique sense of humor. Speaking about playing the Prince for Netflix's The Crown, Matt told Esquire: "He gave up everything, literally everything, that made him a man. He had such a wonderful naval career, and for that to be taken away from him, and then to have to walk two steps behind his wife in public for the whole of his life- but he has a lion's pride about him, so there were a lot of very interesting conflicts to play."

Naomi Watts – Princess Diana

Naomi took on the people's princess in the biopic titled Diana, and opened up about why she wanted to initially make the film. She said: "I didn't know anything about this love story. I was living in Australia and then America at the time and wasn't avidly following stories about Princess Diana so this was news to me. I was intrigued by the idea of taking on this massively, globally known woman, but terrified at the same time because people's level of interest is going to be much higher than usual. I feel like I am always looking to take risks and move out of my comfort zone, so this was… that!"

Jenna Coleman – Queen Victoria

The Doctor Who actress made a new for herself by playing Queen Victoria in the ITV show, Victoria. Speaking about getting into the role, she told Harper's Bazaar:

"I think, like most people, it was of the black, stern photographs we see of her. I knew she was known for being a passionate young queen and spirited, but I didn't really know her character at all. I was really surprised and I think I keep on being surprised, actually, the more I learn about her."

Photo: ITV

Vanessa Kirby – Princess Margaret

Princess Margaret's struggle with being a modern woman and part of a monarchy steeped in tradition is portrayed perfectly by Vanessa Kirby in The Crown. Her role chronicles her doomed relationship with the divorced Group Captain Peter Townsend, before eventually wedding the unconventional photographer, Antony Armstrong-Jones. Vanessa's performance was praised by audiences, many of whom could relate to the young, bored Princess.