After Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey sent shockwaves down the spines of viewers all over the world, many have even more questions than before about what goes on behind closed palace doors. What better way to learn than through movies about the monarchy? From Lifetime’s made-for-TV flicks chronicling the Cambridges and Sussexes’ royal romances to Oscar-nominated films like The Queen and The King’s Speech, here are 30 royal movies enthusiasts should add to their watch lists!
The 30 best royal movies
1. William & Kate (2011)
In case the title didn’t give it away, this Lifetime movie is all about Prince William and Kate Middleton. The film tells the story of how the future Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s friendship at university evolved into a royal romance leading up to their 2010 engagement.
2. Harry and Meghan: A Royal Romance (2018)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s love story also got the Lifetime movie treatment ahead of their royal wedding. Not that Lifetime could have known what the future had in store for the Sussexes, but Harry declares in the film, “She makes me happy, so to hell with tradition.”
3. Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal (2019)
Meghan and Harry’s story as newlyweds continued in this sequel, which pulled “back the curtain to reveal the untold joys and challenges of life inside the Royal Family during their pivotal first year of marriage.”
4. Diana (2013)
Naomi Watts played Princess Diana in the drama that explored the Princess of Wales relationship with Pakistani surgeon Hasnat Khan.
5. Elizabeth at 90: A Family Tribute (2016)
To commemorate Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday, a documentary narrated by Prince Charles was released featuring personal home movies and interviews with royal family members, including Prince William, Prince Harry and Princess Anne.
6. The Queen (2006)
Helen Mirren earned an Academy Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in the drama that showed how the royals reacted to the death of Princess Diana.
7. The King’s Speech (2010)
Based on a true story, this Oscar-winning picture is about Queen Elizabeth II’s father King George VI, who became king after his brother’s abdication and worked with a speech therapist to overcome his stutter.
8. Diana: In Her Own Words (2017)
Listen to the Princess of Wales tell her story through recorded interviews, which according to the documentary were recorded by a close friend of Diana’s on behalf of Andrew Morton, who wrote a book about the princess’ life.
9. Downton Abbey (2019)
From TV to the big screen! The Crawleys and their staff are back preparing for a royal visit from the king and queen of England, which unleashes “scandal, romance and intrigue that will leave the future of Downton hanging in the balance.”
10. The Little Mermaid (1989)
You might be wondering why this animated classic makes the list? Aside from Ariel being the daughter of King Triton, one royal, Meghan Markle, felt a kinship with the Disney princess. “I was sitting in Nottingham Cottage and The Little Mermaid came on,” the Duchess of Sussex told Oprah Winfrey during their 2021 interview. “And who as an adult really watches The Little Mermaid? But it came on and I was like, ‘Well I’m here all the time I might as well watch this,’ and I went, ‘Oh my God she falls in love with the prince and because of that she loses her voice.’”
11. Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy (2017)
To mark the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death, her sons Prince William and Prince Harry opened up about their mother in the documentary, which celebrates the life and work of the late Princess of Wales. In it, Harry says, “This is the first time that the two of us have ever spoken about her as a mother.”
12. Grace of Monaco (2014)
Meghan Markle isn’t the only American actress who married into a royal family. Grace Kelly left Hollywood to marry Monaco’s Prince Rainier III in 1956. In the film, Oscar winner Nicole Kidman transformed into the Princess of Monaco, who misses her life. She confesses, “I don’t know how I’m going to spend the rest of my life in this place where I can’t be me.”
13. Roman Holiday (1953)
After becoming overwhelmed with her schedule, Princess Ann, played by Audrey Hepburn, runs away. Ann, who conceals her identity, decides to play hooky from her royal duties, and instead, enjoys a holiday in Rome with a reporter (Gregory Peck) doing things she’s always wanted to do.
14. The Last 100 Days of Diana (2017)
Hosted by Martin Bashir, the documentary retraces the Princess of Wales’ first and last summer as a single woman before her tragic 1997 death.
15. Coming to America (1988)
To avoid an arranged marriage, Crown Prince Akeem Joffer of Zamunda (Eddie Murphy) decides to go to America to find a woman who arouses his intellect as well as his loins.
16. The Prince and Me (2004)
Paige Morgan (Julia Stiles) is a pre-med student who has her life mapped out. She ends up falling for Eddie, whom she learns is actually Prince Edward of Denmark. “Being royal is not like being famous or being rich,” Eddie’s mom, the Queen, tells Paige. “It is something much, much more. It is a way of being that can only be learned from birth. It is an embodiment which requires you to sacrifice who you are for who you must be.” But, is she willing to sacrifice being Paige Morgan from Manitowoc, Wisconsin for her prince?
17. ThePrincess Diaries (2001)
This movie depicts more of what royal life isn’t like. Meghan Markle told Winfrey that “unlike what you see in the movies, there’s no class on how to speak, how to cross your legs, how to be royal. There’s none of that training. That might exist for other members of the family. That was not something that was offered to me.” In The Princess Diaries, American teen Mia Thermopolis on the other hand attended princess lessons after learning that she is the princess of Genovia.
18. The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
Out of college and living in Genovia, Princess Mia is informed that she cannot become queen unless she gets married in 30 days. Although, Prince William is “not eligible,” Mia sets out to make sure her family doesn’t lose their claim to the throne.
19. W.E. (2011)
Like Meghan Markle, Wallis Simpson was an American divorcée who married into the British royal family. King Edward VIII abdicated the throne for Wallis. In this Madonna-directed film, a woman named Wally Winthrop feels it’s important to share the couple’s love story from Wallis’ point of view.
20. The Young Victoria (2009)
Emily Blunt stars as young Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth’s great-great-grandmother. She became heir to the throne after her father’s death because her three uncles who were ahead of her in the line of succession had no surviving legitimate children.
21. Cinderella (2015)
Cinderella came to life in the 2015 live-action movie, which isn’t exactly like the 1950 film. Unlike the animated classic, Ella (Lily James) unknowingly met her prince charming “Kit” before the ball while he was out hunting. While you can guess how the story goes, we particularly love the pair’s first encounter in the movie because it’s when Ella delivers this memorable line to the prince: “Just because it’s what’s done, doesn’t mean it’s what should be done.”
22. Marie Antoinette (2006)
Kirsten Dunst plays Marie Antoinette, who became the queen of France at 19…and lost her head during the French Revolution.
23. Royal Hearts (2018)
Hallmark Channel introduced viewers to a new royal family from Montana. Hopeless romantic Kelly’s father Hank (James Brolin) inherits an estate and becomes the king of Morania!
24. The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
Talk about royal family drama. King Henry VIII needed an heir, which is where Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman) came in, but the king falls in love with her sister Mary (Scarlett Johansson), the other Boleyn girl.
25. Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
Royal rivalry! Saoirse Ronan is Mary Stuart a.k.a Mary, Queen of Scots. She returns to Scotland to reclaim her throne, which is under the rule of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie).
26. The Favourite (2018)
The Crown star Olivia Colman won an Academy Award in 2019 for her role as Queen Anne in TheFavourite. The Oscar-nominated movie also stars Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone.
27. The Lion King (2019)
In the words of Mufasa, “There’s more to being king than getting your way all the time.” The Disney flick about a lion cub named Simba who grew up to become king was once a favorite of future king Prince George. “He quite likes The Lion King,” Prince William revealed in 2017. “We’ve watched that a few times.”
28. Diana, 7 Days That Shook The World (2017)
The documentary takes a look at the week after Princess Diana’s 1997 death. Recalling walking behind his mother’s coffin in the documentary, Prince William admits, “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, that walk. I felt like she was almost walking along beside us to get us through it.”
29. Cinderella (1997)
Brandy became the first Black actress to play the beloved princess in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. “I think that I was so just blessed and humbled to be chosen to be that vessel, to be the young girl that other black girls could see,” she told PEOPLE in 2021. “And just girls in general, just to see that this is possible. And I was just so happy to be that person.”
30. Ever After (1988)
Grande Dame sets the record straight on the story of “The Little Cinder Girl” about Danielle de Barbarac (Drew Barrymore), who found happily ever after with Prince Henry of France. Grande Dame says, “While Cinderella and her Prince did live happily ever after, the point gentlemen, is that they lived.” Next, 53 of the best vintage photos of Queen Elizabeth through the years!
