Monarchs on Screen Rated from Worst to Best

A sharp look at on screen kings and queens, ranking performances and exploring how TV shapes our view of history.

Monarchs on Screen Rated from Worst to Best

The piece surveys a wide range of royal portraits on television, grouping depictions into best and worst and naming actors who shaped the public image of historic figures. It praises Claire Foy for The Crown as Elizabeth II, Damian Lewis for Henry VIII in Wolf Hall, Eddie Marsan as Edward the Confessor in King and Conqueror, Miranda Richardson as Elizabeth I in Blackadder II, and Jared Harris as George VI in The Crown for their memorable presence.
It also flags notable misfires, including Jonathan Rhys Meyers in The Tudors and David Threlfall in Diana: Her True Story, while calling out other earnest attempts like Carolyn Sadowska in The Women of Windsor, Max Irons in The White Queen and Jane Alexander in William & Catherine: A Royal Romance as uneven or showy. The discussion treats tone, casting, and script as decisive factors, not just the crown or costumes.

Across decades, the demand for memorable monarchs on screen reveals changing tastes from reverent biopics to sly satire. Audiences respond to performances that feel human first and historical second, a balance that often hinges on small, quiet choices rather than grand gestures. The Crown’s steady refrain of restraint set a high bar for depicting duty and public life without slipping into pageantry for its own sake.
The piece also raises questions about the role of humor and sensationalism in royal drama. Satire can illuminate power just as effectively as reverence, but miscasting or overblown theatrics risk erasing nuance and shaping memory in ways that history cannot verify. In short, the best portrayals privilege craft over flash and history over hype.

Highlights

The stage always welcomes new interpretations, even as it tests the line between history and storytelling.