While the Royal Family might seem to provide the royal drama in the headlines, nothing quite compares to the world’s most iconic period dramas. Below, we roundup the most-watched and (in our opinion) best royal dramas to ever grace our screens.
The King’s Speech
This Oscar winner is a classic featuring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. Plus Colin Firth’s potty-mouthed King George is a welcomed departure from the buttoned-up royalty we’re used to seeing.
The Young Victoria
Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend star in this biopic of Queen Victoria, showing the early years of her lengthy 63 year reign.
A Royal Affair
Starring Alicia Vikander and Mads Mikkelsen, this film is set in Denmark in the 18th century and is based on the affair between King Christian VII of Denmark’s wife, Carolina Matilda of Great Britain and the royal physician Johann Freidrich Struensee.
Marie Antoinette
Sofia Coppola’s biopic of the infamous French Queen is more of a modern-day coming of age movie with a solid rock and roll soundtrack that features 80’s classics like Adam & The Ants, Siouxie and the Banshees and Bow Wow Wow.
The Princess Bride
This classic is everyone’s favourite childhood movie and a must-watch, plus Princess Buttercup is probably the most badass princess ever. “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
The Queen
Helen Mirren’s Oscar-award winning performance as Queen Elizabeth II follows the aftermath of the tragic death of Princess Diana.
The Other Boleyn Girl
Based on the book of the same name by Phillipa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl is a fictional story about King Henry VIII’s one-time mistress Jane Boleyn. Jane is sister to Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife and mother to Queen Elizabeth I.
Elizabeth & Elizabeth The Golden Age
The first instalment of this Cate Blanchett led biopic series, Elizabeth, follows the young queen and her rocky ascension to the throne. The sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, shows the queen’s reign is threatened by the plots of King Phillip of Spain and her cousin Queen Mary of Scots.
Roman Holiday
This charming film starred Gregory Peck and was Audrey Hepburn’s first movie role. The icon played a runaway princess who meets an American reporter (Peck) and together they go on wild adventures through Rome.
A Little Chaos
This sweet film was directed by and stars the late Alan Rickman, and follows the fictional story of gardener Sabine de Barra (Kate Winslet), who is hired by Andre Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts) to help him in the design and construction of the gardens of Versailles for King Louis XIV.
The King And I
Though at times a little tone deaf (Yul Brynner as the King of Siam?), The King And I, is one of those classic, campy, old Hollywood musicals that just feels good.
Victoria & Abdul
Based on the book by the same, written by Lee Hall, this film follows the real-life friendship of Queen Victoria (Dame Judi Dench) and an Indian Muslim servant called Abdul Karim.
Cleopatra
Notoriously known as the film that almost bankrupted 20th Century-Fox, Cleopatra, is Elizabeth Taylor’s most iconic role. This movie is a Hollywood classic and a must watch.
Farewell, My Queen
This French film stars Diane Krueger as Marie Antoinette and her relationship with her reader, a young servant girl played by Lea Seydoux, on the eve of the French revolution.
The Duchess
Although technically this film is about a member of the aristocracy and not the royal family we still had to mention this one. The Duchess is about the life of Geogiana Cavendish (Keira Knightley) following her marriage to William Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes), and the drama that ensues thereafter.
