While not everyone finds the lives of royalty interesting, many others do, as evidenced by the many successful TV shows made in the subgenre. Television shows about royalty and royal families have become very popular in recent years and there are a plethora of ways to go about telling the story.
Some writers attempt to stay true to reality, like The Crown, while others create fictional royal families loosely inspired by their real-life counterparts. There are shows about royals in past lives, and even Disney shows that present royalty in a kid-friendly way. One thing is for certain; the genre isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Updated on November 13th, 2022 by Danielle Bruncati: With the Queen of England's passing, the world's interest in royalty, both real and fictional, seems to be on the uptick yet again. The Crown is headed into its fifth season, House of the Dragon just wrapped its first season, and Netflix's Young Royals gave teen royal fans a second season to remember. The defining feature of all these shows seems to be the high-stakes drama that arises when characters are forced to lead by example. But the best part of all these shows is that no two are alike, even when they're telling the same true-life story of a real-life royal figure.
Catherine The Great (2019) - 6.2
Watch On HBO Max
The third series to be created around the real-life royal, this HBO miniseries explores the rise and all of Catherine the Great and her reign over Russia. The series begins two years after she comes into power and follows her life until her death in 1976.
The four-episode miniseries doesn't leave any details out, exploring Catherine's tumultuous final years in great detail, including her affair with Grigory Potemkin. The series went on to be nominated for several awards, and Helen Miran was nominated for Golden Globe for her portrayal of Catherine.
Elena Of Avalor (2016-2020) - 6.5
Watch On Disney+
Elena of Avalor marked Disney's first-ever Latina princess, though the show was partially criticized for homogenizing Latinx cultures instead of giving Elena a more specific heritage. Still, the series was groundbreaking and ran for three seasons on Disney Channel and several award nominations and wins during that time.
The series centers on teenage Princess Elena, who is set to take the throne and be the sole ruler of Avalor. With the help of her grandparents, she is able to come into her own while still being an ordinary magical teenager.
The Spanish Princess (2019-2020) - 6.9
Watch On Hulu
The Spanish Princess is one of Starz most popular original period drama limited series that premiered in May 2019 and wrapped its =s second and final season in 2020. The series is inspired by two Philippa Gregory novels and the real life of "The Spanish Princess" and it serves as a sequel to two other Starz original miniseries.
The series centers on Princess Catherine of Aragon, Princess of Spain, who was set to marry an English Prince before his untimely death. With the passing of the English Prince, Princess Catherine is in a rare position where she gets to seek out her own prince.
Sofia The First (2012-2018) - 6.9
Watch On Amazon Prime Video
The Walt Disney Company is no stranger to the world of royalty, considering they have an entire Disney Princesses brand. However, Disney never really explored royalty in the television sphere until the Disney Junior show Sofia the First premiered in November 2012.
Sofia the First centers on Sofia, a young girl who becomes a princess overnight after her mother marries a king. As Sofia embarks on this journey of learning how to be a princess, she encounters friends and the most beloved Disney Princesses who help guide her way.
The Windsors (2016-2020) - 7.1
Watch On Netflix
The Windsors is a British sitcom that airs on Channel 4 in England and can also be streamed on Netflix. The series centers on a fictionalized and highly dramatized version of the royal family of Windsor -- aka Queen Elizabeth II's family.
The Windsors has three seasons and also has a Christmas special and a Royal Wedding special. While the show seems to be of interest to audiences, The Windsors is not without criticism, with many criticizing the show's decision to have Kate Middleton's character get ebola.
Reign (2013-2017) - 7.4
Available To Purchase On Amazon Prime Video
While The CW is best known for its melodramatic teen shows and DC superheroes, the broadcast network did create its very own show centered on royalty, Reign.
The drama series centers on the former Queen of Scotland, Mary Stuart, who travels to France in order to get engaged to the French king's son, Prince Francis. Things get complicated when Prince Francis expresses his reservations about marrying Queen Mary, while she finds herself drawn to the Prince's half-brother. Reign was on the air for four seasons and is now available to stream on Netflix.
Bridgerton (2020-) - 7.4
Watch On Netflix
Based on the Julia Quinn novels in the Bridgerton series, Netflix's Bridgerton takes place during the Regency era and follows eight Bridgerton siblings who are looking to find love during the social season.
While Bridgeton doesn't deal with Kings and Queens, it does deal with the other sides of royalty that aren't often explored, like viscounts and viscountesses and ladies and lords. It's also full of romance and drama, certain to entertain anyone who is mildly interested in royalty.
The Royals (2015-2018) - 7.4
Watch On Amazon Prime Video
While the E! Network might be best known for their various reality series, the cable network did venture into the world of scripted television back in 2015 with the premiere of The Royals. The series centered on the fictional English royal family, the Henstridge family, as they navigated their rollercoaster life after a series of tragedies hit the family.
Despite its mediocre ratings, The Royals was beloved by fans who cultivated a cult fandom for the show. The Royals ran for four seasons before it was canceled by E! While the production company who produced the show attempted to save it from cancelation, their efforts were short-lived and the show was officially canceled in September 2018.
The White Princess (2017) - 7.5
Watch On Hulu
The White Princess is the predecessor to The Spanish Princess and the sequel to the Starz original series The White Queen. The series centers on three noblewomen: Princess Elizabeth, Lady Margaret Beaufort, and Dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville, who are each trying their best to control the English throne.
The White Princess began airing on Starz in April 2017 and ran for one eight-episode season, ending its run in June 2017.
Wolf Hall (2015) - 8.1
Watch On Amazon Prime Video
Wolf Hall is a British mini-series adapted from a fictionalized biography about Thomas Cromwell. The eight-episode series chronicles Cromwell's life from a young blacksmith to one of the most powerful men in Henry VIII's court who helps the king get out of his marriage to Anne Boleyn.
The mini-series aired in 2015 on BBC and went on to receive eight Primetime Emmy awards in the United States and even won a Golden Globe for Best Miniseries or Television Film.
The Tudors (2007-2010) - 8.1
Watch On Paramount+
The Tudors is a Showtime original drama that is set in 16th-century England during the early years of King Henry VIII's rule. The series features several prominent characters in history, as well as several of the women in King Henry VIII's life.The Tudors aired simultaneously on Showtime, BBC Two, and CBC Television from April 2007 until June 2010. During its run, it was Showtime's highest-rated original series.
Young Royals (2021-) - 8.3
Watch On Netflix
A Swedish Netflix series, Young Royals follows the young Prince Wilhelm of Sweden who is sent away to boarding school after a series of inappropriate activities. While there, Wilhelm connects with Simon, a scholarship student, and the two start a budding romance that is ruined when someone records them having sex. To make matters worse, Wilhelm's brother dies, making him the next King of Sweden.
Both the first and second seasons explore what royalty is like for a young teen who has no choice in the matter at all. Though, its the second season that really explores this as Wilhelm adjusts to being the Crowned Prince instead of just the Spare.
House Of The Dragon (2022-) - 8.6
Watch On HBO Max
House of the Dragon is the highly anticipated prequel to Game of Thrones. Set 200 years before the events, the series follows the failing region of House Targaryen and the lead-up and cover-up of the civil war of succession.
It's been reported that the premiere was HBO's largest single-day viewership in history, as 9.99 million viewers tuned in to watch. Thus, it seems like fictional royalty is exactly what TV audiences want to watch in today's world.
The Crown (2016-) - 8.7
Watch On Netflix
While The Crown is clearly not the only show to center on the Royal English family it is certainly one of the more popular series. The Netflix original chronicles the life of Elizabeth II as she becomes queen after her father's untimely passing and it also features several prominent figures in her life.
The series is heading into its fifth season which also serves as the penultimate season. The Crown is not only beloved by audiences, but it also has received high critical acclaim, earning 39 Emmy nominations in three seasons.
Game Of Thrones (2011-2019) - 9.2
Watch On HBO Max
Game of Thrones might not be centered on real-life royals, but it does center its drama in the world of royalty. The HBO original series is adapted from George R.R. Martin's best-selling book series A Song of Ice and Fire and centers around a group of families hoping to control the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.
Game of Thrones has had a historic run, spanning eight seasons on the premium cable network. During its run, it was nominated for 59 Primetime Emmy Awards, which was the most ever received by any drama series.