Prince Philip has been portrayed by a number of actors, including Matt Smith (right, with Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth) in The Crown. Photo: NetflixScript:
Voice 1: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh – who died this month aged 99 – spent most of his life as a companion to his bride, Queen Elizabeth the second. Throughout their 73 years of marriage, the prince was portrayed by a variety of actors in movies and television.
Voice 2: Let’s take a look at a few of the actors who have taken on the memorable role over the years — and one who will play him in the near future.
Voice 1: Stewart Granger, a British actor, who was actually an old friend of Prince Philip, played his royal pal in The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana. The TV movie was released in 1982, a year after Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married.
Voice 2: British actor Christopher Lee, played Prince Philip in another 1982 film, Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story. Lee, who later rose to fame for playing Saruman in the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” movies, and Count Dooku in the “Star Wars”, was even knighted in real life by Prince Charles in 2009.
Voice 1: In the 2006 biopic The Queen, James Cromwell, an American, played Philip opposite Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth. The film depicts the royal family’s response to the death of Princess Diana in 1997.
Voice 2: The prince’s appearance was not just restricted to live action films. In the 2019 animation The Queen’s Corgi, British actor Tom Courtenay provided the voice of the Prince Philip character. In the film, the queen’s favorite corgi, Rex, a gift from Philip, gets lost and sent to the dog pound.
Voice 1: Last but not least, the most recent and high-profile depiction of Prince Philip has been on Netflix’s hit series The Crown, where he was played at various ages by two different British actors, with a third upcoming in the series’ fifth and sixth seasons.
Voice 2: He was played by Matt Smith in the series’ first two seasons, followed by Tobias Menzies in the third and fourth. Jonathan Pryce will take the reins as the prince in the coming fifth and sixth seasons.
Voice 1: Prince Philip was known for his dedication to public service, and for championing many important causes including scientific research, industry, and the environment. His legacy will live on not only through his family and all the charitable endeavors he shaped, but also the films that forever immortalise his down-to-earth nature, straightforward manner and cheeky sense of humour.
Answers:
1. C
2. A
3. D
4. B
5. D
6. B
7. A
8. C
9. C
10. D
11. B
12. B
13. A
14. D
15. C