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Matt Smithis sharing fond memories with the British royal family and what it meant to him to play the latePrince Philipin the first two seasons ofThe Crown.
“I met a couple [royals],” Smith, 39, said on Thursday’sTODAY. “I met the nowKing Charles, told him that I thought he had fabulous shoes, which he told me he had them for 30 years,” he said. “They were like red brogues, they were beautiful.”
TheHouse of the Dragonactor also shared that when he met Prince Harry at a polo match, the royal shook his hand and said “Grandad.” Smith continued, “I can’t claim to know if he watches it currently, but he watched a bit then.”
As for who else in the family watches the royal family-inspired Netflix show, Smith said he “heard” thatQueen Elizabeth IIwatched it. “She used to watch it on a projector on a Sunday night apparently,” the actor said.
Though Philip might not have been a fan of the show, Smith was undoubtedly a fan of his. “I found him to be a real modernizer, he was really interesting and I kind of fell in love with Philip really,” he said. “He was great and he loved her, he really made her laugh, they were a fabulous couple together.”
Robert Viglasky/Netflix; Hulton Archive/Getty
TODAYco-hostsHoda KotbandSavannah Guthrieasked Smith if he’ll be going to the U.K. soon to participate in theQueen’s funeral processionson Sept. 19.
“My mom’s gonna go, I don’t actually know if I’m gonna go to the procession, but I’d like to watch it,” he said. “I might watch it in my local pub actually with a group of friends.”
“I think it’s a piece of history,” the British actor said, explaining the moment’s significance. “I don’t think we’ll ever have a monarch thatserves for 70 yearsagain. She saw 13 prime ministers come and go,14 presidentsor something like that and I just want to be in London. I want to experience it, I think I want to share in the ceremony of it really.”
Last week after the Queendied,Crowncreator Peter Morgan toldDeadlinethe series wouldpause productionin observance of the monarch’s death.
“The Crownis a love letter to [the Queen] and I’ve nothing to add for now, just silence and respect,” Morgan wrote in a statement.
Director Stephen Daldry previously told Deadline the show had put plans in place early to account for thehistoric monarch’s death.
“None of us know when that time will come but it would be right and proper to show respect to the Queen. It would be a simple tribute and a mark of respect. She’s a global figure and it’s what we should do,” he said after theEmmy-winning Netflix dramamade its debut in 2016.
The sixth and final season of the show — which has chronicled decades of the monarch since a young Princess Elizabeth’sascent to the throneafter her 1947 wedding day to Philip — isnot expected to dramatize present-day events.
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Seasons 1–4 ofThe Crowncan be streamed in full on Netflix.
source: people.com
