The Greatest TV Shows About Kings & Queens

Stories about monarchs span fact and fantasy, which lets television cover everything from statecraft to succession. These series follow rulers at home and at war, show how courts function, and track family alliances that shape entire realms. They come from broadcasters and streamers across the world and use both ongoing formats and limited runs.

Production teams build large ensembles, detailed sets, and extensive costumes to bring palaces and battlefields to life. Many of these shows film in historic locations and rely on research and consultation with subject experts. The result is a wide survey of royal life that ranges from medieval Europe to modern interpretations of monarchy.

‘The Crown’ (2016–2023)

This Netflix drama created by Peter Morgan charts the reign of Queen Elizabeth II from early marriage through later decades, covering state visits, constitutional crises, and family milestones. The series uses a changing cast to match different life stages, with Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton portraying the queen, and features depictions of prime ministers including Harold Wilson and Margaret Thatcher.

It blends private scenes with recreations of public events that include national tragedies and royal tours. Production relies on extensive costume work, large scale set builds that mirror Buckingham Palace and Downing Street, and storylines that follow cabinet politics alongside the personal lives of senior royals.

‘Game of Thrones’ (2011–2019)

HBO adapted George R. R. Martin’s fantasy saga into a political drama about competing houses that claim crowns in the Seven Kingdoms. The show presents hereditary claims, marriages for alliance, and councils that determine the fate of thrones, and it uses a rotating set of rulers to show how succession can fracture a realm.

Filming took place across multiple countries, which provided distinct looks for regions such as the North and Dorne. The production combined practical sets with visual effects for dragons and large battles, and it tracks how warfare, religion, and law shape royal power while also documenting the duties of queens and kings in crisis.

‘House of the Dragon’ (2022)

This prequel follows the Targaryen dynasty as a family dispute escalates into a civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. The series focuses on succession planning, the role of the small council, and the pressure placed on heirs named by royal decree, with a central conflict between Princess Rhaenyra and Queen Alicent.

HBO bases the narrative on the chronicle Fire and Blood and builds out dragon lore with extensive effects and stunt work. Cast members portray multiple life stages through time jumps, and the production features armor and heraldry that reflect rival factions, along with court scenes that frame law, ceremony, and oaths.

‘The Tudors’ (2007–2010)

Showtime’s drama from creator Michael Hirst centers on King Henry VIII and documents his marriages, relations with European powers, and the English Reformation. The series presents council negotiations, papal diplomacy, and the rise and fall of courtiers including Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell.

It films primarily in Ireland with studios and estates standing in for royal palaces, and it uses detailed costume design to show rank and favor at court. The show maps how policy, succession concerns, and international alliances shift as Henry seeks a male heir and reorders church authority within the kingdom.

‘Victoria’ (2016–2019)

This ITV and PBS Masterpiece series created by Daisy Goodwin follows Queen Victoria from her accession through early motherhood and partnership with Prince Albert. Episodes show cabinet briefings, weekly audiences with prime ministers, and the constraints placed on a young sovereign within palace protocol.

The production films in British stately homes that substitute for royal residences and uses original music and period dress to convey public ceremony. Storylines cover technological projects championed by Albert and the political dynamics with Lord Melbourne and Robert Peel, along with the balance between royal duty and family life.

‘Reign’ (2013–2017)

The CW’s historical drama presents Mary, Queen of Scots at the French court, where engagements, treaties, and religious tension shape her position. The show profiles Mary’s alliance with Francis, the influence of Catherine de Medici, and the power of noble families that vie for access to the crown.

Filming takes place in Canada with European exteriors used for atmosphere, and the series uses a mix of court events and countryside plots to track threats to the throne. Music choices and costume styling help define factions and social ranks while the scripts outline how royal marriages and regencies affect governance.

‘The White Queen’ (2013)

A coproduction from BBC and Starz, this miniseries adapts novels by Philippa Gregory to cover the Wars of the Roses through the perspectives of Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort, and Anne Neville. It shows how marriage alliances, heirs, and claims through different branches of the royal house determine who wears the crown.

The production uses locations in Belgium to recreate English settings and includes large ensemble scenes for coronations and councils. Follow up series continue the story through ‘The White Princess’ and ‘The Spanish Princess’, which extend the line toward the early Tudor era and maintain the focus on succession and legitimacy.

‘Versailles’ (2015–2018)

This French series created by Simon Mirren and David Wolstencroft follows King Louis XIV as he consolidates power and relocates the court to a former hunting lodge that becomes the Palace of Versailles. Episodes detail tax policy, military campaigns, and the use of ceremony to control nobles through proximity to the monarch.

Filming combines French locations with studio work to show apartments, gardens, and the Hall of Mirrors. The show pays close attention to etiquette, wardrobe, and building projects, and it traces diplomatic initiatives with neighboring states while exploring how the king manages family relations and rivalries within the court.

‘Catherine the Great’ (2019)

HBO and Sky Atlantic present this limited series starring Helen Mirren as Empress Catherine during the later years of her rule. The narrative covers administrative reforms, the role of the Imperial Guard, and the partnership between Catherine and Grigory Potemkin in governing a vast empire.

Production uses Eastern European locations for palaces and military settings and features extensive costume work that reflects rank and regiment. The series depicts treaties, expansion, and court intrigue, and it illustrates how correspondence, portraits, and public ceremonies reinforce royal authority across distant provinces.

‘The Hollow Crown’ (2012–2016)

This BBC project adapts Shakespeare’s history plays on English kings, beginning with ‘Richard II’ and continuing through ‘Henry IV’ and ‘Henry V’, then concluding with ‘The Wars of the Roses’. The format presents abdication, rebellion, and conquest as linked episodes that show how personal decisions of rulers affect national order.

The production uses a repertory approach with recurring actors and locations that evoke medieval councils and battlefields. Cinematography highlights ritual objects such as crowns and scepters in scenes of homage and deposition, and the scripts retain original verse while offering clear staging for key moments of royal transition.

‘The Last Kingdom’ (2015–2022)

Based on Bernard Cornwell’s novels, this series follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg as he serves and challenges kings during the formation of a unified England. It shows Alfred the Great and his successors directing strategy, building fortified towns, and negotiating with rival rulers across shifting borders.

Filming in Central Europe provides space for large field battles and fortified sets. The show emphasizes law codes, oaths, and land grants as tools of rule, along with church influence on policy. Its focus on royal councils and succession disputes demonstrates how titles and charters create and protect authority.

‘The Royals’ (2015–2018)

E presented a contemporary drama about a fictional British royal family led by Queen Helena, with plots that cover media management, security, and parliamentary relations. Storylines include questions about inheritance, constitutional roles, and the pressures placed on heirs in a modern celebrity environment.

The series films in the United Kingdom with sets that stand in for palaces and private clubs. It shows state occasions, charity work, and public engagements alongside internal rules about titles and precedence, and it examines how staff roles such as private secretaries and press officers support the institution.

‘Wolf Hall’ (2015)

This BBC and PBS Masterpiece adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s novels follows Thomas Cromwell as he serves King Henry VIII through legal reforms and diplomatic maneuvers. The series portrays the management of parliament, the creation of new offices, and the use of statutes to alter the relationship between crown and church.

Filmed in historic houses across England, it relies on candlelit interiors and period costume to present council chambers and ambassadorial meetings. The show details how appointments, patronage, and written warrants execute royal policy, while tracking the stakes for nobles and clerics who stand close to the king.

‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ (2023)

This Netflix limited series from Shondaland expands the ‘Bridgerton’ world by focusing on a young Queen Charlotte and her arranged marriage to King George III. It follows the establishment of a new household, the appointment of attendants, and the creation of patronage networks that secure influence.

Production continues the franchise’s period look with elaborate gowns and court rituals and films in British locations that provide ballrooms and gardens. The story connects to ‘Bridgerton’ by showing the origin of key families and the social framework that governs titles, debut seasons, and public presentation at court.

‘The King: Eternal Monarch’ (2020)

This South Korean series from writer Kim Eun sook presents an emperor who crosses between parallel worlds to stop a treason plot. The show features royal protocol, bodyguard teams, and constitutional differences between realms that affect succession and law.

Filmed across South Korea, it uses modern palaces, coastal landscapes, and urban settings to present a contemporary monarchy. The production combines romance and political investigation, and it tracks how security services, scientific advisors, and public messaging support an imperial institution in an alternate timeline.

‘The White Princess’ (2017)

This limited series from Starz continues the story begun in ‘The White Queen’ by focusing on Elizabeth of York and the early Tudor court. It portrays dynastic reconciliation through marriage, negotiations with rival claimants, and the uses of ceremony and imagery to stabilize a new royal house.

The production features interiors that reflect the transition from conflict to consolidation and uses councils, embassies, and royal progresses to show how a regime builds legitimacy. It connects threads from earlier installments and provides a bridge to ‘The Spanish Princess’, which follows the next generation of queens.

Share your favorite royal series and the ones you think deserve a place in this lineup in the comments.