EXCLUSIVE: 'The Crown' Star Claire Foy on Why the Royal Period Drama Is Your New Obsession

Netflix’s The Crown is capturing hearts.

The extravagant period drama charts the life of a young Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy), from her royal wedding to Prince Philip (Matt Smith) in 1947 to her reign as leader of England in the present day -- and people can’t get enough!

In the first episode, The Crown kicks off with Elizabeth’s nuptials to Philip, with whom she began corresponding when she was just 13 years old and he was 18. Though she married Philipas a young heir to the throne, less than five years later, Elizabeth would become queen and the couple’s lives would change forever.

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“The thing that I loved the most about it was the fact that they are genuinely trying to have a relationship and a marriage, and at every turn, they’re thwarted,” Foy, 32, told ET of their early years as a married couple. “It really is a bit of a battleground.”

But The Crown is all about keeping things sexy, too. In the show, Philip -- played by Doctor Who’s Smith -- sleeps in the nude.

“He was not a man who would want to be emasculated,” Foy said.

“No, he wasn’t,” Smith, 34, added, saying that Philip’s “an alpha.”

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When the clothes are on, the fashion is exquisite. Not only were replicas of the queen's gowns created to near-perfect detail, elaborate costumes for more than 7,000 extras were also custom-made.

Though the 10-episode first season premiered on Netflix earlier this month, a second season has already been ordered. There are plans for 60 episodes over six seasons in total, with each chronicling a different decade of Queen Elizabeth’s life.

Production didn’t spare a penny when it came to the jewels. The crown Foy wears in the series “is heavy,” she admitted, sharing a secret behind how they made it work. “It didn’t really fit, so it was a bit wibbity-wobbity.”

“You really do have to hold yourself properly and I did have to practice with it quite a lot,” Foy said.

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For the actors, they’re hoping that the royal family will be receptive to their show.

“I hope they invite us around for dinner,” Smith said, with Foy echoing his sentiments: “That would be nice, wouldn’t it?"

Even so, they were realistic about the chances of the real royals tuning in.

“They probably won’t even watch -- it is the truth,” Smith said, jokingly adding, “If it was me, I would be intrigued to see it because I’m vain and I want to see someone play me.”

“They’ve been there and done that and want to probably get an early night,” Foy agreed.

“Yeah, feed the corgis!” Smith adorably added.


The Crown
is streaming now on Netflix.

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