The 9 best TV dramas about the British royal family, ranked according to critics

Keyaira BooneJul 3, 2022, 17:32 IST

Claire Foy in "The Crown."Netflix

The British royal family fascinates viewers on both sides of the pond.
Insider has ranked the top nine TV series covering the lives of the royals, according to critic reviews.

"Wolf Hall" is the best-reviewed royal drama. It appeared on Masterpiece theater in six parts in 2015.

Mark Rylance played the controversial royal advisor.Photo Credit: PBS Masterpiece Theater

"The Crown" premiered on Netflix in 2016. It is the second-best royal drama, according to critics.

Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix's "The Crown."Netflix

"Victoria" is the third-best royal drama, according to critics. It premiered in 2016 on ITV in the UK and the following year on PBS in the US.

Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes play the royal couple famous for being an unexpected love match.Photo Credit: PBS

The CW show "Reign" is the next best-rated royal drama. It aired in 2013 and focused on the life (and later death) of Mary Queen of Scots. Some critics found it frivolous and offensive, but others defended its frothy appeal and fun costumes.

The fictional Mary suffers the same dismal fate as the real-life queen.Photo Credit: The CW

The CW show "Reign" is the next best-rated royal drama. It aired in 2013 and focused on the life (and later death) of Mary Queen of Scots. Some critics found it frivolous and offensive, but others defended its frothy appeal and fun costumes.

"Becoming Elizabeth," which premiered on Starz in June 2022, is another top-rated royal drama.

This series shows how the future queen managed to avoid execution and made her way to the throne.Photo Credit: Starz

The Starz series "The White Queen" starts in 1464 during the treacherous War of the Roses. It is the sixth-rated royal drama. It was adapted from the novel of the same title by Philippa Gregory and aired in 2013.

Rebecca Ferguson plays Elizabeth Woodville, the controversial White Queen.Photo Credit: Starz

The Starz series "The White Queen" starts in 1464 during the treacherous War of the Roses. It is the sixth-rated royal drama. It was adapted from the novel of the same title by Philippa Gregory and aired in 2013.

"The White Princess," which aired in 2017, is an adaptation of another of Philippa Gregory's works. It is ranked seventh by critics.

This series shows the War of the Roses from the perspective of the women traded (and later forced to testify) to strengthen alliances.Photo Credit: Starz

Ranked eighth by critics is "The Spanish Princess." Like its predecessor on Starz, it focused heavily on the perspective of women. It premiered in 2019.

Catherine arrives in England to marry Prince Arthur, but his death forces her to wed his younger brother instead.Photo Credit: Starz

In ninth place is "The Tudors," a sexed-up high-stakes romp on Showtime that was met with mixed reviews. It premiered in 2007.

Natalie Dormer and Jonathan Rhys Meyers played the ill-fated queen and king in this series.Showtime

The best and worst storylines on season one of 'The Kardashians'

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

The 9 best TV dramas about the British royal family, ranked according to critics

"Wolf Hall" is the best-reviewed royal drama. It appeared on Masterpiece theater in six parts in 2015.

"The Crown" premiered on Netflix in 2016. It is the second-best royal drama, according to critics.

"Victoria" is the third-best royal drama, according to critics. It premiered in 2016 on ITV in the UK and the following year on PBS in the US.

The CW show "Reign" is the next best-rated royal drama. It aired in 2013 and focused on the life (and later death) of Mary Queen of Scots. Some critics found it frivolous and offensive, but others defended its frothy appeal and fun costumes.

"Becoming Elizabeth," which premiered on Starz in June 2022, is another top-rated royal drama.

The Starz series "The White Queen" starts in 1464 during the treacherous War of the Roses. It is the sixth-rated royal drama. It was adapted from the novel of the same title by Philippa Gregory and aired in 2013.

"The White Princess," which aired in 2017, is an adaptation of another of Philippa Gregory's works. It is ranked seventh by critics.

Ranked eighth by critics is "The Spanish Princess." Like its predecessor on Starz, it focused heavily on the perspective of women. It premiered in 2019.

In ninth place is "The Tudors," a sexed-up high-stakes romp on Showtime that was met with mixed reviews. It premiered in 2007.