10 Hidden Gem Royal Dramas to Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, and More This Summer
Looking for relief from the sweltering heat? The hottest months of the year are the perfect time to retreat indoors and tackle your to-watch list. And if you’re a fan of sweeping royal dramas and court intrigue, we’ve got you covered. Chances are, you’ve already binged fan-favorite shows like The Crown, The Tudors, and Queen Charlotte. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to royal stories on the screen. Beyond the most popular hits lies a treasure trove of compelling stories that deserve a spot on your watchlist.
From heartbreaking hidden histories to modern teenage princes, here are 10 hidden-gem royal dramas on Netflix, Prime Video, and other streaming services that you need to queue up next.
‘Victoria’
The canceled-too-soon British drama Victoria stars Jenna Coleman and follows the early reign of Queen Victoria, tracking her sudden ascension at age 18 and her close relationship with her advisor, Lord Melbourne (Rufus Sewell), as well as her passionate, complex marriage to Prince Albert (Tom Hughes). This one is pure comfort viewing for period drama lovers.
Victoria is streaming on Netflix, PBS Passport, and the PBS Masterpiece channel on Prime Video.
‘Young Royals’
Not all royal dramas involves corsets and hoop skirts. For a modern twist, check out the Swedish YA series Young Royals. This Netflix hit follows fictional Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) as he adjusts to life at a prestigious boarding school after a public scandal. When he unexpectedly falls in love with a fellow student, Simon (Omar Rudberg), he faces a heartbreaking choice between his duty to the crown and his true self.
Young Royals is streaming on Netflix.
‘The King’s Affection’
Fans of historical K-dramas may have already binged The King’s Affection, but if you’re unfamiliar with the genre (known as sageuks), let this be your starting point. When the crown prince (Park Eun-bin) is assassinated, his secret twin sister (Choi Myung-bin) must step into his shoes to take the throne. The series balances tight political tightropes with a sweeping, forbidden romance that will keep you hooked.
The King’s Affection is streaming on Netflix.
‘Versailles’
If you want your royal drama packed with depravity, betrayal, and absolute power, this is it. Set in 1667, Versailles follows a young King Louis XIV (George Blagden) as he builds the most luxurious–and iconic–palace in the world to trap the French nobility and assert total control over their lives. It’s over-the-top and wonderfully ruthless.
Versailles is streaming on Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, and Tubi.
‘A Royal Affair’
This sumptuous and romantic Danish historical drama from 2012 stars Mads Mikkelsen and Alicia Vikander. It tells the true, tragic story of the mentally ill King Christian VII of Denmark (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard), his young queen Caroline Mathilde (Vikander), and the royal physician (Mikkelsen) who steps in to treat the king. He and the queen start a secret, passionate affair that sparks a political crisis.
A Royal Affair is streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, The Roku Channel, and Tubi.
‘Chevalier’
Royals aren’t the main focus of this 2022 biographical drama, but they play a key role in the story. Chevalier shines a light on Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), who was born in Guadeloupe to a wealthy French plantation owner and an enslaved woman. Eventually, he rose to become a virtuoso violinist and celebrated composer in pre-revolutionary France. With close ties to Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton), Bologne navigates the upper echelons of French society, complexities of life as a man of color in 18th century France, and a royal court on the brink of collapse.
Chevalier is available to rent on Prime Video and other platforms.
‘A Royal Night Out’
Looking for a lighthearted royal movie to watch with the whole family? The charming 2015 flick A Royal Night Out takes inspiration from real life. On V-E Day in 1945, all of London is celebrating the end of World War II. A teenaged Princess Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) and her sister Margaret (Bel Powley) convince their father to allow them out of Buckingham Palace for one night to join the partying crowds incognito.
A Royal Night Out is streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, and Tubi.
‘Bertie and Elizabeth’
Long before the Oscar-winning The King’s Speech, this emotional 2002 television movie starring James Wilby and Juliet Aubrey captured the relationship between King George VI (aka Bertie) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. It chronicles their journey from their courtship and life as a reluctant duke and duchess thrust into the limelight by his brother’s abdication crisis, through the immense pressure of leading Britain through World War II. Fans of The Crown will recognize Eileen Atkins as Bertie’s mother Queen Mary of Teck – she played the same character in Netflix’s The Crown.
Bertie and Elizabeth is streaming on Tubi, The Roku Channel, and Pluto TV.
‘The Lost Prince’
Created by Stephen Poliakoff, this Emmy-winning British mini-series from 2005 tells the largely forgotten story of Prince John, the youngest son of King George V and Queen Mary, who lived with epilepsy and autism. Through his eyes, we see the fracturing of the British royal family and the fall of European dynasties during World War I.
The Lost Prince is streaming on Prime Video, The Roku Channel, and Hoopla.
‘Nicholas and Alexandra’
There’s no shortage of drama in the Russian royal court. The 1971 epic Nicholas and Alexandra offers a sweeping take on the final years of the Romanov dynasty, following Tsar Nicholas II (Michael Jayston) and Empress Alexandra (Janet Suzman) as they struggle to manage their son Prince Alexei’s (Roderic Noble) hemophilia and fall under the spell of Rasputin (Tom Baker), all while the Russian Revolution brews right outside their palace gates. (Succession’s Brian Cox plays Trotsky.)
Nicholas & Alexandra is streaming on The Roku Channel.
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