The Crown Season 1 Cast: Where Are The Original Royals Now? (2025 Update)

Eight years after its groundbreaking debut, *The Crown* Season 1 remains a cultural touchstone, launching the careers of its primary actors into a new stratosphere of global fame. The original ensemble, who portrayed the Royal Family in the early years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, set an impossibly high bar for the subsequent cast changes. Their performances brought a fresh, intimate, and often startling look at the private lives behind the palace walls, earning multiple awards and cementing the show’s legacy as one of Netflix's most ambitious projects.

As of late 2024 and heading into 2025, the original cast members—Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, and John Lithgow—are busier than ever, moving from the solemn halls of Buckingham Palace to major Hollywood franchises and critically acclaimed theatre. This deep dive reveals the complete profile of the main actors and the exciting, current projects keeping them at the forefront of the entertainment industry today.

The Original Royal Court: Cast Profiles and Latest Projects (2024-2025)

The success of *The Crown*'s initial two seasons, covering the period from 1947 to 1964, rests squarely on the shoulders of its stellar ensemble. Here is a look at the main cast of Season 1 and their most recent, up-to-the-minute career developments.

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Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II

• Role in *The Crown* Season 1: The young Princess Elizabeth transitioning into the role of Queen after the sudden death of her father, King George VI.
• Key Awards for the Role: Golden Globe Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
• Biography Snapshot: Born April 16, 1984, in Stockport, England. Before *The Crown*, Foy was known for her portrayal of Anne Boleyn in the BBC miniseries *Wolf Hall* (2015) and starring in *Little Dorrit* (2008). Her career post-*Crown* has been defined by powerful, diverse roles, establishing her as a leading dramatic actress.

Claire Foy’s post-monarchy career continues to thrive with a focus on powerful, character-driven films. Her most recent and upcoming work is highly anticipated. In late 2024, it was announced that Foy began filming on a new British film, H Is For Hawk, where she stars alongside Brendan Gleeson. The project, currently shooting in Wales, is based on the acclaimed memoir by Helen Macdonald. Furthermore, she is attached to star opposite Andrew Garfield in an adaptation of an Enid Blyton story, a testament to her versatility in tackling both intense drama and lighter, beloved material. These roles confirm her status as one of Britain’s most sought-after dramatic talents, consistently choosing compelling and complex narratives over blockbusters.

Matt Smith as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

• Role in *The Crown* Season 1: The dashing, complex, and often restless husband of the Queen, grappling with his loss of identity and subservient role within the monarchy.
• Key Awards for the Role: Nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
• Biography Snapshot: Born October 28, 1982, in Northampton, England. Smith was already a global star before *The Crown*, known for playing the Eleventh Doctor in the iconic sci-fi series *Doctor Who* (2010–2013). His subsequent work has balanced high-profile fantasy and major film franchises.

Matt Smith has successfully transitioned from a historical royal to a fantasy royal, maintaining his high-profile career. He is currently a central figure in the *Game of Thrones* universe prequel, House of the Dragon, where he plays Prince Daemon Targaryen. Smith attended the Season 2 premiere in June 2024, and the series continues to be a massive commercial success. Looking ahead, Smith is making a major leap into a galaxy far, far away. He recently wrapped filming for Star Wars: Starfighter, a highly anticipated project set for release in 2027, confirming his involvement in one of the biggest franchises in cinema history. Additionally, he is set to star in the film adaptation of Nick Cave’s novel, The Death of Bunny Munro, showcasing his commitment to diverse and challenging roles.

Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret

• Role in *The Crown* Season 1: The Queen's younger sister, grappling with her restricted role and her forbidden love affair with Group Captain Peter Townsend.
• Key Awards for the Role: British Academy Television Award (BAFTA) for Best Supporting Actress.
• Biography Snapshot: Born April 18, 1988, in Wimbledon, London. Kirby gained critical acclaim for her stage work before *The Crown*. Her portrayal of Margaret launched her into major film roles, establishing her as a Hollywood action star and dramatic lead.

Vanessa Kirby’s career has exploded since she left the role of Princess Margaret, with her current slate dominated by major blockbuster and prestige projects. She is firmly entrenched in the Mission: Impossible franchise, continuing her role as the enigmatic Alanna Mitsopolis, the White Widow, in upcoming installments. Most notably, Kirby is set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). She has been cast as a superhero in Fantastic Four: The First Steps (2025) and is also listed for the future Avengers: Doomsday (2026), marking a significant pivot to the superhero genre. In a dramatic turn, she co-stars with Ana de Armas and Jude Law in the Ron Howard thriller Eden (2024/2025), further diversifying her resume and proving her box-office appeal across multiple genres.

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John Lithgow as Winston Churchill

• Role in *The Crown* Season 1: The aging but formidable Prime Minister, acting as a mentor and political foil to the young Queen.
• Key Awards for the Role: Primetime Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award.
• Biography Snapshot: Born October 19, 1945, in Rochester, New York. A veteran actor of stage and screen, Lithgow is a six-time Emmy winner known for roles in *3rd Rock from the Sun* and *Dexter*. His casting was a deliberate choice to lend gravitas to the show's political narrative.

The highly decorated John Lithgow continues his remarkable career with a focus on both stage and screen. In a major recent achievement, he won the 2025 Laurence Olivier Best Actor Award for his portrayal of beloved children's author Roald Dahl in the West End play Giant. This win is a significant, current highlight, underscoring his enduring power as a theatrical performer. On the film front, he is slated to appear in The Rule of Jenny Pen (2025) and is also involved in the Screen Australia-supported film JIMPA, starring alongside Olivia Colman, who famously took over the role of Queen Elizabeth II in later seasons of *The Crown*. Lithgow’s late-career flourish demonstrates a commitment to high-quality, diverse projects, from PBS specials like Art Happens Here With John Lithgow (April 2024) to international feature films.

The Essential Supporting Cast of The Crown Season 1

While the focus often falls on the central quartet, the depth and quality of *The Crown*'s supporting cast in Season 1 were crucial to establishing the show's sense of historical authenticity and dramatic weight. These actors provided the essential framework of the early royal court and political landscape, and their careers have equally flourished.

• Victoria Hamilton as Elizabeth, The Queen Mother: Hamilton played the grieving Queen Consort, a role later taken over by Marion Bailey and Marcia Warren. Post-*Crown*, Hamilton continued her strong television career, appearing in the BBC series Life and the 2021 film The Trick. Her performance was lauded for capturing the matriarch's quiet strength and political savvy following the death of King George VI.
• Jeremy Northam as Anthony Eden: Northam portrayed the Foreign Secretary who would eventually succeed Churchill as Prime Minister. Known for his work in *Gosford Park* and *The Tudors*, Northam brought a sense of strained ambition to the role. His later work includes roles in the television series Official Secrets and the film The Catcher Was a Spy, maintaining a steady presence in historical dramas.
• Ben Miles as Group Captain Peter Townsend: Miles played the equerry who had the ill-fated romance with Princess Margaret. His portrayal of the forbidden love story was one of the season’s most emotionally charged arcs. Miles has since appeared in major productions like the film The Last Post and the acclaimed series The Trial of Christine Keeler, demonstrating his range in British television.
• Alex Jennings as David, Duke of Windsor: Jennings played the former King Edward VIII, whose abdication created the crisis that put Elizabeth on the throne. A distinguished stage actor, Jennings has continued his work across film and television, including roles in A Very English Scandal and The Lady in the Van, often playing complex, authoritative figures.

The Lasting Legacy and Topical Authority of The Crown's First Cast

The decision by creator Peter Morgan to recast the entire ensemble every two seasons was a bold and unprecedented move in television history. This strategy, however, has only magnified the impact of the original Season 1 cast. Their performances are now viewed as a definitive starting point, the foundation upon which the entire six-season historical saga was built. The topical authority of the show is intrinsically linked to the early, raw portrayal of the young Queen and her family.

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The initial cast members—Foy, Smith, and Kirby—were instrumental in defining the tone: a blend of grand historical sweep and intimate, personal tragedy. Their immediate success post-*Crown* is a clear indicator of the show's power as a career accelerator. Moving from the small screen to major cinematic franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, and Mission: Impossible is a rare feat, demonstrating the global recognition and critical respect their work on the Netflix series garnered.

The enduring interest in *The Crown* Season 1 cast, even years after their departure, highlights a key element of the show's success: the emotional investment viewers made in the first generation of characters. For many fans, Claire Foy remains the definitive Queen Elizabeth II, and Matt Smith the quintessential Prince Philip. Their current projects in 2025, from Kirby’s superhero debut to Smith’s sci-fi epic, ensure that the original royal court continues to dominate the entertainment landscape, proving that their reign on the screen was just the beginning of a much larger, global career trajectory.

The meticulous detail and emotional depth brought to the early chapters of the royal narrative by the Season 1 ensemble ensured the show's critical acclaim and commercial success, paving the way for the subsequent casts, including Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton. Their collective work is a masterclass in ensemble acting, creating a legacy that continues to influence television production standards worldwide.