The Real Life Partners Of The Crown Cast
The Crown Season 4 takes audiences into Prince Charles' relationship with Princess Diana, who is played by Emma Corrin. Prince Charles and Prince Diana's marriage was very dramatic, but in real life, Corrin is happily single, telling Stella magazine, "I'd rather navigate this on my own. It's nicer to feel like I'm taking care of me" (via Bang Showbiz. Instead of living with a significant other, she shares an apartment with four friends she met in college, explaining, "It's nice to come back to people who really know you. It helps to balance out some of the silliness that comes with this job, like having your face on the cover of a magazine."
Matt Smith, who played Prince Philip during the show's first two seasons, dated Lily James for five years. In October 2020, Daily Mail claimed that they split in December 2019 and tried to rekindle their romance during the coronavirus lockdown. There were also unsubstantiated rumors that Smith dated Claire Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown for Season 1 and Season 2. While fans have claimed to be "fully on board" with a possible romance between Smith and Foy, it seems like they're just two actors who love working together — after all, they also starred in the play Lungs in 2020.
While Corrin, Smith, and Foy seemingly prefer to focus on their accomplishments instead of their love interests, other stars from The Crown have been very open about their real-life romances.
Olivia Colman thinks her hubby is better looking than her
Olivia Colman, who plays Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown Seasons 3-4, won an Oscar for portraying another royal, Queen Anne. When she accepted for her work in The Favourite, she said, "My husband Ed [Sinclair], my best friend, I love you so much." They got married in 2001 and have three children together. Sinclair is a producer and actor known for Screenshot and Look Around You. Sinclair's talent agency bio humorously states that he was an "actor(/waiter)" in addition to working as an adult literacy teacher and owning an unnamed karaoke establishment. He grew up in New Zealand and England.
He earned a Bristol Old Vic Theatre School acting degree and a law degree from Cambridge University, where he met Colman. Apparently, they had an immediate spark. Colman told the Telegraph, "When he walked into the room, I just went, 'That's him!'" She joked, "Mind you, I suppose if he hadn't wanted me, then I might have gone, 'That's him!' at someone else a week later."
Although Colman is revered for "serious" roles, she has quite a sense of humor in reality. Colman told Daily Mail, "When I'm out with my husband Ed, who is gorgeous, I see people look at us and sort of go, "Urghh?"' She claimed others "can't believe that [they're] a couple." Regardless, she declared, "Neither of us would be any good without the other."
Helena Bonham Carter found 'unexpected magic'
Princess Margaret faced judgment for her romance with a younger man named Roddy Llewellyn during The Crown's Season 3 finale (and in real life). The actress who plays her, Helena Bonham Carter, can relate, also making headlines for her boyfriend Rye Dag Holmboe, who's 21 years younger than her. Holmboe's age is often mentioned in articles covering their relationship. In October 2019, Bonham Carter admitted to Harper's Bazaar that she was annoyed by paparazzi photos of her with her man, who is a Norwegian writer. Previously, she was in a long-term relationship with director Tim Burton, with who she has two kids. The actress said, "I'm very happy with someone else. It's been a bit of unexpected magic in my life." The couple even has a dog, a Tibetan terrier named Pablo.
A year later, Bonham Carter told The Guardian, "I can't say much about Rye, because he's a psychoanalyst so he needs his anonymity." However, she wasn't done dishing on her man during that interview. She gushed, "He's magic, and that's all I'm going to say." But again, that wasn't all she had to say, revealing that they met at a wedding, something she described as "a totally random thing" since "both of [them] nearly didn't go to." The Fight Club actress said meeting her boyfriend "was one of those moments that was so chance and ended up determining so much. A really happy accident, and it's an amazing thing."
Gillian Anderson is dating the creator of The Crown
Gillian Anderson portrays Margaret Thatcher on The Crown Season 4. The X-Files alum has been dating the show's creator, Peter Morgan, since 2016, according to Daily Mail. Before Anderson signed on for the role, Morgan told the outlet, "I would work with her again." They collaborated on the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland. Despite her connection to Morgan, Anderson was hesitant to join the Netflix series, which Morgan shared with Express. The showrunner divulged, "She said 'let me think about it', and then about a week later she said 'yeah, I think I can do it'." She was right about that. In November 2019, Morgan told Variety that Anderson is "fierce and brilliant" as Thatcher.
Although Anderson and Morgan have no issue mixing business and pleasure, they do have boundaries. For instance, Anderson told The Sunday Times, "My partner and I don't live together." She hypothesized, "If we did, that would be the end of us." Anderson explained, "It works so well as it is, it feels so special when we do come together," especially since they were both on set for The Crown. She elaborated, "We choose when to be together. There is nothing locking us in, nothing that brings up that fear of 'Oh gosh, I can't leave because what will happen to the house, how will we separate?'." Regardless of their living situation, let's hope they'll never have to worry about the logistics of a separation.
Ben Daniels was 'cautious' about mentioning his sexuality
On The Crown Season 3, Ben Daniels portrays Antony Armstrong-Jones, who had a seemingly turbulent marriage with Princess Margaret. Daniels' love life is the complete opposite. Instead of a hot-and-cold romance full of highly publicized drama, he has been in a stable relationship with Game of Thrones alum Ian Gelder since 1993, according to The Sun. The two actors met when they were both cast in the play Entertaining Mr. Sloane, and they've been together ever since.
Despite the fact that Daniels and Gelder are in the entertainment industry, their romance is relatively low key, keeping their private lives out of the public eye. Even so, the Evening Standard reported that Daniels remarked, "Out? I've never been in," confirming that he was certain of his sexuality as a teen. Regardless, Daniels admitted that he was "cautious about mentioning it" because "AIDS was terrifying everyone and there was a huge, homophobic backlash." He decided to come forward with his sexuality while he was in a benefit performance of Bent at 24 years old.
Daniels shared, "Homophobia is still shockingly prevalent in film and TV. I know I've lost work because of being gay, and it is always an issue." Regardless of the adversity Daniels and Gelder have faced as actors, they've both found success. In addition to playing Kevan Lannister on Game of Thrones, Gelder had a nine-episode arc on Snatch in addition to appearing in five episodes of the BBC series Torchwood.
Josh O'Connor may have found 'the one'
In 2019, Tatler included Josh O'Connor on its list of Britain's 50 most eligible bachelors. That's not a surprise since O'Connor's role as Prince Charles on The Crown is a pretty big deal. However, he's not even an eligible bachelor. In November 2019, Daily Mail reported that the actor was living in East London with his girlfriend, Margot Hauer-King. Her father is Jeremy King, the owner of several London restaurants, including Fischer's and The Wolseley. Her brother is actor Jonah Hauer-King, who appeared in the 2017 mini-series Little Women.
A friend of O'Connor's told Daily Mail that his relationship with Margot is "serious," claiming that "he's found the one." This source declared, "He's a very private guy, so this is a big deal." Margot appears to be on the same page when it comes to discretion. She has a private Instagram account, and she hasn't tweeted since 2016 when she complained about an Airbnb stay gone wrong.
According to her LinkedIn page, Margot graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Comparative Literature & Political Science from Brown University. She has been working as an Account Director at the start-up company BeenThereDoneThat since May 2020. O'Connor isn't the only person in this pairing to make a "top 50" list. In 2019, Margot was named one of The Drum's 50 under 30 outstanding women in the creative and digital fields for her previous role as a strategic partnership director at WPP.
Marion Bailey's partner is her frequent collaborator
Many fans recognize Marion Bailey from her role as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother on The Crown Seasons 3 and 4. Additionally, the British actress is primarily known for her work with director/writer Mike Leigh, who happens to be her romantic partner. They have worked together on five movies, Peterloo, Mr. Turner, Meantime, Vera Drake, All or Nothing, in addition to the plays Goose-Pimples and Grief. The Guardian reports that the couple lives together in central London.
In addition to their personal rapport, Bailey and Leigh's working relationship is pretty unique. Instead of starting a project with a script, Leigh has his actors go through "months of rehearsal and improvisation" so they can work on character development together. In 2014, Bailey told The Guardian, "When I was at drama school, I was dutifully reading my Stanislavski. He says you have to decide how your character walks and talks, and I thought: 'That's all very well, but how?' The way Mike does things makes so much logical, practical sense." Bailey also revealed that Leigh sends his cast members "out on to the street in character" so they can really get to know the role they are playing. The first time she worked with Leigh was in the late 1970s when she acted in the play Jaws of Death.
When Bailey was asked if collaborating with Leigh "spoiled her for other directors," she joked, "I can't say that! I'd never work again!"
John Lithgow's 'worst professional mistake' helped him meet his wife
Most actors get recast on The Crown every two seasons to illustrate a time shift. However, John Lithgow played Winston Churchill for the show's first three seasons. While this role was a slam dunk, he has not always made the best career decisions. He told the Los Angeles Times that he turned down working with Blythe Danner on Broadway in 1980 to work on a friend's project. He shared, "My friend's play was a huge flop," admitting he "was so tormented by [the] mistake." After the play's failure, he booked another job in Los Angeles, which was when he met his wife, Mary Yeager, remarking, "It's the opposite of a cautionary tale."
In 2018, Lithgow told Seth Meyers, "It's like one of the best things that ever happened to me came from one of the worst professional mistakes I ever made," per NECN.
Yeager is a history professor at UCLA, per the Telegraph. Apparently, Lithgow "well[ed] up several times" and let out an "unembarrassed sob" when he discussed marriage during his Telegraph interview. The actor remarked, "I've always felt that with marriage you have this sanction to be your most petulant self, there is somebody who allows you to be a baby, to be spoiled, to be meanspirited, to be angry – you can be all these things because you're safe." He told the New York Times, "I've brought a recklessness to her life, and she's brought an order to mine."
Andrew Buchan married a fellow British actress
Andrew Buchan played another guy named "Andrew" on The Crown, Andrew Parker Bowles, Camilla Parker Bowles' first husband. While the Parker Bowles' union didn't last, the same can't be said for Buchan's off-screen life. In September 2012, he married Amy Nuttall, who played Ethel Parks on Downton Abbey and Chloe Atkinson on the British soap Emmerdale. She also appeared on six episodes of the BBC series Liar in 2020.
Although Buchan and Nuttall are both actors who have been on major shows, they are not a media-hungry couple. In 2014, he told The Guardian, "I keep that bit private" when he was asked about their marriage. Buchan and Nuttall started dating in 2007, according to Mirror. Even before tying the knot, Nuttall made an effort to keep their romance private, joking with the publication, "He'll kill me if I say anything about the wedding." The actress went on to gush, "Andrew is great – I've known for ages he's The One."
Nuttall is also Buchan's biggest fan, encouraging people to watch his portrayal of James Stewart in the short film 1946, describing him as "very clever." When Buchan starred on Broadchurch, Nuttall hyped him up, tweeting, "No I'm not publicizing myself, I'm not in it. But my bloody amazing husband is!!!" When Buchan won for Best Supporting Actor at the Crime Thriller Awards in 2013, Nuttall tweeted, "BEYOND proud of my husband."
A psychic predicted when Greg Wise would meet his wife
Greg Wise played Lord Louis Mountbatten, Prince Philip's uncle, and Prince Charles' close confidante on the first two seasons of The Crown. Wise's breakthrough role was in the 1995 film Sense and Sensibility. The movie was special for personal reasons as well since Wise met his eventual wife, Emma Thompson, on the set. However, he dated their co-star Kate Winslet first, which sounds complicated and dramatic, but that actually wasn't the case.
Wise's friend Helen, who happens to be psychic, predicted that he would meet his wife working on the movie. He assumed she was referring to Winslet since Thompson was married to Kenneth Branagh, Wise explained to Express. Since Winslet was actually single, he asked her out. Wise recalled, "We went to Glastonbury festival together. But it was the wrong call." Winslet noticed that there was more chemistry between Wise and Thompson. Wise said, "She pointed out that we were right for each other and told me that Emma's marriage was over." Wise reflected, "It was all meant to be, just as my friend Helen had predicted." He summed it up, saying, "We fell in love and it seemed that there was no reason not to get together. I simply picked the wrong woman at first, that's all."
In 2020, Thompson shared the same story on The Graham Norton Show, adding, "Then things happened that probably shouldn't have happened, and it's been 25 years in May," according to Hello.
Matthew Goode chooses his roles around his wife and kids
Matthew Goode joined The Crown in Season 2, playing Antony Armstrong-Jones, a.k.a. Lord Snowdon. Filming the show in the United Kingdom was ideal for Goode because it's where he, his wife Sophie Dymoke, and their kids live. He told Red, "I'm very much based here. I have three children and a lovely wife and I just don't like being away from them." Of course, he does have to film on location sometimes, but, overall, the actor admits, "I'm very lucky. I've been able to mix work and family." He had a similar perk filming Downton Abbey, which was "forty-five minutes from his front door."
"I'm very blessed to have an amazing wife who encourages me to get out of the house," Goode shared. As supportive as his wife is, Good still feels "a bit bad about being away" for work sometimes, revealing, "I haven't taken certain jobs when they've said, 'We need you here for six months.'" He elaborated, "I feel like the family is a great litmus test against a script. If you feel like the work is going to take you away from your family, it had better be worth it." Thankfully, filming The Crown was a great career opportunity, and it made geographic sense.
In addition to sharing his philosophy for career success, he declared that the secret to a happy marriage is, "A good cellar. Somewhere you can store wine," which is a good call.
Victoria Hamilton married one of her co-stars
Victoria Hamilton portrayed Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother during the first two seasons of The Crown. Express reported that Hamilton kept theater as her "main job," which is how she met her husband, Mark Bazeley. They starred in a 2004 production of the play Suddenly Last Summer. Hamilton told Express, "I was lucky that I met the man I wanted to marry and have children with at exactly the right time. I'd had lots of career already. And it's just a very solid thing in your life. If work goes great, it's fantastic. And if it doesn't, you've got your family. I'm hugely lucky." Bazeley and Hamilton have two sons together, Tam and Hal.
Hamilton explained that actors have a tendency to "believe it" when it comes to on-stage chemistry with co-stars. She elaborated, "So when you meet someone in an acting job and everything just clicks, you have to be aware of that danger. You need to spend time testing the relationship to see if it's really real, so it can work out."
Hamilton said, "When the job was over, there was a long period of, 'Is this actually real?'" Thankfully, it was and is real. They got married in 2008. In 2019, she told The Guardian she and Bazeley have struggled in between acting gigs, remarking, "When neither of us is working, we just cry, drink a lot of wine, and really, really worry." Thankfully, they have each other.