Netflix's The Crown: The unexpected link between all three Prince Philip actors

The Crown's fifth season has now been released on Netflix and a new cast has taken the reins, led by Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II. Welsh actor, Sir Jonathan Pryce, has taken over from Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, after Doctor Who's Matt Smith originated the role. Interestingly though, all three actors share a connection.

Pryce, Menzies and Smith are all a part of the Game of Thrones universe, reports The Mirror. Matt is currently getting plaudits for his role as Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon, the spin-off series to Game of Thrones that aired its first season this year. Meanwhile, Tobias played Edmure Tully and Sir Jonathan Pryce played the High Sparrow in two seasons of the original HBO fantasy drama series.

With 2022 being an important royal year, fans of The Crown eagerly anticipated season five. Upon its release, however, they were left feeling disappointed and called the first couple of episodes "boring". You can read more about that here.

Read more: The Crown fans dub season five opener 'weak' despite return of key star

The Crown Season 1 (Alex Bailey/Netflix)

Noticing the actors' shared connection, one person wrote on social media: "so now all 3 actors who played Prince Philip on The Crown are on game of thrones shows. the prince daemon -> edmure tully -> high sparrow pipeline".

Another person, clearly amused by the connection, said: "every actor who has played Prince Philip on the crown has also been in the game of thrones universe LMFAO"

And a third commented: "It's funny to think how now that Matt Smith is in House of the Dragon and Jonathan Pryce is going for The Crown Season 5 & 6 all 3 actors who played Prince Philip in The Crown are also involved with Game of Thrones universe."

Tobias Menzies then took over the role (PA)

Season five of the popular Netflix series follows Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of the Royal Family during a troubled period in the 90s. It focuses on events such as the fire at Windsor Castle, Charles and Diana’s divorce, and Diana's heartbreaking death. The Crown: Seasons 1-5 are available to watch on Netflix. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.

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