Matt Smith thinks Prince Philip showed "aplomb" when his wife Elizabeth became the monarch.
Matt Smith
The 33-year-old star is experiencing first-hand what life was like for the royal couple when his spouse became the ruler of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in 1952 while depicting the duke in the new Netflix drama 'The Crown'.
In an interview with Daily Mail newspaper, he said: "Their life is unlike anyone else's in the world.
"And yet, somewhere in that, they have to function as normal human beings. It's a bizarre set of circumstances to live your life in, and I think they've done it with aplomb."
'The Crown' is an American-British television drama series, created and written by Peter Morgan, and gives the biographical story of the UK reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
Speaking about his role of Prince Philip, and how his character copes with the reality of their marriage no longer being one of equals, Matt explained: "His career in the Navy was taken away from him when she became the monarch - and that's the real crux of the series for Philip. In many ways, he is emasculated. His work and function were taken away. It's very odd when you have to start walking two steps behind your wife."
Claire Foy stars opposite Matt as Queen Elizabeth and he has confirmed there is no "hanky panky" on Philip's part in series one but other scenes make it clear she liked him making his way to her bedroom when he returned home late "a bit drunk."
He said: "I think he was a young man who was in a very bizarre position. At times he was a bit of a lad, going to gentleman's clubs and lunches; and he'd get a bit drunk. But there's no suggestion of him having full-blown affairs."
'The Crown' is a 10-part series which will be available on Netflix from November 4.
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