As it turns out, queening really ain’t easy. Claire Foy, who plays Queen Elizabeth II on Netflix’s The Crown, is reportedly finally getting hers. As per the Daily Mail, the actress will receive $275,000 in back pay, after it was discovered that co-star Matt Smith, who played Prince Philip, made significantly more than her. That's what some might call bollocks.
The Mail's source said "it has all been amicably resolved." The show’s production company, Left Bank Pictures, said in a statement, “As the producers of The Crown we are responsible for budgets and salaries. The actors are not aware of who gets what and cannot be held personally responsible for the pay of their colleagues.” The statement continued, “We are absolutely united with the fight for fair pay, free of gender bias and for a rebalancing of the industry’s treatment of women in front of the camera and behind the scenes.”
Foy's paycheck was raised in March, with Left Bank creator director Suzanne Mackie declaring, “Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen.” It was previously contended that Smith’s fatter paycheck was due to the fact he was more of a name, given his role on Doctor Who. Never mind the fact that Foy is the crown-wearing component of a show called The Crown, I guess.
Smith told Page Six he was disappointed about the pay gap, saying, “I think actually she probably should’ve been paid that originally in the first place and I think everyone’s taken a long hard look at themselves and gone, ‘Here’s where we went wrong and can we go forward and make it right?'” Right-o, chap.
