The Crown paid Claire Foy less than Matt Smith, even though she was queen and he wasn't
Netflix’s The Crown is currently in a transitional period, as the show prepares for a time jump regenerating the members of the House of Windsor previously played by Claire Foy, Matt Smith, et al into older versions of themselves. That calls for some recasting, with Olivia Colman set to take over as Queen Elizabeth II alongside Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret. It also calls for the correction of a royal injustice: Throughout seasons one and two, Smith was being paid more than Foy, even though his head wasn’t the one wearing the titular crown. As Variety reports:
Asked whether Foy was paid the same as Smith, the producers acknowledged that he did make more due to his Doctor Who fame, but that they would rectify that for the future. “Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen,” said [creative director Suzanne] Mackie.
Certainly not a common doctor, even if he is a Time Lord as well. It should also be noted that Foy was nominated for a BAFTA, an Emmy, four SAG awards, and two Golden Globes—one of which she won—for her role as Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown. Smith, meanwhile, was nominated for two SAG Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series along with the rest of the cast for his role as Prince Philip, meaning Foy was dragging him behind her in real life as well.
An older, hopefully at least a little wiser Prince Philip for The Crown season three has yet to be cast—Paul Bettany was in talks for the role in January, but nothing is official yet—but whoever it is, he can expect a nation of fans to turn a skeptical eye towards his paycheck.