An intimate respect. Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies spoke out after Prince Philip passed away at age 99 on Friday, February 9. Both actors portrayed the late Duke of Edinburgh on Netflix’s The Crown.
“I’d like to offer my condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family,” Smith, 38, said in a statement to Us Weekly on Friday. “Prince Philip was the man. And he knew it. 99 and out, but what an innings. And what style. Thank you for your service old chap — it won’t be the same without you.”
The actor portrayed Philip in his youth during seasons 1 and 2 of The Crown.
Menzies, 47, who took over the patriarchal role for seasons 3 and 4 of the hit Netflix series, also offered his condolences.
“If I know anything about the Duke of Edinburgh I’m fairly sure he wouldn’t want an actor who portrayed him on TV giving their opinion on his life, so I’ll leave it to Shakespeare,” the actor tweeted on Friday. “‘O good old man! How well in thee appears the constant service of the antique world’ … RIP.”
Following Philip’s passing, Netflix also released a statement.
“Netflix, Left Bank Pictures, Sony Pictures Television and the production team on The Crown are deeply saddened to hear of the death of The Duke of Edinburgh,” the streaming service said on Friday. “Our thoughts are with the royal family at this sad time.”
Buckingham Palace confirmed that Philip had passed away on Friday morning.
“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle,” the family’s statement read. “The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss. Further announcements will be made in due course.”
The late royal is survived by his wife of over seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II. The pair’s relationship — as well as the ongoing events of their family’s life — has been chronicled on The Crown since November 2016.
Claire Foy, who portrayed the queen during early seasons of the series, told Town & Country in September 2017 that she hoped the royal family hadn’t seen the show.
“I would hate the idea of [Queen Elizabeth] watching it,” the actress, 36, said. “When you’re playing a real person, you never want to be ghoulish. I don’t want to pick apart a person. I want to invent someone. So, I would hate for her to watch it and think I overdramatized anything.”
