The best films about fictional royalty

King Arthur is one of the most popular fictional royals for filmmakers. Of course, Monty Python’s take on the character and the Knights of the Round Table doesn’t stick to the traditional stories. Or to logic and reality. Instead, we ended up with a great comedy and the best thing Monty Python ever did.

In the ‘80s, Eddie Murphy could seemingly do no wrong, at least at the box office. Coming to America was part of his dominant decade as one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Here, he plays a Prince from a fictional African country of Zamunda who moves to America to try and meet a queen. There was a long-delayed sequel in 2021.

Hey, animals can be royalty. Well, if they are in an animated movie where animals can talk. The Lion King borrows heavily from other stories, but none of them have “Hakuna Matata.” There was also a remake with realistic-looking animals, but that was weird.

The Princess Diaries is slight, but it is carried on the charms of its stars. Namely, the legendary Julie Andrews and young, up-and-coming Anne Hathaway. Hathaway’s energy carried the movie and led to a sequel.

Shrek himself is as far from royalty as you can get. He’s an ogre that lives in a swamp. However, one of the key characters is Princess Fiona. Without Fiona, there is no narrative thrust to Shrek. Her being a Princess plays more into the sequels as well.

There is a cultish adoration for The Princess Bride that puzzles some people. Maybe some people really love Andre the Giant? Or perhaps they love the romance between Westley and Princess Buttercup. It may be one of those “kissing stories,” but it’s one that still resonates with people.

OK, so Spaceballs is a parody of Star Wars, so why is Spaceballs on this list while Star Wars isn’t? Do we think Mel Brooks’ parody is better? No, but the “royalty” aspect of Spaceballs is more pertinent to the plot. After all, we have Princess Vespa and her father, the king, but we also find out that Lone Star is a prince. Maybe Yogurt is a king or something. Who can tell with that dude?

It’s a classic story. A princess escapes her stuffy royal life to go see the sights and get away from the pressures of her life. Namely, she goes to Rome. There, she meets a reporter looking for a scoop. Does love blossom? Naturally. A young Audrey Hepburn won Best Actress for Roman Holiday. This movie is also notable because it was written by blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo using a front. His name has now been reattached to the movie.

With Enchanted, Disney basically parodied…Disney films. Specifically, Disney princess movies. Enchanted is good fun and has a great starring turn by Amy Adams. She reprised her role for 2022's Disenchanted sequel.

Robin Hood is not royal. Nor are his Merry Men. That being said, you can’t have a Robin Hood story without Richard I or the villainous King John. The 1938 version of the tale is still the best movie ever made about the Robin Hood story, with Errol Flynn in the title role. Claude Rains, by the way, plays King John.

Hey, don’t forget about the fact that Asgard is a kingdom. Odin, Loki, and Thor are all royalty. The first two Thor movies in the MCU aren’t all that good, but then Taika Waititi took over and made one of the best Marvel movies by getting weird, psychedelic, and funny.

Sure, it’s two MCU movies in one list, but we had to include Black Panther. His status as the ruler of Wakanda, as well as a superhero, is vital to the storytelling. It’s the Marvel movie where royalty plays the biggest role. Also, it was hugely successful and a lot of people absolutely love it. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is due later this year, but the late Chadwick Boseman's role was not recast. 

Alright, one more for the DC side. Aquaman is the heir to the throne of Atlantis, as his mother was Queen of Atlantis. While Aquaman is often the source of jokes among superhero and comic book fans, Aquaman was unexpectedly good. Jason Momoa was also a smart choice for the role. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is due in 2023.

OK, so this is a goofy comedy. An American everyman becomes the King of England after the entire royal family dies in an electrical accident. That’s a little dark for a silly comedy, but it’s the premise of the movie. It’s a classic ‘90s reference, though, and John Goodman is in the title role, and he’s always bringing something to the table.

William Shakespeare loved writing plays about royalty. Many of them were about real royals, though. Macbeth is classic, but there hadn’t been a quintessential Macbeth movie until the Joel Coen-directed The Tragedy of Macbeth starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. Hamlet, though, got a solid telling from Kenneth Branagh.

John Huston’s epic is about two white explorers who visit a remote civilization. One of them is mistaken for a god and becomes king. His hubris ends up being his downfall. While the movie's attempt to criticize imperialism doesn’t always work and is undercut by some actual issues in the film, Sean Connery and Michael Caine are a dynamic duo at the center.

Why is this the Disney movie about a princess that makes the list? Well, the princess is the lead, for starters. Aladdin may have Jasmine, but that film is mostly about a street rat and his genie pal. The Little Mermaid is about Ariel and her quest to be part of our world. The songs are pretty catchy, and Ursula is a notable Disney villain.

This take on Cinderella removes a lot of the magic, fantasy, and friendly mice to reimagine it as historical fiction. That makes it feel fresh and interesting. Also, Leonardo da Vinci is a character. Amidst all the royal figures is Drew Barrymore as Danielle de Barbarac, better known as Cinderella.

The third movie in the series is a bit of a king in its own right. Return of the King won a whopping 11 Oscars, tying the record. Now, the focus is on wizards and hobbits, but the king gets name-dropped, so we’re counting it. Plus, the movie ends with Aragorn becoming king of Gondor, with Arwen as his queen. Well, that’s one of, like, 10 endings in that film. It drags things out, but Academy voters didn’t seem to care.

Is he a traditional king? No. Are you going to tell Kong he isn’t a king, though? Personally, we’re not up for it. The giant ape is worshipped on his home of Skull Island, and when he’s taken to New York, he shows why the natives showed him so much respect. When you think of “kings” in pop culture, King Kong is near the top of the list. We had to include him. He is, after all, the eighth wonder of the world.