Royal protagonists have been a staple of TV drama ever since the very first small-screen broadcast, The Queen's Messenger , back in 1928. But most of the best kings and queens in television history have appeared on our screens in the 21st century, whether in historical dramas, fantasy shows, or sci-fi series.

Many of today’s best historical TV shows revolve around a monarch of some sort, since the reign of a specific king or queen tends to embody the history of the era in which a show is set. What’s more, TV audiences never seem to tire of the fraught interpersonal dynamics and political intrigues typical of royal households.

TV monarchs aren’t limited to real-life figures, either. Some of the best fantasy shows of all time center on fictional royalty, with the most famous amon

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