The Crown 's Matt Smith Shares Royals — Including the Time Prince Harry Called Him 'Grandad'

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Matt Smith is sharing fond memories with the British royal family and what it meant to him to play the late Prince Philip in the first two seasons of The Crown.

"I met a couple [royals]," Smith, 39, said on Thursday's TODAY. "I met the now King Charles, told him that I thought he had fabulous shoes, which he told me he had them for 30 years," he said. "They were like red brogues, they were beautiful."

The House of the Dragon actor also shared that when he met Prince Harry at a polo match, the royal shook his hand and said "Grandad." Smith continued, "I can't claim to know if he watches it currently, but he watched a bit then."

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As for who else in the family watches the royal family-inspired Netflix show, Smith said he "heard" that Queen Elizabeth II watched it. "She used to watch it on a projector on a Sunday night apparently," the actor said.

Philip, however, was apparently not a fan. "A friend of mine sat next to him at a dinner once and I think Philip asked my friend if he made The Crown," Smith said. "Then the first course came out, and then the second course came out and then the third course came out and my friend couldn't resist by the end of the meal he was like, 'Philip I have to ask, have you watched The Crown?' and apparently he turned round to him and went, 'Don't be ridiculous.'"

Though Philip might not have been a fan of the show, Smith was undoubtedly a fan of his. "I found him to be a real modernizer, he was really interesting and I kind of fell in love with Philip really," he said. "He was great and he loved her, he really made her laugh, they were a fabulous couple together."

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Robert Viglasky/Netflix; Hulton Archive/Getty

TODAY co-hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie asked Smith if he'll be going to the U.K. soon to participate in the Queen's funeral processions on Sept. 19.

"My mom's gonna go, I don't actually know if I'm gonna go to the procession, but I'd like to watch it," he said. "I might watch it in my local pub actually with a group of friends."

"I think it's a piece of history," the British actor said, explaining the moment's significance. "I don't think we'll ever have a monarch that serves for 70 years again. She saw 13 prime ministers come and go, 14 presidents or something like that and I just want to be in London. I want to experience it, I think I want to share in the ceremony of it really."

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Last week after the Queen died, Crown creator Peter Morgan told Deadline the series would pause production in observance of the monarch's death.

"The Crown is a love letter to [the Queen] and I've nothing to add for now, just silence and respect," Morgan wrote in a statement.

Director Stephen Daldry previously told Deadline the show had put plans in place early to account for the historic monarch's death.

"None of us know when that time will come but it would be right and proper to show respect to the Queen. It would be a simple tribute and a mark of respect. She's a global figure and it's what we should do," he said after the Emmy-winning Netflix drama made its debut in 2016.

The sixth and final season of the show — which has chronicled decades of the monarch since a young Princess Elizabeth's ascent to the throne after her 1947 wedding day to Philip — is not expected to dramatize present-day events.

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Seasons 1–4 of The Crown can be streamed in full on Netflix.