The Crown. British Actor Matt Smith who played the young Prince Philip in seasons one and two, said he was surprised by the fascination the royals inspire in America. Sandro Monetti, a British Journalist living in Los Angeles believes the Americans love the Royal family more than the British people do. While US President Barack Obama said, in 2015 while Prince Charles and his wife Camilla visited the White House, that, “The American people are quite fond of the royal family, they like them much better than their own politicians.” Of course, there is the draw of the pageantry, the centuries old traditions, this is unlike anything the US has.