Matt Smith Says Prince Harry Called Him 'Grandpa' Because of Prince Philip's Role in 'The Crown': 'He Watched the Show!'

Matt Smith was a staple of Netflix's "The Crown" in its first two seasons, where he played the role of Prince Philip opposite Queen Elizabeth II by Claire Foy. Smith's portrayal of the British royal not only garnered critical acclaim and an Emmy nomination, but it also generated an unexpected response from Philip's grandson, Prince Harry. Smith revealed on 'Today' that Prince Harry once addressed him as 'grandfather' when they met while playing polo.

"I met Harry once, at polo, which sounds a bit grand, but this Wasn't that grand," Smith said. "And he walked up to me and said, 'Grandpa'."

Smith added, "He watched the show! Well, I can't pretend to know if he's currently watching it, but he watched quite a bit of it back then."

"Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie told Smith, "Well, he definitely watched your episodes."

Smith created the role of Prince Philip in "The Crown". The actor left the show after two seasons and was replaced by Tobias Menzies when the show restarted its cast. Approaching its final two seasons, “The Crown” will feature Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip opposite Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II.

"The Crown" production was suspended earlier this month following the death of the Queen Elizabeth II. The show was not filmed on the day the Queen's death was announced, nor will it be filming on the day of the Queen's funeral.

Interest in the Netflix series was revived after the Queen's death, with Variety reporting that viewership of the series in the UK grew by over 800% within two days of his death.

"The Crown" won a total of 11 Emmys for its fourth season, including Outstanding Drama Series . The series is produced by Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television for Netflix.

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