The Washington Royals (Television Series)

The Washington Royals is an FX drama series created by Ryan Murphy and starring Jessica Lange, Tom Hanks and Alden Ehrenreich. It takes place in an alternative universe where the United States of America is known as the Unified Kingdom of the Americas and is ruled over by a parliament and royal family, rather than a republic. It premiered on March 7th 2018.

Cast
Jessica Lange as Queen Vivienne Washington, a descendent of the first King of the Americas, George Washington. She is strict but a fair woman who cares about her country. She was widowed young and shares a close relationship with her children and mother, but a strained relationship with her Prime Minister. She resides in the Georgetown Palace, a township made up of land donated by Virginia and Maryland and lives in Washington Castle, within the township.

Tom Hanks as Frank Rosenberg, the longest serving government leader to date and longest serving leader of The American People's Party. He has a strained relationship with the queen and they disagree on a great deal of things. He is married with 3 children, but has had a string of affairs over his time in office. He also resides in Georgetown Palace, at 395 Madison Avenue, the government headquarters, before relocating to apartments in Adams Gardens at the end of season 1 after being appointed the Queen's chief political advisor after he resigns from office.

Alden Ehrenreich as Prince Franklin Washington, the only son of Vivienne and the late Prince Consort Richard and the twin brother of Princess Lola. He is also the Duke of San Francisco. He believes himself to be the heir to the throne, but Queen Vivienne has made it clear that the crown is to passed down to her daughter, who is three minutes older than Franklin. This soon changes towards the end of season 1. He is engaged and later married to Annalise, a socialite from New York City, a relationship the nation disapproves of. He resides in New York City with Annalise, who is pregnant with his child but is being forced to keep it secret until they wed. She gives birth to a boy, Prince Richard, in the opening episode of season 2.

Dakota Johnson as Princess Dolores 'Lola' Washington, the only daughter of Vivienne and the late Richard, and the twin sister of Prince Franklin. She is also the Duchess of Philadelphia. She is married to Prince Edmund Hammond of Great Britain, the youngest son of King Edward IX and Queen Maryanne, they have 2 children together, Prince Victor Richard Edward Washington-Hammond and Princess Georgina Vivienne Maryanne Washington-Hammond. She divides her time between her home in Philadelphia, PA and Manchester, England, but spends a lot of her time in Georgetown Palace with her mother on state duties. She is extradited to Britain at the end of season 1. She tries to return to her family after her marriage to Edmund collapses in season 2, but fails. She is a main character in season 1, but a recurring character from season 2 onwards.

Meryl Streep as Duchess Caroline Washington of Seattle, Queen Vivienne's outrageous sister and a socialite. She was considered an 'it-girl' in her youth and is now a regular guest on talk shows around the country. A clear rift exists between the sisters, one of which Caroline tries to fix. She resides in Seattle but spends a great deal of time in Burbank, CA and New York City. She has been divorced 4 times and have 5 children, all of which graciously were given royal titles, despite it not being an official requirement.

Cloris Leachman as Queen Mother Nancy Washington, the outspoken and private mother of Caroline and Vivienne, the wife of the late King Archibald Washington and the grandmother of Franklin, Lola and Caroline's 5 children. She was Queen consort until 1990, when Archibald was assassinated. She lives with agoraphobia as a result and hasn't left her Georgetown Palace residence, Adams Gardens, since 1992. Queen Vivienne makes frequent visits to her mother. She was granted the title Duchess of New York City in 2000. She dies at the wedding party of Franklin and Annalise and thus leaves the series, although she makes multiple brief appearances afterwards.

James McAvoy as Prince Edmund Hammond of Great Britain, the older husband of Princess Lola and the father of Princess Georgina and Prince Victor. He and Lola are very close and he longs to be king, either of his home country or his wife's. He despises Queen Vivienne and he hates his brother, Prince Alexander. He resides in London and Philadelphia with his wife and children and serves in the British Army. He is extradited to Britain at the end of season 1. He was part of the main cast in season 1, but does not appear thereafter.

Brie Larson as Princess Annalise Washington, a socialite from New York City who is the wife of Prince Franklin and the mother of Prince Richard, she marries Franklin the concluding episodes of season 1 and is the heir to the consort title, which is currently vacant. She is the daughter of rich businessman Lyle Withers and his fashion designer wife Courtney Withers, both of whom she is distant from. She is initially shut out by the royals, but she befriends the queen and her sister as time passes and she is embraced by both the family and the nation. She recurs in season 1 but becomes a main cast member from season 2 onwards.

Joan Cusack as Prime Minister Mona Christian, Frank Rosenberg's former deputy and the new leader of the People of America party. She is the first female prime minister of the UKA and has a particularly close friendship with the Queen as a result. She takes her role seriously and is considered one of the greatest government leaders in decades. She resides at Madison House with her husband, and has 2 grown up children. She is a main character from season 2 onwards.

Multiple other characters appear in a recurring capacity, including various other royals, employees and public figures.

Trivia

 * This is the fifth Ryan Murphy-produced series to air on FX, after Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, American Crime Story and Feud.
 * It is the first series to take place in an alternative USA.
 * It is the third Ryan Murphy-produced series to feature Jessica Lange as a leading protagonist.
 * The series bares similarities to the Netflix series The Crown, but is fictitious.