Netflix’s The Crown: MBTI® Of The “Diana Era” Main Characters

By this point, it’s pretty clear that the characters are what makes The Crown works as well as it does. As unlikeable as they might be at times, there’s something compelling about them, and it’s not just because they’re royalty. In the extraordinarily capable hands of actors like Olivia Colman or the inimitable Helena Bonham Carter, they become something more than stereotypes.

They are compelling individuals with their own psychologies, their own motivations for why they behave as they do. One important way of understanding these characters is to look at them through the MBTI®, which helps to explain aspects of their personalities that might elude the viewer on a first watch.

10 Queen Elizabeth II-ISTJ

The hallmark of the ISTJ is that they like orderliness and discipline. It doesn’t take too much of a work of imagination to see that this perfectly describes Elizabeth.

From the beginning of the series, she’s shown that she is nothing if not disciplined. In fact, there are times when one might wish for her to be a little less disciplined so that she could show her country, and more importantly, her children that there are some things more important than just the maintenance of the Crown as an institution. 

9 Prince Philip-ENTJ

Prince Philip is sometimes a brat and, more recently, he’s become a little bit of a grumpy old man. However, that shouldn’t blind viewers to the fact that he’s also a fiercely intelligent sort (which helps to explain why he gets so impatient with his limited role in the monarchy).

What’s more, he can at times be a little bit too frank in how he talks about issues, both with his wife and with others. Frankness, as well as an ability to see flaws in others, are both key character traits of the ENTJ.

8 Charles-ISFJ

By this point in the series, it’s pretty clear that Charles is one of those people who is basically always destined to be miserable. However, there are some occasions when another aspect of his personality comes to the surface, and most of these are in keeping with the ISFJ.

For example, like most ISFJs, he’s sensitive about others’ feelings, so long as they happen to be someone he cares about (see: Camilla). What’s more, he’s very detail-oriented, especially when it comes to the gardens that he likes to plan.

7 Diana-ENFJ

If anyone matches Charles for being miserable, it would have to be Diana. Brought into the Royal Family through her marriage to Charles, she soon finds herself more than a little overwhelmed.

Beneath all of that, however, it’s clear that she has the heart of an ENFJ. She’s particularly attuned to the emotional needs of others, and one can see this most clearly in her desire to raise William as someone who will be more attuned to human emotions than the rest of the family seems to be.

6 Margaret Thatcher-ENTJ

Gillian Anderson brings Margaret Thatcher, the woman known as the Iron Lady, to spectacular life in the fourth season of the series. She’s a woman who knows what she wants and is willing to do it and, just as importantly, she also knows what she wants to do to make Britain competitive again.

She can be a bit brutal in her frankness, but it’s hard not to admire her for her willingness to simply take charge and become the leader when few others will do so. 

5 Elizabeth, The Queen Mother-ESTJ

Though she’s something of an ancillary figure, the Queen Mother has a larger part to play in the fourth season than she did in the third. Once again, though, she makes it clear that her first loyalty will always be to the Crown.

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She’s a matter-of-fact sort of person, which is a common trait among ESTJs. This can make her seem a bit cold and unfeeling, particularly when it comes to her relationships with others, but one has to admire her consistency in following her own standards. 

4 Princess Anne-INTJ

Princess Anne finds herself in something of a quandary as the fourth season proceeds. Not as glamorous as Diana, she still feels the pressure to live up to the standards imposed by the press and the public.

Despite her grumpiness, she’s pretty clearly an INTJ, a personality type that’s well-known for their ability to implement their plans. After all, this is the woman who became a noted equestrian and held herself to standards easily as high as those that her family imposed. 

3 Camilla-ENTP

Camilla is another of those characters that hovers in the background of the series. While she doesn’t get a great deal of screen time, there’s enough to show what kind of person she is.

She’s very outspoken and quick-witted, making her an ideal ENTP. Of course, her spontaneity is what makes her so fundamentally different from Diana, and she takes every chance she can to rub this difference in (making Diana miserable in the process). 

2 Louis Mountbatten-ENTJ

Charles Dance makes quite an impression as Lord Mountbatten in the third and fourth seasons. Like some other members of the family, he’s a bit ruthless, but that doesn’t mean that he also doesn’t have a heart.

In fact, he takes Charles under his wing in a way that few other people do. He’s very outspoken, making him an ENTJ. This can be clearly seen in his last major action of the season is a rather bluntly-worded letter in which he warns Charles against foolishly pursuing his doomed romance with Camilla. 

1 Margaret-ESTP

There are many characters who have a bit of tragedy to their stories in this show, but Margaret leads the pack. From the first season, she’s had to endure quite a few bits of heartbreak, but that has only served to stiffen her spine rather than beat her down into submission.

She’s very much an ESTP, since this is the personality type that is the most fun-loving and spontaneous. One need look no further than her raucous meeting with President Johnson to see the ways in which she very much fits into this personality type. 

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