Movies like The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
The best movies like The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) are Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) and The Girl King (2015). If The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex hooked you with its drama and history, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedPurple Hearts (2022)8.0/10 from 2,979 votes
- NewestPurple Hearts (2022)Released 2022
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
When Queen Elizabeth's reign is threatened by ruthless familial betrayal and Spain's invading army, she and her shrewd adviser must act to safeguard the lives of her people.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnne of the Thousand Days (1969)
Henry VIII of England discards his wife, Katharine of Aragon, who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of the young and beautiful Anne Boleyn.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Girl King (2015)
A portrait of the brilliant, extravagant Kristina of Sweden, queen from age six, who fights the conservative forces that are against her ideas to modernize Sweden and who have no tolerance for her awakening sexuality.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Duchess (2008)
A chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMary, Queen of Scots (1971)
Mary Stuart, who was named Queen of Scotland when she was only six days old, is the last Roman Catholic ruler of Scotland. She is imprisoned at the age of 23 by her cousin Elizabeth Tudor, the English Queen and her arch adversary. Nineteen years later the life of Mary is to be ended on the scaffold and with her execution the last threat to Elizabeth's throne has been removed. The two Queens with their contrasting personalities make a dramatic counterpoint to history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTristan & Isolde (2006)
An affair between the second in line to Britain's throne and the princess of the feuding Irish spells doom for the young lovers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisQueen of the Desert (2015)
A chronicle of Gertrude Bell's life, a traveler, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, and political attaché for the British Empire in the Near and Middle East at the dawn of the twentieth century. Her knowledge of the tribal leaders is used by the British to establish the Kingdoms of Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Portrait of a Lady (1996)
Ms. Isabel Archer isn't afraid to challenge societal norms. Impressed by her free spirit, her kindhearted cousin writes her into his fatally ill father's will. Suddenly rich and independent, Isabelle ventures into the world, along the way befriending a cynical intellectual and romancing an art enthusiast. However, the advantage of her affluence is called into question when she realizes the extent to which her money colors her relationships.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Lost Husband (2020)
Trying to put her life back together after the death of her husband, Libby and her children move to her estranged Aunt's goat farm in central Texas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFirst Knight (1995)
The timeless tale of King Arthur and the legend of Camelot are retold in this passionate period drama. Arthur is reluctant to hand the crown to Lancelot, and Guinevere is torn between her loyalty to her husband and her growing love for his rival. But Lancelot must balance his loyalty to the throne with the rewards of true love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPurple Hearts (2022)
An aspiring musician agrees to a marriage of convenience with a soon-to-deploy Marine, but a tragedy soon turns their fake relationship all too real.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisAli and Nino (2016)
Muslim prince Ali and Georgian aristocrat Nino have grown up in the Russian province of Azerbaijan. Their tragic love story sees the outbreak of the First World War and the world’s struggle for Baku’s oil. Ultimately they must choose to fight for their country’s independence or for each other.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDot the I (2003)
A fiery Spanish woman is about to marry a kind British man when she meets a Brazilian actor who ignites in her a flame of lust she can't ignore.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWinter's Tale (2014)
A burglar falls for an heiress as she dies in his arms. When he learns that he has the gift of reincarnation, he sets out to save her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJulia (1977)
At the behest of an old and dear friend, playwright Lillian Hellman undertakes a dangerous mission to smuggle funds into Nazi Germany.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVictoria & Abdul (2017)
Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNot Easily Broken (2009)
A car accident and shifting affections test the bond between a married couple.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBreathe (2017)
Based on the true story of Robin, a handsome, brilliant and adventurous man whose life takes a dramatic turn when polio leaves him paralyzed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Sleeping Dictionary (2003)
In the 1930s, British officer John Truscott journeys to a remote village in colonial Malaysia to educate and Westernize the local Iban population. There, he's introduced to the lovely Selima. In keeping with tradition, Selima is assigned to sleep with Truscott and teach him the native language and customs. But when they fall in love, both colonists and natives object to their plans to marry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNine Lives (2005)
Captives of the very relationships that define and sustain them, nine women resiliently meet the travails and disappointments of life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMad Love (2001)
The tragic fate of Juana I of Castille, Queen of Spain, madly in love to an unfaithful husband, Felipe el Hermoso, Archduke of Austria.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLady Jane (1986)
The death of King Henry VIII throws his kingdom into chaos because of succession disputes. His weak son, Edward, is on his deathbed. Anxious to keep England true to the Reformation, a scheming minister John Dudley marries off his son, Guildford to Lady Jane Grey, whom he places on the throne after Edward dies. At first hostile to each other, Guildford and Jane fall in love, but they cannot withstand the course of power which will lead to their ultimate downfall.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFire Over England (1937)
In 1588, relations between Spain and England are at the breaking point. With the support of Queen Elizabeth I, British sea raiders such as Sir Francis Drake regularly capture Spanish merchantmen, bringing gold from the New World.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEverAfter (1998)
Danielle, a vibrant young woman, was forced into servitude after the death of her father when she was a young girl. Danielle's stepmother, Rodmilla, is a heartless woman who forces Danielle to do the cooking and cleaning, while she tries to marry off the eldest of her two daughters to the prince. But Danielle's life takes a wonderful turn when, under the guise of a visiting royal, she meets the charming Prince Henry.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Merchant of Venice (2004)
Venice, 1596. Bassanio begs his friend Antonio, a prosperous merchant, to lend him a large sum of money so that he can woo Portia, a very wealthy heiress; but Antonio has invested his fortune abroad, so they turn to Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, and ask him for a loan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe King Maker (2005)
1547. Fernando de Gama, a young "Soldier of Fortune" from Portugal, set sail for the Orient in an effort to find a man who murdered his father and, with luck, like many of their compatriots, to make his fortune. A vicious storm in the Indian Ocean almost ended his plans when he was on the ship sank. The sole survivor, he was washed up on a tropical beach only to be captured by Arab slavers and taken to Ayutthaya in the kingdom of Siam, where he was offered for sale as a slave.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
The Legend of Suriyothai (2001)
During the 16th century, as Thailand contends with both a civil war and Burmese invasion, a beautiful princess rises up to help protect the glory of the Kingdom of Ayothaya. Based on the life of Queen Suriyothai.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history & drama
One Night with the King (2006)
In Biblical times, a girl disguises her Jewish origins when the Persian king comes looking for a new bride among his subjects.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTudor Rose (1936)
The tragic story of Lady Jane Grey, the young queen who reigned in England for nine days before she was executed.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & history
The Béarnaise Girl (1911)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history & drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex?
The closest matches to The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex are Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) and The Girl King (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex?
Start with Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), the closest match to The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex?
Purple Hearts (2022), rated 8.0/10 by 2,979 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex?
Purple Hearts (2022) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex?
Yes: Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) and The Girl King (2015).
How are movies similar to The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.