The Royals, an American primetime drama soap opera created by Mark Schwahn and starring Elizabeth Hurley, premiered on E! in 2015. Loosely based on the novel 'Falling for Hamlet,' the series revolves around a fictional modern British royal family, portraying their lives filled with scandal, power struggles, and intrigue. Despite early renewals for multiple seasons, the show was cancelled by E! after four seasons in August 2018. Efforts by Lionsgate Television to find a new network for the series, including discussions with Pop, were unsuccessful, leading to its official cancellation.
April 2013: Scripted projects announced
In April 2013, E! announced several scripted projects in development, including The Royals.
June 2013: E! to produce pilots
In June 2013, Deadline Hollywood reported that E! would produce pilots for The Royals and another series named Songbyrd.
September 2013: Hurley cast as Queen Helena
In September 2013, Elizabeth Hurley was cast in the leading role of Queen Helena in The Royals.
March 2014: The Royals picked up for series
In March 2014, The Royals was picked up for series to be shot in the United Kingdom and scheduled to debut in 2015.
June 2014: Patterson replaces Richardson
In June 2014, Merritt Patterson replaced Haley Lu Richardson as Ophelia in The Royals, as shooting for the first season began in London.
June 2014: Shooting for first season begins
In June 2014, shooting for the first season of The Royals began in London.
August 2014: Promotional trailer released
In August 2014, E! released its first promotional trailer for The Royals.
August 2014: Joan Collins to guest star
In August 2014, People reported that Joan Collins would guest star in The Royals as the Grand Duchess of Oxford, Helena's mother.
December 2014: Premiere date announced
In December 2014, E! announced that The Royals series would premiere on March 15, 2015.
January 15, 2015: Series renewed for second season
On January 15, 2015, it was announced at the Television Critics Association press tour that The Royals was renewed for a second season, two months before its debut.
January 2015: Public anticipation for The Royals
In January 2015, Joan Collins commented on the public anticipation for The Royals, noting excitement in the British press.
March 15, 2015: The Royals series premiere
On March 15, 2015, The Royals, an American primetime television drama soap opera, premiered on E!. This marked the debut of the network's first scripted series.
March 2015: Publicity stunt with viral video
In March 2015, a viral video of a naked man climbing out of Buckingham Palace was publicized as a hoax but turned out to be a publicity stunt to promote The Royals via the show's fictional tabloid, D-Throned.
June 15, 2015: Shooting resumes for Season 2
Shooting for the second season of The Royals officially resumed on June 15, 2015, in London.
June 2015: Rouass cast as Rani
In June 2015, Laila Rouass was cast in The Royals as Rani, the Deputy Prime Minister.
October 2015: Amazon acquires streaming rights
In October 2015, Amazon.com acquired exclusive subscription streaming rights to The Royals, making the first season available for Amazon Prime subscribers.
November 15, 2015: Season 2 premiere
On November 15, 2015, the second season of The Royals premiered.
January 5, 2016: Renewal for Season 3
On January 5, 2016, E! renewed The Royals for a third season.
June 2016: Brown and Knight cast in The Royals
In June 2016, Max Brown was cast as Prince Robert and Jules Knight was cast as Spencer Koenigsberg in The Royals.
July 2016: Damian Hurley guest star role
In July 2016, Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian Hurley was cast in a guest star role in The Royals.
December 4, 2016: Season 3 premiere
On December 4, 2016, the third season of The Royals premiered.
February 16, 2017: Renewal for Season 4
On February 16, 2017, E! renewed The Royals for a fourth season.
June 2017: Filming at The Historic Dockyard Chatham
In June 2017, various scenes for episode 4, season four of The Royals, were filmed at The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent. Locations included The Tarred Yarn Store, HMS Cavalier, Commissioner's House garden, and the Ropery Tunnels.
November 15, 2017: Schwahn suspended after Season 4 filming
On November 15, 2017, Mark Schwahn was suspended from The Royals after the completion of season four filming, following sexual harassment allegations.
December 22, 2017: Schwahn fired from the series
On December 22, 2017, Mark Schwahn was fired from The Royals following sexual harassment allegations.
March 11, 2018: Season 4 premiere
On March 11, 2018, the fourth season of The Royals began airing.
August 2018: Series cancellation
In August 2018, E! cancelled The Royals after four seasons.
August 16, 2018: Cancellation after four seasons
On August 16, 2018, it was announced that E! had canceled The Royals after four seasons.
September 24, 2018: Series officially ended
On September 24, 2018, it was announced that Lionsgate had failed to find a new home for The Royals, and the series was considered officially ended.
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