Claire Foy paid less than Matt Smith for The Crown, admits Netflix

Producers claimed that Smith earned more money because of his stint on Doctor Who

Netflix producers have admitted that The Crown's Claire Foy was paid less than co-star Matt Smith.

In the TV drama, Foy played the lead role as Queen Elizabeth and Smith portrayed her husband, Prince Philip.

The Crown producers Suzanne Mackie and Andy Harries revealed the pay gap on Tuesday at the INTV Conference in Jerusalem.

According to Variety, the duo claimed that Smith earned money because of his stint on the BBC series Doctor Who, which he starred on from 2010-2014.

While Mackie and Harries addressed the wage gap, they didn't explain why Foy continued to make less money than Smith when she garnered more fame as an award-winning actress in the second season.

After the first season of The Crown, Foy won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actor's Guild award for her portrayal, alongside nominations at the Bafta and Primetime Emmys.

She was nominated for another SAG Award and a Golden Globe. Smith received several nominations, but never bagged an award.

Fans spoke out to address their outrage about the wage gap. One user said that "the goddamn Queen can't even get equal pay".

Another commenter said: "Not to be dramatic or anything but the women of the crown, ESPECIALLY claire foy, carried the show. matt smith who? I DONT KNOW HER."

One user is encouraging people to write letters to Netflix about the situation.

The accolades didn't make a difference for Foy as Smith's salary remained higher for two seasons.

Mackie commented on the future salaries of The Crown saying, "Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen."

It has been revealed that Foy earned $40,000 (£28,500) per episode, but Smith's pay has yet to be revealed.