‘I support her’: Matt Smith breaks silence on Claire Foy pay gap and says The Crown producers 'made amends'

Matt Smith has broken his silence on the pay disparity between himself and co-star Claire Foy on The Crown, claiming that "amends" have been made.

Foy was paid a lower wage than Smith, who played Prince Phillip, despite having the leading role as Queen Elizabeth II in the hit Netflix drama.

Smith has now spoken out, saying he supports “best friend” Foy and suggesting that producers have since rectified the pay gap.

Speaking at the premiere of his latest film Mapplethorpe he told Hollywood Reporter: “Claire is one of my best friends, and I believe that we should be paid equally and fairly and there should be equality for all.

“I support her completely, and I'm pleased that it was resolved and they made amends for it because that what's needed to happen. Going forward, I think we should all bear in mind that we need to strive to make this better and a more even playing field for everyone involved — but not just in our industry, in all industries.”

His comments come weeks after fans of the royal drama launched a petition, calling on Smith to “make up for the sexist pay gap” by donating the difference in his and Foy’s paychecks to The Time’s Up movement which aims to stamp out inequality and harassment in the work place.

Foy previously addressed the disparity, saying both herself and Smith found it “odd” to be at the centre of a furore.

“I’m surprised because I’m at the centre of it, and anything that I’m at the centre of like that is very, very odd, and feels very, very out of ordinary,” she told Entertainment Weekly.

“But I’m not [surprised about the interest in the story] in the sense that it was a female-led drama. I’m not surprised that people saw the story and went, ‘Oh that’s a bit odd’.

“But I know that Matt feels the same that I do, that it’s odd to find yourself at the centre [of a story] that you didn’t particularly ask for.”

Show producers Suzanne Mackie and Andy Harries made the revelation about Foy’s pay during a panel discussion, saying Smith had made more “due to his Doctor Who fame”.

Mackie then added: “Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen.”

Left Bank Pictures, which makes The Crown on behalf of Netflix, apologised for the pay disparity and subsequent fall out.

Foy and Smith’s tenures as the royals have finished, with Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies confirmed to take on Her Majesty and Prince Philip respectively for series three.