If you spent any time watching E!’s campy, high-stakes drama The Royals, you know the show thrived on backstabbing, silk sheets, and enough gin to sink a battleship. But the central mystery of the first season—the one that really drove the plot off a cliff—was the murder of King Simon Henstridge. For weeks, fans were guessing. Was it the scheming Cyrus? The cold-hearted Queen Helena? Some random anarchist group? When the mask finally slipped, the reveal was a gut-punch: Ted Pryce did it.
The Head of Security. The man Simon trusted most.
It felt like a betrayal of the highest order, but if you look at the jagged pieces of Ted’s psyche, it actually makes a twisted kind of sense. Understanding why did ted kill the king in the royals requires digging into a decade of buried resentment and a very specific, very personal tragedy that the palace tried to sweep under the rug.
The Breaking Point of a Loyal Soldier
Ted Pryce wasn't born a killer. For years, he was the literal shield for the Henstridge family. He took his job seriously—maybe too seriously. But the show reveals that Ted’s loyalty was eroded by a singular event: the death of his wife.
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Years before the show starts, Ted’s wife was killed during a chaotic event involving the monarchy. In Ted’s mind, the institution he protected was the very thing that destroyed his personal world. He didn't just wake up and decide to commit regicide because he wanted a promotion. He did it because he was a man hollowed out by grief. He blamed the crown for his loneliness.
You see, Simon was a "good" king, but he was still the face of the system. Ted saw the monarchy as a parasite. He believed that by removing the head—Simon—he could somehow achieve justice for his late wife. It’s a classic case of a man projecting all his internal pain onto a single figurehead. He convinced himself that Simon’s blood would wash away his own guilt and sorrow.
The Domino Effect of Prince Robert’s "Death"
We also have to talk about the context of that night. The monarchy was in shambles. Prince Robert was presumed dead. Simon was heartbroken and, frankly, ready to abolish the monarchy entirely.
Ted knew this.
He saw a king who was weak, a family that was crumbling, and an opportunity to strike. It’s important to remember that Ted’s daughter, Ophelia, was deeply involved with Prince Liam. This added a layer of "fatherly protection" that Ted used to justify his actions. He told himself he was saving his daughter from the toxic orbit of the royals. He thought he was breaking the cycle.
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Honestly, it’s kinda pathetic when you look at it closely. Ted was a professional who allowed a personal vendetta to override his oath. When he stabbed Simon in the palace gardens, it wasn't a political statement for the people of England. It was a middle finger to the universe for taking his wife.
The Manipulation of the Dominoes
Ted didn't just act alone in a vacuum of emotion; he was also being nudged. While the show makes it clear Ted pulled the trigger (or, in this case, held the blade), the atmosphere of the palace played a role. Cyrus was constantly undermining Simon. Helena was focused on her own power. Ted was surrounded by people who didn't value Simon’s life, which likely made his own dark impulses feel more "right."
But let's be real: Simon loved Ted. That’s the real tragedy. Simon viewed Ted as his only true friend in a world of vipers. When Simon went out for that walk, he wasn't looking for a fight. He was looking for peace. Ted gave him a grave instead.
Why the "Common People" Theory Failed
Early on, the show teased that a group of anti-monarchists killed the king. This was a brilliant bit of misdirection. It allowed Ted to hide in plain sight. As Head of Security, he was the one "investigating" the very crime he committed. It gave him total control over the narrative.
He planted evidence. He redirected suspicion.
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He used the public's general dislike of the royals as a smokescreen. Most viewers thought, "Oh, it's just a political assassination." But The Royals was never really about politics; it was about family trauma. Ted’s motivation was 100% domestic. He wanted the king dead because he wanted the Henstridges to feel the same emptiness he felt every time he looked at his wife’s side of the bed.
The Fallout: Was It Worth It?
If Ted thought killing Simon would bring him peace, he was dead wrong. It ended up destroying his relationship with Ophelia and eventually led to his own violent end.
In the world of The Royals, blood always demands more blood.
Ted’s actions didn't end the monarchy. They just paved the way for Cyrus to take the throne—a man far more dangerous and cruel than Simon ever was. By killing the "good" king, Ted actually made the world worse for everyone, including his own daughter. It’s a classic Shakespearean irony. The man who wanted to stop the suffering caused by the crown ended up intensifying it.
Understanding the Visual Cues
If you rewatch the episodes leading up to the reveal, look at Ted’s eyes. Actor William Moseley (Liam) and Alexandra Park (Eleanor) get a lot of the spotlight, but Jeff Stewart’s performance as Ted is chillingly subtle. You can see the moment the mask starts to crack. He isn't just a stoic guard; he’s a man vibrating with hidden rage.
The showrunners dropped breadcrumbs about his wife’s death early on, but they were easy to miss amidst the "Becky with the good hair" drama and the partying. Looking back, the question isn't just why he did it, but how he managed to stay sane enough to keep the job for so long before finally snapping.
Reality Check: The Motives Defined
To simplify a very messy situation, Ted’s decision to kill King Simon boiled down to three specific things:
- Vengeance for his wife: The primary driver. He held the monarchy responsible for her death and wanted Simon to pay the ultimate price.
- Abolitionist delusions: He convinced himself that killing Simon would collapse the monarchy and free the UK (and his daughter) from its influence.
- Opportunity and Access: He was the only person who could get close enough to Simon without raising alarms. He used his position of trust as his greatest weapon.
It’s a dark reminder that sometimes the person standing behind you to protect you is the one holding the knife.
Taking Action: How to Spot These Tropes in Drama
If you’re a fan of mystery writing or television analysis, Ted’s arc is a masterclass in the "The Trusted Advisor" trope. When looking at similar whodunnits, you can apply these steps to figure out the killer before the reveal:
- Look for the "Invisible" Character: Who is in every scene but rarely the focus of the drama? That’s your Ted.
- Identify the Unresolved Grief: Almost every "shock" killer in modern drama is motivated by a past loss that the protagonist has forgotten but the killer hasn't.
- Trace the Access: Ignore the people who have a motive but no way to get to the victim. Focus on the person who has the keys to the house.
Ted Pryce remains one of the most polarizing characters in the series because he started as a hero and ended as the ultimate villain. He proved that in the world of the Henstridges, nobody—not even the man sworn to die for you—is truly on your side.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the show's lore, your next move should be re-evaluating Prince Robert's return in Season 3. It recontextualizes everything Ted thought he knew about that fateful night and makes his decision to kill Simon look even more impulsive and tragic in hindsight. Check out the episode "The Counterfeit Presentment of Two Brothers" to see how the ripple effects of Ted's actions finally come to a head.