Let’s Get It Right: Historians Point Out 35 Historical Errors in “The Crown”

The Fictional Death of Venetia Scott

The show claims that Churchill’s secretary died in the deadly 1952 London smog when she was hit by a bus. This dramatic scene tugs at viewers’ heartstrings. In reality, Venetia Scott never existed. The writers invented her character completely. While the Great Smog did kill thousands of Londoners, this specific tragedy was created purely for dramatic effect. The fabrication serves as an emotional hook in the storyline but has no basis in historical fact.

Queen Elizabeth and Churchill’s Relationship

“The Crown” portrays constant tension between the young queen and her aging prime minister. Their meetings often seem like power struggles. The truth was quite different. Elizabeth and Churchill actually shared a warm, respectful relationship throughout his time as PM. She greatly admired him, and he became something of a mentor to the inexperienced monarch during her early reign. Their genuine mutual admiration contradicts the dramatic conflicts shown on screen.

Princess Margaret’s Thwarted Romance

“The Crown” shows the Queen directly forbidding Margaret’s marriage to Group Captain Peter Townsend. The series frames this as a cruel rejection. The historical record tells us otherwise. Margaret herself chose not to marry Townsend. Her decision came after much reflection about her royal duties and the Church’s position on divorce. No direct ban from Elizabeth existed. The princess made her own choice, influenced by complex factors beyond simple royal disapproval.

Charles and Diana’s First Meeting

According to the show, Diana first met Prince Charles while dressed as a “mad tree” from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” She hides behind foliage, creating a whimsical first encounter. The actual meeting was far more conventional. They met at a shooting party at Althorp in 1977. No costumes, no Shakespeare, and no hiding behind plants took place during their first introduction. This fabrication exemplifies how the series often sacrifices accuracy for theatrical storytelling.

Charles Pushing for Abdication

Season 5 depicts Charles secretly meeting with Prime Minister John Major to discuss the Queen potentially stepping down. This portrayal suggests Charles was actively working against his mother. Major himself has firmly denied any such conversations ever occurred. The former PM called this storyline a “barrel-load of nonsense” and “malicious fiction.” This fabricated conspiracy theory creates drama where none existed in reality.

The Queen Considering Abdication

The series shows Elizabeth drafting an abdication speech, suggesting she seriously considered stepping down. This contradicts everything we know about her character and reign. Elizabeth viewed her role as a lifelong duty and service. Her famous 21st birthday speech promised service for her “whole life,” a vow she kept until her death. The notion of her contemplating abdication contradicts her core principles and lifetime commitment to the crown.

Michael Fagan’s Royal Bedroom Chat

“The Crown” depicts intruder Michael Fagan having a long, philosophical conversation with the Queen about Thatcher’s policies. They discuss unemployment and politics at length. The real incident lasted only minutes. The Queen quickly summoned help after finding Fagan in her bedroom. No extended discussion about politics or the state of Britain ever happened. This dramatic license transforms a security breach into a fictional social commentary.

Queen Leaking Criticism of Thatcher

Season 4 has the Queen intentionally leaking her disapproval of Thatcher’s “uncaring” policies to the press. This portrays her as politically motivated. No evidence exists that Elizabeth authorized such a leak. The Sunday Times story about royal disapproval likely came from staff speculation or palace insiders, not from the Queen herself. Elizabeth was famously careful to remain politically neutral throughout her reign, making this storyline particularly questionable.

Prince Philip’s Nazi Family Connections

The show heavily emphasizes Philip’s family’s Nazi ties, suggesting a deep personal connection. While some of Philip’s sisters did have Nazi husbands, Philip himself served loyally in the British Royal Navy during WWII. He fought against the Nazis, and his personal views never aligned with fascism. The show exaggerates this family background unnecessarily. His wartime service against Germany speaks louder than his sisters’ controversial marriages.

Diana’s “Uptown Girl” Performance

“The Crown” shows Diana performing “Uptown Girl” at the Royal Opera House, embarrassing Charles. The dance supposedly created public tension between them. The reality was quite different. Diana did dance to the song, but at a private Royal Ballet Christmas party in 1985. Charles reportedly found the surprise performance amusing rather than humiliating. The show transforms a playful moment into a public scandal that never actually occurred.

Lord Mountbatten’s Assassination

The series places Charles in Iceland when he learns of Mountbatten’s murder and ties it to an ongoing rift. Actually, Charles was in Scotland when he received the devastating news. He was deeply affected by the loss of his mentor. The show fabricates tensions between them right before the assassination to heighten the drama of Mountbatten’s death. This manipulation of tragedy for emotional effect disrespects the real grief experienced.

The Onset of Diana’s Bulimia

“The Crown” suggests Diana’s bulimia began right after her engagement due to Charles’s continued relationship with Camilla. The timing is inaccurate. Diana herself revealed her eating disorder started earlier, triggered by broader pressures of royal life and various stresses. The show simplifies a complex mental health struggle for narrative convenience. This misrepresentation of eating disorders does a disservice to understanding mental health challenges.

Philip Forcing Charles to Attend Gordonstoun

The series frames Prince Philip harshly forcing Charles to attend his alma mater against his will. This appears as a cruel personal battle. While Charles genuinely disliked Gordonstoun, the decision reflected standard aristocratic practice more than paternal tyranny. Philip believed the school would toughen Charles up, not punish him. Their relationship had complexity beyond this conflict. The show exaggerates familial tension for dramatic effect.

Queen Mother’s Confrontation with Wallis Simpson

“The Crown” shows open hostility between the Queen Mother and Wallis Simpson at the Duke of Windsor’s funeral. Historical accounts tell a different story. While privately bitter about the abdication crisis, the Queen Mother maintained public civility toward Wallis. Royal protocol prevented such obvious displays of personal animosity, especially at formal occasions like funerals. The dramatized confrontation ignores the careful public composure maintained by royals.

Anthony Eden’s Drug-Fueled Collapse

The show attributes Eden’s Suez Crisis failures primarily to his drug addiction and deteriorating health. This oversimplifies complex geopolitics. While Eden did have health problems, the Suez Crisis resulted from serious policy miscalculations and international pressure. His medical issues compounded problems but didn’t cause the diplomatic disaster portrayed in the series. The show reduces historical complexity to personal drama.

Jackie Kennedy’s Royal Snub

Season 2 portrays Jackie Kennedy openly mocking the Queen after their meeting, calling Buckingham Palace “second-rate, dilapidated and sad.” The visit between the two women was actually quite cordial. No confirmed account exists of Jackie insulting Elizabeth. The show invents this conflict to create tension between two iconic women of the era. This fabricated feud serves no historical purpose except manufacturing drama.

Harold Wilson as a KGB Spy

“The Crown” entertains serious suspicions that Prime Minister Harold Wilson might be a Soviet agent. This was a fringe conspiracy theory, thoroughly dismissed by MI5. No credible evidence ever suggested Wilson spied for the KGB. The real relationship between Wilson and the Queen was respectful and productive, without the cloud of espionage the show suggests. This storyline plays into Cold War paranoia rather than historical reality.

Charles’s Welsh Speech Rebellion

The series presents Charles’s 1969 investiture speech in Welsh as a bold, rebellious statement against royal tradition. The historical speech was carefully scripted and palace-approved. Learning Welsh was part of Charles’s duty preparation, not an act of defiance. The palace fully supported his efforts to connect with Welsh people through their language. The show transforms a thoughtful cultural gesture into manufactured family conflict.

Philip’s Moon Landing Midlife Crisis

“The Crown” depicts the Apollo 11 mission triggering an existential crisis in Prince Philip. He supposedly meets with the astronauts seeking meaning. Though Philip was genuinely interested in space exploration, no evidence supports the dramatic soul-searching portrayed. He met the astronauts briefly during their world tour, without any personal crisis connection. The show projects modern midlife crisis narratives onto historical figures inappropriately.

Camilla’s Omnipresence in Charles’s Youth

The show suggests Camilla remained constantly in Charles’s orbit throughout his early adult life. The timeline doesn’t match reality. After her marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973, Camilla and Charles’s relationship paused for many years. They weren’t in regular contact during much of his marriage to Diana, contrary to what the series implies. The show collapses time to create a continuous love triangle that didn’t exist.

The Queen’s Reluctance to Visit Aberfan

Season 3 shows Elizabeth stubbornly resisting visiting the Aberfan disaster site, appearing cold and detached. Her delay actually stemmed from not wanting to distract from rescue efforts. She later acknowledged the delay as a mistake. The Queen eventually visited and maintained a special relationship with the Welsh mining village throughout her reign. The show ignores her genuine concern and subsequent relationship with the community.

Margaret Thatcher’s Balmoral Failure

“The Crown” depicts Thatcher humiliatingly failing a series of royal protocol tests at Balmoral Castle. No formal “Balmoral test” existed. While Thatcher did find the royal Scottish retreat uncomfortable, the visits were simply stiff but routine affairs. The show exaggerates the awkwardness for comic effect and to highlight class differences. These fictional social humiliations create false narratives about class tension.

Diana’s Australia Tour Triumph

The series presents Diana’s 1983 Australia tour success as spontaneous and coming at Charles’s expense. The tremendous public response to Diana was real, but the tour was carefully planned. Her popularity grew naturally due to her warmth with ordinary people. Charles wasn’t deliberately sidelined as the show suggests; royal tours always involve meticulous preparation. The manufactured competition between the couple distorts their actual working relationship.

Philip’s Carriage Driving Eccentricity

Season 5 portrays Philip’s carriage driving as a sudden midlife hobby showing his eccentricity. The truth is more straightforward. Philip took up competitive carriage driving in the 1970s after playing polo became too physically demanding. It wasn’t an odd quirk but a serious sport he pursued for decades, writing books about it and competing internationally. The show mischaracterizes a genuine passion as a peculiar distraction.

The Royal Divorce Summit

“The Crown” shows the Queen forcing Charles and Diana into crisis talks about their failing marriage. The separation process didn’t unfold this way. Their separation was mutually agreed upon through private arrangements and advisors. No dramatic summit meeting occurred where Elizabeth ordered them to resolve their differences as depicted in the series. The show creates fictional confrontations to heighten family drama around their separation.

Diana’s Solo Landmine Campaign

The show frames Diana’s landmine walk as a solo crusade against Charles. This misrepresents her humanitarian work. Diana’s landmine advocacy was a planned effort in collaboration with the Halo Trust charity. It wasn’t motivated by personal rivalry with Charles but by genuine concern for victims of these weapons around the world. The show reduces meaningful humanitarian work to personal revenge, diminishing Diana’s legacy.

The Queen’s Resistance to Mourning Diana

Season 6 depicts Elizabeth stubbornly refusing to mourn Diana publicly after her death. The reality had more nuance. The Queen stayed at Balmoral to support her grieving grandsons, William and Harry. She did return to London under public pressure, but her priority was protecting her grandchildren during their personal tragedy. The series ignores her genuine concern for her family’s wellbeing during this crisis.

Tony Blair’s Aggressive Modernization Push

“The Crown” shows Blair aggressively demanding the Queen modernize after Diana’s death. Their actual interactions were more respectful. Blair offered gentle advice during a difficult time. The phrase “People’s Princess” originated with Blair, not as the Queen’s reluctant concession. Their working relationship had more mutual respect than the series portrays. The fictional confrontations ignore their professional collaboration during a national crisis.

Tension at Camilla’s Wedding

The series suggests Elizabeth reluctantly attended Charles and Camilla’s wedding under duress. In reality, the Queen approved their blessing ceremony. She skipped only the civil ceremony due to her role as Head of the Church of England, not personal disapproval. She hosted their reception at Windsor Castle, showing her support for the union. The show creates false conflict where acceptance and reconciliation actually occurred.

The Royal Shock at Edward VIII’s Nazi Ties

“The Crown” portrays the royal family as stunned by Edward VIII’s Nazi sympathies. The family knew about and distanced themselves from his Nazi connections since 1937. The Marburg Files and his German visits weren’t shocking revelations but confirmed existing concerns. Edward’s pro-German stance had been a family embarrassment for years before WWII. The show treats established historical knowledge as dramatic revelations.

King George VI’s Speech Impediment

The series treats the King’s stammer as a minor character note rather than a significant challenge. George VI worked intensively with speech therapist Lionel Logue to overcome his severe stammer. This struggle represented a major personal triumph that the show underplays, despite it being central to the King’s confidence in public speaking. Minimizing this challenge diminishes his courage and perseverance.

Princess Anne’s Kidnapping Attempt

“The Crown” reduces Anne’s 1974 kidnapping attempt to a brief, quippy moment highlighting her toughness. The actual incident was more serious. A gunman shot her bodyguard and driver while trying to abduct her. Anne refused to exit her car and escaped, showing genuine courage under life-threatening circumstances. She was understandably shaken by the traumatic experience. This understated portrayal minimizes a genuinely frightening incident.

The Queen’s First Television Broadcast

The series portrays Elizabeth as reluctant about her first TV Christmas broadcast. She actually embraced the 1957 broadcast as a way to connect with ordinary citizens. Elizabeth understood the importance of adapting royal traditions to modern media. Far from resistant, she recognized television’s power to make monarchy more accessible to the public. The show falsely depicts her as technologically conservative when she was often forward-thinking.

Philip and Penelope Knatchbull’s Relationship

Season 5 hints at a flirtatious relationship between Philip and Penelope Knatchbull. They were indeed close friends who shared a passion for carriage driving. No evidence suggests any romantic involvement. The show creates unnecessary innuendo around a friendship based on shared interests. Their connection through the sport remained appropriate throughout. This sensationalism reflects tabloid speculation rather than verified history.

William and Kate’s First Meeting

“The Crown” shows William and Kate’s relationship beginning with instant attraction at St. Andrews University. Their actual relationship developed more gradually. They met in 2001 and were friends first before dating. Kate initially dated someone else, and William only became romantically interested in her after seeing her in a charity fashion show months later. The show replaces their gradual romance with a love-at-first-sight cliché that distorts reality.

Conclusion

The show excels at creating compelling television but fails as reliable history. Many of its most memorable moments exist only in the writers’ imagination. The actual Windsor story, with its measured responses to crises and emphasis on duty over drama, offers different but equally compelling lessons about power, family, and public service.