The Crown is one of the most popular historical dramas today. Garnering Emmy nominations and fans around the world, the series details the lives of the current royal family, from the death of King George VIII to today. The remarkable aspect of the series is its commitment to realism and reenactment, while still offering a dramatized look behind closed doors.
But, as with every historical drama, there are errors in judgment and artistic liberties made. The Crown is no different. Throughout its first two seasons, The Crown either exaggerated past events or flat out fabricated them. This list pulls together 10 of the biggest historical inaccuracies.
Phillip’s Flying Lessons Weren’t A Big Deal
In the first season of The Crown, Phillip enlisted Peter Townsend, Equerry to the Queen, to teach him how to fly. Townsend was an accomplished member of the Royal Air Force, and as such would have expert knowledge of plane travel. While Phillip did begin taking lessons in 1952, he was not instructed by Townsend.
Later on, the series shows Winston Churchill to be quite upset by the news that the Prince is learning to fly. He cites the death of the Prince’s sister as an especially relevant reason not to do so. In reality, there is no evidence or reason the Prime Minister would care (as long as Elizabeth wasn’t in the plane with him alone).
Elizabeth Was Not The Villain In The Townsend Scandal
One of the more tragic plots of The Crown was the doomed relationship between Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend. The series shows the two as tragic lovers pulled apart by a broken system, with Elizabeth at the heart of it all. Because of Elizabeth, the Prime Minister, and the Church of England, Margaret is forced to break off her engagement to Townsend since he is a divorcee.
But, in reality, it was Margaret’s own choice to break off the engagement, with Elizabeth stating her support of her sister no matter what. Margaret cited her duty as part of the royal family and member of the Anglican church, as well as a growing apart between herself and Townsend.
Phillip’s Involvement In The Profumo Scandal Was Overblown
Another major scandal in the series was the Profumo Affair. This controversy stemmed from a steamy affair between then-Secretary of State for War John Profumo and the model Christine Keeler. The entire affair exposed a sex ring among the conservative party of Britain. But just how was the royal family involved? Well, the series claims that Phillip was somehow implicated in the affair, due to the fact that a painted portrait of him by Stephen Ward, the ringleader of these racy get-togethers, was recovered.
While Ward was an established painter who had done portraits for most of the royal family, that was the only connection. Certainly, there were rumored affairs between Phillip and other high profile figures, but there wasn’t an ounce of evidence linking him to the Profumo scandal.
Phillip’s Parents Didn’t Blame Him For His Sister’s Death
Phillip’s past haunts him to no end throughout the series. It makes sense too, as being exiled from your homeland, losing your sister to a firey accident, and losing your mother to mental illness would upset any reasonable person. The loss of his sister though was remarkably difficult and was shown to have created a rift between himself and his father.
During the procession at her funeral, Phillip’s father verbally berated him, blaming him for her death. This never happened, and there is no proof of such resentment.
Charles And Phillip’s Relationship
If someone made a biopic about your life, would you watch it? Well, that is exactly what Queen Elizabeth did when The Crown was released. She has gone on record as loving the program, and for reliving the fond memories. She did have one critique though, claiming that a certain storyline from the second series carried no weight of truth.
In the second season, Prince Charles and Prince Phillip suffer a rift in their relationship after Charles fails to acclimate to Phillip’s boyhood alma mater. Phillip berated his son, calling him weak and embarrassing him. According to the Queen, this portrayal is completely untrue and was the only aspect of the show that hurt her.
Phillip’s Affair With The Ballerina Never Happened
Prince Phillip’s infidelity was a driving force behind the drama of season two of The Crown. The Royal Prince’s romantic escapades brought controversy to the family and tore a rift in the marriage that was somewhat repaired by the end. The catalyst for the reveal was Elizabeth finding a photograph of Russian Ballet Dancer Galina Ulanova.
The only problem? None of it happened. While Ulanova was a real dancer, and Phillip was rumored to have affairs, the two never merged. Most likely what happened was Phillip’s many rumored affairs with actresses were replaced by that of the ballet dancer. Why the writers chose a real-life figure as opposed to a fictional one is another question though.
The Queen Never Met With Lord Altrincham
A pain in the side of the royals during the late fifties came from the former Lord Altrincham, who gave up his title and pursued the reevaluation of the monarchy in British society. The series showed the Queen meeting with him in secret, discussing how the Monarchy can become closer and more open with their people.
While the crown did follow his suggestions during the time, such as broadcasting the Queen’s Christmas speech, the two never met in person. This was a complete fabrication on the part of the showrunners.
Phillip Wouldn’t Have Minded Kneeling
Early on near her Coronation, Elizabeth and Phillip struggled to maintain their relationship with her newfound power. Phillip, who was a bit of a traditional man’s man, struggled to show reverence and submission to his new queen. Even the simple act of bowing to her was shown to be a major hurdle for him to cross.
In reality, Phillip most likely wouldn’t have expressed any issue in this regard. Phillip was trained in royal customs from birth, understanding the ins and outs of royal etiquette. Bowing to one’s queen, no matter the relationship is expected.
Phillip’s Mother Never Wore A Nun’s Habit At Their Wedding
One of the more tragic events in Phillip’s life was that of his mother’s fate. Princess Andrew fell to mental illness, being locked away in an asylum for years. Upon her release, she took up a life as a nun for the final two decades of her life.
While she did wear her habit to the coronation of Elizabeth, she did not wear it to their wedding. The series combines the moment into one, showing her attending the wedding in her traditional religious garb. This never happened, as photos of the event proved.
Venetia Scott Didn’t Exist
The great smog was a disastrous event in the history of London. This monstrous accumulation of fog and pollution cause sickness and death for years to come. The catalyst for change for Churchill to act on the tragedy was the death of his secretary Venetia Scott, who was hit by a bus who could not see her through the smog.
While it is true that Churchill was late to act on the event, Venetia Scott never existed, standing as a fictional character. She does embody many of the experiences found in the memoirs of many of Churchill’s former assistants and secretaries though.
