Top 10 Things The Crown Season 5 Got Factually Right & Wrong
#10: Prince Philip’s DNA Was Used to Identify the Romanovs Right
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You don’t need to go too far back to connect these two dynasties on a family tree. Prince Philip is related to the Romanovs through both his parents and his grandparents, notably through Emperor Nicholas I of Russia and the wives of Emperor Nicholas II and Emperor Alexander II, among others. As the series shows, when bones believed to be the Romanovs’ remains were uncovered, the Prince was asked to provide a sample to see if the DNA matched. The Romanovs were successfully identified, and the Prince inadvertently assisted in advancing DNA Genealogy. The Queen’s grandfather, George V, was also a first cousin to the Tsar; supposedly, the King and “Nicky” were quite close. Apparently, he wanted to save his cousins, but reports suggest no asylum was officially offered.
#9: Dr. James Colthurst Was the Middle Man for Princess Diana & Andrew Morton Right
In 1992, biographer Andrew Morton released the book "Diana: Her True Story," which gave honest insights into the Princess' life and struggles. Many questioned the book's legitimacy, but it wasn't until after Diana's passing that it was revealed that the Princess was a willing collaborator. But how does someone acquire such tape recordings with someone so high profile without anyone noticing? Well, as "The Crown" depicts, Diana's close friend, Dr. James Colthurst, acted as their go-between. The episode also shows both men facing mysterious and ominous circumstances, although no reports suggest that really happened.. Rather, it illustrates Diana's growing fears for herself and her inner circle.
#8: Princess Margaret & Peter Townsend Briefly Reunited Right & Wrong
It’s true that these star-crossed lovers reunited after several decades, but not exactly in the way it’s portrayed on “The Crown.” Supposedly Peter Townsend, now a man in his 80s living in France, reached out after hearing the Princess on the radio show “Desert Island Discs.” However, the pair didn’t meet at a party as the show suggests. Rather Princess Margaret reportedly invited her old beau for tea at her Kensington Palace apartment. In the episode, the pair rendez-vous again, where Townsend reveals that he’s dying, a fact that’s sadly also true. But going back to their real life lunch date, apparently, the Princess told a close friend that he was “charming” and hadn’t “changed at all.”
#7: The “Annus Horribilis” Speech Right & Wrong
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As the Queen so famously said in different words: 1992 was not a good year for the Royal family. It was the year that three of her children’s marriages collapsed, and a fire caused $47.5 million worth of damage to Windsor Castle. In November of that year, she delivered her well-known speech at Guildhall to commemorate the 40th year of her reign. While at first, it looks like we’re about to get a word-perfect reenactment, it soon veers into fiction. The real Queen didn’t talk about “the errors of our past” or pay tribute to her family; there’s also no evidence the Queen Mom objected to the contents of the speech. We wonder why on this occasion, Peter Morgan chose to rewrite history rather than recreate it.
#6: The Al-Fayeds & the Royal Family Right & Wrong
The third episode introduces us to Mohamed Al-Fayed, an Egyptian businessman closely tied to the royals throughout the 90s. He's portrayed as a royalist who supposedly purchases the world-famous Harrods store just to meet the Queen. In reality, Al-Fayed reportedly harbored hostility toward the monarchy since the U.K. repeatedly denied him citizenship. Though reports differ about when and where they first met, he definitely would have encountered Princess Diana at a polo game. However, such an encounter wouldn’t have been exactly the prelude to the meet-cute we see on the show. Diana was there supporting her husband, Prince Charles, who was playing alongside Dodi Al-Fayed. As we know, Diana and Dodi would later enter a romantic relationship, although he was allegedly engaged to another woman at the time.
#5: Prince Philip’s Affair Wrong
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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's relationship hit several roadblocks throughout the series. In season five, it heads toward a new hurdle when Prince Philip finds intimacy with Lady Penny Knatchbull, a woman more than 30 years younger than him. They grow close when the senior royal helps the Countess through unimaginable grief, leading to the pair spending more time together. It's true that they had a special bond, shared plenty of common interests, and enjoyed each other's company, but it was just platonic. Of course, their closeness sparked romance rumors, which Prince Philip waved off by pointing out that he never goes anywhere unaccompanied, so a secret affair would be pretty impossible. Still, could it have happened? Unlikely.
#4: The Revenge Dress Right
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Elizabeth Debicki shared that following the announcement of her casting as Princess Diana, she was inundated with messages asking if she'll get to wear the iconic "revenge dress." In the series, as in reality, the famous outfit makes its debut after Prince Charles confesses to being unfaithful during a television interview. The dress designed by Christina Stambolian had been in Diana's closet for a few years, but she thought it too daring for her tastes. But now, she seemingly wanted to make a statement and had the perfect off-the-shoulder cocktail number to make a significant impact. Indeed, this moment is forever etched into history, so there's no way "The Crown" could leave it out. And didn't the costume department do a phenomenal job?
#3: Tampongate Right
Also known as “Camillagate,” this refers to the scandal after an intimate telephone conversation between the Prince and Camilla was leaked to a tabloid and later published by The People in 1993. The name came from a comment Charles makes about, let’s just say, wanting to be very close to his lover. It was a humiliating scandal for the royal family, and the heir took a lot of heat even though his and Camilla’s privacy had been invaded. It didn’t help their public image, though, so, as we see, Prince Charles employed Mark Bolland to turn things around. Still, did they really have to make us relive this excruciating ordeal? How can we ever look at the King or Queen Consort in the same way again?
#2: The “Panorama” Interview Right & Wrong
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Princess Diana’s 1995 interview with Martin Bashir has gone down in infamy due to its explosive revelations. Indeed, “The Crown” compiles her most earth-shattering confessions and condenses them into a roughly four-minute-long scene. They also decided to address the 2020 investigation in which Bashir was exposed for misleading the royal to secure this exclusive chat. We also see the BBC’s chairman Marmaduke Hussey, butt heads with Director-General John Birt over it, which is also supposedly true. However, no record suggests Diana gave the Queen a heads-up before the interview aired. The Queen reportedly told former National Theater director Sir Richard Eyre that she believed it was “a frightful thing to do.” Just imagine if Di had warned her! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Prince Charles & Princess Diana Met Privately After Their Divorce: Wrong Would You Wanna Share Scrambled Eggs after a Messy Split? Prince Charles Breakdanced at a Prince’s Trust Charity Event: Right Don’t Believe Us? See for Yourselves Prince Charles Flew Business Class to Hong Kong While the Blairs Sat in First: Right He Reportedly Noted His Uncomfortable Seat First Alerted Him to His Downgrade, Saying, “Such Is the End of Empire” Princess Di Went Incognito for a Night Out: Right & Wrong This Is Seemingly a Mishmash of Events, but Diana Really Snuck Out to the Theater in Disguise The Queen Wanted HMY Britannia to Be Renovated at Public Expense: Right The PM Reportedly Didn’t Think Refurbishing or Replacing the Royal Yacht Was Appropriate For the Economic Climate
#1: Prince Charles Tried to Oust The Queen Wrong
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Given the show's tendency to set fictionalized stories against the backdrop of actual history, you can understand why this is one of the season's most controversial plot points. In the episode, prompted by a public poll in The Sunday Times, Prince Charles approaches the Prime Minister with a plan to force his mom to abdicate. This story caught the ire of former Conservative leader John Major, who blasted the show for creating "damaging and malicious fiction." The former PM said he hadn't been consulted and urged viewers not to believe what they saw. A spokesperson for "The Crown" hit back, saying their show is "a fictional dramatization, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors." But do you think they went too far this time?
