From the wedding of the Queen and Prince Philip to the political upheaval, find out all you need to know about the truth and fiction behind The Crown
By Eleanor Bley Griffiths
While Netflix’s royal drama The Crown tells the stories of many real-life characters and covers some very dramatic real-life events, it is – of course – also a work of fiction, employing a heavy dose of license. dramatic as you go behind the gates of Buckingham Palace
If you’re curious about what’s made and what’s fictional, we’ve got all the big questions covered by these in-depth features Take a look at the story that inspired seasons one, two and three of The Crown, and check back later for more on season four after it arrives on Sunday, November 15.
As royal historian Robert Lacey once wrote in Radio Times: « What you see is both made up and true » The Crown is thoroughly researched and relies heavily on historical events real; but it is also a work of theater and narration, rather than a documentary
Josh O’Connor, who stars as Prince Charles, also told The Express: “At the end of the day, it’s just not a real one. We are making a work of fiction and I think the people get it There is only so much of the real person that I play, beyond that it’s all about creating a character «
Nonetheless, many fans of The Crown will want to know more about the real-life events and relationships that we see onscreen What is the fact and what is fiction? For this reason, we’ve answered all the big (and small) questions from every season of The Crown so far
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The cast has changed, but The Crown is still so majestic; this was our take on the third season of the highly anticipated royal drama in our The Crown season 3 review
These ten episodes cover the period from 1964 to 1977 and feature Soviet spies, marriage crises, broken hearts, affairs, the death of a prime minister and the arrival of two more; there’s the moon landing, a disastrous documentary and a devastating tragedy in Wales Here are all of our historical guides to the true stories behind The Crown:
Was Queen Anthony Blunt’s artistic advisor really a Soviet spy? Season three begins with an episode about a member of the royal family who has been exposed as a member of the Cambridge Spy Network
The death of Winston Churchill: Did the Queen visit her former Prime Minister before his death – and did she attend his funeral? Plus, all the details of the massive state funeral we see depicted in The Crown
Did people really think Prime Minister Harold Wilson was a Soviet agent? Yes, there were certainly whispers going around! The true story of the spread of this conspiracy theory to the highest levels is absolutely fascinating
The relationship between Princess Margaret and Lyndon B Johnson: Did Princess Margaret charm (and kiss) President Lyndon B Johnson? We can’t give you a definitive answer to this question, but we can tell you about Margaret’s American tour – and whether she was the driving force in securing an American bailout for Britain
We can also take you into Margaret’s affair with Roddy Llewellyn and her marriage breakdown, which is a major focal point of season three
The actual story of The Crown Aberfan episode is totally devastating, and we spoke to disaster survivors who told us how the tragedy unfolded
Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Greece, had an extraordinary life, shaped by religion and world strife, and she also had a complex relationship with her son The Crown presents her at the end of her life, but she also uses a lot of dramatic license to tell her story
The real story behind the 1969 Royal Family documentary is quite funny, as the Royals opened up to ridicule We explained how he appeared onscreen, how people reacted, how Radio Times l covered back then and why your average person will never be able to watch it
Can Prince Charles speak Welsh? And was he sent to learn Welsh for the nomination? Who was his teacher Tedi Millward? How did the Welsh react to his arrival? And did he change his speech without permission from the Queen? This third season episode raises a lot of questions and we have found answers
Did Lord Mountbatten consider a coup to overthrow Harold Wilson – as part of a coup led by Lord Mountbatten? Harold Wilson’s coup episode is based on some compelling real-life tales, although it depends slightly on who you think
In season three of The Crown, Prince Philip also becomes obsessed with landing on the moon Prince Philip and the Apollo 11 moon landing astronauts have met in real life, but it doesn’t seem not having requested a private meeting with the three men Buzz Aldrin recalled, however: « Prince Philip, avid aviation enthusiast, was full of questions »
The Crown made a triumphant return to Netflix in December 2017, with season two picking up where the first season left off.In our review of season 2 of The Crown, we called the drama ‘majestic’, stating: « Claire Foy and Matt Smith are in lavish form as Netflix’s great British drama returns »
Personal relationships and political crises collide as Queen Elizabeth II’s reign spans the 1950s to the 1960s Here is what we know of the real life stories and events behind the second season:
What is the Suez Crisis and why did it bring down Prime Minister Anthony Eden? Explore the story behind the first episode of season two
The big question: was Prince Philip unfaithful? The Crown sidesteps the issue somewhat, but it does address the sensitive issue of rumors about Philip’s affairs – and how the Queen might have felt about it
Who was Prime Minister Harold Macmillan? We have prepared an introduction on the Tory Prime Minister, including information on his wife’s case
Prince Philip’s right-hand man Mike Parker was, indeed, a real person – and his position as Philip’s private secretary (and close friend) became untenable when his wife divorced him for adultery, attracting the queen’s husband in the scandal by questioning his own loyalty
Young Prince Charles: What was Prince Charles’ school really like – and why did he hate his time at Gordonstoun boarding school so much? And how was his relationship with his father?
How accurate is the story of the Queen’s Christmas Speech in The Crown? From Prince Philip’s overseas show, the Yacht Britannia, to the first televised Christmas speech in 1957, learn the story of the Queen’s Christmas Day show
The true story of Princess Margaret’s marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones is quite intense and ultimately quite brutal
Royal historian (and historical advisor) Robert Lacey gives us an expert take on precision in The Crown, explaining how to sort fact from fiction in Netflix’s royal drama He Peers. historian on the stories – and the occasional takeoff – of The Crown’s first series
What did young Prince Philip really look like? Watch Philip as a young man, as he prepared to marry the future Queen and the couple started their family together
The true story of Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend’s « forbidden love » is perfect material for a drama, and the actual story is just as interesting as what we see on screen
The life of Queen Elizabeth II: from her childhood to her war experiences, dating with Philip, her years as a princess, her ascension to the throne, the beginnings of her reign, her relationship with Winston Churchill and more again – take a look at this glimpse into the life of the monarch
What really happened to the portrait of Winston Churchill? And what is the story behind this « lost » work of art by Graham Sutherland?
Discover the story of the Great Smog that crippled London, as seen in The Crown – and learn more about Churchill’s response
Did Winston Churchill’s secretary, Venetia Scott, really exist? The short answer is ‘no’, but it serves as a sort of fictional composite of Churchill’s various secretaries – and a stand-in for other victims of great smog.
Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best shows on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV guide
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World news – UK – The real story behind Netflix’s The Crown
