Fact Check: How Accurate is Netflix’s The Crown

Queen Elizabeth II, who recently celebrated her 90th birthday, is talk of the town again. This time, it is through her private life depicted in Netflix’s period drama called The Crown. While the show has been intriguing, it has also generated rumors about what actually happened in the lives of royal family members, especially the queen’s private life.Our fact check reveals the show’s accuracy in capturing the truth.

King George IV’s dirty limericks

If you heard King George IV telling dirty limericks in the premier episode itself and did not expect it from a royal family member, then let us tell you that this is somewhat accurate. A royal historian, Carolyn Harris has revealed that George IV used to lose his temper occasionally while using coarse language. George IV may also be short tempered in private settings, which is also depicted in The King’s Speech, a 2010 film.

The death of Churchill’s assistant, Venetia Scott

Winston Churchill’s charm has been shown to have made Venetia Scott develop a crush on him. However, before you could see her intense affair develop with Churchill, Scott was shown to have met an accident during the Great Smog of 1952. While the incident led Churchill to recheck his position on the smog, it does not have an evidence to be true. In fact, Scott may not even have existed in reality.

Queen’s friendship with childhood friend, Porchie

The Crown showed Queen Elizabeth having fun time with her childhood friend, Porchie, aka Lord Porchester. Her reactions while Porchie was round also affected her relationship with Philip. However, she tried proving her commitment to Philip. This depiction is true, as Porchie was a real person, very close to the queen. While there were also rumors of their romantic affair, the real evidence of it does not exist.

The strain in Philip and Elizabeth’s relationship

According to Carolyn Harris, it is an accurate depiction. Elizabeth’s accession has been shown to have an effect on Philip’s career and family life. It actually happened when even their children took their mother’s family name rather than that of Philip’s family. Philip also complained of it privately, as revealed by Gyles Brandreth, the royal biographer.

The alarming effects of the Great Smog

In the show, 1952’s Great Smog plays a central role. It created panic, and it was shown as an emergency and constitutional crisis. It was long-lasting, with long-term effects. However, the depiction is not completely true. The Great Smog had its devastating effects, but did not appear as a panic button. It did create an impact on environmental legislation to reduce air pollution. However, it was not a near-political crisis, as shown on The Crown.

The romantic relationship of Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend

Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Elizabeth, is portrayed to be having a romantic affair with a much older and divorced Peter Townsend. The facts stamp this depiction as true too. While Margaret wanted to marry Peter, she required a permission of Elizabeth for this marriage due to the Royal Marriages Act of 1772. However, she was not permitted to do this, as Peter was divorced. Her only option was to give up her royal life to marry him. Margaret then chose to end her relationship and released a public statement on her decision. She later married a photographer, Anthony Armstrong-Jones. Peter has mentioned about her decision in his 1978 autobiography, Time and Chance.

While viewers gossip on the depiction of Queen Elizabeth and family’s life on Netflix’s The Crown, all displayed has not come out to be true.

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