With season four of The Crown yet to be released on Netflix, many fans have being binging on season three in readiness – but how much of the drama is truth and how much is fiction?
WATCH: Sneak peek of The Crown Season 3
Fortunately, FEMAIL‘s fact checkers have taken a good look at the current season of the TV show – which covers the years 1964 to 1977 – and compared its storylines to the history books.
While there are some surprising similarities between the events shown on The Crown, and controversial real life events – there are also scenes which have clearly been amped up for your viewing pleasure.
Read on (but beware, there are spoilers!) to find out about three snippets from season three.
WHAT THE CROWN SHOWS
In episode two, Princess Margaret (Helena Bonham Carter) embarks on a tour of the US with husband Lord Snowden (Ben Daniels) in 1965. Her task is to secure a loan from President Lyndon B. Johnson (Clancy Brown) at any cost, and prevent Britain’s economic ruin.
WHAT THE FACT CHECKERS SAY: MOSTLY FALSE!
It is mostly a highly dramatised, fictitious version of events.
Princess Margaret did visit the US, but it had nothing to do with a US loan – the royal and her husband were requested to extend their trip to America by the Labour government to include official engagements to promote trade in general.
At the dinner it is unlikely Princess Margaret would’ve kissed the president on the lips.
WHAT THE CROWN SHOWS
Princess Margaret shines in bright pink and orange gowns while in America in the second episode.
The Queen’s younger sister steals the show when visiting President Johnson in the bright number, winning the politician over with her sparkling personality.
WHAT THE FACT CHECKERS SAY: FALSE!
The royal actually wore a simple pink dress for her visit.
However, The Crown’s costumer designer Amy Roberts told Hello! magazine: “I try to reflect the rootlessness and toxicity in Margaret… We used more flamboyant styles and fabrics to try to point out that wildness with no direction.”
WHAT THE CROWN SHOWS
In episode three, tragedy strikes the Welsh mining village of Aberfan, with the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip, which slid down the hill onto the village below
The devastating event – which became known as the Aberfan disaster – resulted in 144 people losing their lives, 116 of whom were children.
The Crown claims the monarch was forced to visit after a public backlash. During the outing, Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman) dabs her eye as if wiping a tear after talking to the bereaved. Olivia then voiced the line: “I dabbed a bone-dry eye and by some miracle no one noticed.”
WHAT THE FACT CHECKERS SAY: FALSE!
The Queen’s decision to not visit Aberfan immediately after disaster struck is said to be one of her biggest regrets, despite their being no adverse publicity to her actions at the time – from neither the government nor the public.
Those who assisted her at the time, claimed that when she did visit the village eight days after the incident occurred she was visibly upset by the tragedy.
“Aberfan affected the Queen very deeply, I think, when she went there. It was one of the few occasions in which she shed tears in public,” said Sir William Heseltine, who worked in the royal press office at the time of the tragedy.
“I think she felt in hindsight that she might have gone there a little earlier. It was a sort of lesson for us that you need to show sympathy and to be there on the spot, which I think people craved from her,” Sir William explained.
Her reason for waiting eight days before she attended was purely practical, said a royal expert.
“People will be looking after me, she said. Perhaps they’ll miss some poor child that might have been found under the wreckage,” claimed Sally Bechdel, author of Elizabeth the Queen.
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