How much of The Crown season 4 is true and how accurate are the royal storylines?

19 November 2020, 14:25

By Alice Dear

As fans dissect every moment of The Crown season 4, we take a look at what is real and what is not.

The Crown Season 4 | Official Trailer

The Crown season 4 was released onto Netflix earlier this month, and fans of the royal drama can't get enough.

As the storyline begins to focus on Prince Charles and Princess Diana's turbulent relationship, we see the couple meet for the first time, go on to marry and eventually watch their marriage turn sour.

READ MORE: Will there be a season five of The Crown and when will the Netflix show end?

While The Crown is based on true events, the show is by no means a precise representation of what happened behind closed doors.

However, a lot of the show is accurate, and here we break down what really happened and what didn't in The Crown, season 4.

How did Diana and Charles really meet?

In the first episode of The Crown, season 4, Charles meets Diana for the first time.

In the drama, Diana is 16-years-old and dressed as a "mad tree" from A Midsummer Night's Dream, something they joke about together during their first meeting.

He runs into her while visiting a close friend, Diana's sister, Sarah Spencer, who he was said to be dating.

As far as truth goes, we know that Diana and Charles did first meet at the Spencer estate in 1977, however, Diana was not wearing a "mad tree" costume.

The pair are said to have met at a hunting event at the family home.

During their engagement interview, Charles remarked on first meeting his wife: "I remember thinking what a very jolly and amusing and attractive 16-year-old she was."

Did someone really break into Buckingham Palace?

During the fifth episode of season 4, we see a man called Michael Fagan break into Buckingham Palace and have a chat with the Queen while she was still in bed.

So, how did this really go down?

In 1982, a man called Michael Fagan climbed over the fence of Buckingham Palace around 7AM and entered the residence through a window which was unlocked.

After exploring areas of the palace, he ended up in the Queen's quarters and in her bedroom.

He told The Sun: "They say she must have been frightened. I didn’t frighten her too much but I was quite shocked.

"She used a phone on the bedside table to call security but when nobody came she got out of bed.

"Her nightie was one of those Liberty prints and it was down to her knees. She said, ‘Just one minute, I’ll get someone,’ swept past me and ran out of the room, her little bare feet running across the floor."

The intruder was later arrested.

Did Charles really say THAT in his engagement interview?

During episode three of the fourth series, Diana and Charles announce their engagement, with the show recreating their engagement interview.

One of the most toe-curling moments is when Charles is asked if he is in love, and he replies: "Whatever 'in love' means".

That is completely accurate and exactly what Charles said in the real life interview.

Did Prince Phillip like Princess Diana?

Princess Diana gets the seal of approval from her father-in-law Phillip during the show's second episode where she is invited to Balmoral.

The Queen's husband takes her hunting in the episode, a moment that appears to build a strong friendship between them.

While we don't know about any specific events between Diana and Phillip, it is believed the pair had an admirable relationship.

In a letter from Phillip to Diana, he writes: "Charles was silly to risk everything with Camilla for a man in his position.

"We never dreamed he might feel like leaving you for her. I cannot imagine anyone in their right mind leaving you for Camilla. Such a prospect never even entered our heads."

Was Charles really jealous of Diana?

In the drama, Diana and Charles' relationship starts to turn sour after the Prince of Wales shows his jealous side during their royal tour of Australia.

In the episode, people are looking forward to seeing Diana, not Charles, which leads to resentment between the couple.

So, was Charles really jealous of Diana? Well, it is believed the Prince of Wales did struggle with Diana's fame.

Diana even said so herself, telling Andrew Morton in an interview for a biography: "Everyone always said when we were in the car, ‘Oh, we’re on the wrong side, we want to see her, we don’t want to see him’ … and obviously he wasn’t used to that and nor was I. How took it out on me. He was jealous."

She added: “I understood the jealousy, but I couldn’t explain that I didn’t ask for it.”

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