Did that really happen? We fact-check season 4 of Netflix’s The Crown

6 min readNov 18, 2020

Des Willie/Netflix

Roller skates! Break-ins! Ibble Dibble! How much is fact and how much is fiction in season 4 of The Crown?

We watched all 10 episodes of season 4 — which introduce Emma Corrin as Princess Diana and Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher, and see the return of Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth, Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles — and picked out some of the moments we couldn’t believe were entirely true. (Spoiler: A lot of them actually turned out to be factual!). Basically, we did the research to separate fact from fiction so you don’t have to.

Did Mountbatten send a letter to Charles about settling down right before his death?

In the season 4 premiere, right before his death, Lord Louis “Dickie” Mountbatten (Charles Dance) pens a letter to his great-nephew/honorary great-grandson encouraging him to settle down. “The choice of a woman was the issue around which the last Prince of Wales came to grief, and it’s astonishing to me that 40 years after the abdication, you are making so little attempt to conceal your infatuation for another man’s wife,” writes Mountbatten, referencing Charles’ ongoing relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, in a letter in episode. The note goes on to remind the Prince of the importance of building his destiny with some “sweet and innocent well-tempered girl with no past who knows the rules and will follow the rules,” and that this is his duty and “most important task.” While we can’t know for sure if such a specifically timed or themed letter ever existed, it’s not too much of stretch to assume communication on that matter did take place between the two men, since Mountbatten was in frequent contact with his great nephew, offering advice on such things.

Was Diana really her sister’s cleaning lady?

We’re introduced to Prince Charles’ future wife — and eventual ex-wife — during the season premiere, and learn from the soon-to-be-Princess Diana in episode 2 that, among other things, she works as a cleaning lady for her older sister Lady Sarah (Isobel Eadie). According to royal biographer Andrew Morton’s book Diana: In Her Own Words, this is quite true. The biography claims that Diana did the washing, vacuuming, dusting, and ironing at her sister Sarah Spencer’s Chelsea flat. Indeed, Morton even goes so far as to share that Diana found a “quiet satisfaction” in her work.

Did the royals really put their guests through the wringer when invited to visit the Queen at Balmoral Castle?

“Apparently, the royal family routinely subject all their guests to secret tests to find out whether someone is acceptable or unacceptable,” Denis Thatcher (Stephen Boxer) warns his wife, Prime Margaret Minster Thatcher, of the so-called Balmoral tests en route to the Scottish estate to spend time with the Queen & Co. On the show, the Thatchers seemingly fail at every turn — packing the wrong shoes, coming down to dinner far too early, etc. — whereas when Diana shows up for her stint on the estate, she wows the family, helping stalk the stag and making jokes at dinner that are met with trilling laughter. According to royal journalists, these make-or-break showdowns absolutely take place. Planning a weekend at the Highland castle? Better be sure to pack an outfit for every occasion and eventuality, and brush up on your manners and royal protocol. And yes, according to reports, Thatcher really did have to borrow a pair of wellies when she showed up with nothing but indoor shoes.

Okay, but does the royal family really play the parlor game Ibble Dibble?

Also during season 4’s Balmoral expedition, the royals are seen enjoying a rousing drinking game in which the phrase “Ibble Dibble” flies around at haste and blackened corks are pressed against faces as a forfeit. It’s all fun and hilarity until it’s the Iron Lady’s turn and she pretty much kills the game with her slow-paced attempt at partaking. We can all agree it’d be fabulous to imagine the royals playing this ridiculous game at family get-togethers, and while most of creator Peter Morgan’s plot points come from sources close to the royals, there’s no concrete evidence out there that this game is a family fave. Go on, imagine it anyway.

Did Charles really say “whatever ‘in love’ means” during his and Diana’s engagement press