The Crown might well be one of the finest productions on Netflix, but even the prestigious royal drama is susceptible to a historical gaffe from time to time.

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One scene in the newly released third series shows Queen Elizabeth II watching what appears to be breakfast television with husband Prince Philip - a perfectly acceptable inclusion at first glance.

However, on closer inspection this little detail doesn't line up with the history of British TV.

The third season of The Crown takes place across the years 1964 to 1977, but morning television as we know it today didn't make its debut until January 1983 with the BBC's Breakfast Time.

ITV followed suit the following month with rival show Good Morning Britain which ran for 10 years.

So, it would have been impossible for the royal couple to watch breakfast television during that time period, suggesting a little bit of artistic license was taken for that particular moment.

The third season of The Crown saw a major cast shake-up to accommodate its time jump, with Olivia Colman taking over from Claire Foy in the lead, Tobias Menzies stepping in for Matt Smith as Prince Philip, and Helena Bonham Carter picking up where Vanessa Kirby left off as Princess Margaret.

A fourth season of the show has already been confirmed and will continue with the same cast.

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The Crown is on Netflix from Sunday, 17th November

Authors

David Craig
David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.

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