If you’re a fan of the Royal Family and its attendant gossip, you’ve likely been a loyal viewer of The Crown. This Netflix series dramatizes the life and times of these messy monarchs, and there is plenty of fun to be had by seeing how the show plays up the events that really affected the royals.
Of course, “plays up” is the key term here: The Crown has never let the truth get in the way of telling a good story, and that’s particularly true when it comes to how the show portrayed the romance between Prince William and Kate Middleton. What did the show get right, what did it get wrong, and what really happened?
Keep reading to find out!
No proof that Kate’s mom played matchmaker
In The Crown, Kate Middleton’s mother Carol shamelessly plays the role of matchmaker. We see her encouraging Kate to take a gap year trip at the same time as William, but the two end up missing each other. Next, Carol convinces Kate to change her choice of college so that she will attend St. Andrews and get more face time with the future King.
Many parents in Carol’s position would do the same, and what we see in the show is based on some longstanding rumors. However, those rumors only came from anonymous sources who most likely wanted to stir the royal tea in the tabloids. Carol may or may not be a canny matchmaker like we see in the show, but there is no proof she was really like that when Kate was younger.