It is safe to say, I loved this book! It is short and moves along at a good pace, but also covers many major and minor (but very interesting) moments in the royal family’s history.

The book methodically goes episode by episode, which I think will very much appeal to fans of the show. Curzon tackles the major plot-points of each episode, such as the fog in S1E4, as well as the running themes throughout the seasons.

While it may not be anything massively new to those familiar with the history behind the show, it is still very interesting. I found that while reading it, I noticed/remembered more from the show that I did not see when watching it at release time. (I’ve watched the first three seasons multiple times but I’ve only seen the last three once- they did not grab me in the same way.) It is extremely well-written and well-researched (as all of her books are), and it moves along at a good pace.

Curzon lays out at the beginning that she is not fact-checking on things like orders and jewellery. However, she absolutely is able to “correct” several smaller details throughout, which I also loved.

One of my favourite quotes is from the first episode discussion (own bolding):

“The first episode of the first season of The Crown has got a whole lot to pack in and, as we’ll increasingly find as the seasons pass, it concerns itself largely with male stories.” (This is why I think it is so important to continue to prioritise women’s history!)

In this interesting new book from brilliant historian Catherine Curzon, she fact-checks each episode of The Crown and sees where the show stayed true to history and where fictionalized and dramatized elements appear in each episode. Going into incredible detail and breaking down the plots, trivia, and characters in the show, Curzon’s book is a brilliant and critical companion that fans of the show will need to read. As it crosses the twentieth century and moves into the twenty-first century, the book brings small tidbits of historical information to the readers’ attention and adds to the viewer’s understanding of the show and its intricacies. Curzon is a great writer for a popular audience, and this book, like all of her previous titles, is excellently organized, detailed, and incredibly readable. Divided by both season and episode, she helpfully provides a guide to the cast to really ensure that readers can follow along as they work through the show. The perfect balance of critical and complimentary, this is a great gift or read for fans of The Crown and for history readers interested in the twentieth century or the reign of Elizabeth II, and Curzon has once again brought a fascinating part of history -- and its popular depiction -- to life in incredible detail.

Thank you Pen and Sword for access to this arc.

When I saw this book I thought hey, why not get the scoop on what was real and what was made up. One thing to note - Curzon hasn't spoken to any production people about the choices made and only offers possibilities to explain why the show made these decisions and changes. Most of the book is just pointing out where events in the show don't match historical facts.


Curzon starts with the various cast members for the first, second and ending twenty episodes then goes through each episode of each season. There is a brief recoup of what was on the show and then the section labeled The Truth where she separates fact from fiction.


For the first twenty shows, it seems that mainly timelines of actual events were tweaked. There are things such as Prince Philip's fictitious gate building at Gordonstoun that get called out, though. Some main themes that will be seen and hammered home repeatedly such as tension between the Queen and her sister and Philip's perpetual brooding are mentioned. Also how the show, although ostensibly about the Queen, seemed to focus more on the women in the show as seen through the male gaze.


In later episodes, fact seems to get looser and goosier as needed to hype the drama. Curzon points out real things that could have been used - the difference in the tabloids' treatment of Diana and Sarah Ferguson, how it was the Queen Mother who helped get Diana ready for royal life although Diana wasn't the gaffe making person portrayed as she'd been around royalty for years, how most of Princess Anne's life during the 70s is skipped including her wedding and the kidnapping attempt - but weren't.


Naturally as the show heads into the last season the already hyper focus on Charles and Diana since mid series lasers tighter to what we know is coming. Were the behind the scenes conversations and actions in August 1997 real? Did Mohamed al Fayed ruthlessly matchmake? For many of these questions we'll obviously never know the truth.


Most of what is pointed out as incorrect in the long run isn't really earth shattering: people who couldn't have done this or that because they were not there, had already retired, or were dead, timelines off by a year or so, things or events being surprises on the show to people who actually knew about them for months, etc. For the sake of drama, fewer actors to hire, and continuity for viewers with known characters, I can see why some choices were made. At the end, the book is highly readable with a dash of humor and quick to get through. B

An entertaining and informative book that separates facts from fiction, episode by episode, and season by season.

The Crown has been praised by critics for its acting, directing, writing, cinematography, and production value. While the bare bones of the show are generally accurate, a lot has been changed, left out, or created for the sake of dramatic/artistic licence.

In "The Crown": The first season of "The Crown" details a relationship between the divorced Peter Townsend and Princess Margaret. Elizabeth formally forbids Margaret from marrying Townsend because of his divorce.

In real life: It was way more complicated. While Margaret was initially forbidden to marry him (by Parliament, not the queen), she could have given up her spot in the line of royal succession to marry whoever she wanted. But Margaret ended the relationship and remained in the line of succession.

In "The Crown," Prince Philip asks Elizabeth if he can forgo kneeling to her at her upcoming coronation and is denied. He kneels — bitterly.

In real life: He didn't refuse, and it's unlikely that there was any drama whatsoever. He knelt for his wife at her coronation in 1953. Prince Philip knew exactly what he was getting into when he married Queen Elizabeth, as he was born royal to boot, also he was a Royal Navy officer, so he knew and respected customs, protocols, and traditions.

In "The Crown": A troubled man named Michael Fagan breaks into the queen's chamber in Buckingham Palace. Instead of running, she talks to him and listens to his concerns over the state of the country.

In real life: Michael Fagan did break into Buckingham Palace—twice.But he didn't really have a clear reason, and when he made it into Queen Elizabeth's bedroom, she immediately called for help.

In "The Crown": The Duke of Windsor, the former Edward VIII, apologises to Queen Elizabeth for abdicating the throne — which eventually led to her becoming queen — as she goes to see him on his deathbed.

In real life: There's no evidence that the Duke of Windsor made a big apology on his deathbed.

Best read alongside watching the Crown- it goes episode by episode into what's real, what's exaggerated, and what didn't happen. I appreciate Catherine's straightforward writing style - it's easy to pick up and read without being too academic. If you've read other books about Queen Elizabeth's reign and the royal family, this is probably a skip for you because you likely already know the material that's covered. But if you don't know much, this is a very approachable book to getting the overview of what happened to her and her family during her reign.

This book offers a season-by-season, episode-by-episode analysis of the hit Netflix series, separating fact from fiction. Exploring key historical events from the reign of George VI to the 21st century, this guide reveals the true stories behind the drama that has captivated and sometimes scandalized viewers worldwide.

This book answered the question I had the accuracy of the series. It’s a great companion to consult when watching. It’s easy to read and a good analysis.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

4.5 stars-

I had to grab this one when it was offered for review, as Miss Grace and I finished watching the full series together about 5 months ago. And when I say watching, I mean 'homeschool watching', which meant watch for 10 minutes (if lucky) and then have to pause the show, so I could be questioned ala Google, as to whether whatever just occurred was accurate and was I alive, or her grandparents during said period. Which normally then evolved into a British culture/ Commonwealth Dominion vs US history/culture discussion. SIGH. If you homeschool, you know EXACTLY what I mean, which is why it took us sooooo long to finish it. But if you don't have teacher mom who is a history nerd, then book is much better than Google, with taking the reader through the different episodes and stating what was fact and what was "creatively licensed". A MUST for any fan of the show, and for those wanting to sort out what was the truth.

The Royal Family vs 'The Crown' by Catherine Curzon is a book that compares the real events that inspired episodes of Netflix's hit show The Crown. Curzon's book breaks down each season by episode and covers what events were more dramatized and what really happened in the actual time period that the events occurred in.

It should come as no surprise that the events in the show were altered quite a bit to meet TV standards as well as to make them more dramatic, or to meet up with altered timelines by the show run, but Curzon's concise writing gives life even to the actual events that show they didn't need to be further embellished.

If you are a fan of The Crown, or even just the modern Royal Family, this book is definitely something you should consider adding to your library. Its a brief read, but it contains a ton of interesting tidbits and facts.

I would like to than Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Royal Family vs 'The Crown'

I generally don't have a huge interest in the Royal family though I do remember landmark events like William & Kate's wedding and Princess Diana's car crash but I did really enjoy the netflix series 'The Crown'. This book is clever in that it brings us through the series of the Cron with episode summaries followed by details of what was accurate in the episode, which events did happen but not quite as portrayed or in the timeline shown and which sections were completely made up. I found it very interesting though it was slightly repetitive so to keep my interest I did read it over quite a few weeks. If you are a big fan of The Crown then this would be a fun read.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley & Pen & Sword History for an eARC ♥️

I'll be the first to admit it - I'm utterly obsessed with Netflix's The Crown. But my fascination with the British royal family started long before the show premiered. It all began with my love for Princess Diana. There was something about her kindness, compassion, and generosity that captivated me. I was devastated when she passed away, and I've been fascinated by her life and legacy ever since.
As I started reading more about Princess Diana, I became increasingly interested in the British royal family as a whole. I devoured books, articles, and documentaries about the monarchy, learning about its history, traditions, and inner workings. And when The Crown premiered, I was hooked. The show's attention to detail, its stunning costumes and sets, and its compelling characters all drew me in.♥️
But as much as I love The Crown, I've always wondered what's real and what's just drama and i want to write
a huge thank you to Catherine Curzon, whose book has been an invaluable resource in my quest for knowledge. Her meticulous research and engaging writing style have helped me uncover so many new facts and insights about the royal family. 😍

This book is awesome for fans of The Crown! I loved the comparison of real-life events to how the show portrayed it. It's cool to know how historically accurate the show was!

This book was interesting in that it tried to separate fact from fiction (and I think, try to disprove The Crown). In trying so hard to disprove that The Crown is not an honest depiction, really the only thing it had done was prove that the timeline was a little adjusted for artistic license. It was interesting, but not earth shattering. Quick and easy read.

Catherine Curzon does a great job in sharing the true stories of the Royal Family versus what was shown in the Crown. It was written well and had that facts that I was looking for. It was great to read this after watching the Crown.

While I enjoy historical fiction (mostly), I can never bring myself to watch historical fiction/dramas/movies on screen. I'm just too nitpicky on the details. It's not fun when it involves real people, events, etc.

So I've only seen maybe one episode of The Crown (though I watched several 'what The Crown got wrong' videos on YouTube). I enjoyed this book a lot and found it informative on fiction vs fact, as well as raising points of the issues of misogyny and narrative framing.

Thank you NetGalley and Pen and Sword for giving me early access to this book! All opinions are my own.

If you are a fan of the Crown, and want an episode by episode comparison to real life, then this is the book for you. I unfortunately was hoping for a more generic overview of how the show and real life compared, so it was a miss for me. But this would be perfect to read after you watched each episode to learn the extra historical facts. 3⭐️

I enjoyed The Crown even though I knew that it was a dramatisation of the Royal Family. This book clarifies the real life events and timelines and helps to provide context to some of the events and clarify timelines. It was a really good read.

This was such an interesting read. Comparing the show to the facts was a great insight into where artistic liberties were taken and the truths behind them.
Cleverly written and enjoyable. Not too dry.

An interesting look at the real British Royal Family as one of the world's most recognizable institutions, with centuries of history, political influence, and cultural symbolism versus *The Crown* is a dramatized Netflix series chronicling the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, portraying key events in the lives of the Royal Family and their interactions with the British government and global politics. It balances historical accuracy with creative liberties.

Both the Royal Family and *The Crown* captivate audiences, albeit for different reasons. The monarchy symbolizes tradition and history, while *The Crown* offers an engaging, dramatized peek behind palace doors. Together, they fuel ongoing global fascination with Britain’s royals, ensuring their legacy endures in reality and fiction.

This fab book reveals what was true and what is fiction in Netflix's The Crown series. I learned so much and had such fun reading about one of my fav cable shows. A must-read for every fan of the series!

I only made it through the first season or 2 of The Crown, as I am a tiresome, picky historical purist and the many inaccuracies in the show drove me crazy. This quick and dirty breakdown of the truth vs. the facts would be handy for tedious people like myself who want to know just exactly how inaccurate the series in before they risk their sanity by watching it; and also for normal people who don’t mind inaccuracies but who want to at least know the true facts for information’s sake.