Timeline

Timeline of The Crown. The timeline of the series closely mirrors that of real-life events, though several dates of real-life events have been altered for the show.

Overview

Season 1: November 1947 – November 1955 (8 years, 0 months)
Season 2: July 1956 – May 1964 (7 years, 10 months)
Season 3: October 1964 – June 1977 (12 years, 8 months)
Season 4: May 1979 – December 1990 (11 years, 8 months)
Season 5: August 1991 – July 1997 (5 years, 11 months)
Season 6: July 1997 – April 2005 (7 years, 9 months)

Pre-Series: 1066-1947

1066: Following Viking raids and settlement in the ninth century, the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex emerged as the dominant English kingdom. Alfred the Great secured Wessex, achieved dominance over western Mercia, and assumed the title "King of the Anglo-Saxons". His grandson Æthelstan was the first king to rule over a unitary kingdom roughly corresponding to the present borders of England, though its constituent parts retained strong regional identities.
The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror, was crucial in terms of both political and social change. The new monarch continued the centralisation of power begun in the Anglo-Saxon period, while the feudal system continued to develop.
1135: William was succeeded by two of his sons: William II, then Henry I. Henry made a controversial decision to name his daughter Matilda (his only surviving child) as his heir. Following Henry's death in 1135, one of William I's grandsons, Stephen, laid claim to the throne and took power with the support of most of the barons. Matilda challenged his reign; as a result, England descended into a period of disorder known as the Anarchy. Stephen maintained a precarious hold on power, but agreed to a compromise under which Matilda's son, Henry II would succeed him.
1154: Henry accordingly became the first Angevin king of England and the first monarch of the Plantagenet dynasty as Henry II.
The reigns of most of the Angevin monarchs were marred by civil strife and conflicts between the monarch and the nobility. Henry II faced rebellions from his own sons, including the future monarchs Richard I and John, but nevertheless managed to expand his kingdom, forming what is retrospectively known as the Angevin Empire. Upon Henry's death, his eldest surviving legitimate son Richard succeeded to the throne; Richard was absent from England for most of his reign, for he left to fight in the Crusades. He was killed whilst besieging a castle; John succeeded him.
1216: John's reign was marked by conflict with the barons, particularly over the limits of royal power. The barons coerced the king into issuing Magna Carta (Latin for "Great Charter") to guarantee the rights and liberties of the nobility. Soon afterwards, further disagreements plunged England into a civil war known as the First Barons' War.
1216: The war came to an abrupt end after John died, leaving the Crown to his nine-year-old son Henry III. Later in Henry's reign, Simon de Montfort led the barons in another rebellion, beginning the Second Barons' War.
1265: The war ended in a clear royalist victory and in the death of many rebels, but not before the king had agreed to summon a parliament.
The next monarch, Edward Longshanks, was far more successful in maintaining royal power and was responsible for the conquest of Wales. He attempted to establish English domination of Scotland. However, gains in Scotland were reversed during the reign of his successor, Edward II, who also faced conflict with the nobility.
1311: Edward II was forced to relinquish many of his powers to a committee of baronial "ordainers"; however, military victories helped him regain control. Nevertheless, Edward was deposed by his wife Isabella. His 14-year-old son became Edward III. Edward III claimed the French Crown, setting off the Hundred Years' War between England and France. His campaigns conquered much French territory, but by 1374, all the gains had been lost.
1377: Edward's reign was also marked by the further development of Parliament, which came to be divided into two Houses; he died, leaving the Crown to his 10-year-old grandson Richard II. Like many of his predecessors, Richard II conflicted with the nobles by attempting to concentrate power in his own hands.
1399: while he was campaigning in Ireland, his cousin Henry Bolingbroke seized power. Richard was deposed, imprisoned, and eventually murdered, probably by starvation, and Henry became king as Henry IV.
December 6, 1421: Henry IV is born the grandson of Edward III and the son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster; hence, his dynasty was known as the House of Lancaster
1460: The unpopularity of Henry VI's counsellors and his consort, Margaret of Anjou, as well as his own ineffectual leadership, led to the weakening of the House of Lancaster. The Lancastrians faced a challenge from the House of York, so-called because its head, a descendant of Edward III, was Richard, Duke of York, who was at odds with the Queen. Although the Duke of York died in battle.
1461: His eldest son, Edward IV, led the Yorkists to victory, overthrowing Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou. Edward IV was constantly at odds with the Lancastrians and his own councillors after his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, with a brief return to power for Henry VI. Edward IV prevailed, winning back the throne at Barnet and killing the Lancastrian heir, Edward of Westminster, at Tewkesbury. Afterwards he captured Margaret of Anjou, eventually sending her into exile, but not before killing Henry VI while he was held prisoner in the Tower. The Wars of the Roses, nevertheless, continued intermittently during his reign and those of his son Edward V and brother Richard III.
1485: Edward V disappeared, presumably murdered by Richard. Ultimately, the conflict culminated in success for the Lancastrian branch led by Henry Tudor in 1485, when Richard III was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field.
The Stuart kings overestimated the power of the English monarchy, and were cast down by Parliament in 1645 and 1688. In the first instance, Charles I's introduction of new forms of taxation in defiance of Parliament led to the English Civil War (1641–45), in which the king was defeated, and to the abolition of the monarchy under Oliver Cromwell during the Interregnum of 1649–1660. Henceforth, the monarch could reign only at the will of Parliament.
After the trial and execution of Charles I in January 1649, the Rump Parliament passed an act declaring England to be a Commonwealth on 19 May 1649. The monarchy and the House of Lords were abolished, and so the House of Commons became a unitary legislative chamber with a new body, the Council of State becoming the executive. However the Army remained the dominant institution in the new republic and the most prominent general was Oliver Cromwell. The Commonwealth fought wars in Ireland and Scotland which were subdued and placed under Commonwealth military occupation.
1702: In the Scottish case, the attractions were partly financial and partly to do with removing English trade sanctions put in place through the Alien Act 1705. The English were more anxious about the royal succession. The death of William III had led to the accession of his sister-in-law Anne to the thrones of England and Scotland, but her only surviving child had died in 1700, and the English Act of Settlement 1701 had given the succession to the English crown to the Protestant House of Hanover. Securing the same succession in Scotland became the primary object of English strategic thinking towards Scotland.
1704: The Union of the Crowns was in crisis, with the Scottish Act of Security allowing for the Scottish Parliament to choose a different monarch, which could in turn lead to an independent foreign policy during a major European war. The English establishment did not wish to risk a Stuart on the Scottish throne, nor the possibility of a Scottish military alliance with another power.
June 4, 1738: George was born in Norfolk House in St James's Square, London.
Summer, 1758: As George approached his eighteenth birthday, the King offered him a grand establishment at St James's Palace, but George refused the offer, guided by his mother and her confidant, Lord Bute, who later served as prime minister. George's mother, now the DowagerPrincess of Wales, preferred to keep George at home where she could imbue him with her strict moral values.
1759: George was smitten with Lady Sarah Lennox, sister of Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond, but Lord Bute advised against the match and George abandoned his thoughts of marriage. "I am born for the happiness or misery of a great nation," he wrote, "and consequently must often act contrary to my passions."Nevertheless, George and his mother resisted attempts by the King to marry George to Princess Sophie Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Sophie married Frederick, Margrave of Bayreuth, instead.
October 25, 1760: The following year, at the age of 22, George succeeded to the throne when his grandfather George II died suddenly, two weeks before his 77th birthday. The search for a suitable wife intensified: after giving consideration to a number of Protestant German princesses, George's mother sent Colonel David Graeme with, on her son's behalf, an offer of marriage to Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
November 2, 1767: Prince Edward was born as the son to King George III and Queen Charlotte. He was fourth in the line of succession to the British throne.
1785: Prince Edward began his military training in the Electorate of Hanover in 1785. King George III intended to send him to the University of Göttingen, but decided against it upon the advice of the Duke of York. Instead, Edward went to Lüneburg and later Hanover, accompanied by his German tutor, Lieutenant Colonel George von Wangenheim, Baron Wangenheim.
May 30, 1786: Edward was appointed a brevet colonel in the British Army. From 1788 to 1789, he completed his education in Geneva.
August 5, 1789: At aged 22, Edward became a mason in L'Union, the most important Genevan masonic lodge in the 19th century.
Edward was appointed colonel of the 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers). In 1790, he returned home without leave and, in disgrace, was sent off to Gibraltar as an ordinary officer. He was joined from Marseilles by Madame de Saint-Laurent.
The French Revolution of 1789, in which the French monarchy had been overthrown, worried many British landowners. France declared war on Great Britain in 1793; in response to the crisis, George allowed Pitt to increase taxes, raise armies, and suspend the right of habeas corpus. The First Coalition to oppose revolutionary France, which included Austria, Prussia, and Spain, broke up in 1795 when Prussia and Spain made separate peace with France. The Second Coalition, which included Austria, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire, was defeated in 1800. Only Great Britain was left fighting Napoleon Bonaparte, the First Consul of the French Republic.
1800: the British and Irish Parliaments passed an Act of Union that took effect on 1 January 1801 and united Great Britain and Ireland into a single state, known as the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland". George used the opportunity to abandon the title "king of France", which English and British sovereigns had maintained since the reign of Edward III. It was suggested that George adopt the title "Emperor of the British Isles".
May 14, 1801: Pitt was formally replaced by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Henry Addington. Addington opposed emancipation, instituted annual accounts, abolished income tax and began a programme of disarmament.
October, 1801: Pitt made peace with the French, and in 1802 signed the Treaty of Amiens.
1812: Prime Minister Spencer Perceval was assassinated and was replaced by Lord Liverpool. Liverpool oversaw British victory in the Napoleonic Wars. The subsequent Congress of Vienna led to significant territorial gains for Hanover, which was elevated from an electorate to a kingdom. Meanwhile, George's health deteriorated. He developed dementia, and became completely blind and increasingly deaf. He was incapable of knowing or understanding that he was declared King of Hanover in 1814, or that his wife died in 1818.
May 24, 1819: The Duke and Duchess of Kent's only child, Alexandrina Victoria, was born at 4:15 am. at Kensington Palace in London
Christmas, 1819: George spoke nonsense for 58 hours, and for the last few weeks of his life was unable to walk.
January 23, 1820: The Duke of Kent died of pneumonia at Woolbrook Cottage, Sidmouth
January 29, 1820: King George III died of pneumonia, at Windsor Castle at 8:38 pm just six days after the death of his fourth son Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn. George was succeeded in turn by two of his sons, George IV and William IV, who both died.
1830: Prince Frederick died in 1827, followed by George IV in 1830; their next surviving brother succeeded to the throne as William IV, and Victoria became heir presumptive. The Regency Act 1830 made special provision for Victoria's mother to act as regent in case William died while Victoria was still a minor.
the Duchess and Conroy took Victoria across the centre of England to visit the Malvern Hills, stopping at towns and great country houses along the way. Similar journeys to other parts of England and Wales were taken in 1832, 1833, 1834 and 1835. To the King's annoyance, Victoria was enthusiastically welcomed in each of the stops.
February 10, 1840: The wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (later Prince Consort) took place at Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, in London.
Albert became an important political adviser as well as the Queen's companion, replacing Melbourne as the dominant influential figure in the first half of her life.Victoria's mother was evicted from the palace, to Ingestre House in Belgrave Square. After the death of Victoria's aunt Princess Augusta Sophia, Victoria's mother was given both Clarence and Frogmore Houses. Through Albert's mediation, relations between mother and daughter slowly improved
November 9, 1841: Edward was born at 10:48 am in Buckingham Palace.
May 29, 1842: Victoria was riding in a carriage along The Mall, London, when John Francis aimed a pistol at her, but the gun did not fire. The assailant escaped; the following day, Victoria drove the same route, though faster and with a greater escort, in a deliberate attempt to bait Francis into taking a second aim and catch him in the act. As expected, Francis shot at her, but he was seized by plainclothes policemen, and convicted of high treason. On 3 July, two days after Francis's death sentence was commuted to transportation for life, John William Bean also tried to fire a pistol at the Queen, but it was loaded only with paper and tobacco and had too little charge. Edward Oxford felt that the attempts were encouraged by his acquittal in 1840. Bean was sentenced to 18 months in jail
1845: In Ireland was hit by a potato blight. In the next four years, over a million Irish people died and another million emigrated in what became known as the Great Famine. In Ireland, Victoria was labelled "The Famine Queen".
1846: Peel's ministry faced a crisis involving the repeal of the Corn Laws. Many Tories—by then known also as Conservatives—were opposed to the repeal, but Peel, some Tories (the free-trade oriented liberal conservative "Peelites"), most Whigs and Victoria supported it. Peel resigned in 1846, after the repeal narrowly passed, and was replaced by Lord John Russell
1860: Prince Albert Edward undertook the first tour of North America by a Prince of Wales. His genial good humour and confident bonhomie made the tour a great success. He inaugurated the Victoria Bridge, Montreal, across the St Lawrence River, and laid the cornerstone of Parliament Hill, Ottawa. He watched Charles Blondin traverse Niagara Falls by highwire, and stayed for three days with President James Buchanan at the White House. Buchanan accompanied the Prince to Mount Vernon, to pay his respects at the tomb of George Washington.
December 14, 1861: Prince Albert died at the age of 42.
June 3, 1865: Edward and Alexandra's second child, George Frederick Ernest Albert was born in Marlborough House, London
November 30, 1874: Winston Churchill was born at his family's ancestral home, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
September 1890: The Royal Baccarat scandal involving the future King Edward VII and Sir William Gordon-Cumming. The latter was accused of cheating at baccarat.
June 23, 1894: George and Mary's firstborn son, Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David was born at White Lodge, Richmond Park, on the outskirts of London during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria.
Febuary, 1895: Churchill was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 4th Queen's Own Hussars regiment of the British Army, based at Aldershot. Eager to witness military action, he used his mother's influence to get himself posted to a war zone. He and his friend Reggie Barnes, then a subaltern, went to Cuba to observe the war of independence.
December 14, 1895: George and Mary's second child, Albert Frederick Arthur George was born at York Cottage, on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria.
August 4, 1900: Lady Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was born.
March 21, 1900: George and Mary's fourth child, Henry William Frederick Albert was born at York Cottage in Sandringham
January 22, 1901: Queen Victoria died at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, at the age of 81. Edward becomes King of the United Kingdom, Emperor of India and, in an innovation, King of the British Dominions.
Edward donated his parents' house, Osborne on the Isle of Wight, to the state and continued to live at Sandringham. He could afford to be magnanimous; his private secretary, Sir Francis Knollys, claimed that he was the first heir to succeed to the throne in credit. Edward's finances had been ably managed by Sir Dighton Probyn, Comptroller of the Household and had benefited from advice from Edward's financier friends, some of whom were Jewish, such as Ernest Cassel, Maurice de Hirsch and the Rothschild family. At a time of widespread anti-Semitism, Edward attracted criticism for openly socialising with Jews.
August 9, 1902: The coronation of Edward VII and Alexandra took place at Westminster Abbey, London.
December 20, 1902: George and Mary's fifth son, George Edward Alexander Edmund was born at York Cottage in Sandringham during the reign of his grandfather, King Edward VII.
July 12, 1905: George and Mary's final son, John Charles Francis was born at York Cottage in Sandringham during the reign of his grandfather, King Edward VII.
1909: Albert attended the Royal Naval College, Osborne]], as a naval cadet.
May 6, 1910: King Edward VII died at the age of 68. His son, George Frederick Ernest Albert becomes king.
June 10, 1921: Prince Andrew and Princess Alice's son, Prince Philip was born at Corfu, Greece.
April 26, 1923: The wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother) took place at Westminster Abbey.
November 20, 1925: Queen Alexandra died at Sandringham Estate at the age of 80.
April 21, 1926: Albert and Elizabeth's first child, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born at Mayfair. Six months after Queen Alexandra's death
1928: Winston Churchill met Princess Elizabeth when she was just two-and-a-half-years old.
August 21, 1930: Albert and Elizabeth's second child, Margaret Rose was born at Glamis Castle in Scotland.
September, 1930: Peter Townsend joined the Royal Air Force and trained at RAF Cranwell. He was commissioned a pilot officer. On graduation, he joined No. 1 Squadron RAF at RAF Tangmereflying the Hawker Fury biplane fighter.
January 20, 1936: King George V dies at the age of 70.
December 1936: A constitutional crisis in the British Empire arose when King Edward VIII proposed to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who was divorced from her first husband and was in the process of divorcing her second. The marriage was opposed by the governments of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth. Religious, legal, political, and moral objections were raised. As the British monarch, Edward was the nominal head of the Church of England, which at this time did not allow divorced people to remarry in church if their ex-spouses were still alive. For this reason, it was widely believed that Edward could not marry Simpson and remain on the throne. As a twice-divorced woman, Simpson was perceived to be politically, morally and socially unsuitable as a prospective Queen consort. It was widely assumed by the Establishment that she was driven by love of money or position rather than love for the King. Despite the opposition, Edward declared that he loved Simpson and intended to marry her as soon as her second divorce was finalised. The widespread unwillingness to accept Simpson as the King's consort and Edward's refusal to give her up led to his abdication in December 1936. He was succeeded by his brother Albert, who became King George VI. Edward was given the title of Duke of Windsor, and styled Royal Highness, following his abdication, and he married Simpson the following year. They remained married until his death 35 years later.
May 12, 1937: The Coronation of King George VI and his wife, Elizabeth, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and as emperor and empress of India took place at Westminster Abbey, London.
May 10, 1940: Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned and King George VI asked Churchill to become Prime Minister and form a government.
Churchill formed a five-man war cabinet which included Chamberlain as Lord President of the Council, Clement Attlee as Lord Privy Seal and later as Deputy Prime Minister, Viscount Halifax as Foreign Secretary, and Arthur Greenwood as a minister without portfolio. Although the original war cabinet was limited to five members, in practice they were augmented by the service chiefs and ministers who attended the majority of meetings. The cabinet changed in size and membership as the war progressed but there were significant additions later in 1940.
August 25, 1942: The King's younger brother, George, Duke of Kent died in a plane crash in Scotland while on duty.
October, 1944: George visited military forces abroad in France, North Africa and Malta, Normandy in June 1944, southern Italy, and the Low Countries. Their high public profile and apparently indefatigable determination secured their place as symbols of national resistance. At a social function, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Field Marshal Alan Brooke, revealed that every time he met Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, he thought Montgomery was after his job. George replied: "You should worry, when I meet him, I always think he's after mine!"
July 5, 1945: The caretaker government, led by Churchill, was heavily defeated. The Labour Party led by Attlee won a landslide victory and gained a majority of 145 seats. It was the first election in which Labour gained a majority of seats and the first in which it won a plurality of votes.
1945: When the war ended, Philip was among the witnesses to the Japanese surrender in Tokyo bay. After the war ended, he became an instructor at HMS Royal Arthur. His final posting would be HMS Magpie, and served as its Commander until 1953.

Season 1: 1947–1955

Wolferton Splash: November 1947–December 1951

20 November 1947: Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten.
20 October 1951: Winston Churchill begins his second tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Hyde Park Corner: January–February 1952

6 February 1952: Death of King George VI.

Windsor: April–Summer 1952

February 1952: More than 15 years after abdicating the throne to his younger brother, the former King Edward VIII returns for King George’s funeral under great media scrutiny.

Act of God: December 1952

5–9 December 1952: The Great Smog of London occurs.

Smoke and Mirrors: February–June 1953

2 June 1953: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth.

Gelignite: Summer 1953

14 June 1953: The relationship between Princess Margaret and Group Captain Peter Townsend becomes public.

Scientia Potentia Est: August 1953

Summer 1953: After suffering a stroke that renders him partially paralyzed, Winston Churchill considers the unthinkable: retiring. Ultimately, though, he decides to stay on as prime minister when his successor, Anthony Eden is incapacitated by health issues of his own.

Pride & Joy: November 1953–May 1954

November 1953: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's Grand Tour

Assassins: August 1954–April 1955

5 April 1955: Winston Churchill resigns; Anthony Eden becomes Prime Minister.

Gloriana: August–November 1955

31 October 1955: Oficial break up of Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend.

Season 2: 1956–1964

Misadventure: July–November 1956

29 October–7 November 1956: The Suez Crisis.

“A Company of Men”: November–December 1956

25 December 1956: Prince Philip's Christmas speech.

“Lisbon”: December 1956–February 1957

10 January 1957: Resignation of Anthony Eden; Harold Macmillan becomes Prime Minister.

Beryl: August–November 1957

20 November 1957: Queen Elizabeth and Philip celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary.

“Marionettes”: August–December 1957

August 1957: Elizabeth's tour and speech at the Jaguar Factory.
August 1957: Lord Altrincham publishes scathing critique of the monarchy.
25 December 1957: Queen Elizabeth's Christmas address.

“Vergangenheit”: 1958

August 1957: Top-secret German World War II diplomatic papers are published in a book, including communications regarding a plot to restore the Duke of Windsor, rumored to be a Nazi sympathizer, to the throne if England had lost the war — really not a good look for the former king.

Matrimonium: August 1959–May 1960

19 February 1960: Birth of Prince Andrew]
6 May 1960: Princess Margaret is married to Antony Armstrong-Jones.

Dear Mrs. Kennedy: June 1961–November 1963

5 June 1961: The Kennedys' visit Buckingham palace.
9–20 November 1961: Elizabeth's trip to Ghana.
28 March 1962: Jackie Kennedy visits Elizabeth at Buckingham palace.
22 November 1963: The assassination of JFK. Note: this is after the events of Paterfamilias and would have taken place within the timespan of Mystery Man.

Paterfamilias: May 1962

Flashback

1934–1939: Prince Philip's tenure at Gordonstoun.

Modern-day

May 1962: Prince Charles begins his tenure at Gordonstoun.

Mystery Man: March 1963–May 1964

March 1963: Beginning of the Profumo scandal.
18 October 1963: Resignation of Harold Macmillan.
10 March 1964: Prince Edward is born.

Season 3: 1964–1977

Olding October 1964–February 1965

15 October 1964: The Labour Party secures a majority in the U.K. general election; Harold Wilson becomes prime minister the following day.
24 January 1965: Death of Winston Churchill.
30 January 1965: Funeral of Winston Churchill.

Margaretology: November 1965

4 November 1965: Margaret departs the U.K., beginning her tour of the United States.
7 November 1965: Margaret arrives in San Francisco.
17 November 1965: Margaret is invited to a state dinner with President Johnson.

Aberfan: October 1966

21 October 1966: Mining disaster in Aberfan leaves hundreds dead.
29 October 1966: Queen Elizabeth visits the town of Aberfan.

Bubbikins: April–June 1967

April 1967: Philip's Meet the Press interview. Note: In real life, this event occurred in November 1969.
April 1967: Beginning of the Greek military junta.

Coup: October–November 1967

19 November 1967: Harold Wilson devalues the British pound.

Tywysog Cymru: February–October 1969

April–June 1969: Prince Charles attends the University College of Wales to study the Welsh language and history for his investiture.
1 July 1969: Investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales takes place at Caernarfon Castle.

Moondust: July–December 1969

16 July 1969: Departure of the astronauts from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
20 July 1969: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on the moon.
14 October 1969: The astronauts visit Buckingham palace.

Dangling Man: June 1970–May 1972

June 1970: The Duke of Windsor meets with Japanese Emperor Hirohito. Note: In real life, this event occurred in October 1971.
18 June 1970: U.K. general election; Edward Heath becomes the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom the following day.
18 May 1972: Queen Elizabeth visits the Duke of Windsor on his deathbed.
28 May 1972: Death of the Duke of Windsor.

Imbroglio: June 1972–July 1973

5 June 1972: Burial of the Duke of Windsor.
1972 or 1973: Edward Heath announces the three-day week to combat the miners strikes. Note: In real life, this event occurred in December 1973. The actual three day week would begin in 1974.
4 July 1973: Camilla Shand is wed to Andrew Parker Bowles.

Cri de Coeur: August 1973–June 1977

August 1973: U.K. general election; Harold Wilson assumes the role of Prime Minister once again. Note: In real life, this event occurred in February 1974.
1974: Princess Margaret invites Roddy Llewellyn to her home in Mustique.
February 1976: Pictures of Margaret and Llewellyn are published publicly.
5 April 1976: Resignation of Harold Wilson.
7 June 1977: Celebration of Queen Elizabeth's silver jubilee.
Note: The premiership of James Callaghan took place between 1976 to 1979. Among all of Elizabeth's prime ministers in the series, James Callaghan was not included. The Queen's uncle, the Duke of Gloucester died in 1974, three years before Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee

Season 4: 1979–1990

Gold Stick: May–September 1979

3 May 1979: Election of Margaret Thatcher.
27 August 1979: Assassination of Lord Louis Mountbatten.

The Balmoral Test: Summer 1980

Summer 1980: Family vacations can be intense, but family vacations with your potential in-laws, who happen to be royal… gosh! While dating Prince Charles, Diana Spencer travels to Balmoral, a 50,000-acre estate in rural Scotland. The meet-the-Windsors trip is a huge success. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher also makes several trips to Balmoral, which she finds vastly less enjoyable than does her royal counterpart.

Fairytale: February–July 1981

24 February 1981: Engagement of Prince Charles to Diana.
29 July 1981: Wedding of Charles and Diana.
Note: The scene where Princess Margaret's visit to the Philippines and mentioned Imelda Marcos took place in April of 1980

Favourites: January–April 1982

Sometime between 4–11 January 1982: Mark Thatcher goes missing during the 1982 Paris-Dakar Rally.
26 March 1982: Queen Elizabeth has lunch with Prince Andrew.
April 1982: The beginning of the Falklands War.

Fagan: April–July 1982

April 1982: Three months before the Fagan incident.
12 June 1982: Trooping the Colour ceremony; Michael Fagan's first break-in to Buckingham Palace.
13 June 1982: Argentine surrender results in the end of the Falklands War.
9 July 1982: Michael Fagan's second intrusion into Buckingham Palace.
July 1982: London Victory Parade. Note: In real life, this event occurred in October 1982. However, in this episode, it's implied that this occurred within days of the Fagan incident.

Terra Nullius: February–April 1983

5 March 1983: Australian federal election of 1983.
March–April 1983: Charles and Diana's tour of Australia.

The Hereditary Principle: 1984–1985

5 January 1985: Princess Margaret's lung operation.
10 March 1985: Prince Edward's 21st birthday.
Note: Sometime after Prince Edward's birthday, Diana was mentioned to be pregnant with Prince Harry during this episode. This would be erroneous as Harry's September 1984 birth would've taken place before the events of this episode.

48:1: October 1985–July 1986

16–22 October 1985: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is held in Nassau. Note: It is mentioned before this event that Prince Andrew had been engaged. It was not until February 1986 that Andrew proposed to Sarah Ferguson.
22 July 1986: Tense meeting between Queen Elizabeth and Margaret Thatcher.
23 July 1986: Wedding of Prince Andrew.

Avalanche: March–August 1988

10 March 1988: Hugh Lindsay dies in an avalanche.
29 July 1988: Seventh anniversary of Charles and Diana.
3 August 1988: Margaret Thatcher's visit to Canberra.

War: November–December 1990

1 November 1990: Resignation of Geoffrey Howe.
Note: Princess Diana's trip to New York, which is implied to be happening concurrently alongside the Thatcher storyline, actually took place in February 1989.
28 November 1990: Resignation of Margaret Thatcher.

Season 5: 1991–1997

Queen Victoria Syndrome: July–September 1991

Flashback

1953: Queen Elizabeth launches the Royal Yacht.

Modern-day

August 1991: Charles and Diana's "second honeymoon" in Italy.
11 August 1991: Sunday Times runs story that Queen should abdicate in favor of Charles.
September 1991: John Major spends a weekend at Balmoral.

The System: October 1991–July 1992

22 October 1991: Death of Leonora Knatchbull.
July 1992: Diana: Her True Story by Andrew Norton is published.

Mou Mou: 1946–1991

1946: Mohamed Al-Fayed catches sight of King Edward VIII as he visits Egypt.
1979: In Paris, Mohamed and Dodi Fayed bring a bid to buy the struggling Hotel Ritz.
24 April 1980: The beach scene of Chariots of Fire is filmed.
29 March 1982: Chariots of Fire wins Best Picture at the 54th Academy Awards.
24 April 1986: Death of Wallis, Duchess of Windsor.
1989: Al-Fayed's restoration of Villa Windsor is completed.
17 January 1990: Death of Sydney Johnson.

Annus Horribilis: March–November 1992

Note: Princess Margaret's Desert Island radio interview actually occurred in 1981.
March 1992: Prince Andrew separates from his wife Sarah.
13 April 1992: Princess Anne's divorce from Mark Phillips is announced, and finalized ten days later. Sometime later, she tells the Queen her intention to marry Timothy Laurence.
20 November 1992: Fire breaks out at Windsor Castle.
24 November 1992: In a speech to mark the Ruby Jubilee of her accession to the throne, the Queen called 1992 her annus horribilis.

The Way Ahead: December 1992–July 1994

Flashback

17 December 1989: Prince Charles' call to Camilla is intercepted.

Modern-day

9 December 1992: John Major announces to the House of Commons that Charles and Diana have separated.
17 January 1993: Tabloids publish a transcript of the 1989 Tampongate phone call.
29 June 1994: Charles' interview with Jonathan Dimbleby (Charles: The Private Man, the Public Role) is broadcast on ITV. Later this evening, Diana attended a fundraiser at the Serpentine Gallery, with her dress being labelled the "revenge dress".
Note: Prince Charles breakdancing and showcasing his sweet moves actually took place in 1985.

Ipatiev House: February–December 1994

Flashback

1917: King George V and Queen Mary refuse to dispatch a warship to Russia to take the Romanov family to the United Kingdom.
16–17 July 1918: Execution of the Romanov family.

Modern-day

February 1994: John Major's visit to Moscow.
24 September 1994: Boris Yeltsin arrives in London.
17–20 October 1994: Queen Elizabeth's state visit to Moscow.
25 December 1994: Penny Knatchbull joins the Royal Family for Christmas.
Note: The exhumation of the Romanovs actually took place in 1991.

No Woman's Land: September–October 1995

6 September 1995: Prince William's first day at Eton College.

Gunpowder: November 1995

5 November 1995: Princess Diana is interviewed by Martin Bashir.
20 November 1995: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attend the 67th Annual Royal Variety Performance to commemorate their 48th anniversary. Meanwhile, Princess Diana's interview is broadcast on the BBC.

Couple 31: December 1995–August 1996

December 1995: The Queen advises Charles and Diana to divorce.
28 August 1996: Charles and Diana's divorce is official.

Decommissioned: April–July 1997

21 April 1997: Queen Elizabeth's 71st birthday. Note: The program debating the value of the monarchy actually aired in January 1997. However, it's stated to be "the other night" during the Queen's birthday lunch.
1 May 1997: The Labour party regains control of parliament in a landslide election, ending 18 years of Conservative government.
2 May 1997: Tony Blair succeeds John Major as Prime Minister.
1 July 1997: Sovereignty of Hong Kong is transferred from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China.
Note: The decommissioning of the Royal Yacht Britannia actually took place in December 1997, four months after Diana's death in Season 6.

Season 6: 1997–2005

Persona Non Grata: July 1997

14 July 1997: Diana holds an impromptu press conference from a motorboat, speaking directly to British journalists who are based on another hired boat.
18 July 1997: Camilla's 50th birthday celebration.

Two Photographs: July–August 1997

31 July–6 August 1997: After spending a private weekend in Paris, Dodi and Diana sail around Corsica and Sardinia on The Jonikal. Italian paparazzo Mario Brenna takes photographs of them kissing on the yacht and sells them to the Sunday Mirror for £250,000. Combined worldwide sales to newspapers and magazines in Germany, the US, and France garner £1million.
8–11 August 1997: Princess Diana's humanitarian tour of Bosnia.
12 August 1997: Charles and the boys pose for press photos in the countryside. own in Derbyshire, Diana arrives in a Harrods helicopter for a visit with her psychic Rita Rogers.
24 August 1997: Clad in a turquoise bathing suit, Diana lounges on the end of The Jonikal’s diving board, her legs dangling over the Mediterranean.

Dis-Moi Oui: August 1997

31 August 1997: Death of Diana, Princess of Wales via a car crash at Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France alongside Dodi Fayed and her driver, Henri Paul. She was declared dead at 4:00am.

Aftermath: August–September 1997

6 September 1997: Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Willsmania: November 1997–March 1998

20 November 1997: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's golden wedding anniversary.
March 1998: Charles, William and Harry go on a ski holiday in Vancouver.

Ruritania: March 1999–June 2000

24 March 1999: NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia.
7 June 2000: Tony Blair is jeered during a speech to the Women's Institute. Note: the U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring George W. Bush the winner of the 2000 election actually occurred in December 2000. In the episode, it's implied that these events occurred before Blair's speech at the Women's Institute.

Alma Mater: June 2000–December 2001

Flashback

December 1996: Kate Middleton and her mother meet Diana and Prince William. Note: this event did not happen in real life.

Modern-day

21 June 2000: Prince William celebrates his 18th birthday.
September 2001: William starts university in St. Andrews.
December 2001: William returns home for Christmas.

Ritz: May 2001–February 2002

Flashback

8 May 1945: Elizabeth and Margaret's celebration on Victory Day.

Modern-day

23 February 1998: Princess Margaret´s first Stroke at Mustique.
21 August 2001: Princess Margaret's 71st birthday celebration at the Ritz.
11 September 2001: September 11 attacks and the death of Porchey.
9 February 2002: Death of Princess Margaret.

Hope Street: March–September 2002

27 March 2002: Kate wore a black sheer dress during the St. Andrews charity fashion show.
30 March 2002 : Death of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.
9 April 2002: Funeral of the Queen Mother.
1–4 June 2002: Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
September 2002: William and Kate move into an apartment on Hope Street.
Note: Operation Paget was launched in 2004 and its first findings were presented in 2006. However, in this episode, it's implied that these events occur before the Golden Jubilee.

Sleep Dearie Sleep: January–April 2005

13 January 2005: A picture of Prince Harry clad in a Nazi uniform during the Natives and Colonials costume party went viral.
9 April 2005: Wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles at Windsor Guildhall.
Note: Elizabeth's vision of her coffin lying in state at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle foreshadowed her own death on 8 September 2022.