Biographies, especially in the entertainment industry, will be glamorized for the sake of drama. Netflix’s The Crown is no exception. As Collider separates fact from fiction of the show, they write this disclaimer: “Any series that covers this much time in history is bound to take creative liberties…The Crown may help audience members understand the challenges that the royal family deals with, but it has diverged from fact on several occasions.” As Queen Elizabeth II had the longest reign of any British monarch, much of her and her family's lives remained shrouded in secrecy to honor the legacy of the monarch.
Despite the history being exaggerated, the fashion on The Crown is near perfect and historically accurate. Traditionally, royals have been regarded as the most fashionable due to their access to top of the line fabrics and gems, despite the means as to how they acquired these valuables. For fashion fans, The Crown is full of many fashionable moments that honor the history of the moment. From Princess Elizabeth to Princess Diana, history and fashion collide beautifully.
8 Princess Elizabeth’s Wedding Dress (Season 1, Episode 1)
Wedding dresses during the 1940s resembled a soldier's uniform with an A-line waist, shoulder pads, and a skirt that barely kissed the floor, as the The Wedding Secret details. In addition to the masculine style dresses, fabrics were quite expensive with rayon and parachute fabric being used. Though for the future queen, she had access to the finest silk for her wedding. On The Crown, Claire Foy, who portrays Queen Elizabeth II for the first two seasons, wears a similar pattern with more detailed embroidery and no shoulder pads.
7 Princess Elizabeth’s Coronation (Season 1, Episode 5)
The most historical moments on The Crown needed to be quite close to perfection. In fact, the show’s portrayal of the Queen’s coronation, including the dresses and regalia, is near perfect because many of the items Foy adorns were certified replicas. Costume designer Michele Clapton tells Fashionista of the coronation gown: “Swarovski had actually created a replica for an exhibition, which the costume designer happened upon — it was the angels — and the company offered to loan the dress for the shoot.” The replica was too long for Foy, so Clapton had her wear higher heels instead of altering the gown.
6 Queen Elizabeth’s Tea Dress (Season 2, Episode 5)
In her first Christmas address, Queen Elizabeth II wore her infamous triple stranded pearl necklace and a gold lamé tea dress. The dress is, as the name suggests, perfect for afternoon tea during any season as it is long enough for the colder seasons, but short enough for the warmer seasons. Foy wore a beautiful replication of the tea dress, though her sleeves were longer than Queen Elizabeth’s.
5 Princess Margaret’s Wedding Dress (Season 2, Episode 7)
While her sister’s wedding dress is certainly one of its time, Princess Margaret’s dress not only set the trend for the 1960s, but continues to inspire current trends today. The high V-neck lace collar, long sleeves, and massive skirt are unlike any other royal gown at the time. Yet the dress Vanessa Kirby, who portrays the princess, wears in The Crown has a smaller skirt volume.
4 Jackie Kennedy’s Blue Taffeta Dress (Season 2, Episode 8)
Each First Lady has their own legacy and Jackie Kennedy is no exception. She helped to preserve the White House and is a global fashion icon. Upon her first visit to Buckingham Palace, she wore a light blue, sleeveless taffeta dress with gloves. Costume designers on The Crown decided to put Jodi Balfour, who portrays Kennedy, in a light blue dress, with a Queen Anne neckline and white gloves.
3 Queen Victoria’s Diamond Ribbon Brooch (Season 3, Episode 9)
According to The Court Jeweller, Queen Victoria’s Diamond Ribbon Brooch is one of the more common brooches worn by Queen Elizabeth II, especially to royal events like the Duke of Windsors' funeral in 1972. Olivia Colman who portrays the monarch in seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown, wears a ribbon brooch on a black coat dress like the monarch did in 1972. Except the real Queen Elizabeth II wore her brooch on her right collar, while Colman wore the brooch on the actual coat dress.
2 Princess Diana’s Wedding Gown (Season 4, Episode 3)
Emma Corrin portrays the late Princess Diana of Wales and marvelously pulls off many of her iconic fashion moments, one of which is her wedding dress. Unlike her late mother-in-law’s wedding dress, the gown has massively puffy sleeves, no embroidery, and a 25-foot train. Even the skirt’s volume is massive. In an interview with Vogue, Corrin revealed that the gown she wore was made from the pattern the Emanuels gifted to the costume designers, so the dress that Princess Diana and Corrin each wore are similar, give or take the measurements for the actor.
1 The Spencer Tiara (Season 4, Episode 6)
Whenever a royal gets married, they are lent a tiara from Queen Elizabeth II. Yet, when Princess Diana married Prince Charles, she brought her own family heirloom to her ceremony. The Spencer Tiara was assembled by Garrand in the 1930s from various gifts the aristocratic Spencer’s received. Corrin wears a beautiful replica of the People’s Princess’ family heirloom in season 4, episode 6 of The Crown.