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Season 3 generally

Factual error: The Mistress of the Robes throughout series 3 is the fictional Duchess of Monmouth. The real Mistress of the Robes at this time was the Duchess of Sutherland, who was in the first two series.

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The White Elephant - S3-E8

Factual error: The King of Prussia appears at the Great Exhibition in 1851 with his son the Crown Prince. In fact, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, who ruled Prussia from 1840 to 1861, had no children.

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The White Elephant - S3-E8

Factual error: Henry Cole is addressed as Sir Henry at the opening of the Great Exhibition in 1851. He was actually not knighted until 1875.

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Factual error: Wilde and Bosie meet at a railway station that is just signed "Rouen." There were then two main railway stations in Rouen: Rouen-Rive-Droite and Rouen Saint-Sever (or Rouen-Rive-Gauche). Neither would have a sign saying just "Rouen."

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Factual error: All the troops in the Fetterman massacre are cavalry. In fact, the majority of the detachment, including Fetterman himself, were infantry.

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Factual error: The German soldiers arrive at the dockside in what are American Jeeps.

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Factual error: Conrad's rank badges as a second lieutenant are oval Garter Stars. This would be correct for the Grenadier Guards from 1919, but during the First World War the Guards regiments wore the standard British Army diamond-shaped Bath Stars (pips).

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Show generally

Factual error: Inspector Shaw is described as DI Shaw throughout. He isn't a detective inspector; he's a uniformed inspector, heading a shift of uniformed officers and always wearing uniform himself.

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Show generally

Factual error: Both Inspector Shaw and Chief Inspector Bailie wear their medal ribbons in the wrong order. The Golden Jubilee Medal is worn first, followed by the Diamond Jubilee Medal, followed by (for Bailie) the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

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Factual error: The Black Watch sergeant major wears a crown over three chevrons, which was the correct rank badge for a company sergeant major until 1915. However, this is at least 1916 (as conscription has started and the men are wearing steel helmets, both introduced in 1916). CSMs had been redesignated as warrant officers in 1915 and now wore a crown on the lower sleeves instead.

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Factual error: Gertrude Bell meets T E Lawrence and R Campbell Thompson while they are excavating at Petra. They were actually excavating at Carchemish, nearly 600 miles away and in a different country.

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Factual error: T E Lawrence is said to have a PhD. In fact, Lawrence did not have a PhD or any other higher degree.

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Factual error: Bell's father was said to have been heavily in debt while establishing his business. He didn't establish the business. His father did. He inherited it.

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Factual error: The British general at the party in Cairo wears a beard. Beards had been against regulations for the British Army for decades at that time. No British soldier would wear one.

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Factual error: The Victoria Cross is said to be "only for fallen heroes", which is how Gertrude immediately knows that Wylie is dead. But one does not have to be dead to be awarded the VC; many people have survived to be awarded it.

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Factual error: The timeline is completely wrong. The film begins in 1902, at which point Gertrude Bell has just left Oxford and is about to go to Persia. In fact, Bell was 34 in 1902 and went to Persia ten years earlier, in 1892. By 1902 she had already been travelling for a decade.

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Show generally

Factual error: The detective constable is addressed as "Sir" by uniformed constables. They actually hold the same rank. Detectives do not outrank uniformed officers in Britain.

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Factual error: The police car that shows up after the fight with the Deviant in London has a siren that sounds nothing like a British police siren. More like a Continental European one.

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Factual error: There is a billboard in London advertising a display of "artifacts" at the Natural History Museum. British English spells it "artefacts" and the Natural History Museum in London only holds exhibits on natural history. A display of artefacts would be at the British Museum, a completely different institution in a different part of London. (00:07:25)

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Show generally

Factual error: The Marine Engineering Officer on a submarine would be an experienced lieutenant-commander, not a young lieutenant.

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