Factual error: Peter Townsend wears the rank insignia of a group captain (and is referred to as Group Captain Townsend) from the beginning of the series in 1947. In fact, Townsend was promoted from wing commander to group captain on 1 January 1953. He was also appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 1947, but is never seen wearing the appropriate medal ribbon, which should come first on his collection.
Factual error: When carolers enter the room, a teen girl with modern dental braces is shown. Dental braces of the time did not glue directly onto the teeth as they do today. (00:41:55)
Factual error: In the opening, a number of Lancaster bombers are flying over Windsor Castle, they did not come in to service until 1942. (00:00:20)
Factual error: Once the Queen has given Mr. Churchill his "dressing down", he simply turns to leave the room. However, he had not been dismissed. The Queen always pushes a button positioned on a side table to call her equerry who enters the room to escort guests out. With Mr. Churchill, she did not request her equerry. (00:54:00)
Factual error: Prince Phillip is boarding the yacht, and seen in the background is a red modern vessel that would not have been around in that era. The vessel shows very modern signs of shipbuilding in its new shape, and modern rescue craft. With satellite domes located on the bridge.
Factual error: As HMS Britannia sails North, there is a disabled symbol on her stern. Pretty sure the RN wasn't interested in disabled accessibility in the 1950's.
Factual error: When the Queen is informed by telephone that Winston Churchill has died it is after a family birthday celebration meal for her Uncle Prince Henry. Everyone is in formal attire or black tie, meaning the party was an evening one. Light is visible through the windows in both the dining room and drawing room where the queen takes the phone call. Prince Henry's birthday does coincide with the date of Winston's death, in late January. At this time of year in London the sun sets very early, around 4:30pm. The family dinner would have taken place when it was dark out. (00:25:10)
Factual error: When the lunar module lands on the moon, you can see light coming through the windows and everyone is fully dressed. In reality, Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon at 2:53 AM London time. It would have been completely dark and everyone would have likely been in night clothes or evening attire.
Factual error: During the intro, the pilot is talking to a British Air Traffic Controller (ATC) as he's lining up his aircraft for landing at Benson (RAF Airport) in South Oxfordshire, England. The pilot reports "We're passing through flight level one-seven, for 2,500." Flight Level (FL) one-seven is 1,700 feet. In English (no pun intended), the pilot is saying he is passing through altitude 1,700 feet to his desired altitude of 2,500 feet. This may make sense if they were increasing their altitude, but since the pilot is preparing to land, it doesn't. (00:00:25)
Suggested correction: Flight level 1 7 refers to 17000 feet.
Flight Levels are in increments of hundred feet, not thousand feet. FL one-seven is 17 hundred feet (1,700). 17,000 feet would be FL one-seven-zero.
Factual error: Sir Martin Charteris, depicted as being Private Secretary throughout the series (which begins in 1979), actually retired in 1977. Sir Philip Moore and Sir William Heseltine were the real Private Secretaries during this period.
Factual error: In the final scene Lady Diana is being pursued by photographers during the time of her courtship with Prince Charles. The most prominent car in the scene has an 'X' registration plate. The registration letter 'X' was only used from August 1981 onwards - after the wedding of Charles and Diana.
Factual error: The Guards band playing at the garden party (in 1982) includes female musicians in the same uniform as the men. Until integration in 1992, the only female musicians in the British Army were members of the Band of the Women's Royal Army Corps. Women did not join Guards bands and wear their uniform until well into the 1990s.
Factual error: Michael Shea was not forced to resign ignominiously as Press Secretary in 1986. He actually left in 1987 and was appointed Companion of the Royal Victorian Order for his service.
Factual error: Diana's actual coif in her late 20s was much fuller at the top and the sides, and slightly longer in the back than this depiction.
Factual error: The swan official is described as the Warden of the Swans. The official depicted is actually the Marker of the Swans, a different post which wears the uniform shown.
Factual error: Peter Townsend is depicted in 1945 wearing the ribbons of the DSO (which he won in 1941) and the DFC (which he won in 1940), but not the rosette indicating a bar to the DFC (which he also won in 1940) and the 1939-45 Star (which he would have been awarded in 1943).
