3 Things "The Crown" Got Wrong About Princess Diana and Prince Charles's Relationship

The wait is FINALLY over! Season Four of the hit Netflix show The Crown was released yesterday (Nov. 15) on the streaming platform.

Viewers have been waiting, what feels like an eternity, to see Princess Diana’s (Emma Corrin) life played out on the show, so the release of season four has been highly anticipated. And this season, Princess Diana really serves as the focal point of the plot, with much of it dedicated to her rocky relationship with Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor). While the show has a historical consultant Robert Lacey who helps to keep the depiction fairly accurate, there are few facts with which the show has taken creativity liberty (as most historical fiction shows and films do).

If you’re a royal history buff keep on scrolling because we’ve uncovered three things that The Crown got wrong about Princess Diana and Prince Charles’s relationship.

How They Met

It’s true that they first met because Charles was dating Diana’s older sister Sarah. But the meeting didn’t quite go the way it was depicted in the show. They didn’t meet at Diana’s performance of Midnight Summer’s Dream, but rather at the Spencer family home in 1977 while grouse hunting. At the time, Charles was dating Sarah, but according to The Diana Chronicles after this meeting, Diana was quite smitten with Charles. The two reconnected again years later at a friend’s house and then got engaged after just 12 in-person hangouts.

Diana’s First Visit to Balmoral

In episode 2 of Season Four, Diana has her first visit to Balmoral, which is portrayed as a success in the show. In Diana: Her True Story – In Her Own Words, Diana actually said that going to Balmoral made her panicky. "By the third day they're sapping me again," she said. "There are so many negative atmospheres. That house sucks one dry." And while Diana eventually got along with Prince Philip, Prince Andrew, and Princess Margaret, the rest of the royal family was skeptical of her.

Princess Diana’s Affair with James Hewitt

While The Crown quickly touched on Diana’s affair with Hewitt (Daniel Donskoy), in episode 9, their relationship was much longer in real life. After meeting in 1986 when Hewitt was Diana’s horseback riding instructor, the two reportedly had a five-year relationship. Dianna later confirmed the romance in a 1995 BBC1 appearance.