How historically accurate is Season 1 of The Crown?

by FLTA

I thought the show has been great so far but, as with all historical dramas, I’m sure artistic liberties were taken to tell a more entertaining story but at the expense historical accuracy.

Season 1 spoilers ahead

Some aspects of the show I am curious about are

  1. Was Queen Elizabeth’s childhood education as inadequate as depicted in the show? The show depicts her as being unusually uneducated with math and other subjects.

  2. How accurate was the depiction of Wilson Churchill’s relationship with the Queen and also members of his Conservative Party?

  3. How accurate was the depiction of Queen Elizabeth’s relationship with Princess Margaret?

  4. There was a scene where Queen Elizabeth was fighting with Prince Phillip and the paparazzi got footage of it and then gave it to her. Was this based on a real event?

  5. Anything else that was surprisingly accurate or inaccurate.

Note: Please no spoilers (or appropriately mark spoilers) for things after Season 1 of the show.

mikedash

Redditor u/eepithst offers a response to one of these questions in an earlier reply here:

In "The Crown", Queen Elizabeth II was portrayed as having some insecurity and bitterness at her parents for having been given an education far less advanced than the general population was given at the time. How accurate is this portrayal and did it affect public perception of her?

And there is certainly more to say, particularly about Season 1 of the show, but I covered the question of whether the royal family would have purchased or rented the television the Queen Mum is seen thumping in an attempt to improve reception in an episode in Series 2 in an earlier answer, which you can read here while you wait for fresh responses to your question.

In Season 2 of "The Crown", Queen Elizabeth II Implores her Mother to Stop Banging on the TV to Make it Work, Saying, "No Stop it! It's Rented." Was the Royal TV a Rental?

Reviewing other earlier questions on this series, it seems that quite a few have gone unanswered, but you might also be interested in the following replies, which again I don't think cover important enough plot points to be considered spoilers:

In the netflix series “The Crown”, S2:E8 shows John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy’s visit to Buckingham Palace. In it, they portray JFK as abusive to his wife, and both him and Jackie getting administered drug cocktails before important dinners or visits. Was this true?, with u/sunagainstgold

Did Winston Churchill give a speech, at all, resembling what is portrayed in Season 1, Episode 9 of "The Crown?", with u/Rob-With-One-B