MarieClaire
  • News
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Lifestyle
  • Career
  • Bridal
  • Podcasts
  • Beyond Beauty
  • Video
MarieClaire
  • News
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Lifestyle
  • Career
  • Bridal
  • Podcasts
  • Beyond Beauty
  • Video
MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows
Watch 4:43

MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows

{headline}

{headline}

Max Mara’s 70th anniversary show was inspired by the Queen

Max Mara’s 70th anniversary show was inspired by the Queen

Netflix Refuses To Put A Disclaimer On 'The Crown' Citing It As Fiction

Netflix Refuses To Put A Disclaimer On 'The Crown' Citing It As Fiction

Why 'The Crown' Did Not Feature Princess Diana And Prince Charles' Royal Wedding

Why 'The Crown' Did Not Feature Princess Diana And Prince Charles' Royal Wedding

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Have Reportedly Ensured That Netflix Will End 'The Crown' Before Getting To Them

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Have Reportedly Ensured That Netflix Will End 'The Crown' Before Getting To Them

{headline}

{headline}

Did Princess Anne Actually Have An Affair With Bodyguard Peter Cross As Suggested In 'The Crown'?

Did Princess Anne Actually Have An Affair With Bodyguard Peter Cross As Suggested In 'The Crown'?

'The Crown' Actress Emma Corrin Responds To Claims The Royal Family Aren't Happy About Season Four

'The Crown' Actress Emma Corrin Responds To Claims The Royal Family Aren't Happy About Season Four

Prince William Reportedly "None Too Pleased" With How 'The Crown' Has "Exploited" His Family

Prince William Reportedly "None Too Pleased" With How 'The Crown' Has "Exploited" His Family

{headline}

{headline}

22 Times 'The Crown' Perfectly Recreated These Real-Life Royal Outfits

22 Times 'The Crown' Perfectly Recreated These Real-Life Royal Outfits

Netflix's 'The Crown' Reveals Season Four Will Address Princess Diana's Bulimia Struggle

Netflix's 'The Crown' Reveals Season Four Will Address Princess Diana's Bulimia Struggle

Everything We Know About 'The Crown' Season 4 So Far

Everything We Know About 'The Crown' Season 4 So Far

Emma Corrin Had This Little Trick For Nailing Princess Diana's Voice In 'The Crown' Season Four

Emma Corrin Had This Little Trick For Nailing Princess Diana's Voice In 'The Crown' Season Four

Netflix Has Dropped The First Trailer For 'The Crown' Season Four

Netflix Has Dropped The First Trailer For 'The Crown' Season Four

New Photos Of 'The Crown' Season Four Show Emma Corrin As The Spitting Image Of Princess Diana

New Photos Of 'The Crown' Season Four Show Emma Corrin As The Spitting Image Of Princess Diana

7 Times Elizabeth Debicki Proved She Was Born To Play Princess Diana

7 Times Elizabeth Debicki Proved She Was Born To Play Princess Diana

  1. Home
  2. Lifestyle

‘The Crown’ Is Suggesting The Queen Had An Affair And Royal Fans Are Not Happy

Have the writers gone too far? - by Chelsea Tromans
  • 13 Nov 2019

For the most part, The Crown has the real Queen Elizabeth’s tick of approval. But one plot twist in season three (episode nine), risks losing royal support due to its scandalous implications.

Watch Below: The Crown Season Three Trailer 

Season three takes place between two historical moments - Harold Wilson's election in 1964 and the Queen's silver jubilee in 1977, and it seems the writers may be taking a little creative license with some parts of the upcoming plots.

The upcoming season alludes to the Queen having an affair with her long-time friend horse racing manager, Henry Herbert, aka Lord "Porchie" Porchester. 

Upon returning home to Buckingham Palace after a month-long visit to Porchie’s stud farms in France and Kentucky, the Queen (now played by Olivia Colman), gets into an argument with her husband Prince Philip, who suspiciously grills her about the trip. She responds: "If you have something to say, say it now. Otherwise, if you don't mind, I'm busy."

The (actual) Queen's former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, has spoken out about the fabrication of the Queen’s relationship with Porchester, telling the Sunday Times that the idea is "very distasteful and totally unfounded".

"The Queen is the last person in the world to have ever considered looking at another man,” he said. “Not only is this muckraking – this is gossip that's been washing around for decades. It's got absolutely no substance."

“The Crown is a fiction,” Arbiter added. “No one knows any conversation between members of the royal family, but people will tell the story the way they want to and sensationalise it.”

Queen Elizabeth and Lord Porchester

In 2012 during an interview with the Telegraph, Porchester’s son George Herbert discussed his father’s relationship with Queen Elizabeth. “It was a very equal friendship ranging over many interests. They were from the same generation. They had been through the war. They shared a great love of the countryside and wildlife as well as horses. Whether they were walking at Sandringham, Highclere or in Scotland, it was always a great obsession."

While there seems to be no hard evidence that their relationship was anything more than a deep friendship, The Crown’s creator Peter Morgan told The New York Times back in June that he felt he’d "earned" the right to include "a bit of sex, a bit of playfulness". 

The third season of The Crown will air on Netflix on November 17.

Chelsea Tromans
Chelsea Tromans
Chelsea Tromans is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle editor whose words can be found on BEAUTYcrew, marie claire, Women’s Health, WHO, Daily Addict, and The Joye…just to name a few. She’s a night owl who’s trying to train herself to be a morning person (coffee helps!) and she recently traded in her hectic Sydney life for a quieter pace in Brisbane.

6 issues for $35 -

Subscribe to marie claire

Subscribe Now
6 issues for $35

6 issues for $35 -

Subscribe to marie claire

Subscribe Now
6 issues for $35

Recommended to you

MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows
Watch 4:43

MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows

{headline}

{headline}

Max Mara’s 70th anniversary show was inspired by the Queen

Max Mara’s 70th anniversary show was inspired by the Queen

Netflix Refuses To Put A Disclaimer On 'The Crown' Citing It As Fiction

Netflix Refuses To Put A Disclaimer On 'The Crown' Citing It As Fiction

Why 'The Crown' Did Not Feature Princess Diana And Prince Charles' Royal Wedding

Why 'The Crown' Did Not Feature Princess Diana And Prince Charles' Royal Wedding

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Have Reportedly Ensured That Netflix Will End 'The Crown' Before Getting To Them

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Have Reportedly Ensured That Netflix Will End 'The Crown' Before Getting To Them

{headline}

{headline}

Did Princess Anne Actually Have An Affair With Bodyguard Peter Cross As Suggested In 'The Crown'?

Did Princess Anne Actually Have An Affair With Bodyguard Peter Cross As Suggested In 'The Crown'?

'The Crown' Actress Emma Corrin Responds To Claims The Royal Family Aren't Happy About Season Four

'The Crown' Actress Emma Corrin Responds To Claims The Royal Family Aren't Happy About Season Four

Prince William Reportedly "None Too Pleased" With How 'The Crown' Has "Exploited" His Family

Prince William Reportedly "None Too Pleased" With How 'The Crown' Has "Exploited" His Family

{headline}

{headline}

22 Times 'The Crown' Perfectly Recreated These Real-Life Royal Outfits

22 Times 'The Crown' Perfectly Recreated These Real-Life Royal Outfits

Netflix's 'The Crown' Reveals Season Four Will Address Princess Diana's Bulimia Struggle

Netflix's 'The Crown' Reveals Season Four Will Address Princess Diana's Bulimia Struggle

Everything We Know About 'The Crown' Season 4 So Far

Everything We Know About 'The Crown' Season 4 So Far

Emma Corrin Had This Little Trick For Nailing Princess Diana's Voice In 'The Crown' Season Four

Emma Corrin Had This Little Trick For Nailing Princess Diana's Voice In 'The Crown' Season Four

Netflix Has Dropped The First Trailer For 'The Crown' Season Four

Netflix Has Dropped The First Trailer For 'The Crown' Season Four

New Photos Of 'The Crown' Season Four Show Emma Corrin As The Spitting Image Of Princess Diana

New Photos Of 'The Crown' Season Four Show Emma Corrin As The Spitting Image Of Princess Diana

7 Times Elizabeth Debicki Proved She Was Born To Play Princess Diana

7 Times Elizabeth Debicki Proved She Was Born To Play Princess Diana

MarieClaire
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Brands

  • Beauty Crew
  • Home Beautiful
  • Who

Our Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • New Idea food
  • New Idea
  • Girlfriend
  • That’s Life
  • Practical Parenting
  • All Recipes
  • Perth Now
  • The West Australian
  • 7Plus
  • Airtasker
  • 7NEWS
  • SocietyOne
  • Health Engine
  • Starts at 60
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from Marie Claire

Magazine Subscription Offer

6 issues for $35 -

Shop This Offer
6 issues for $35