Moments pages are Spoilers Off. You Have Been Warned.
Season 1
- "Wolferton Splash":
- After formally giving up his claims and titles to the thrones of Denmark and Greece, so that he may marry Elizabeth, Phillip makes it clear to his bride he has no regrets.
Elizabeth: You still have 24 hours to change your mind.
Phillip: You think I can change my mind after all that? No. Too late. I've signed myself away.
Elizabeth: Or won the greatest prize on Earth.
Phillip: That's certainly, what they think. (kissing her cheek affectionally) It's what I think too.
(Elizabeth modestly guffaws)
Phillip: (looking both ways) Watch out. (pulling her into a passionate kiss, leaving the Princess blushing) See you tomorrow.- The montage of Elizabeth and Phillip enjoying their life, as a Princess and Naval Officer.
- On the morning after Christmas, George formally calling Elizabeth into his chambers.
George: (sitting across his desk from Elizabeth, while going through his paperwork) In case you're wondering, I have nothing specific to say. (smiling at his daughter) I just wanted to spend time with you. - "Hyde Park Corner":
- The scene where Philip, no experience and without using the rifle in his hand, manages to distract an elephant that was approaching Elizabeth with no harm to any human in the vicinity or the elephant. He then joins Elizabeth and they openly kiss.
- We also get to see just how close Margaret and Bertie are. She shows up unexpectedly while he's returning from a hunt just so she can drive him back to the house and that evening they're seen singing "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" together to entertain their guests.
- When Martin Charteris arrives at the lodge with news of the King's death Philip declines Charteris' offer to be the one who tells Elizabeth and insists on doing it. Their conversation goes unheard, we just see Philip holding her and kissing her forehead.
- "Act of God" had Elizabeth resolving to pay her ailing grandmother a visit after the older woman had sent her a letter summoning her. Elizabeth is told that the fog is too thick to drive in, she wastes no time in suggesting and getting a motor car with its headlights on and an Entourage of men accompanying her with flashlights on foot. For Duty and her dear old granny.
- After exploding at Philip in front of an Aussie film crew, Elizabeth summons her dignity and goes down to greet them, as scheduled. The whole crew, without being asked and all of them knowing that their careers would be set if they broadcast the footage, immediately expose the unprocessed film to sunlight and give her the can. The relief on the Queen's face at this simple act of humility and kindness is sure to make you grin."Another gift from Australia, Your Majesty."
Season 2
- After the Suez Crisis caps off a truly chaotic and disastrous premiership for Anthony Eden, both politically and personally, he is forced to resign. At his final meeting with the Queen, after everything she shows compassion and understanding for the Always Second Best situation he found himself in after following the living legend that was Winston Churchill.
- Elizabeth talks to Billy Graham about how much it means for him to come and officiate a church service for the Royal Family, telling him that she got to experience being a simple congregant rather than (as sovereign) being the de facto head of the Anglican Church.
- When Prince Andrew is born, Margaret coos over him and asks about his name. Elizabeth mentions that she and Philip had thought about naming him George, but she decided that no one could ever live up to Papa and Margaret wholeheartedly agrees. It's a very sweet moment and a reminder of how highly Elizabeth and Margaret still think of their beloved father.
- Near the end of "Matrimonium," Philip earnestly tells Margaret that her father would be proud of her while they're on their way to Westminster Abbey for her wedding to Anthony.
- Philip and his entourage are returning home after a royal tour when they rescue a sailor who nearly drowned in a shipwreck. The flag officer is adamant that they drop him at the next port to maintain their schedule and leave him to fend for himself. Philip pulls rank on him and demands the Royal Yacht turn around and take the man back to his home and family.Philip: It doesn't matter who he is or where he's from. He's the captain of his ship, that's all that counts. He's one of us.
- Mountbatten smiling fondly as he writes a reply to a letter from young Charles, announcing Elizabeth's later-scuppered decision to send him to Eton. Their Savile Row shopping expedition later, when we finally see Charles with an affectionate male relative who shares his interests, is great fun to watch.
- During "Dear Mrs. Kennedy," Elizabeth is watching the television during the tragic events of November 22nd 1963, and she notices how Jackie Kennedy is still wearing the same pink suit and aware that half of it is caked in her husband's blood. Elizabeth quickly understands why Jackie is doing that (implying in that moment she was the only other person on the planet who could), and promptly requests the royal flags flown half-staff for a week as a show of public support.
Season 3
- Elizabeth decides to apologize to Harold Wilson for suspecting him as a spy (or as he hears it "prejudging him") and they discuss how they both aren't really artsy people.
- "Aberfan":
- After Tony leaves for the town to take footage, he actually calls Margaret and tells her to kiss the kids after being devastated by the loss of young life there.
- Harold Wilson, after Elizabeth laments her lack of outward display of emotion after the disaster or even the death of her beloved grandmother, confides that he has Champagne tastes and a privileged background which would be ironic given his Socialist politics and tells her:We can't be everything to everyone and still be true to ourselves. We do what we have to do as leaders. That's our job. Our job is to calm more crises than we can create. That's our job and you do it very well indeed. And, in a way, your absence of emotion is a blessing. No one needs hysteria from a head of state. And the truth is, we barely need humanity.
- Princess Anne and Princess Alice bonding as granddaughter and grandmother in "Bubbikins" is very sweet, even conspiring to get funds for Alice's order in Greece.
- Anne (going incognito) watching her brother's performance as Richard II in awe at the end of "Tywysog Cymru".
- "Cri de Coeur":
- Harold Wilson announces that he has Alzheimer's and will have to stand down as PM. Elizabeth can't help but say how much she enjoys his company and asks that they have dinner together at 10 Downing Street, an honor only previously afforded to Winston Churchill. Wilson is moved beyond words.
- Margaret while recovering from her suicide attempt encourages Elizabeth to go to the Silver Jubilee in her honor, despite the latter feeling like her reign has been a disappointment.Margaret: It's only fallen apart if we say it has. That's the thing about the monarchy. We paper over the cracks. And if what we do is loud and grand and confident enough, no one will notice all around it's fallen apart. That's the point of us. Not us. Of you. You cannot flinch. Because if you show a single crack, we'll see it isn't a crack, but a chasm and we'll all fall in. So you must hold it all together.
- Earlier when she hears about Harold Wilson's diagnosis, her first instinct is to apologize to her sister for losing the ability to see her friend regularly.
- The fact that Elizabeth, both out of love and concern for her sister, shows up to her bedside and finally gives her an honest heart-to-heart about how painful life would be without her little sister around. After several episodes of snippiness, isolation, and insecurities Elizabeth and Margaret finally talk honestly and lovingly to one another.
Season 4
- Diana's friends gathering to support her courtship to Charles and celebrate with her at her engagement.
- In general, her friends are shown to be very supportive of her and are quick to lift her up the second she may get down. Makes it a Tear Jerker when Diana finds out she won't find that same warmth in the Royal Family or even with her own relatives.
- Diana reading her fan mail which all talk about how she is open-hearted to people of different backgrounds, one woman wanting to send a traditional wedding blanket for celebration, a little girl asking to be the flower girl with Diana promptly writing back to them.
- Margaret is the only one to see what a disastrous marriage Charles and Diana will have and openly states it should end for everyone's sake. While her words fall on deaf ears, she clearly doesn't want anyone to suffer a loveless and destructive marriage like she did with Tony.
- As heartbreaking and rotten and unfair as it is for Diana, Camilla fondly rambling on at length about Charles' fussy belly, boring friends, daddy issues, love for soft-boiled eggs, and their pet names for one another. They're clearly perfect for one another.
- When Margaret Thatcher and her husband Denis visit the Queen and her family at Balmoral Castle, they try their hardest to fit in with them. One thing Mrs. Thatcher refuses to try, though, is sleeping in separate beds. She loves her husband, and she isn't ashamed to act like it.
- After realizing how deeply unhappy and miserable her children are, Elizabeth is distraught of how badly she raised them, which lead to their dysfunctional states. Philip gently reassures her that she did her best, so she is not a bad mother and that the children are adults now so it is their responsibility to make their own lives work.
- While the trip to Australia only deteriorated their relationship, Charles and Diana seem to have a good time in the beginning and genuinely start to fall in love with each other all over again. It begs the question on what their relationship might have been like if jealousy and lost love didn't ruin everything.
- We also see a sweet moment between Elizabeth and Phillip as they recall their 1950s tour and she comments that the young and beautiful queen she was is now "old and dumpy" while Phillip corrects her and says she is just, "experienced and mature".
- Diana telling off Adeane for wanting to separate baby William from his parents for two weeks (and doing so) pointing out that the future sovereign is a human baby who needs love and care from his parents and that her role as Princess of Wales is to raise their children to be full human beings in touch with human emotion.
- We get an opportunity to see Diana and Charles as parents, even Diana coaching Charles on what to do for the baby very sweetly.
- Charles and Diana at a ball, happily dancing to a cover of Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Of Off You", dazzling everyone around them.
- While Margaret spends a depressive episode in the pool at Mustique, she looks up to see that Charles came all the way to talk to her and convince her in seeing a therapist and that Anne feels the same way and is just as concerned. It's nice to see that her niece and nephew care enough about their Aunt to discuss her getting a professional involved.
- Katherine and Nerissa are very close to one another, making sure the other isn't distressed and celebrating one another's birthday. They also extend that love to their distant relatives, keeping mementos of their weddings and photos of them.
- Diana and little William and Harry singing along to "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", an oasis of them getting to be an endearing regular family in the middle of all the drama.
- Diana waving to the poor and downtrodden during her solo New York City trip, touched by their genuine affection for her and inspired by the thought that she can draw attention to their issues. This culminates in her giving a hug to a child with AIDS, a simple gesture that has a wide-ranging and historic impact in terms of fighting the disease's stigma.
- The media even captures the reception she has gotten from the Lower East Side of New York City as residents talked about her warmth, beauty, and how she has the God-given talent of making people feel good.
- Despite their vastly different backgrounds, personalities, and opinions on key matters like sanctions in South Africa, Elizabeth sympathizes with Margaret Thatcher after her own party ousted her. Elizabeth bestows upon her the Order of Merit, an award only 24 living citizens can receive for their contributions and one of the few honors to be in the sovereign's personal gift. Despite the controversial legacy that Thatcher will leave behind, Elizabeth acknowledges that the country has changed under the leadership of its first female PM. The infamous Iron Lady is beyond touched by this moment and almost comes close to crying from joy.
- Camilla arguing that she's not as young, radiant, or sympathetic as Diana, and will never beat Diana in the court of public opinion.Camilla: She's the Princess of Wales. She's a future queen, the mother to a future king. And I'm just—Charles: My one true love.
Season 5
- "Annus Horribilis":
- The episode ends with Elizabeth and Margaret having a heart-to-heart phone call. It's nice to see them have a sisterly bond for a change.
- In the same episode, Philip intervening when the Queen Mother was berating Elizabeth over her planned speech, standing up for Elizabeth and saying that after forty years of "immaculate" service, Elizabeth had earned the right to give the speech she wanted to give. Given that it had been, well, a horrible year for Elizabeth and that the normally-stoic monarch had been shown repeatedly in tears throughout the episode, it was very touching for Philip to stick up for her as he did.
- Philip's developing friendship with Penny Knatchbull, which becomes fodder for marital conflict in "Ipatiev House", but is mostly portrayed quite sweetly. He initially befriends her when she's grieving the loss of her young daughter (she's the wife of Philip's godson Norton Knatchbull, and it's implied he didn't have much of a relationship with her prior to their child's death), helping her set up a charity in her daughter's memory, and introducing her to a new hobby to help get her mind off things. The two share a number of intellectual interests, but overall their friendship is shown to be quite wholesome and a lifeline for the grieving Penny.
- Anne comforting Charles in the wake of his scandalous "Tampongate" call to Camilla being leaked. She admits that, once she removed her face from her hands and her fingers from her throat, it was sweet to see her brother and Camilla so silly and sincere and human, carrying on like teenagers in love.
- After Tony Blair wins the 1997 general election and replaces John Major as prime minister, the Queen tells John Major (who is generally overlooked by history) that she'll miss him and will always consider him to have been one of her best prime ministers.
Season 6
- The scene "The Ritz" in which Elizabeth visits Margaret in the hospital after her latest and most debilitating stroke is a devastating tearjerker, save for this moment.Elizabeth: The doctors tell me you aren't eating.
Margaret: I'm...really not...hungry.
Elizabeth: Well, I brought you these. Your favorite. Jam tarts.
Margaret: Now you're talking.
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