Recap / The Crown S 1 E 1 Wolferton Splash

There may be no greater act of patriotism. Or love.

Prince Philip of Greece renounces his foreign titles and takes the name Philip Mountbatten before marrying Princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter and heir presumptive of King George VI. The newlyweds take up residence in Malta, where Philip serves in the Royal Navy while Elizabeth gives birth to their son Charles and their daughter Anne. Several years later, they returns to London to be with the King as he undergoes an operation to remove one of his lungs. Subsequently, he receives a terminal diagnosis, prompting him to counsel Philip on how to assist Elizabeth when she becomes Queen.

This episodes contains examples of:

• And Starring: The Title Sequence credits state that this is with Jared Harris (as King George VI) and John Lithgow (as Winston Churchill).
• Artistic Licence – History: A few.
  • Philip's naturalisation as a British subject actually occurred several months before his wedding, not the day before. The day before, he was made a Knight of the Garter and granted the title "Royal Highness" but he was not made Duke of Edinburgh until the day of the wedding — meaning that for one day, he bore the unusual style "His Royal Highness Sir Philip Mountbatten".
  • Philip's uniform as worn at his wedding has pilot's wings on the left sleeve (as is correct for Royal Navy officers). However, he did not train as a pilot until years later — a particularly glaring error, given that his pilot training forms a key sub-plot in "Act of God". ^note Prince Philip began his flying training in November, 1952 at White Waltham near Maidenhead and received his Royal Air Force wings in May, 1953. He commenced helicopter training in June, 1955 and completed the conversion course in January, 1956, receiving his Royal Navy wings
  • Alice of Greece (Philip's mother) was not a nun at the time of her son's wedding; she did not found her order of nuns until 1949.
  • The hymn "I Vow to Thee, My Country", which Winston Churchill uses to make his grand entrance, was not actually sung at Elizabeth and Philip's wedding. It may well have been included due to viewers being familiar with it being sung at the wedding of Charles and Diana, some 34 years later.
  • Philip's best man is a fellow-naval officer who is later identified in the series as Mike Parker. In Real Life, Philip's best man was his cousin, the third Marquis of Milford Haven (who was also a naval officer).
  • Peter Townsend, the King's equerry, is shown as a Group Captain (the RAF equivalent of an Army full Colonel). Although he's known to history by this rank, he wasn't promoted to it until 1953 — in 1947, he was an acting Wing Commander (Lieutenant-Colonel).
  • The young Prince Charles and Princess Anne are shown with their parents in Malta. In actual fact, they remained at home in Britain while Elizabeth and Philip were stationed there.
  • When Princess Elizabeth gets into a car to take her from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace, the car is displaying the Royal Standard. Only a car containing the monarch displays that.
• Blood from the Mouth: In the first scene, no less.
• Christmas Episode: We see the royal family go to Sandringham for Christmas, where they are serenaded by carol-singers.
• Cool Crown: The King is given a home-made one by the carol-singers. Visibly touched by their gift, he puts it on before joining in with the singing. It's later seen on his desk while he's working through the government papers.
• Country Matters: From the King, no less ^note  viewers who've seen The King's Speech will be aware that he used profanity as a way of dealing with his life-long stutter.
  King George VI: There was an old countess of Bray, and you may think it odd when I say, that despite her high station, rank and education, she always spelled 'cunt' with a 'K'.
• Deliberate Values Dissonance: Even after having a lung removed, George VI still smokes heavily. In Real Life, he had been advised to smoke to help alleviate his stutter, and the pressures of being King led him to smoke even more.
• Establishing Character Moment: Given that this is the first episode of the show, there are quite a few.
  • King George VI is first seen coughing up blood.
  • Peter Townsend helps the King with his uniform, and calms his nerves by lighting his cigarettes and cracking dirty limericks. Clearly, he's indispensable.
  • Elizabeth is clearly very much in love with Philip, and is well aware that her family think she could've chosen better.
  • Winston Churchill deliberately waits until the opportune moment to enter Westminster Abbey, where everybody stands up for him. Once inside, he loudly comments about Philip's sisters being married to Nazis, and is openly scornful of Lord Mountbatten on the grounds that he had presided over Indian independence. In seconds, he's established as a Living Legend, theatrical politician.
• Everybody Smokes: Elizabeth seems to be the only exception.
• Mr. Fanservice: Philip, shown fully naked from behind.
• Friend to All Children: The King, who's clearly devoted to his young grandchildren and who holds hands with the youngest of the carol-singers.
• The Good King: George VI exemplifies this trope — very much Truth in Television, for he was modest to the point of being shy, suffered from a speech impediment and wasn't meant to be the King ... and yet it was he who served as the British Head of State during World War II, making him one of Britain's most fondly-remembered monarchs. The people, who are not satisfied until he appears on the palace balcony (after his daughter's wedding, an event at which he clearly wasn't the centre of attention) and who cheer his train as it rushes past, clearly love him for it.
• Good-Times Montage: Used to illustrate what happens in the Time Skip between 1947 and 1951.
• Gorn: A faily minor example occurs when Philip goes into the room where the King's surgery has taken place, and sees the diseased lung that's been removed. A nurse wraps it up in some newspaper before taking it away.
• Head-in-the-Sand Management: Against the advice of his personal doctor, King George VI is not informed that he has cancer because his staff think that he'll last longer if he believes that he's getting better. Never mind that the King might have to make crucial decisions like preparing his daughter Elizabeth to succeed him earlier than she expected. Fortunately his doctor does reveal the truth when the King asks why he's still coughing up blood when he's supposedly on the road to recovery.
• Incurable Cough of Death: Afflicts George VI, even after he has a lung removed.
• Married to the Job: Group Captain Townsend joins the royal family at Sandringham for Christmas rather than spending it with his wife and (two) children. In Real Life, his prolonged absences caused his marriage to collapse, and he divorced his wife in 1952 after finding out about her adultery.
• Meaningful Rename: As part of his naturalisation, Philip renounces his foreign titles and takes the name of his mother's family — Mountbatten. This will have significant implications later on, as his uncle is well aware ^note  Philip had previously been a Prince of Greece and Denmark (whose surname was the somewhat unwieldy Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg); his mother had been Princess Alice of Battenberg prior to her marriage, which happened before her family was obliged to change its name to the somewhat less German-sounding Mountbatten during World War I .
• Oh, No... Not Again!: Clementine Churchill has this reaction after he husband becomes Prime Minister again.
  Clementine Churchill: [on re-entering 10 Downing Street] I had hoped I'd seen the back of this place.
• Parenting the Husband: Clementine Churchill has to tell her husband to shut up when he loudly remarks about Philip's sisters not being invited to the royal wedding because "they're all married to Nazis" ... during the royal wedding. Winston, being Winston, doubles down.
  Winston Churchill: Prominent Nazis!
• Precocious Crush: Elizabeth is quick to pick up on the fact that Princess Margaret has one of these for Peter Townsend, who's sixteen years older than her. And married.
• Shout-Out: The habit of officials placing the really important documents at the bottom of the King's red box is a move straight out of Yes, Minister; the King himself is wise to this, and instructs his daughter and heir accordingly.
• Sophisticated as Hell: The King and Peter Townsend with their dirty limericks.
  Peter Townsend: There was a young lady called Sally, who enjoyed the occasional dally. She sat on the lap, of a well-endowed chap, and said: "Sir, you're right up my alley".
• Title Drop: Wolferton Splash is the name of the duck pond where the King and Philip go shooting.
• The Topic of Cancer: Skirted around in dialogue, even though it's clear that that's what the King is (terminally) suffering from. Only Winston Churchill, who's read the medical report and is savvy enough to decipher the various medical euphemisms, says the actual word out loud.
• Wedding Episode: The Crown begins with the then-Princess Elizabeth's marriage to Philip Mountbatten, who's had to change his name in order to marry her.
• Your Days Are Numbered: And the King knows it, which is why he takes the time to show Elizabeth how to go through the contents of the dispatch box, and counsel Philip on how to support her when the time comes.