Over its six seasons, many have criticized The Crown for its creative liberties — with the U.K. culture secretary once arguing that the show should be clearer about being a work of fiction, lest “a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact.”
While Netflix describes the show as a “fictional dramatization” in its promotional materials, it’s natural to wonder which events from the show have some truth to them. For example, did Kate Middleton ever meet Princess Diana, as is depicted in The Crown’s final batch of episodes?
A Chance Encounter
Season 6’s seventh episode — which dropped on Dec. 14 — begins with a 15-year-old Kate shopping for a Christmas party outfit. After leaving the store with her mom, she encounters a busy scene outside: Princess Diana and Prince William are selling copies of The Big Issue, which benefits people affected by poverty in the United Kingdom.
Kate buys a copy, with Diana remarking that she’s “very generous” and asking her name. Then, Kate and William catch each other’s gaze for a few moments.
When Kate returns home, she’s clearly besotted, clipping magazine photos of the young prince for a collage.
In her 2010 engagement interview with William, however, Kate playfully refuted the idea that she had his picture on her wall. “He wishes,” she said. “No, I had the Levi’s guy on my wall. Not a picture of William. Sorry!”
That isn’t the only thing The Crown may have embellished. For example, Prince William is definitely a supporter of The Big Issue, as he shared in an essay for the organization — but he didn’t sell papers as a teenager. That happened much later.
What Kate Said About Meeting Diana
Still, couldn’t Kate have conceivably met Will and Diana in some other public setting?
While anything is possible, fans of the royals only have Kate’s recollection to go on — and according to the current Princess of Wales, she never met her late mother-in-law. “I would have loved to have met her,” Kate said in her engagement interview. “And obviously, she’s an inspirational woman to look up to.”
William echoed that sentiment in a 2017 GQ story, telling the magazine that he “would love her to have met Catherine.”
Between Kate wearing Diana’s engagement ring and frequently paying homage to the late princess with her fashion choices, it seems that if Kate really did have a fated encounter with her future husband and mother-in-law, the couple would have mentioned it.
The Crown’s Creative License
Creator Peter Morgan stands by The Crown’s creative liberties. The “ghost” of Princess Diana appearing in Season 6, for example? “It was her continuing to live vividly in the minds of those she has left behind,” he told Variety. “Diana was unique, and I suppose that’s what inspired me to find a unique way of representing her. She deserved special treatment narratively.”
Setting up a chance meeting between the past and future princesses could serve a similar purpose. It’s one way to show Diana’s influence on Will and Kate’s relationship, even if she wasn’t present for it in real life.
