, a woman renowned for her love of exquisite jewels - one of the most famous images ever taken of her shows her posing in the bath wearing the Poltimore Tiara which later fetched £926,400 at auction - yet they are sorely lacking in her most glamorous appearances. At a dinner where she reunites with her first love Captain Peter Townsend, Manville wears a recreation of a vibrant fuschia puff-sleeved gown which Margaret sported for a fashion show in aid of the NSPCC in 1992. Then, the Princess donned a dazzling pair of ruby and diamond girandole earrings with a coordinating necklace and brooch, but her bling barely registers on screen. Similarly, Queen Elizabeth's unrivalled collection of priceless pieces falls a little flat. Perhaps this is a purposeful strategy from the producers to make the royals as dull as possible? The handbags are ahead of their time It might seem pedantic){kind=link}
Just as the arguments over what was and wasn’t said will rumble on, so too will the debates around the fashion choices
Much has been made of the historical inaccuracies in the latest series of The Crown. The fact that many of us lived through this rocky period for the royals and remember it only too well, means Peter Morgan’s poetic licence would never have slipped through quite as seamlessly.
But just as the arguments over what was and wasn’t said will rumble on, so too will the debates around the fashion. Dior afficionados will know only too well that Princess Diana couldn’t possibly have carried a Lady Dior bag in 1992 as the series depicts. The bag wasn’t even designed until 1995. Tartan experts will have a word to say on the choice of plaid for the then Prince Phillip also. And were John Major’s glasses really that ugly?
What’s clear is that the clever use of costume will always help chivvy a story along, so here we take a look at the hits and the misses of the new series.
There are evening gala scenes aplenty in the new episodes, but there is distinct disappointment in the sparkle department. Take Princess Margaret (played by Lesley Manville), a woman renowned for her love of exquisite jewels – one of the most famous images ever taken of her shows her posing in the bath wearing the Poltimore Tiara which later fetched £926,400 at auction – yet they are sorely lacking in her most glamorous appearances.