Queen Elizabeth May Have Made a Subtle Nod to *The Crown* in Her Annual Christmas Speech
Ever since The Crown premiered on Netflix in 2016, fans have wondered whether its subject, Queen Elizabeth, watches the drama—and what she thinks of it. Some reports have said that the Queen Mother approves of the series; while others have said she’s taken issue with the more fictionalized scenes. And now, new reports seem to suggest not only that the royal watches, but that she gave the hit show a subtle nod in this year’s annual Christmas speech.
On Tuesday (December 24), a photo from Queen Elizabeth’s annual Christmas Day broadcast shows the monarch seated a desk in front of a Christmas tree, surrounded by photographs of the royal family throughout the years. The Daily Mail spotted that among the desk decor was a picture of Queen Elizabeth’s handshake with the Apollo 11 crew—an event that was recreated on season 3 of The Crown.
During the seventh episode of season 3, Prince Philip watches the Apollo 11 team complete their mission and questions his own accomplishments as a result. The royal family also hosts an astronaut-themed birthday party for Prince Edward and Prince Andrew. Finally, the show depicts the famous meeting between Queen Elizabeth and the Apollo 11 team at Buckingham Palace, shown below.
Embedding a wink to that would be a savvy pop culture move from Queen Elizabeth, indicating yet again that she’s aware of the series. But it could also be a marker of the year: 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
Netflix Easter eggs or not, the Queen’s Christmas broadcast will have other moments for royal onlookers to chew on. Excerpts from Queen Elizabeth’s speech published by CNN say that she will address the tumultuous year in politics head-on. “Small steps taken in faith and in hope can overcome long-held differences and deep-seated divisions to bring harmony and understanding,” she said. “The path, of course, is not always smooth, and may at times this year have felt quite bumpy, but small steps can make a world of difference.”