There’s been a lot of royal news to keep up with as of late, but last week brought a very important and unexpected update on Buckingham Palace viewing habits. According to Daily Mail royal correspondent Rebecca English, the Netflix series The Windsors–which blends soap opera and broad satire in its depiction of the royal family–is “popular” at the palace. (Though it’s unclear if she meant with staffers or the Queen’s relatives.)
But either way, with that at least royal-adjacent stamp of approval, it only seems fitting to delve a little deeper into the world of The Windsors. While a quick glance at a few episode synopses make it clear that the show is not exactly going for realism–storylines so far have included a Harry/Pippa affair and a long-lost twin brother–there are some plot elements that feel strangely plausible. And since English specifically praised the show for being “well researched,” that adds up.
Below is a quiz to see whether you can tell the difference between The Windsors‘ heightened and absurd comedic plotting, and the royal family’s real-life shenanigans. (Scroll to the bottom for the answers)
Answers
Question 1 Answer: Oh yeah, that’s real. “He is completely infatuated by the red squirrels that live around the estate in Scotland—to the extent that he’s given them names and is allowing them into the house,” William said of his father’s unusual approach to wildlife back in 2018.
Question 2 Answer: Surprisingly, this one is from The Windsors–at least, as far as we know.
Question 3 Answer: True. As recently depicted in The Crown, Charles came round to the Welsh nationalist perspective during his semester at the University of Aberystwyth. Members of prime minister Harold Wilson’s cabinet afterwards became concerned that “the Aberystwyth experience has influenced the Prince to a considerable extent.”
Question 4 Answer: The Windsors. Though we don’t know one way or the other how Kate felt about her first real-life pheasant shoot, we do know that she’s a regular at the royal family’s Boxing Day hunt at Sandringham, and is reportedly “a keen markswoman.”
Question 5 Answer: Absolutely true, and absolutely iconic. “It runs better and is more powerful on that fuel than it is on petrol,” Charles has said. “And also, it smells delicious as you’re driving along.”
Question 6 Answer: Okay, this one is clearly (?) fictional. Harry buying a nightclub sounds plausible enough–he was notoriously quite the party animal in his youth, and was even rumored to have a secret tunnel running directly from one favorite nightlife spot to Kensington Palace. But even in his wildest moments, he’d probably know better than to ask the Duchess of Cambridge to drop beats.
Question 7 Answer: Look, there’s just absolutely no way that anybody could make this up. If you missed this saga–and in particular if you missed Peter Phillips’ unforgettable milk campaign image, do rectify that at your earliest convenience.
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