In the past five seasons it’s been on the air, “Downton Abbey” has gone from a Masterpiece Theatre staple to a worldwide cultural phenomenon. The television show, which chronicles the saga of the wealthy Crawley family in 20th century England, has garnered an enormous and dedicated fan following. Viewers tune in to catch the scandal, the drama, the love affairs and of course the ever delightful performances of veteran actress Maggie Smith.
The show has won three Golden Globes already and shows no signs of slowing down—but after a bit of criticism from a powerful fan, the writers might be checking their facts twice. Word has it that a certain head of the British royal family is a major fan of the BBC drama. That’s right; Queen Elizabeth herself not only watches the show, but is quick to point out certain incongruencies and errors which they make in their portrayal of the British aristocracy. For example, as Queen Elizabeth biographer Brian Hoey comments, “the Queen did notice on one episode that there was a young so-called British officer wearing medals which had not been awarded when he was supposed to be alive. He was fighting in the First World War and the medals on his chest did not come in until the Second World War.” Looks like the writers might need to be extra careful as they pen the script for season 6!
Of course, Her Royal Highness isn’t the only monarch with a hankering for Crawley family shenanigans—word has it Will and Kate are also fans. Yet with the Queen’s 63 years of reign, we think she’s probably the best authority out there on British history and customs. We applaud Her Majesty for keeping the “Downton Abbey” crew on their toes and hope her royal influence will only serve to make season 6 (which, by the way, premieres September 20th on ITV and in 2016 for America on PBS) the best one yet.