The expanding political and social figures (including spouses and fictional characters) featured in The Crown (2016). Beware of spoilers.
open/close all folders
Other Characters
Season 1
Clementine Churchill
Dame Clementine "Clemmie" Churchill (née Hozier)
Played By: Dame Harriet Walter
"I had hoped I'd seen the back of this place."
The wife of Winston Churchill. Loyal and devoted to her husband, her devotion extends to trying to help him realise that he is no longer the man of energy and accomplishment that he once was, and still believes himself to be.- Burn Baby Burn: Her solution to the loathed Sutherland portrait that upsets her husband so much is to burn it on the lawn at Chartwell.
- Eating the Eye Candy: Churchill accuses her of doing this to his portrait painter, Graham Sutherland. She doesn't deny it.
- Happily Married: To Sir Winston. She is loving, supportive, and above all patient — an essential requirement when dealing with her wilful husband.
- Oh, No... Not Again!: She’s openly unhappy about living at 10 Downing Street a second time.
- Parenting the Husband: Clemmie has to do this on a few occasions.
- She commands Winston (in a whisper) to shut up as he rather loudly reminds her why Philip's Nazi sisters were not invited to the royal wedding... in the middle of the royal wedding.
- After Winston's stroke, she lectures him for deceiving the Queen about the extent of his health problems. She orders him back to bed in case the excitement of President Eisenhower's upcoming visit becomes too much for him... which it does seconds later.
Venetia Scott
Miss Venetia Scott
Played By: Kate Phillips
"You were 24. All energy and hope and passion and fire. It's remarkable."
A personal secretary to the Prime Minister.- '50s Hair: Wears her curly blonde hair in a Prim and Proper Bun style.
- Audience Surrogate: As she experiences the particulars and peculiarities of life working at Number 10, so do we.
- Celibate Hero: She’s had enough disappointing one-night stands that she'd rather read Winston's memoirs at home than join her flatmate at the pub.
- Composite Character: Winston Churchill never had a secretary named Venetia Scott. However, her experiences as his secretary are in line with that of his many real-life secretaries.
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: After reading Winston's memoirs, she is inspired to make her own mark on the world however she can. She does just that, but only via her own tragic death, which makes enough of a mark on Churchill that he calls for a public inquiry into the cause of the Great Smog, which eventually leads to the Clean Air Act 1956.
- Determinator: After walking her sick flatmate through the Great Smog to the hospital, she tells the skeptical doctor she can get the Prime Minister to supply more money. After he mocks her, she immediately sets off to do just that, with tragic results.Venetia: I'll show you!
- Girl Friday: To Churchill, who takes a shine to the plucky young newcomer.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: A sweet young woman with hay-coloured hair.
- Hero-Worshipper: She adores Churchill. Given that he is under siege from everyone else, he is deeply moved.
- Look Both Ways: The Great Smog basically makes this impossible, and she’s knocked down by a bus.
- Morality Pet: For Churchill; her death during the Great Smog finally makes him see it as more than just extreme weather.
- Nice Girl: A sweet girl who is one of the few people who can talk to Churchill and actually get him to listen. She's also selfless in helping her dangerously ill flatmate through the treacherous London fog to hospital.
- Plucky Office Girl: She manages to get her friend to a hospital amidst the toxic fog and vows to get the government involved...only to get run over by a bus.
- Sacrificial Lamb: The sudden death of such a true-hearted, impressive young woman is the jolt it takes to compel Churchill to call a public inquiry and introduce the Clean Air Act of 1956.
Graham Sutherland
Mr Graham Sutherland
- Actor Allusion: This isn't the last time a character played by Stephen Dillane and Churchill will come to blows over the latter's self-image. Sutherland's heated disagreement with the Prime Minister echoes Dillane's later role as Churchill's Foreign Secretary Viscount Halifax
in Darkest Hournote . - Brutal Honesty: The crux of the tension between him and Churchill. Churchill wants a portrait that will reflect his mythic self-identity as a titan of British politics. Sutherland, however, values honesty, and instead depicts Churchill as he is — a weak, increasingly frail elderly man.
- Friendly Enemy: Sutherland is a modernist, something that hardly fails to get the deeply conservative (both in art and politics) Churchill's back up, and he accuses Sutherland at several points of being a "socialist." Nevertheless, Sutherland sincerely claims to have accepted the commission because he is an admirer of Churchill, and the two men end up finding some points of commonality and friendship. This is partly why Churchill reacts so poorly to the portrait that Sutherland ends up painting; he views it as a personal betrayal as well as political sabotage.
- Jerkass Has a Point: From Churchill's perspective, at least; he initially accuses Sutherland of performing a cruel character assassination with his portrait, but ultimately cannot argue when Sutherland retorts that all he did was paint the truth, and the truth — as much as Churchill tries to pretend otherwise — is simply that Churchill is an elderly man in the twilight of his life.Sutherland: I showed those sketches to your wife throughout. She remarked on how accurate they were.
Churchill: That is the whole point! It is not a reasonably truthful image of me!
Sutherland: It is, sir.
Churchill: It is not! It is cruel!
Sutherland: [Finally snapping] AGE IS CRUEL! If you see decay, it’s because there’s decay. If you see frailty, it’s because there’s frailty. I can’t be blamed for what is, and I refuse to hide and disguise what I see. If you are engaged in a fight with something, then it’s not with me. It’s with your own blindness. - Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Mrs. Churchill describes him as "a bit of a Heathcliff"
- Warts and All: What Churchill dislikes about his portrait by Sutherland, as he wanted the portrait to show him as Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister and Statesmen, not Winston Churchill, a tired, 80-year-old man. After arguing with Sutherland about the portrait, he admits privately to his wife that the portrait is the truth, and he can do nothing about it. As in real life, Lady Churchill later has the portrait burned as the episode ends.
- Wham Line: Compared to Stephen Dillane's otherwise understated delivery, his "AGE IS CRUEL!!!" really hits home.
Clarissa Eden
Mrs Anne Clarissa Eden (née Spencer-Churchill)
- '50s Hair: She wears her hair in a neat ‘classic wave’ that evokes Grace Kelly.
- Age-Gap Romance: 23 years younger than her husband (who was born in 1897 while she was born in 1920). By comparison, this enabled her to be alive in 2020, long after Season 1 was broadcast and when the only other living adults from the same season were the Queen and Philip — while her husband had been dead for more than forty years.
- Chekhov's Gunman: She is his second wife, who due to being raised Catholic caused some notoriety by marrying the divorced Eden. As the Queen points out, this makes her more-or-less* the chief reason the Cabinet is being extremely hypocritical about not supporting Margaret's proposed marriage.
- Happily Married: Not only this to Eden but actually the chief reason he made his infamous trip to Jamaica — Clarissa was afraid Eden would die otherwise, even if he convalesced somewhere in the UK.
- Hero of Another Story: At the time of her death, December 2021, she was the oldest living spouse of a former Prime Minister (having turned 100 in June 2020) and published her memoirs in 2007, 30 years after the death of her husband. Due to her having known just about everyone (not merely in politics but art, literary, and society too), there was quite a lot to tell.
- Middle Name Basis: Quite normal for the world of British politics, although she is the slightly rarer female version.
Season 2
Eileen Parker
Mrs Eileen Parker (née Allan)
- '50s Hair: Sports full, shoulder length hair in a style precursing a 60s bouffant.
- Awful Wedded Life: Her marriage to Mike is very unhappy as he cheats on her and is never around for their children. She decides to get a divorce as soon as she can.
- Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Queen Elizabeth and Tommy Lascelles are astonished that Eileen should dare speak to them so bluntly and harshly when they (separately) ask her to keep her divorce from Mike as quiet as possible, lest Prince Philip’s character be called into question. She tells them to get stuffed in a manner virtually no other character would ever dare use with Tommy, let alone the Queen.
- Mama Bear: One of her motivations to finally get a divorce occurs when Mike neglected to call their young daughter to wish her happy birthday.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: She delivers one to Tommy and Elizabeth, telling them that working for the Royal family damages the family and marital relations of their employees.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: In Real Life, Eileen is very loyal to the Royal Family, even after her divorce. However she’s uncompromising in her decision to divorce her husband (breaking social convention as well as the requests of her sovereign) to get out of a unhappy marriage to a man who cheats on her and neglects their children.
Helen King
Miss Helen King
Played By: Mirrah Foulkes
An Australian journalist who charms her way into an interview with Prince Philip whilst he’s in Australia to open the Olympic Games, though her motives are far more confrontational than expected.- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: With beguiling smiles, she makes sure she captures Prince Philip’s attention, but once she begins her interview with him, her questioning escalates from mildly probing, to highly personal, and finally to downright hostile as her own anti-monarchist leanings fully emerge.
- Canon Foreigner: She is fictional, and so obviously is her encounter with Philip, but she stands in for all his ambiguous encounters and relationships with women at the time.
- Distracted by the Sexy: She’s an attractive, confident woman, and Prince Philip uncharacteristically lets his guard down, accepting her invitation to interview him and opening himself up to an at first awkward and then ultimately aggressive grilling at her hands. The show really leaves it up in the air as to whether Philip was expecting an interview at all, or something far steamier.Philip (to Mike Parker): Don’t ever let my vanity get the better of me ever again!
- Intrepid Reporter: Manages to land an interview with the notoriously uncooperative Prince Philip — largely due to her blonde good looks, it must be said. She is also not particularly good at her job — not starting interviews by asking rude and extremely personal questions and alienating the interviewee would seem to be elementary, let alone in a far more deferential era.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Although she goes about it in a hostile manner, and while some of her questions are way too personal to be considered polite, her feeling that Australian citizens should have the right to question their leaders is valid.
- Manipulative Bitch: Under a friendly, even flirty guise, she manages to appeal to Prince Philip’s own vanity and scores an interview with him, though her actual goal is to give him a grilling over the Crown’s role in governing Australia.
Lady Dorothy Macmillan
Lady Dorothy Macmillan (née Cavendish)
Played By: Sylvestra Le Touzel
The wife of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. They do not have a particularly happy relationship.- '50s Hair: She wears her hair in a Prim and Proper Bun with the waves of the decade.
- Blue Blood: She bears the title ‘Lady’ by right of birth, as her father was the 9th Duke of Devonshire and she grew up at the monumental family seat of Chatsworth. This makes her one of the highest-ranking non-royal women in the series.
- Domestic Abuse: She takes pleasure in emasculating and ridiculing her husband whenever possible.
- Famous Ancestor: She and the Princess of Wales share a famous ancestor — celebrated society beauty Georgiana Cavendish (née Spencer), wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire and played by Keira Knightley in the film The Duchess.
- Fat Bitch: She’s of a matronly build and has a very unpleasant (to the point of emotionally abusive) attitude towards Harold.
- No Sympathy: She’s enjoying a blatant love affair with Baron Boothby and outright tells Harold about an upcoming rendezvous with her lover.
- Token Evil Teammate: Most PM's spouses are shown to be loving and supportive of their powerful halves (Denis Thatcher and Clementine Churchill) or in the background (Clarissa Eden, various unseen spouses) but Dorothy takes the cake for being her husband's biggest, and abrasively vocal critic, even attending a comedy show that makes fun of him.
- Uptown Girl: For her husband, Harold. Her condescension is part of the reason for his breakdown, presented in-series.
Lord Altrincham
The Right Honourable John Grigg, 2nd Baron Altrincham
Played By: John Heffernan
An English aristocrat and journalist, who holds views on the antiquated and out-of-touch nature of the monarchy and need for modernisation that causes much controversy.- The Dentist Episode: Skips out on a repeatedly postponed dental appointment throughout the Season 2 episode "Marionettes."
- Compassionate Critic: He only criticizes Elizabeth because he wants the monarchy to succeed and endure, and part of that means modernization. The crux of his many recommendations is that the monarch and wider Royal Family must make more effort to connect with the common people.
- Pompous Political Pundit: Defenders of the monarchy view him as such.
- Speak Truth To Power: In a compassionate manner, he respectfully but earnestly explains to the Queen that in order to survive as an institution, the Crown must move with the egalitarian flow of the times. One of his key recommendations is that she open up the Palace and meet public guests — something the Queen, through gritted teeth, agrees to.
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: The end credits mention how the Crown eventually implemented nearly all of Altrincham's suggestions for reform, as well as the fact that he renounced his noble title.
Galina Ulanova
Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova, Prima Ballerina Assoluta
Played By: Aliya Tanikpaeva
A world famous Russian ballerina who Elizabeth suspects of sleeping with Prince Phillip after she finds her portrait in his possession.- Affair Letters: Well, jewelry. Elizabeth first becomes suspicious that Philip is having an affair with Galina when she discovers a locket containing her photograph in Philip’s travel bag.
- Brick Joke: Elizabeth is still snarking about and making references to Philip and "ballerinas" decades later.
- Dancing Royalty: Undisputedly one of the best and most respected dancers, ever.
- I Know You Know I Know: Following her discovery of the photograph, detailed above, Elizabeth attends one of Galina’s performances and the ballerina can’t help herself but stare at Elizabeth in a manner that implies both acknowledgement of her awareness of the implicit affair with Philip, as well as a sheepish level of shame.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: She has her dark hair bound in a bun and very pale skin, and is breathtakingly beautiful.
- Sensual Slavs: Breathtakingly beautiful? Check. Slavic origins? Check. Sexy enough to entice Prince Phillip to supposedly cheat on his wife? Check.
Stephen Ward
Mr Stephen Ward
Played By: Richard Lintern
An osteopath and artist who was one of the central figures in the 1963 Profumo affair, a British political scandal.- Den of Iniquity: The organisation of these is his specialism. Ward tells Prince Philip all about the completely discreet, though salaciously louche country house parties he organises, where the Prince can "party with Christine and Mandy" note .
- Driven to Suicide: After the scandal of the Profumo Affair breaks in the press, and he is indicted for pimping, Ward kills himself before he can be convicted.
- The Fixer: His public persona is that of a skilled osteopath and artist, though behind the scenes, he acts as coordinator for salacious country house gatherings for the rich and powerful, where beautiful women like Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies provide the "entertainment".
- The Quisling: Debated. Ward was a colourful character: by trade, an osteopath, but also a socialite, artist, and (most unfortunately for Profumo) a rumoured Soviet ally. He introduced escort Christine Keeler to Yevgeny Ivanov, a Soviet spy working undercover at his country's embassy in London, to extract information from Profumo.
- Scandalgate: He became intrinsically linked to the "Profumo Affair", detailed in Series 2 finale episode "Mystery Man", which refers to the scandal surrounding the War Secretary John Profumo's extra-marital affair with Christine Keeler after Ward introduced them to one another. During Keeler's brief relationship with Profumo, she was said to have also been romantically involved with Captain Yevgeny Ivanov, a Soviet naval attache who was also involved in espionage. Keeler was feared to have passed information about Profumo to Ivanov.
- Signature Item Clue: As noted, Ward is an artist — trouble is, he's allegedly sketched (from life) pictures of Prince Philip, supposedly in-situ at one of his scandalous parties. Although Philip claims I Was Never Here, The Crown has to buy back the sketches at enormous expense to avoid implicating him in any way.
- The Scapegoat: Since Ward's suicide, many have suggested that he was made a scapegoat for the Profumo affair, which became so toxic for the Macmillan government. Supposedly, he knew that Profumo had lied to Parliament about his relationship with Keeler and he was threatening to expose the truth.
- Toxic Friend Influence: Prince Philip is quite taken with Ward after he manages to fix his cricked neck with just a few careful tugs, but is soon drawn into Ward's scandalous world of glamour-girl parties.
Christine Keeler
Miss Christine Keeler
Played By: Gala Gordon
A beautiful glamour model and showgirl who, along with Stephen Ward above, was also one of the central figures in the 1963 Profumo Affair. - '60s Hair: She sports big, luxuriously bouffant 'helmet hair'.
- Dark and Troubled Past: After her father abandoned the family, she was brought up by her mother and abusive stepfather in a house made from two converted railway carriages.
- Distracted by the Sexy: John Profumo — married man, father and Secretary of War — is beguiled by the beautiful Christine, and finds himself utterly scandalised because of it.
- Head-Turning Beauty: She's a celebrated 60s glamour girl, famed for her pouting, bee-stung lips and perfect hour-glass figure.
- Hero of Another Story: Her story is detailed in the 1989 film Scandal, where she was played by the uncannily similar-looking Joanne Whalley, as well as the 2019 TV series The Trial of Christine Keeler.
- Impossible Hourglass Figure: Keeler was famed for her perfect figure, and at the height of the Profumo affair, she famously posed naked, straddling an Arne Jacobsen chair.
- The Oldest Profession: Keeler moved in with Ward, apparently platonically, and it was he who allegedly began pimping her and other girls out at parties for rich and powerful men — including, again allegedly, Prince Philip.
- Perp Sweating: When we first see her, she's being grilled by the police over her involvement with Profumo, though all she offers is "no comment".
- Scandalgate: Along with Ward, above, Keeler also became intrinsically linked to the "Profumo Affair", which refers to the scandal surrounding her affair with married War Secretary John Profumo, after they were introduced to one another by Ward. During her brief relationship with Profumo, she was said to have also been romantically involved with Captain Yevgeny Ivanov, a Soviet naval attache who was also involved in espionage. Keeler was feared to have passed information about Profumo to Ivanov.
Season 3
John Armstrong
Mr John Armstrong
- Aggressive Categorism: Absolutely hates the Royal Family, and writes withering columns in his newspaper, damning their exploits.
- Canon Foreigner: His scathing report on the "At home with the Royal Family" documentary, as well as his interview with Princess Alice, are pure fiction.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Can't stand the Royal Family and isn't above mocking them; but with Princess Alice he does show a keen admiration of her works and appreciation for how she was marginalized for her disability and her years of being institutionalized, showing a rather progressive attitude towards mental health for someone of his era.
- Odd Friendship: Despite his staunch anti-monarchist stance, Princess Alice and her tragic backstory and altruistic life melt his heart, and he writes a suitably supportive piece on her at a time when the Royals badly need some good (in-series) PR.
Edward Millward
Dr Edward "Tedi" Millward
- Berserk Button: He's enraged by intellectual laziness, especially when Charles cheerfully confesses to have not yet visited the university's library and demonstrates complete ignorance of Welsh history.
- Good Parents: He and his wife Silvia are a very happy and close family with their young son Andras. It's telling how much Charles longingly notices this.
- Happily Married: Met his wife at a Welsh political demonstration and is clearly affectionate with her and their son.
- Patriotic Fervor: Wales is part of the United Kingdom. He yearns for the days when Wales can call itself an independent republic like Ireland, as opposed to a principality within the UK.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Unloads on Charles for not taking his Welsh education seriously and compares Charles unfavorably to Edward VIII and Edward VII (and presumably George V as well), who all showed little to no interest in Wales despite being past Princes of Wales.
- Serious Business: He despises the monarchy, but he also won't give up the chance to teach and promote the Welsh language and impart some knowledge of Wales and its history on someone in an influential position like Charles.
- Sympathy for the Devil: For Millward, Charles represents a repressive force that's been holding down Wales for centuries. But he also comes to see Charles as a lonely soul who's been profoundly damaged by his upbringing.
Silvia Hart Millward
Mrs Silvia Hart Millward
Played by: Nia Roberts
A proud Welsh nationalist and wife of Tedi Millward, who is less than pleased about her husband tutoring a member of the Royal Family in the Welsh language.- '60s Hair: She has a shoulder-length bouffant teased at the crown that isn't dissimilar to Samantha Stephens in the late 60s.
- Aggressive Categorism: Holds hostile feelings towards Charles without ever even having met him, due to him belonging to an institution she despises. Warms up somewhat when she spends time with Charles at dinner and realises his vulnerability and loneliness.
- Easily-Overheard Conversation: She is talking with someone on the phone about her husband bringing Charles round for dinner (in Welsh) when she sees the guest of honour has arrived (though luckily he is not fluent yet).
- Good Parents: Enjoys a happy and close life with her husband and soon-to-be two children.
- Happily Married: She reminds Tedi that Welsh nationalism underpins their whole marriage, but they also share a close marital bond and sense of humour.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: In Real Life, as her husband says, she wouldn't have allowed Prince Charles to dine in their home.
- Housewife: A classic example with the apron over a feminine and stylish dress, cooking in the kitchen.
- Pink Is Feminine: She is constantly seen wearing pink in her introductory scenes (her cardigan in the above photo, the short dress she wears when Prince Charles comes for dinner, and her nightgown).
- Sympathy for the Devil: The ‘devil’ being the institution to which Charles belongs. As a mother herself, she feels sympathy for Charles and his cold relationship with his own mother.
- Tranquil Fury: Her mood when her husband brings Charles home as a guest counts as this, to say the least.
Arthur Scargill
Mr Arthur Scargill, President of the National Union of Mineworkers
Played By: David Wilmot
The President of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) who leads two strikes during 1972 and 1974 against the policies of Heath's government.- Entertainingly Wrong: He presumptuously assumes Ted Heath is just another cosseted toff — little does he know that both men share a similar background, and Heath instantly and firmly shuts down his “you could never understand” diatribe.
- Fiery Redhead: Has ginger-colored hair and is quite a fiery leader.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gets a fair way into giving one of these to Heath, pointing out how the miners are suffering underground to give everyone in the country power, heat, and light — unfortunately, he assumed that Heath's Tory leadership, musical passions and "smooth hands" mean that Heath hasn't got a clue about any kind of labour or working-class life. Builder's son Ted promptly gives him one, focusing on the illegality of the strikes and calling him a hoodlum and a hostage-taker. Given the exchange of these, negotiations fail.
- Slogan-Yelling Megaphone Guy: In his capacity as President of the NUM, he uses his strong oratory skills to whip his followers into an anti-government frenzy.
- Strike Episode: As leader of the NUM, episodes in which he appears are set against the backdrop of the miners' strikes of the early 70s.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: He also infamously clashed with and was crushed by Thatcher during her administration, but none of that is covered by the show.
Sydney Johnson
Mr Sydney Johnson
Click here to see him in Season 5
Played by: Connie M'Gadzah (Season 3), Joshua Kekana (young, Season 5), Jude Akuwudike (older, Season 5)
The Duke of Windsor's longtime valet. Later valet to Mohamed Al-Fayed.- Ascended Extra: Johnson is at first just a valet in the background, very briefly seen in "Vergangenheit", a bit more in Season 3's "Dangling Man" but with his part still amounting to The Cameo and almost no reason to believe he'd appear again. In Season 5 he returns for an episode that gives him a much more substantial role, goes all the way up to his own death, and shows his resting place in Paris.
- A Day in the Limelight: Having worked for the Duke and Duchess in Real Life in his native Bahamas and later France, he left following the death of the Duke. He later came back to help curate a collection of the Duke and Duchess's belongings after Mohamed Al-Fayed, then his employer, restored their suburban Paris villa as a museum in the 1980s — all explored in Season 5's "Mou Mou".
- First-Name Basis: Ironically. As anyone who's read P. G. Wodehouse would know, a proper valet is always on a Last-Name Basis, to the extent one should be vaguely unsure of what his first name even is. However, both the Duke of Windsor and Al-Fayed call him Sydney rather than Johnson, and even Sydney the etiquette expert seems fine with it.
- Incurable Cough of Death: Like his former employer the Duke, although without Blood from the Mouth or any doctors involved. In his case it basically cuts from an ongoing cough to him on his deathbed.
- The Jeeves:
- He's often called on for help in his introductory episode, as the Duke of Windsor was in the advanced stages of cancer at the time.
- Years later, he begins working as a valet once more, but this time for Mohamed Al-Fayed, for whom he also acts as a Mentor in the ways of British high society.
- Odd Couple:
- The former King Edward VIII was very fond of and dependent on him, treated him much more nicely than he did many other people, and gave him an unparalleled education in British customs and society, which Sydney uses in his memory after his death.
- Mohamed Al-Fayed absolutely loathes him at first sight due to being black and discriminates against him; despite that and then being the man's employee, they gradually grow closer and end up as something like Heterosexual Life-Partners. Al-Fayed is devastated when he dies.
- Old Retainer: Worked for the Duke and Duchess for almost 30 years, beginning when he was 16 and the Duke was governor of the Bahamas.
- Token Minority: He's the sole black character of note in the entire series, though given the predominantly period setting and focus on the Royal Family's circle, it's not particularly surprising.
- Undying Loyalty: The Duke died several years ago and Sydney seemingly hasn't seen the Duchess since, but he's very upset about her death and difficult end and clearly holds both their memories in the highest regard, even while he tactfully feels no need to say anything negative about the British royal family, either. He even goes to work for an unpleasant racist in order to pass on the Duke's lessons and later save his former place of employ from ruin.
Season 4
Denis Thatcher
Mr Denis Thatcher
Played by: Stephen Boxer
Margaret Thatcher's devoted husband who is her loyal confidant against the pressures brought by the office.- Affectionate Nickname: Margaret calls him "DT".
- Closer to Earth: Inverted. He's a rare male example of this trope. When his son is returned safely from his dangerous trek, Denis scolds him for being ungrateful to the rescue team, while Margaret merely coddles him.
- Cool Old Guy: His quips and snarks aimed at the royals are both supportive of Margaret and amusing.
- Devoted to You: Despite her obvious flaws, Denis is utterly supportive and dedicated to Margaret.
- Happily Married: Despite their differences, he and Margaret have a strong and healthy relationship and are completely devoted to each other.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: While Mark did do business in South Africa, in Real Life it was likely because of his father's strong ties and business dealings there, and it was likely Denis who played a part in Thatcher's hardline against sanctions there. Denis' support for the apartheid regime is completely excised here, in favour of Mark's awfulness and him being a Cool Old Guy.
- Nice Guy: Good-natured, good-humoured, down-to-earth, holds his children to equal standards, and loving to and supportive of his powerful wife.
- Nice to the Waiter: Played with. He tips the maid who helps his wife get settled in at Balmoral. Though she protests that it's not supposed to be done until the stay is over, Denis insists and promises that he won't tell anyone — although this is presented as a bit crass and yet another faux pas, seemingly making the maid uncomfortable.
- No Sense of Humor: Because Margaret is this, he balances and compensates.
- Power is Sexy: Amiable Nice Guy Denis is quite comfortable (and Happily Married) being the "support act" for the most powerful woman in the world.
- Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: As per Real Life. His wife's intense fervour and drive made her Prime Minister of the UK for eleven straight years. Part of Denis's support was providing her with calm, perspective, and his much better people skills.
- Understanding Boyfriend: He is very patient and supportive of his wife's political career, despite belonging to a generation of men who expected women to Stay in the Kitchen. He even financed his wife's law school when she took an interest in it.
Carol and Mark Thatcher
Miss Carol Thatcher & Mr Mark Thatcher
Played by: Rebecca Humphries & Freddie Fox
Margaret and Denis Thatcher's twin children who occupy different places in their mother's heart.- '80s Hair: Both of them have examples of the luscious locks of the earlier part of the decade. Mark looks like a more toned down version of Steve Harrington while Carol has a chin length bob that Diana's Sloaney friends would sport.
- Calling the Old Woman Out: Carol attempts to chastise her mother for her attitude towards other women and how she treats them (including her) with disdain.
- Daddy's Girl: Carol with her father Denis, "they are the support act in this show" and are pretty close, as the cocky Mark and formidable Margaret run the show.
- Elmuh Fudd Syndwome: As per real life, Carol sports her well-known speech impediment.
- Expy: Mark Thatcher and Prince Andrew are virtually identical in personality and portrayal.
- Jerk Jock: Mark, so much. Xenophobic, chauvinistic, ungrateful, arrogant, conceited and rude. He also is a sporty race car driver.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Mark is the Foolish while the more Responsible Carol keeps to herself and out of trouble.
- Like Father, Like Son: Oy.
- Mark and Margaret are both people enamoured of their own egos and don't admit when they have made a mistake. Mark also seems to have inherited all of Margaret's prejudices and (lack of) people skills.
- Carol and Denis are quieter and less likely to draw attention to themselves.
- Mama's Boy: Mark all the way. He is often spoiled and enabled by Margaret for his misbehavior.
- Never My Fault: Like his mother, he never admits when he is at fault, even when it gets him and teammates lost and several governments using resources to find his whereabouts. He also goes and accuses them of incompetence, using his prejudice as a cudgel.
- Polar Opposite Twins: The irresponsible and ungrateful Jerk Jock Mark and the quieter and more responsible Carol.
- The Unfavorite: Poor Carol, whose mother spoils Mark and ignores her, all due to her mother's Female Misogynist tendencies.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Mark.
- Apparently not grateful enough to the people who found him in the desert and saved his life. Margaret's commentary is that it was their job and it took them a week, showing where he gets it.
- His reaction to his mother making him his favourite dinner of toad-in-the-hole post rescue? Whinge that she 'forgot the gravy' in the most entitled manner possible.
Michael Fagan
Mr Michael Fagan
Played by: Tom Brooke
A London-born decorator who breaks into Buckingham Palace (twice!)- The Cassandra: He explains the consequences of Thatcher's libertarian policies to the Queen. Thatcher later dismisses Fagan's claims away on grounds of his mental health.
- Character Title: The episode in which he appears is simply titled "Fagan".
- The Cloudcuckoolander Was Right: He comes across as a lunatic but as the Queen puts it, he may be a fool but he is Lear's fool.
- Genius Slob: He's a Lower-Class Lout with some mental health issues and the propensity towards getting into fights with his ex-wife's boyfriend but he also shows a great knowledge of political and economic history and can critique the economics of the Thatcher administration and connect how her spending on the Falklands War affects his employment as a painter-decorator.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: The real Michael Fagan had much more obvious mental issues and acted more like a Stalker with a Crush to Elizabeth, saying he loved her and threatening to kill himself with a piece of glass from the window he broke to get in. He also went on to attack a police officer and later became a heroin dealer, for which he was imprisoned.
- Lower-Class Lout: His life is pretty brutal, being unemployed and separated from his wife and, by social services, from his children, so it's perhaps no wonder he turns to fighting and burgling royal palaces.
- Refuge in Audacity: The real-life Fagan was off his face on mushrooms when he broke into the Palace, but in-series, it's his blatant disregard for authority and 'fuck it' attitude that spurs him on.
- Storming the Castle: Having been fobbed off by social services and his local MP regarding how to 'fix' Thatcher's Britain, he decides to take matters into his own hands and seek out an audience with the Queen herself — which, unbelievably, he manages to do by breaking into Buckingham Palace and confronting her in her own bedroom.
- Speak Truth To Power: He has the nerve (with some help of liquid courage) to be able to tell the Queen just how bad this country is doing under the Thatcher Administration, how dismal his life is, and how shabby the palace looks.
- Sympathetic P.O.V.: Breaking in, confronting and frightening anyone in their own bedroom is nothing short of appalling. Here, he's presented as a gob-shite and a clearly a bit of a thug, but also that he does have a point about how broken the country is, and ultimately the episode presents his behaviour as mind-blowing ballsiness.
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: In keeping with the Sympathetic P.O.V. with which he is portrayed, his eponymous episode concludes with an epiloguous note that mentions his incarceration, but cheekily cuts to a follow up note which states that he only served three months, alongside an image of him and other rogues defiantly grinning like some heroic anarchists. It does not mention that he later received a three-month (suspended) sentence for attacking a policeman in 1984, and that he was later sent to prison for four years for dealing in heroin.
Dr Penelope Carter
Dr Penelope Carter
Played By: Gemma Jones
A London-based psychotherapist visited by Princess Margaret.- Artistic License – Medicine: Telling patients sensitive information that you know and they do not is a serious ethical breach. Furthermore, as Dr Carter later reveals, the Bowes-Lyon cousins’ problems are developmental disorders*, when she was originally asking Margaret about relatives' mental health — not even bringing up her more famous uncle Johnnie, as the Queen Mother does later. As Dr Carter finally says, the two issues don't usually connect, so there was even less reason to make reference to Katherine and Nerissa at all.
- Insistent Appellation: Despite her hauteur, Margaret making her therapist call her "Ma'am" is funny, if not beneficial.
- Saying Too Much: During one of their therapy sessions, the subject turns to familial mental health problems and Dr Carter reveals to Margaret that two of her Bowes-Lyon cousins, whom she thought had died years before, are still alive and locked away in a mental institution. The sharing of this information leads Margaret down an investigative path, where she learns the horrifying truth and ultimately confronts her complicit mother.
- The Shrink: Princess Margaret starts to see her to get on top of her mental health issues in Season 4.
Season 5
Norma Major
Mrs Norma Major (née Wagstaff)
Played By: Flora Montgomery
The ever-patient wife of Prime Minister John Major and his confidant.- '90s Hair: Her hair is cropped in a teased pixie-cut similar to the Princess of Wales.
- The Generic Guy: Norma is a softly-spoken, perfectly pleasant woman, and compared to prime ministerial spouses like the grandly steadfast Clementine Churchill, the pompous Dorothy Macmillan, the witty Denis Thatcher, and the grinning exuberance of Cherie Blair, she comes across as a little mousey and bland — which is famously how she was always spoofed, along with her husband.
- Trademark Favourite Food: As a wry Shout-Out to a recurring gag on the satirical puppet show Spitting Image, which presented her husband as being so deathly dull that peas were all he ate (and discussed), Norma serves John a large serving of peas to go with his sausages and mash for dinner.
Andrew Morton
Mr Andrew Morton
Played By: Andrew Steele
A journalist who ingratiates himself into Diana's circle. In 1992, he publishes a tell-all biography of her, entitled Diana: Her True Story.- Blatant Lies: Morton befriends Diana's confidante, Dr James Colthurst, and with him acting as a go-between, Diana begins recording answers to the questions Morton poses, with his aim being to publish a work "in her own words". However, after he receives a Break-In Threat, and Diana is admonished by Prince Philip over the sanctity of privacy, the pair change tack, and Morton goes on national television claiming all of the (highly personal) information in his book was gleaned from "Diana's close friends".
- Exact Words: "I can categorically state that I have not interviewed the princess."
- Going for the Big Scoop: Diana's phone at Kensington Palace is hacked, and it becomes apparent that the Palace is well aware of Morton's intentions when a warning for him to back off is sent his way in the form of his house being broken into and trashed.
- Intrepid Reporter: He's a tabloid hack, though Diana concedes that his coverage of her has been quite kind in the past, and after lurking about following the princess' every move, he approaches her trusted friend with a view to landing the biggest scoop of all — a tell-all interview with the princess herself.
Monique Ritz
Madame Monique Ritz (née Ramseier)
Played By: Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu
The head of the Ritz family and owner of the Ritz Hotel in Paris. In 1979, she sells the hotel to Mohamed Al-Fayed.- Bullying a Dragon: With barely-concealed hauteur, she expresses her concerns over Al-Fayed buying her hotel, and lists her reasons for finding him an unsuitable new owner. Her tone galvanises Al-Fayad, and he rounds on her in Arabic (translated by Dodi), putting her in her place as a ham-strapped vendor.
- Family Business: Her late husband, Charles Ritz, was the son of legendary Swiss hotelier César Ritz, the "King of Hoteliers, and Hotelier to Kings”. The dynasty died with her in 2011.
- Foreshadowing: Scenes at the Ritz Hotel provide a grim portent of Diana and Dodi’s deaths, as it is from the hotel’s rear entrance that they will make their fatal journey on the 31st of August, 1997.
- Only in It for the Money: She sells her family’s prize jewel hotel to a man she finds suspicious, shady, unqualified in hotel management, financially sketchy, and plain rude, but his monetary offer is higher than others, and she relents.
- Socialite: She’s a beautiful, elegant older woman and is a leading light of the Paris social scene.
Martin Bashir
Mr Martin Bashir
Played By: Prasanna Puwanarajah
A BBC journalist who famously interviews Diana, Princess of Wales for an explosive episode of Panorama.- Ambition Is Evil: So keen is he to land a career-boosting interview with Diana that he’s prepared to besmirch the names of her loyal friends, staff, and even family members, and reduce an already-troubled woman to a paranoid wreck with entirely false evidence of a spy network out to get her.
- Baddie Flattery: As soon as he meets Earl Spencer, he makes up some guff about how he inspired his journalistic work. He later gets on Diana’s good side by assuring her that the Palace is just jealous and scared of her “power”.
- Blatant Lies: He goes so far as to claim that because he works for the The BBC, his integrity is unimpeachable.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Sports large-lensed glasses and shows zero compassion for his subject, those around her whom he slanders, or his BBC colleagues drawn into the deceit — all he cares about is landing his interview.
- Immoral Journalist: To snare Earl Spencer and ultimately his sister, Diana, Bashir gets his tech guy to mock up a whole folio of fake invoices for payments made to a variety of parties (including the Diana’s Private Secretary, Patrick) which he claims are compensation for spying on the Princess. Earl Spencer instantly trusts what he hears and encourages her to go ahead with a TV interview with Bashir.
- Janitor Impersonation Infiltration: Like in some sort of dramatic heist movie, on the day of filming Diana’s interview, Bashir and his crew disguise themselves as tradesmen sent to Kensington Palace to set up a new sound system for her. Despite the series’ fondness for embellishment, this really did happen.
- Malicious Slander: No one is off-limits. To gain Diana's trust, he presents a list of fake invoices for parties whom he claims have received payment for spying on her, including her household staff, her beloved Private Secretary, Patrick Jephson and, when he gets desperate after Diana wobbles, her own brother, Charles Spencer. While it's undoubtedly a risky strategy, as such evidence could be disproven, Diana is a relatively gullible, hurt, already-paranoid person and his gambit pays off, as she never directly confronts any of the parties slandered.
- Manipulative Bastard: He lacks all journalistic integrity and plays on Diana's paranoia, contriving entirely false allegations of spying to gain her trust. He even picks up on her predilection for Pakistani men, playing up his heritage with references and proverbs and even equivocating racial prejudice with Diana's treatment, when in fact he'd always, as his colleague notes, firmly presented himself as British.
- Real Life Writes the Plot: In 1995, Martin Bashir was a relatively unknown journalist and none of his machinations (in terms of securing his interview with Diana) were in the public sphere; following the interview, he and Panorama received several awards for it, and Bashir went on to interview other famous people like Michael Jackson. However, much like Prince Andrew, Bashir is given a significant Historical Villain Upgrade, as 25 years after the Panorama interview, his deceit was made public after he was subject to a detailed investigation and found guilty by the Supreme Court of using "deceitful methods" and breaching BBC editorial conduct to obtain the interview. Following this, the BBC actually returned the BAFTA award that Panorama had been given for Best Talk Show in 1996 (which had been awarded mainly on the back of the Diana interview).
- Seamless Spontaneous Lie: He's an expert at spinning these, as seen when Diana's brother expresses concern that much of his "evidence" contradicts itself, and when she directly questions him, Bashir immediately asserts that Charles Spencer has been "got at" too, and is part of the great conspiracy.
- Wham Episode: The BBC series Panorama has been going since 1953, but its most shockingly memorable episode, "An Interview with HRH The Princess of Wales", was like nothing ever seen before, with Diana no-holds-barred tearing into The Firm like no one had ever done before so publicly and explosively.
John Birt
Mr John Birt, Director-General of the BBC
Played By: Nicholas Gleaves
The Director-General of the The BBC and ultimately responsible for all programming output. - Against the Grain: The BBC, as the national broadcaster, and the Crown are strongly intertwined, yet Birt exhibits strong republican leanings when arguing with BBC Chairman Marmaduke Hussey over the continuing relevance of the monarchy in 90s Britain. He also has bold plans for modernisation that are completely at odds with Hussey's wishes.
- Idiot Ball: Birt rather dimly asks "Do you think she'll be critical of the monarchy?" prior to Diana's interview, at a time when she already had been (albeit unofficially) via the Morton book.
- Moment of Weakness: Birt is uncomfortable with the concept of Martin Bashir's Panorama interview with Diana, even despite his apparent anti-monarchy leanings, and his instinct is to kill it. However, after a meeting with BBC Chairman Marmaduke Hussey, the pompous treatment he receives from the exceedingly pro-monarchy Hussey spurs him into an immediate instruction to "go for it" when giving the interview his final approval, apparently out of sheer pique.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: His zeal for modernising clashes with BBC Chairman Duke Hussey's entrenchment to the Good Old Ways and his view of the BBC as the personification of everyone's favourite 'Auntie'.
- Tempting Fate: Birt directly asks Martin Bashir “Look me in the eyes and tell me I’m not going to regret this?” with Bashir simply assuring him “You won’t". In Real Life, the revelations about Bashir's manipulations that occured on his watch, which surfaced twenty years later, irreparably tarnished Birt’s reputation, and turned the once-respected man into a discredited figure.
Marmaduke Hussey
The Right Honourable Marmaduke "Duke" Hussey, Baron Hussey of North Bradley, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC
Played By: Richard Cordery
The Chairman of the The BBC and the husband of Lady Susan Hussey, the Queen's Lady-In-Waiting. - Affectionate Nickname: He's known as 'Duke' from his full name Marmaduke, and John Birt (surprisingly given the tense atmosphere between them) calls him by the further diminutive, 'Dukey' — though possibly condescendingly.
- Artificial Limbs: His heavy limp is revealed to be the result of him having a prosthetic leg; Birt later explains to Bashir that he had his right leg amputated as a result of injuries sustained under fire during World War II; very much Truth in Television.
- Fan Disservice: The series portrays the obese Dukey in full and lingering view in only his underpants in order to reveal his prosthesis, despite undoubtedly having slightly more tasteful ways of going about it.
- Foreshadowing: After John Birt storms out after telling Duke his plans to interview Diana, Duke calls after him "You'll be on the wrong side of history!" — his fears prove prescient, as the Panorama interview is almost immediately thought to have been a step too far and, years later in Real Life, Birt's reputation took a huge hit after the revelations about Martin Bashir's lying machinations in securing the interview emerged.
- Good Old Ways: He adores the BBC's cosy, safe, educational editorial style and image, waxing lyrical about the corporation's Moe Anthropomorphism of a beloved auntie, derived from the BBC's (real) Affectionate Nickname — 'Auntie BBC'.
- Happily Married: He and Susan are a loving couple, with one of their featured scenes showing them getting ready for bed together.
- It's Personal: He and his wife are friends with the Queen, so it's entirely understandable that he's absolutely incensed at the thought of the corporation he's Chairman of giving Diana a platform to damage the monarchical institution.
- Jerkass Has a Point: He's presented as a very pompous embodiment of British Stuffiness, and yet his absolute aversion to Panorama giving Diana a platform, in sharp contrast to his reckless colleagues is, with hindsight, sensible.
- New Media Are Evil: In a boardroom meeting of the BBC executive team, he pans the content of the emerging satellite and competing ad-funded channels for their low-brow output.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: If he hadn't treated John Birt with condescension when he came to him for approval and advice on the Diana interview, Birt may never have let it go ahead, as he was already wobbling. Birt pushes the editorial button out of apparent spite.
- Old Windbag: He's a puffed up, puggish man and the lecture he gives to the BBC boardroom about the corporation's virtuous, Maiden Aunt image is decades out of date.
- One Degree of Separation: His wife, Lady Susan Hussey, is a long-serving Lady-In-Waiting to the Queen, her personal friend, and godmother to Prince William.
- Patriotic Fervor: Duke is the ultimate establishment figure, with a wife on joking terms with the Queen, and so it comes as no surprise that his idea of a suitable show to pay tribute to Her Majesty would be something to celebrate her 70th birthday — and certainly not a mad-eyed, intense interview with her hand grenade-chucking ex-daughter-in-law.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: He may well be Chairman, but John Birt is in charge of programming — a fact he concedes — and there's nothing he can do to stop Diana's interview.
Cherie Blair
Mrs Cherie Blair (née Booth) QC
Played By: Lydia Leonard
The wife of Prime Minister Tony Blair and an exhibitor of barely-concealed anti-monarchy sentiments.- '90s Hair: She sports a classically 90s blown-out layered bob with dangling fringes, a look that was popularised in the middle of the decade by the likes of Courteney Cox in her role as Monica on Friends.
- Aggressive Categorism: Mrs Blair's anti-monarchical leanings are made abundantly clear when Diana arrives at Chequers with Prince William (then 15 years-old) and she refers to him as "the alien".
- Cheshire Cat Grin: Lydia Leonard is well-cast as Ms Blair, and has her infamous rictus grin down pat.
- Chessmaster Sidekick: Cherie is a smart, highly educated woman in her own right in her capacity as a barrister. Tony, to his benefit or detriment, almost always follows her strident (often anti-monarchical) advice to the letter.
- Happily Married: She's seen cuddling with her husband on the plane returning from Hong Kong, and states no one would have dared oppose her wish to marry him.
- Lady Macbeth: As a somewhat opinionated republican, she often spurs her husband with counsel that conflicts with the desires of the Royal Family.
Season 6
Mario Brenna
Signor Mario Brenna
Played By: Enzo Cilenti
A professional photographer turned paparazzo, hired by Al-Fayed to uncover the romance of Dodi and Diana.- The Ace: He calls himself the best in the profession and is a celebrity in his own right, which is why Al-Fayed hires him. He delivers.
- Artistic License – History: Mario Brenna has called the plotline about Al-Fayed hiring him "absurd and completely invented" as no one leaked information about the yacht's whereabouts to him, he just was in the right place at the right time.
- Foil: He's a hip, vigorous globe-trotting famous photographer, and his flashy work about celebrities and persona are presented as a counterpoint to the classic, dull and sober Duncan Muir in the episode "Two Photographs".
- Paparazzi: Brenna describes the lengths he goes to to get his photos (and is seen trespassing in order to get embarrassing shots of an unnamed celebrity). He is later hired by Mohamed Fayed to take photos of Diana and Dodi making out on his yacht.
- Small Role, Big Impact: He's hired, does his job in just a bunch of scenes and then dissapears from the narrative. His work however causes a tremendous lasting impact, the photos unleash a world-wide phenomenon, and are so well remunerated that they trigger the media frenzy around the couple.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: His job sparked the whole frenzy around Dodi and Diana that would end tragically in Paris.
Duncan Muir
Mr Duncan Muir
Played By: Forbes Masson
A professional photographer based in Aberdeen, Scotland, and long-time photographer of the royal family, who is hired to take a number of well-remembered images of Charles, William, and Harry at Balmoral just before Diana's death.- Canon Foreigner: His character was invented for the series.
- Foil: A traditional, sober, humble country photographer, presented as the reverse image of Mario Brenna in "Two Photographs".
- Married to the Job: Mildly, he has a traditional, uneventful life and seems happily married, but is passionate about the royal family and his wife sometimes jokes that he loves the Queen more than her.
Susie Orbach
Ms Susie Orbach
Played By: Kate Cook
Diana's therapist in 1997, who originally came to prominence for her work dealing with women and body issues. Diana speaks to her during her fateful last summer.- Bait-and-Switch: Diana calls her in the UK from the Fayed yacht, and at first it seems like she might be speaking to a friend and updating her about the holiday. It's then made quite clear Orbach is her therapist.
- Hope Spot: She and Diana mention things Diana is working on like her Attention Whore "addiction to drama", and it's possible to see Diana as really trying and eventually succeeding at dealing with some of the issues tormenting her and becoming much happier, stable, and more mature... but of course, she's killed tragically young shortly afterwards, and none of it comes to pass.
- The Shrink: Of the Awesome Shrink variety, as far as Diana is concerned. Orbach mentions out loud that Diana does not need to be involved in the toxic Fayed family drama and questions whether the relationship with Mohamed and Dodi is really a beneficial one. Diana actually agrees, and starts taking steps to distance herself... but she is killed before being able to put the advice into action.
Henri Paul
Monsieur Henri Paul
Played By: Yoann Blanc
Deputy head of security at Hôtel Ritz Paris.- Alcohol-Induced Idiocy: Prior to him driving Diana and Dodi across Paris from the Ritz, Henri goads the awaiting paparazzi, saying "Don't bother trying to keep up, you'll never catch us!". It's this challenging behaviour that's implied to fire up the paparazzi and increase their dangerous tactics when chasing the car.
- Drunk Driver: Dodi unexpectedly asks Henri to shuttle them back to his apartment from the Ritz well after 11pm. A lingering shot of the multiple limoncellos that Henri has consumed at the hotel bar, and his bleary-eyed, slightly confused expression make it clear that he is in no fit state to drive. Hurtling along Pont de L'Alma at dangerously high speeds, a Discretion Shot from the point of view of a late-night dog walker, followed by the sound of the car hitting a concrete pillar, signifies the worst has happened.
- Small Role, Big Impact: He appears only in a few scenes, and serves as the chauffeur of the Mercedes-Benz in which Diana Spencer, Dodi Fayed and himself die.
Carole Middleton
Mrs Carole Middleton
- As You Know: For the benefit of the viewer, Carole reminds Kate of their family background, including her own humble beginnings and success in launching her own business — information Kate would unlikely need explaining back to her.
- The Matchmaker: When Catherine tells her that Prince William is coming to a charity fashion show she's going to be walking in, Carole's first response is to advise that she ensures William knows Catherine's "back on the market". In a wry nod to (unsubstantiated) oft-noted comparisons between Carole and Pride and Prejudice's legendary pushy-parent, Catherine quips with mild exasperation, "Mum! You're worse than Mrs Bennet!".
- My Beloved Smother: A relatively benign example born out of Carole’s strongly-held belief that her daughter is destined for greatness, but Kate nonetheless finds her mother’s orchestrations, in terms of getting her and William together, a little maddening.
- Right Way/Wrong Way Pair: With Mohamed Al-Fayed. They're both confident, successful-but-self-conscious arrivistes in the British class system who would very much like their treasured eldest children to marry into the Royal Family, but Carole is much more gentle about it, continually serves as a booster for Kate's self-esteem, makes it clear she's proud of many things Kate does and that her love isn't conditional, guides and nurtures her daughter but allows Kate to make her own decisions – and we know that ultimately, her hopes and persistence pay off and her daughter and William do find love and marry, unlike Al-Fayed, who fails at everything in the matter and loses Dodi in the process.
- Self-Made Woman: Carole hails from humble mining stock, and started her career as an a air stewardess, which is where she met her husband while he was working as a pilot, before they founded their own party supplies business and made a fortune.
