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 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.

Queen Elizabeth sits at her desk for her annual Christmas address.

BRITAIN-ROYALS-CHRISTMAS

Queen Elizabeth sits at her desk for her annual Christmas address.
STEVE PARSONS

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.

Queen Elizabeth met the Apollo 11 astronauts in 1969.

Queen Elizabeth II and Apollo 11 Astronauts

Queen Elizabeth met the Apollo 11 astronauts in 1969.
Bettmann
Queen Elizabeth's meeting with the Apollo 11 crew was dramatized on season 3 of ‘The Crown.'
Queen Elizabeth's meeting with the Apollo 11 crew was dramatized on season 3 of ‘The Crown.'

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."

The early look at the Queen's annual speech also made onlookers wonder about the state of her relationship with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The couple doesn't appear in any of the pictures on her desk; meanwhile, her desk does include portraits of Prince William and Kate Middleton's family, as well as Prince Charles and Camila Parker Bowles.

However, their absence likely has nothing anything to do with a royal rift. Us Magazine reports that the Queen's desk simply only includes portraits of family members directly in the line of succession, with the exception of years with relationship milestones like last year's royal wedding between Harry and Meghan.

Queen Elizabeth also gave Archie a special shout-out during the broadcast, celebrating his birth.

“Two hundred years on from the birth of my great, great grandmother, Queen Victoria, Prince Philip and I have been delighted to welcome our eighth great grandchild into our family,” she said.

Originally Appeared on Glamour