The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)

NO WEDDING, NO CROWN

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once, a solid gold, 5-pound ornament made in 1660 with 440 jewels. The documentar­y, to be shown in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, is a partnershi­p with the BBC and Australia’s ABC.

“VICTORIA”

Windsor” are all available on Netflix. Love them or hate them. Just know that the mix of drama and documentar­y is there for you. The first season of the “The Royal House of Windsor,” a Channel 4 doc in the United Kingdom, includes interviews and archival footage that jibes nicely with events covered in “The Crown.” It begins during World War I as the family navigates anti-German sentiment and rebrands as Windsor from previous family names of German descent on the paternal side.

Interested in time hopping? There’s the Showtime series “The Tudors,” available on Netflix. It stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers and covers the tumultuous 16th-century court of King Henry VIII. And there’s “Reign,” a vivid drama originally on the CW that spans the rise of Mary, Queen of Scots. It’s also on Netflix. Plenty of sex and political intrigue there. Just sayin’.

LATEST FROM THE BIG SCREEN

on World War II England. In the latter, Winston Churchill (this one played by the recent Golden Globewinni­ng Gary Oldman and Gary Oldman’s movie prosthetic­s) is newly appointed as prime minister and must decide to fight or negotiate with Adolf Hitler. The gritty “Dunkirk” puts viewers on the beach and in the heart of peril as the famous evacuation during fierce battle unfolds in the French town of Dunkirk.

Out in 2017 and still to be had on demand is “Victoria & Abdul,” a follow-up to Judy Dench’s star turn in the 1997 “Mrs. Brown.” Both feature Dench as a sad Queen Victoria.

WHAT TO READ

There’s an official companion book to “The Crown.” Written by British historian Robert Lacey, “The Crown: The Official Companion, Volume 1” covers 1947 through 1955. For all those viewers of the series who found themselves Wikipedia-ing and YouTube-ing real events depicted on the show, this book will be dessert. In addition to production and cast details, the book includes loads of photos and fact-checking. More volumes are expected. Look up Lacey for other royal matter he has taken on.

One could get lost in the reading options spanning the family’s branches, generation­s and real-life drama, all offering different tones and levels of credibilit­y.

One book, described by the Sunday Telegraph as possessing a “bouncy charm,” is “Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage,” by Gyles Brandreth — who, according to Amazon, has met all the principal players, quotes no anonymous sources, has known the Duke of Edinburgh for 25 years and interviewe­d him. The book came out in paperback in 2016.

Going way back, if you’re up for a bit of literary controvers­y, pick up “The Royals” and take in provocateu­r Kitty Kelley’s 1997 look at behind-the-scenes Buckingham Palace.

Take a Prince Charles time out with a fresh look at the life of the oldest heir to the throne in more than 300 years with “Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life,” by Sally Bedell Smith. It’s out in paperback and includes the years after the death of Diana and his marriage to Camilla.

WHAT TO DIP INTO ONLINE

The New York Times website recaps each episode of “The Crown” in text stories, but it goes the extra mile. Through the miracle of hyperlinks and its own “Times Machine” function, the site links wanderers to the paper’s original reporting — and its original pages in PDFs detailing numerous actual events covered in the series.

The History Channel — being, well, the History Channel — is all over “The Crown.” Its website, History.com, is a palooza of fact-checking and other period reportage spanning the private life of Queen Elizabeth II to the Suez crisis and the assassinat­ion of President John F. Kennedy. There are side-by-side period photos of key scenes and characters, including Netflix queen Claire Foy smack next to the actual queen in the same pose. There are links galore to British Pathe and other archival video. And there are book and other citations for your next fix.

 ?? ROBERT VIGLASKY — NETFLIX VIA AP ?? This image released by Netflix shows Claire Foy, center, and Matt Smith, right, in a scene from “The Crown.” The New York Times website recaps each episode of “The Crown” in text stories, but it goes the extra mile. Through the miracle of hyperlinks...
ROBERT VIGLASKY — NETFLIX VIA AP This image released by Netflix shows Claire Foy, center, and Matt Smith, right, in a scene from “The Crown.” The New York Times website recaps each episode of “The Crown” in text stories, but it goes the extra mile. Through the miracle of hyperlinks...

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