How The Crown's Version of the JFK Dinner Compares to the Real Thing

The Crown's production value is so mind-bogglingly massive (like, $130 million massive) that it hurts my brain to even type about it, but I'm going to push through the pain so we can discuss season two's eighth episode, "Dear Mrs. Kennedy." As you can gather from the title, the episode pulls out all the stops for a lavish re-creation of a dinner at Buckingham Palace for President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy in June 1961.

To be honest, the meeting between the two power couples — JFK and Jackie (Michael C. Hall and Jodi Balfour) and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (Claire Foy and Matt Smith) — starts off as a small disaster. The Kennedys greet the royals incorrectly, neglecting to curtsy or address them with the proper titles. Fortunately, Elizabeth and Jackie are able to find common ground later on in the evening, when they bond during a private chat away from the other guests. So, how accurately does the Netflix hit portray their meeting?

From subtle differences in their gowns and hairstyles to the look of the actual palace's decor, keep reading to see how the show and the real-life interaction compare.