Christmas Reflections with The Crown

Today is Christmas Day, and like many others, I have the day off from work. With no family to visit and no gatherings to attend, I have spent much of the afternoon quietly at home, binge watching the sixth and final season of my favorite television series, The Crown.

The series is a dramatized version of events during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, bringing to life her family, her struggles, and her long service to Britain. Since its release in 2016, The Crown has been a constant companion for me, season after season, and I have looked forward to each new installment. Even now, rewatching the final season, I am struck by how much it has given me over the years.

Some viewers preferred the earlier seasons over the later ones, but I have appreciated all of them. For me, the show has always struck a respectful balance between storytelling and history, between drama and truth. More than anything, it awakened a desire in me to learn more, not just about Queen Elizabeth II, but about the British Royal Family and the history of Great Britain itself.

This entry is not meant as a review. Instead, I want to reflect on what the series has stirred within me, and the aspirations it has left me with.

At present, I own four biographies of members of the Royal Family:

• "Elizabeth The Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch" by Sally Bedell Smith
• “Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life” by Sally Bedell Smith
• “The Queen Mother: The Official Biography” by William Shawcross
• “The Heir Apparent: A Life of Edward VII, the Playboy Prince” by Jane Ridley 

These volumes have already given me a window into the lives of royalty. But finishing The Crown has made me want more. I once saw an eBay listing for a collection of more than 200 Royal Family books, which is a treasure trove for a scholar.

Another desire awakened in me is to travel across the Atlantic to visit Great Britain itself. I imagine staying in a modest hostel in London, wandering through secondhand bookshops in search of biographies of kings and queens to bring home as souvenirs. I picture myself finding titles such as King George V by Kenneth Rose, George V: Never a Dull Moment by Jane Ridley, and Bertie: A Life of Edward VII by Jane Ridley, and more.

I would also hope to see Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the beloved retreat purchased by Prince Albert in 1852, and the place where Queen Elizabeth II passed away in 2022. To walk those grounds would be to step into the most private corner of royal life, a place of refuge and retreat.

From there, I would travel to London to stand before Buckingham Palace, the administrative heart of the monarchy. Though crowded with tourists, its presence still speaks of continuity and tradition.

I would then journey to Windsor Castle, the fortress that has stood for nearly a thousand years, linking the medieval crown to the modern throne. 

On its grounds lies St. George’s Chapel, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and a place of solemn reverence.

There I would hope to quietly pay my respects at the tombs of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, alongside George VI, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret.

To stand in silence at those resting places would be to touch history in its most personal form, not through books or dramatizations, but in the sacred space where their earthly journeys came to an end.

If I were to make such a pilgrimage, though, I would not want to go alone. I would want to share it with others, perhaps people who appreciate history as much as I do, but more importantly, people who could become like family to me. I think of how Harry Potter found his companions in Ron and Hermione, how he discovered friendship that gave him the sense of being truly welcome, loved, and accepted. That is what I long for as well: companions who would walk with me, not out of obligation, but out of shared wonder. For such friendships, I would journey to the ends of the earth.

If I had friends like that, Christmas would not feel lonely anymore. It would be less about the emptiness of a day spent in solitude and more about the joy of belonging, of being together, of celebrating something greater than ourselves.

As I think about why The Crown means so much to me, I realize it is more than just a series I enjoy watching. It is a companion, a mirror, and at times even a teacher. It speaks to my love of history, dramatizing the choices and conflicts of leaders in ways that bring them to life. It also resonates with my own struggles between comfort and responsibility, desire and duty. Watching Elizabeth bear the weight of the crown has often reminded me what perseverance and sacrifice look like. And beyond all of that, it has awakened in me a longing for belonging, to be part of a circle of companionship, however flawed, that offers the sense of welcome and love I still seek.

One scene in particular has lingered with me this Christmas. In the series, the Royal Family is shown gathered at Sandringham during Advent. A group of carolers arrives to sing In the Bleak Midwinter, a carol I had never heard before.

The youngest caroler carries a box, which she presents to King George VI. Inside is a paper crown.

The king, knowing he is dying, accepts it graciously and places it on his head.

He then joins the carolers in song:

What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb.
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part.
Yet what I can I give him — give my heart.

After singing, the King has tears in his eyes because he knows that this will be the last Christmas he will have with his family.

That scene embodies what Christmas is about. Titles, crowns, and palaces all fade before the humility of giving one’s heart. For me, it is a reminder that even in the pursuit of history, books, and royal pageantry, the greatest gift is not something to be collected or displayed, it is the offering of oneself in sincerity and devotion. That is the lesson I want to take with me this Christmas. Books, travels, castles, and crowns may inspire, but what matters most is what I give from within. My effort, my endurance, my faithfulness, my heart. That is the crown I can offer, and the one gift that will never fade.

And so, I want to conclude this entry with the words of Queen Elizabeth herself. 

In her 2016 Christmas message, the same year The Crown first premiered, she said:

“At Christmas, our attention is drawn to the birth of a baby some 2,000 years ago. It was the humblest of beginnings, and his parents, Joseph and Mary, did not think they were important. Jesus Christ lived obscurely for most of his life and never traveled far. He was maligned and rejected by many, though he had done no wrong. And yet, billions of people now follow his teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives. I am one of them because Christ's example helps me see the value of doing small things with great love. Whoever does them and whatever they themselves believe. The message of Christmas reminds us that inspiration is a gift to be given as well as received and that love begins small but always grows. I wish you all a very happy Christmas.”