| Gold Stick | Episode Summary | Cast and Characters |
Gold Stick is the first episode in Season 4 of The Crown. It aired on November 15, 2020.
Synopsis[]
As Elizabeth welcomes Britain's first woman prime minister and Charles meets a young Diana Spencer, an IRA attack brings tragedy to the royal family.
Episode Notes[]
- The episode title is a reference to Lord Louis Mountbatten. Mountbatten was the Regimental Colonel of the Life Guards, one of two units of Household Cavalry charged with the protection of the Queen, the other being the Blues and Royals. The Regimental Colonel is a ceremonial position and carries the nickname Gold Stick because of the gold headed stick the Colonel carries.
- What does the Gold Stick signify? During ceremonies such as the Trooping of the Colour one Colonel, known as Gold Stick-in-Waiting, is charged with close protection of the Queen. (In reality, the Queen has a plain clothed detail of close protection as well.) In the episode, the term is also used metaphorically to describe Lord Mountbatten's relationship with the Royal Family and his role as family protector, particularly of Prince Philip and later, Prince Charles.
Historical Events[]
- The episode begins with the Queen riding in the June 6, 1979 Trooping of the Colour. The Trooping of the Colour is a ceremony, held the Saturday closest to June 10, the Queen's ceremonial birthday, where the Queen reviews one unit of the Home Guard in an elaborate ceremony. She, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne typically rode in the ceremony during the 1970s; Andrew later joined them when he began his military service. The Queen is no longer able to ride, but Charles, Anne, Andrew and now Prince William (and until recently, Harry) ride in the ceremony.
- The effects of "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland directly affect the Royal Family following the assassination of Lord Mountbatten by the Provisional IRA on August 27, 1979, off Mullaghmore in County Sligo, Ireland.
Historical Figures[]
- Margaret Thatcher
- Lord Louis Mountbatten
- Diana, Princess of Wales
- Lady Sarah Spencer
Historical Notes[]
Trivia[]
Gallery[]
References[]
| Season 4 |
|---|
| Gold Stick • The Balmoral Test • Fairytale • Favourites • Fagan • Terra Nullius • The Hereditary Principle • 48:1 • Avalanche • War |