You’d think that tuning into a show that largely comprises of opulently dressed aristocrats watching butlers polishing things might be a bit of a busman’s holiday for Her Majesty.
But it turns out that Queen Elizabeth is a new addition to the long list of fans of Downton Abbey (The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have already outed themselves as admirers of the show), which returns for its sixth and final series later this month.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the Queen enjoys the ITV show but is also one of its harshest critics. Unsurprising really, when you consider her unrivalled access to stately homes (her house), lavish couture (her wardrobe) and scandalous members of the upper classes (her family members).
"[The Queen] loves watching Downton Abbey and pointing out things they have got wrong, partly because she is familiar with Highclere Castle, where it is filmed," author and royal chronicler Brian Hoey told The Telegraph.
"She is the same when she is watching anything on television. In one programme she was watching, the Queen noticed that a British officer was wearing medals that were from the wrong era. It was set in the First World War but the medals he was wearing did not come in until the Second World War."
We dread to think, then, how she dealt with last year's Bottlegate, an episode that saw a modern plastic water bottle accidentally featuring in intended period-style press shots for the show. But come to think of it, if Downton's producers considered employing the Queen as a special advisor to the show, we're sure mistakes like that would be as firmly lodged in the past as dear old Carson.
The final series of Downton Abbey airs on the BBC on 20 September.