Elizabeth (1998) - 7 major mistakes

Revealing: At the scene where Mary of Guise is found dead by her nephew, he lays down on her and puts his head on her chest. As he comes down, her eyes slap shut! If she were dead, they would remain open.

Factual error: Sir William Cecil was only 38 at Elizabeth's accession, hardly the old man portrayed. Actually created Lord Burghley in 1571 (the film must end in the mid-1560s, as at the end it states that Elizabeth reigned for another forty years; she died in 1603), he was never retired by Elizabeth, but remained her chief minister for the rest of his life. He died in 1598.

Factual error: Lord Robert Dudley was created Earl of Leicester in 1564 and remained in favour with Elizabeth for the rest of his life, although she did refuse to marry him.

Factual error: Another one of the blindingly obvious historical inaccuracies of this film - Elizabeth was perfectly well aware that Dudley was married. She only distanced herself when his wife died in possibly suspect circumstances and rumours that she died so Dudley could marry Elizabeth emerged.

Continuity: When the guards come to take Elizabeth away in the beginning, before she is queen, Lord Dudley has his back to the camera and is saying goodbye to her. You can distinctly see the clasp of a necklace on the back of his neck, but in the next few shots, there's nothing there.

Factual error: Sir Francis Walsingham was only a year older than Elizabeth.

Factual error: Elizabeth was arrested and sent to the Tower in 1554, but was then placed under house arrest at Woodstock (not Hatfield) for four years.