The British Royal Family has always been a topic of curiosity and discussion among the people of the world. Whether it was the rebels Prince Harry and Meghan Markle or Princess Diana, neither the media nor the public stopped slandering the family whenever they had the opportunity.

This time, however, some new characters have entered the story of the Royals. And even though they are very old, their entry is brand new. Most importantly, Netflix’s blockbuster series The Crown has played a significant role in increasing the popularity of these hidden gems.

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The Royal Family kept these cousins hidden for years

As much as the separation of King Charles and Diana shocked the watchers, the mention of these cousins, who were very close to the family, stunned people. However, the couple of “hidden” cousins were shown in season 4 of the show. The cousins who are being referred to were the cousins of Queen Elizabeth II. They were her maternal uncle, John Herbert Bowes-Lyon, and his wife Fenella’s daughters. 

John Herbert was a sibling of Queen Victoria’s mother. Nerissa was the elder one, having been born in 1919, whereas Catherine was born in 1926. Apparently, both of them struggled with significant learning disabilities that were congenital. Hence, they were taken to the Royal Earlswood Hospital in Redhill, London, in 1941.

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Furthermore, three of their cousins on their mother’s side were born with the same difficulties and were shifted to the hospital the same day as Katherine and Nerissa. Surprisingly, they were referred to as dead in the year 1940 in Burke’s Peerage’s 1963 addition, when in fact, they were alive.

Actually, the elder sister died in 1986, whereas the younger one passed away quite recently, in 2014. Because learning disabilities were stigmatized during the period, there were concerns that the sisters’ illness might endanger the royal family’s reputation.

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Even Queen Elizabeth II came to know about them very late. As per the Independent, their being alive came into the public eye when the elder sister passed away.  The makers of The Crown have decided to end the show after season 6 as a “mark of respect” for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Until then, you can enjoy the 5 seasons of The Crown only on Netflix.