‘The Crown’ Rewinds Handover of Hong Kong, Removing Appearance of Last Governor of Hong Kong

The Crown season five has been released on Netflix recently. In the last episode of season five, episode 10, it took about two minutes to explain that Prince Charles (now King Charles III) came to Hong Kong on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II when the sovereignty of Hong Kong was handed over in 1997. But the role of the last Governor of Hong Kong, Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, is not shown.

The scene of the handover of Hong Kong sovereignty in the episode combines the two events: the farewell ceremony by the British side at Tamar on the early evening of June 30, 1997, and the handover ceremony of Hong Kong late at night at the new wing of the Convention and Exhibition Centre.

But there are a number of points of divergence from what actually happened.

(L-R) Jonny Lee Miller, James Murray, Bela Bajaria, Senan West, Dominic West, Elizabeth Debicki, Peter Morgan, Suzanne Mackie, Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Pryce, Ted Sarandos, Lesley Manville, Olivia Williams, Claudia Harrison and Marcia Warren attend “The Crown” Season 5 World Premiere at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Nov. 08, 2022, in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

The plot first shows Prince Charles driving through the streets of Hong Kong. Recorded in 2021, the production team of the series set up a night scene of Hong Kong streets in the West End of London, including a large number of neon signboards, a large number of street food hawker stalls, a double-decker bus showing “Shatin City One” as the destination and a red taxi driving on the road, and many Chinese as background actors.

The camera moves to the view of Victoria Harbour and the Royal Yacht Britannia, moored in front of the Tamar Prince of Wales Barracks (now the People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison building). Prince Charles boarded the Britannia amid fireworks. As soon as the camera turns, the scene shows torrential rain during the British farewell ceremony, with everyone holding black umbrellas—different from the yellow and blue two-color umbrellas provided by the conference in true history.

Britain’s Prince Charles (C) watched the British Military Farewell Ceremony at the HMS Tamar military base in Hong Kong on June 30, 1997, marking the end of some 156 years of British colonial rule before the territory returned to Chinese control, along with British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook (L), British First Lady Cherie Blair (2nd L), the last Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten (3rd R), British Prime Minister Tony Blair (2nd R) and Patten’s wife Lavendar (R). (AFP PHOTO/FILES/YOSHIKAZU TSUNO)

The British Farewell Ceremony with the Participation of Hong Kong People

To recall the reality, the farewell ceremony was held at Tamar (now where the Government Headquarters and the Legislative Council are located), starting at 6:15 p.m. and ending at 7:30 p.m., with the highlight of the British flag-lowering ceremony at sunset. The farewell ceremony was attended by about 10,000 dignitaries, including then-Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, as well as about 10,000 guests, citizens, and 1,000 media.

More than 2,000 local performers participated in the performance section, including the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the Hong Kong Children’s Choir, and hundreds of people from all walks of life in Hong Kong, including primary school students and retired seniors, performing Tai Chi. The Britannia was part of the backdrop for the farewell ceremony. The narrators of the performance on that day were British actor Brian Blessed and Hong Kong singer Frances Yip Lai-yi.

The military exercises that evening included displays by The Royal Marines Garrison consisting of “HMS Chatham” and “HMY Britannia,”  the Army Guard of Honour represented by the 1st Battalion of the Black Watch, and the Royal Air Force Honor Guard served by the Queen’s Honor Guard Squadron.

The Black Watch was the last infantry battalion stationed in Hong Kong and was stationed there three times in the 26 years before the handover.

Chris Patten delivers his farewell speech at the British Handover Ceremony, while Prince Charles looks on 30 June. AFP PHOTO POOL/Mike Fiala (Photo by Mike FIALA / POOL / AFP)

Patten ‘Hong Kong People Have Made Unremitting Efforts to Achieve Extraordinary Achievements’

The farewell ceremony began with the performance of the police band, and after that, a speech was delivered by the Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten. He pointed out that “No dependent territory has been left more prosperous” and praised Hong Kong’s humanity. “What we celebrate this evening is the restless energy, the hard work, and the audacity of the men and women who have written Hong Kong’s success story. Mostly Chinese men and Chinese women. They were only ordinary in the sense that most of them came here with nothing. They are extraordinary in what they have achieved against the odds,” and Patten concluded that “Now Hong Kong people are to run Hong Kong. That is the promise. And that is the unshakeable destiny.”

However, “The Crown season five” does not have Patten’s part in the scene. Last year, there was news that Oliver Milburn would play the role of Patten in the play; however, the cast list at the end of the episode did not show anyone playing Patten.

Lashing Rain Before and After the Handover

There are also discrepancies between the scenes in the play, and the historical facts related to the handover ceremony are also seen. In the play, it shows soldiers wearing People’s Liberation Army uniforms and several Chinese representatives attending the ceremony in the pouring rain, and the British flag is lowered, and the communist China flag is raised, also in the rain.

However, at the time of the handover ceremony on June 30, 1997, Hong Kong was affected by a trough of low pressure, and the weather was unstable. There were heavy showers and thunderstorms during the evening, a black rainstorm warning signal was issued on the morning of July 1, and more than 100 mm of rain was recorded in a two-hour period. The total rainfall recorded by the Observatory on that day was 122.6 mm.

The actual Hong Kong Handover Ceremony was held in the Hall of the new wing of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The ceremony was carried out indoors and was not affected by the heavy rain at that time. The flagpoles during the ceremony were specially designed, with fans installed inside so that the Union Jack, the Hong Kong flag, the communist China flag, and the regional flag of Hong Kong could be flown indoors.

The scene of the British flag being lowered in torrential rain happened at the British farewell ceremony earlier in the day. In the play, the scene where the honour guard folds the Union Jack at the farewell ceremony is also carefully reproduced.

Prince Charles’ Speech in The Play Is Different From The Truth

The background voice of the above scene in the play is Prince Charles reading out the words of advice on behalf of the Queen at the British farewell ceremony, saying: “Five hours from now, the Union Flag will be lowered and the flag of China will fly over Hong Kong. More than a century and a half of British administration will come to an end…” It is also the beginning of the words of advice read by the Queen in reality.

But in the last few lines of the play, “…. and now the people of Hong Kong can look to a new future. As the old certainties give way, I feel hopeful Hong Kong’s unique character and spirit will be a lesson to the world of independence and progress. This strong sense of identity. This deep commitment to its own way of doing things has been the engine of Hong Kong’s spectacular success. By preserving these liberties, we are not merely protecting a people’s way of life. We are inviting the world to learn from their example.” But these words were not delivered by Prince Charles in the real farewell ceremony and handover ceremony.

In the true conclusion of the farewell ceremony on the British side, Prince Charles’ speech ended with “I wish you all a successful transition and a prosperous and peaceful future.”

The Actual words Focused on One Country, Two Systems, and The Sino-British Joint Declaration

The British side’s words of advice at the real farewell ceremony reiterated the connection between the United Kingdom and Hong Kong and mentioned the Sino-British Joint Declaration several times in the latter paragraph: “That Joint Declaration itself remains in force for fifty years… Britain learned long ago that Hong Kong people know best what is good for Hong Kong. The people of Hong Kong will be able to govern Hong Kong as promised in the Joint Statement. We have no doubt that Hong Kong people can run Hong Kong, as the Joint Declaration promises, and that faithful implementation of the Joint Declaration is the key to Hong Kong’s continued success.”

Later in the evening, at the handover ceremony, Prince Charles delivered a speech on behalf of the Queen, paying tribute to the people of Hong Kong and those who have incorporated the concept of “one country, two systems” into the joint statement. He said that according to the joint declaration, Hong Kong would have its own government, retain its own social and economic system, and its own way of life, and the Chinese and British governments agreed in 1984 (when the joint declaration was signed) that in order to remain successful, Hong Kong must obtain its own trading and financial system, the UK will remain steadfast in its support of the joint statement.

In his concluding remarks, Prince Charles, on behalf of the Queen and all the British people, “I should like on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen and of the entire British people, to express our thanks, admiration, affection and good wishes to all the people of Hong Kong, who have been such staunch and special friends over so many generations. We shall not forget you, and we shall watch with the closest interest as you embark on this new era of your remarkable history.”