Mrs Brown goofs

As the brothers towel off after their swim, a windsurfer can be seen in the background just to Archie's left.

Following the Mass of Thanksgiving at St George's, Windsor in 1871, held to mark the Prince of Wales's recovery from typhoid, every royal carriage bore the monogram "VRI", standing for Victoria Regina Imperatrix (Victoria, Queen and Empress). The "I" was appended in 1876, when Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India.

A maid mentions "Lord Tennyson" to Brown. Alfred Lord Tennyson was elevated to the peerage in 1884, the year following Brown's death.

The film depicts Benjamin Disraeli as Prime Minister in 1866, although he did not assume that office until 27 February 1868.

As soon as "1867" appears on screen, someone speaking in Parliament raises the issue of the "Disestablishment of the Irish Church." Officially known as the Irish Church Act 1869, the measure was passed by Parliament during the government of William Gladstone, coming after Disraeli's first ministry (which ended on 1 December 1868) and before his second ministry (which began on 20 February 1874).

In the film Sir Henry Ponsonby is portrayed as the Queen's Private Secretary before 1866. In reality, Ponsonby succeeded Sir Charles Grey as Queen Victoria's Private Secretary after Grey died on 31 March 1870.

Near the end of the film John is shown writing in his diary. He completes the entry, shuts the book and rushes out of the room. However, anyone who has used a steel nib — as Mr Brown does — would not simply have closed the journal straight away. They would have waited for the ink to dry or blotted it with blotting paper; otherwise the ink would have smudged and created a mess.

At Osborne House, Brown stands on the upper terrace, beneath the windows of the grand hall on the second storey, beside the Queen's white pony, ready and waiting for the Queen's signal to ride. From the level of the upper terrace he is positioned on the horse's right-hand side. As the Queen walks through the grand hall with her daughters she catches sight of Brown waiting through the window and pauses there to look more closely. Moments later Brown is seen on the horse's left, which, owing to the angle of the shot, appears nearer to the window.

When viewed from afar while Brown and the Queen are in a boat on the loch, the vessel is flying a red flag at the stern. In subsequent scenes filmed aboard the boat, the flag behind the Queen appears blue.

Disraeli reads from notes in Parliament, and does so again at the film’s end. In reality, however, Disraeli delivered all his addresses — even those lasting several hours or involving complex statistics — entirely from memory. He warned younger politicians against relying on notes as a crutch.

After the Prince of Wales recovers from typhoid, the film shows the Queen ordering a Mass of Thanksgiving at St George's Chapel. In reality, Queen Victoria was a devout low‑church Anglican — and, in Scotland, Presbyterian — and would not have authorised a Mass. A Church of England Service of Thanksgiving was actually held at St Paul's Cathedral.

When Victoria is depicted on her first ride with Brown, she is mounted in the Western style. English women, particularly those of the aristocracy, did not ride in that manner. Sidesaddle was the customary way for women to ride at that time.

When Victoria first meets Mr Brown she is depicted writing with her left hand. Although she is generally believed to have been naturally left‑handed — she painted with her left hand — she is shown writing with her right, the result of a forced switch that persisted well into the 20th century. Later, she is portrayed crocheting with her right hand, an activity she almost certainly would have done left‑handed.

Speaking of his mother, the Prince of Wales remarks, "She's having a bust cast of him [Brown] in Nero Marquino marble." Marble busts are not cast; they are carved. Only bronze busts are cast.

John Brown is seen in a greenish-blue tartan for most of the film, changing to a red tartan only for his dance with the Queen. Under normal circumstances a Highlander would wear only his own clan's tartan, even on a royal occasion. In his role as a royal servant he would, however, be expected to wear royal tartans. The red is the Royal Stewart; the green is likely the Hunting Stewart.

While reading a newspaper article about Brown, Henry Ponsonby quips that Brown listened to "Auld Lang Syne" performed by Robert Burns himself. Burns died in 1796, about thirty years before Brown was born, and Ponsonby, speaking humourously, is alluding to a séance.