So, I was watching The Queen again today and started wondering again about that week. In particular, three possible changes came to mind.
1. The car crash takes place at a time where the Queen is already at Buckingham Palace
2. The bare standard pole dilemma is circumvented because at some point after the First or Second World War, someone decided it would be nice to install a row of actual flag poles, and whatever flag that is on those poles is put at half mast
3. Someone on the Queen's staff recognizes that the newspapers will be looking to find a scapegoat to take pressure off themselves and convinces the Queen that must be dealt with
How does the history of the monarchy, the freedom of the press, and current events change as a result of any or all of these changes? I'm hip deep in my Austrian Napoleon timeline, so I'm hoping this attracts a lot of speculation.