A Queen Is Crowned

Elizabeth R: A Year in the Life of The Queen

Join the BBC cameras as they go behind the glitter of Buckingham Palace and the pomp of Windsor Castle for a close-up look at the minutia of the monarchy. Culled from a year of unprecedented access to Queen Elizabeth II, the documentary trails the queen as she interacts one-on-one with her family, her staff, her public, and international heads of state. Go behind closed doors for Christmas with the royal family, eavesdrop on cocktail chatter with Ron and Nancy Reagan, and catch unguarded moments when the queen pilots her own jeep or romps with her dogs. Elizabeth R. is a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse into the everyday life of a queen.

Bokassa Ier, empereur de Françafrique

Tales from the Royal Wardrobe

Today, few people's clothes attract as much attention as the royal family, but this is not a modern-day paparazzi-inspired obsession. Historian Dr. Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, reveals that it has always been this way. Exploring the royal wardrobes of our kings and queens over the last four hundred years, Lucy shows this isn't just a public fascination, but an important and powerful message from the monarchs. From Elizabeth I to the present Queen Elizabeth II, Lucy explains how the royal wardrobe's significance goes far beyond the cut and color of the clothing. Royal fashion is, and has always been, regarded as a very personal statement to reflect their power over the reign. Most kings and queens have carefully choreographed every aspect of their wardrobe; for those who have not, there have sometimes been calamitous consequences. As much today as in the past, royal fashion is as much about politics as it is about elegant attire.

Tales from the Royal Bedchamber

Lucy Worsley gets into bed with our past monarchs to uncover the Tales from the Royal Bedchamber. She reveals that our obsession with royal bedrooms, births and succession is nothing new. In fact, the rise and fall of their magnificent beds reflects the changing fortunes of the monarchy itself.

Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy

A fresh and revealing insight into Princess Diana through the personal and intimate reflections of her two sons and her friends and family.

Prince Philip: The Plot to Make a King

Documentary telling the inside story of the plans by Louis Mountbatten to maneuver his nephew and heir to the Greek throne, Philip, into marrying the future queen Princess Elizabeth and the tensions that that unleashed.

Queen Elizabeth II: The Diamond Celebration

Produced in High Definition, with rare archive footage. Queen Elizabeth II has reigned for 60 years as the Queen of Great Britain and the Commonwealth. The Queen, who has witnessed incredible social, political and cultural changes in her reign, has retained the purpose and dignity of the British Monarchy. From the death of her father King George VI, to the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, this is the true story of how the young Princess became a great Queen.

George III: The Genius of the Mad King

After 200 years under lock and key, all the personal papers of one of our most important monarchs are for the first time seeing the light of day. In the first documentary to gain extensive access to the Royal Archives, Robert Hardman sheds fascinating new light on George III, Britain's longest reigning king. George III may be chiefly remembered for his madness, but these private documents reveal a monarch who was a political micromanager and a restless patron of science and the arts, an obsessive traveller who never left southern England yet toured the world in his mind and a man who was driven (sometimes to distraction) by his sense of duty to his family and his country. Featuring Simon Callow and Sian Thomas as the voices of King George and Queen Charlotte.

Delhi Durbar and Coronation

Jaw-dropping pomp and pageantry at the 1911 Delhi Durbar

Queen Elizabeth II: Her Glorious Reign

Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in the history of Great Britain and the Commonwealth. While her service to her country is legendary, she has become a figure of strength, endurance, and dignity the world over and indeed we all feel connected to her. Through triumph, loss, scandal, and celebration, witness the story of how a young Princess became Queen to the people of the world.

Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen

The story of Queen Elizabeth II in her own words, featuring never-before-seen home movies.

Elizabeth Windsor

Elizabeth Windsor tells the story of the girl who was never supposed to be Queen. Born the first daughter of 'the spare', the Duke of York, Princess Elizabeth's life was destined to be nothing more than a bit part in the privileged shadows of the British Royal family.

Prince Consorts: In the Shadow of the Crown

No profession, no say, no freedom of expression. Life as a prince consort is not exactly pleasure taxing. No constitution ascribes any function to the husband of a queen. Nowhere does it say what he must or must not do. A life in the shadow of the crown. Can that go well?

Sisi... und ich erzähle euch die Wahrheit

September 11, 1898: The imperial family’s personal physician, Dr. Herman Widerhofer, is deeply shocked by the news that an anarchist has assassinated Empress Elisabeth in Geneva. He then shuts himself up in his private rooms and recalls the empress’ fateful life. We learn the truth about Elisabeth, as the doctor knew more about her than anyone else.

The Queen's Green Planet

Featuring a unique conversation between The Queen and Sir David Attenborough as they walked in the garden at Buckingham Palace last summer, a landmark documentary will explore the ambition of a remarkable new initiative - a vast network of native forests across Britain and the Commonwealth, protected forever in The Queen's name.

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

This fascinating documentary reveals the behind the scenes story of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, drawing on rare archive footage and made using eyewitness accounts of participants and historical experts.

The Future of the Monarchy

The line of succession is a matter not taken lightly. It is therefore expected that those in line to the throne, stand a good public eye. Queen Elizabeth the Second has died, and with Charles as our new king - the future is looking bright given the nature of our future kings of Britain. The monarchy has evolved, and has undergone a huge deal of change over the last 1000 years. The line of succession is one that is looking sharp, but is also one that is bound to change. The examples of the previous monarchs continue to build strong relationships for the generations of monarchs to come.

Delhi Durbar

A film produced to celebrate the coronation of George V as King-Emperor at the Imperial Durbar of 1911.

Elizabeth & Philip: Love and Duty

Kirsty Young celebrates the 70th wedding anniversary of the Queen and Prince Philip by examining the longest royal marriage in British history through key moments. She looks at how every step of their life together has been played out in the glare of publicity and in service of the nation, while steering it through decades of change.

The Coronation

The 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II marked the moment when she was formally recognized as England's new sovereign in front of God and her subjects. Three hundred million people tuned in, making it the most watched event in history. Now, for the first time, Her Majesty shares memories of the ceremony. Join us as we unlock a thousand years of coronation secrets and provide an unprecedented, up-close look at the legendary Crown Jewels.