Queen Elizabeth II - Coronation Edition

The Queen's Coronation: Behind Closed Doors
The Coronation in 1953 appeared to be a glittering triumph for the House of Windsor. But behind the scenes there was a story of rivalry at the highest level. In this High Society special we'll discover that Prince Philip was at odds with the Queen Mother and the royal establishment over his desire to modernise the monarchy, and that the old Queen was uncomfortable with her daughter's sudden rise to power. Elizabeth was caught between her husband and the traditionalists in the royal household, who lived in an archaic, unchanging world. This documentary with dramatised excerpts and interviews with leading historians examines how Elizabeth eventually agreed to televise the full coronation ceremony inside Westminster Abbey, against the initial advice of Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the Cabinet. A decision hotly contested by her advisors, it marked a dramatic change in how the monarchy communicated to the public. Unwittingly, innocently, the Queen had given a huge helping hand to the medium that would do so much to undermine her family in later years.

The Changing Face of the Queen
Her face has been on the UK's stamps and money for nearly 60 years, and over 20 million people worldwide tune in to her Christmas Day speech every year. Having lived through and indeed been at the heart of some of the most dramatic events of the 20th and 21st century: The Second World War, the end of the British Empire, the death of Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II is one of the most iconic women in the world. This film tells the story of an international icon.

The Royal Wedding In Colour
This amazing film of the Royal Wedding was shot by the late Jack Cardiff, a pioneer cameraman working with the then new Technicolor process in the 1940s. It contains never-before-seen footage in full colour of the processions at Westminster Abbey and afterwards at Buckingham Palace of the wedding of HRH Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in the autumn of 1947. This film has not been digitally enhanced, the footage and soundtrack are as on the original and it provides a wonderful reminder of the times and people involved in this momentous event.