To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, a new documentary featuring never-before-seen footage of the Queen will premiere on 29 May.
Entitled Elizabeth: the Unseen Queen, the 75-minute BBC television documentary focuses on the early years of Queen Elizabeth’s life, from her birth to her coronation at the age of 27 in 1953. The film includes several home shots of the Queen Family, up to this point privately held in the vaults of the British Film Institute.
Queen Elizabeth granted BBC Studios access to footage and the producers and editors viewed over 400 rolls of film. The home records include previously lost newsreels and several behind-the-scenes recordings of officially sponsored state events.
According to the BBC, the documentary will feature never-before-seen footage of notable events in the Queen’s life, including Prince Philip’s visit to Balmoral Castle in 1946, just before the couple’s engagement became public. Other key moments depicted in the film include rare footage of the Queen with her uncle Prince George, the Duke of Kent, and footage of the royal family at Blamoral in 1951, a year before the death of King George VI. The film will combine the footage with newsreel audio and Queen’s public speeches rather than traditional narration or interviews.
“We are honored that the Queen has entrusted the BBC with such unprecedented access to her personal film collection,” said Simon Young, BBC history editor-in-chief, in a statement. “This documentary is an extraordinary glimpse into a deeply personal side of the royal family that is rarely seen, and is wonderful to share with the nation as we mark their platinum anniversary.”
Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen is directed by Simon Finch, with Julia Harrington and Harvey Lilley executive producing. Clare Sillery, BBC Head of Commissioning for Documentaries, commissioned the project, while Claire Popplewell acted as creative director. Produced by BBC Studios. The film will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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