Queen Elizabeth: “The fun behind the formality”

There are summers in Balmoral, the journey on HMS Vanguard, which in 1947 took the British royal family from the UK to South Africa, for a royal tour, and there are smiles and hugs to Margaret, the Queen’s beloved younger sister. Elisabetta: the first images of Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen, the new documentary on the sovereign which the BBC will air on Sunday 29 May. To create it, archival videos belonging to the Windsor house, more than 400 reels, were used, which reveal the more private side of Elizabeth II, taken from the carefree years of her youth.

But it’s not just the unpublished images that are striking. The real surprise lies in the fact that the sovereign herself thought of the introduction. And his narrative voice, extremely confidential and welcoming, traces the most important and dearest moments.

The documentary tells “The fun behind the formalities”, in the words of Elizabeth II. “Cameras have always been a part of our life. I think there is a difference in watching a home movie when you know who is on the other side of the lens. It adds to the sense of intimacy ”, continued the sovereign, without placing herself in a different dimension than that of other people. “Like many families my parents wanted to keep track of our precious moments together.” A tradition never abandoned: “When it was our turn, we did the same with our families, I’ve always enjoyed capturing family moments. I expect almost every family to have a collection of photographs or films that were once viewed regularly to recall precious moments, but which, over time, have been replaced by more recent images and memories. ‘

The documentary, lasting 75 minutes, builds on Elizabeth’s childhood, tells of her adolescence and her new responsibilities (from daughter of the Duke of York to heir to the throne, after her uncle’s abdication) until her coronation , in 1953, and the moments of daily life with her husband Filippo and children. It emerges the portrait of a joyful and informal family. An unusual and beautiful point of view on Majesty’s private life of her, which is not just her 70 years of reign.

Other stories of Vanity Fair that may interest you:

• Queen Elizabeth visits the Chelsea Flower Show (surprisingly)
• The secrets of Elizabeth II (now revealed in the new book The Queen)
• Because Queen Elizabeth celebrates her birthday twice

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