BBC celebrates 65th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation with new documentaries
The BBC has announced a season of programming across television and radio to mark the 65th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen’s Coronation.
The Royal Collection Season will include The Coronation, a new film for BBC One revealing the compelling story of the Crown Jewels and the ancient ceremony for which they are used.
The hour-long documentary will see The Queen share memories of the ceremony as well as that of her father, King George VI, in 1937.
The Crown Jewels form the most complete collection of royal regalia in the world and consist of 140 items, containing 23,000 precious stones.
The Coronation will explore the role and symbolic meaning of the Crown Jewels in the centuries-old coronation ceremony, showing these objects of astonishing beauty in new high-resolution footage.
It will also tell the extraordinary story of St Edward’s Crown, which was destroyed after the English Civil War and remade for the Coronation of Charles II in 1661. It has only been worn by Her Majesty once, at the moment she was crowned.
The film features eyewitness accounts of those who participated in the 1953 Coronation, including a maid of honour who nearly fainted in the Abbey, and a 12 year-old choirboy who was left to sing solo when his overwhelmed colleagues lost their voices.
Charlotte Moore, BBC Director of Content, commented: “It is a real honour to have Her Majesty The Queen revealing her intimate knowledge of the Crown Jewels, and fond childhood memories from when her father was crowned King George VI, in this very special film for BBC One. In her own words, The Queen will bring to life the enduring symbolic importance of the Coronation ceremonies for modern audiences to enjoy.”
Watch the trailer:
Other programmes in the Season will include the four-part Art, Passion & Power: The Story of the Royal Collection on BBC Four (Andrew Graham-Dixon reveals some of the most spectacular works of art in the Royal Collection), Charles I’s Treasures Reunited on BBC Two (Brenda Emmanus explores the Royal Academy’s landmark exhibition Charles I: King And Collector), a concert recorded in the Grand Reception Room at Windsor Castle on BBC Radio 3, and Stories From The Royal Collection on BBC Radio 4 (Dr Amanda Foreman discovers the captivating stories behind works of art in the Royal Collection through documentary material from the Royal Archives.)