The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

This fascinating documentary reveals the behind-the-scenes story of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, drawing on never before seen archives and made with the cooperation of Buckingham Palace. The Coronation was seen as an ideal moment for the British Royal Family to establish the meaning of the modern monarchy - reinforcing the idea of continuity and tradition, while establishing the new reign of the young queen and her modernizing husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. But the sheer scale of the event, combined with jockeying by senior figures who felt they should be pivotal, threatened to turn the whole thing into a disaster. Told through the diaries and papers of those at the heart of planning of the event, this program shows how, despite bubbling tensions, diplomatic incidents, and political wrangling, the Queen kept her cool, arbitrated with skill, and stayed true to her vision of a spectacular and special coronation.