A BBC documentary about Queen Elizabeth II has looked back at her long life and reign, including the moment she let cameras film the royals which Gyles Brandreth said would haunt them for years
A documentary examining Queen Elizabeth II’s life entitled Queen Elizabeth II: Her Story, Our Century, has been broadcast on BBC and explored her lengthy existence and decades spent reigning. Tracing her journey from before she became heir to the throne right through to her final years, the programme encompassed much of her existence, including one pivotal moment that altered the trajectory of the Royal Family permanently.
Several renowned personalities featured in the documentary including Gyles Brandreth and David Attenborough, and they were eager to share their perspectives on the late Queen and choices made during her reign.
One such decision was when she allowed cameras into her residence to record a programme about royal life, which David described as her seeming to “try too hard”. Gyles identified it as the moment that would eventually come back to plague the royals for decades.
Gyles observed that the choice to film the series had shifted perceptions, making them seem like “celebrities”. He said: “That was the beginning of them being seen as celebrities and that sewed the seeds that in later years, would come back to haunt them.”
He had also remarked that he believes she felt they had “shown too much”. David then appeared and said that she had “stepped away from the formal role” and was “trying too hard to show that they were just normal people”. He continued: “The Royal Family is the Royal Family, they’re not like other families.”
There has been a blurring of their royal and celebrity status ever since, with popularity and public fascination in the family growing over the years.
The documentary then began to concentrate on how matters evolved into speculation about the royals as they examined the emergence of tabloid journalism, particularly focusing on Prince Charles and whom he intended to wed, before Princess Diana’s arrival, reports the Express.
Another instance that was highlighted in the documentary was the advertisement that featured Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear, marking her 70-year reign. Queen Camilla featured in the documentary to express admiration for her mother-in-law.
She remarked: “I think duty has overridden everything. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody have a sense of duty like she had.” The attention then turned to her death in 2022 as a montage was shown on screen and she was lauded for her dedication by celebrities and biographers alike.
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