The Queen has joked how younger generations may be surprised to see that she was also young once, after granting unprecedented access to decades of home movies.
The 96-year-old monarch has pulled back the curtain on intimate parts of her royal life, and contributed an up-to-date voiceover for a new documentary.
Programme makers say Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen will “offer audiences the chance to witness rare private moments from the monarch’s life”.
They say the 75-minute film will “tell the real story of her life as a princess – through her own eyes and in her own words from across her reign”.
The documentary, which will be broadcast on Sunday as part of the BBC ’s Platinum Jubilee coverage, uses reels recorded by the Queen and other members of the royal family as well as rare news footage.
Using audio clips from 60 of her speeches from throughout her record-breaking 70-year reign, the Queen explains to viewers what they are seeing.
The period covers from the time of her grandfather George V, to the outbreak of war, the abdication of her uncle Edward VII, to her father taking the throne and eventually her being crowned at the age of just 27 in 1953.
Unseen reels, including extraordinary footage from 1926, the earliest film that exists of the Queen riding round on a bike at her first home in Piccadilly, are shown alongside never-before-seen footage of her grandfather George V.
The Queen tells how “cameras have always been a part of our lives”, while she also makes heartfelt tributes to her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.
In often moving episodes the Queen explains how “faith, family and friendship” have not only been a constant in her life “but a source of personal comfort and reassurance”.
Elizabeth, who in February became Britain’s longest-serving monarch, adds: “I’ve lived long enough to know things never remain quite the same for very long.”
Never-before-seen diary entries from the young princess are also heard for the first time, delivering her take on the Second World War.
She describes Hitler as “a horrid man”, and tells how she and her sister Margaret donned disguises to party with the crowds outside Buckingham Palace on VE Day – the Queen describing it as “one of the memorable nights of my life”.
In the moving introduction which the Queen recorded earlier this month, she says: “There’s a difference to watching a home movie when you know who it is on the other side of the lens, holding the camera.
“It adds to the sense of intimacy. Like many families, my parents wanted to keep a record of our precious moments together.
“And when it was our turn with our own family, we did the same. I always enjoyed capturing family moments. Private photos can often show the fun behind the formality.
“I expect just about every family has a collection of photographs or films that were once regularly looked at to recall precious moments but which, over time, are replaced by newer images and more recent memories.
“You always hope that future generations will find them interesting, and perhaps be surprised that you too were young once.”
Two previously unseen clips have been released today, with the first showing Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and their parents enjoying a holiday at the Balmoral estate in the 1930s.
The Princesses are playing on the shores of Loch Muick and the Glas Allt waterfall.
In the second clip shot in South Africa, the royal family are shown relaxing on board the Royal Navy’s latest battleship, HMS Vanguard in 1947, when the vessel took them to and from South Africa for their spring tour.
Playful moments between the Queen and her mother are shown, posing for the cameras and dancing.
As the nation comes together next week to celebrate Her Majesty’s dedication to public service, the Queen coyly says: “I didn’t know anyone had invented the term Platinum for a 70th anniversary when I was born, you weren’t expected to be around that long. I’ve seen one Coronation and been the recipient of another, which is pretty remarkable.”
Meanwhile, a report reveals people are split over whether the royal family is a luxury the country cannot afford.
The Ipsos poll of 1,039 British adults found that 38% said they agree, 36% said they disagree. Accounts for the Sovereign Grant show the monarchy cost the taxpayer £87.5million during 2020/21 – an increase of £18.1m on the previous financial year.
Nearly half said the Prince of Wales would do a good job as king, compared to almost three-quarters agreeing the Duke of Cambridge would do well.
Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen will air on BBC One at 7.45pm.
