All language subtitles for Britain in Color Series 1 1of3 Royalty 1080p

Narrator: This is the story
of the british royal family,

Told in color
for the first time.

At the end of the 19th century,

Reclusive queen victoria
is seen as distant and remote.

Her larger-than-life son,
edward vii,

Knows that even kings need to
have their public on their side.

And when the country
goes to war,

The royals must
prove their worth

Or risk the end of the monarchy.

Cameras create the first
modern celebrity royal,

Edward viii.

But he nearly destroys
the royal family

When he falls in love with
his married american mistress.

And still, edward
is a tough act to follow

For stammering, shy george vi.

A young, unprepared
queen elizabeth

Must continue the dynasty.

This is the story

Of how the royal family
survives the early 20th century

As you've never seen it before.

[cheering]

♪

Queen elizabeth: ...Shall be
devoted to your service...

♪

♪

Narrator: June 2, 1953.

27-year-old queen elizabeth
prepares to be crowned.

As the gold state coach
leaves for westminster abbey,

It marks a new,
optimistic age for britain.

[cheering]

♪

Three million spectators
line the route.

Many hold
specially-made periscopes

To try and catch a glimpse
of their young, glamorous queen.

Arriving at the abbey,

Aristocratic maids of honor,
specially chosen for the event,

Assist the queen.

This is the first time
in royal history

That a coronation is
televised live to the nation.

The archbishop of canterbury
places the crown on her head,

Prompting a great shout
from the congregation.

Congregation:
God save the queen!

God save the queen!

God save the queen!

Narrator:
This coronation becomes

One of the most popular moments

In the history
of the royal family.

The events leading up to
this spectacular ceremony

Are testament to
the house of windsor's

Incredible instincts
for survival.

[cheering]

The queen will now need
to drive the monarchy

Into the modern age.

At the end of the 19th century,

Queen victoria reigns over
the whole of the british empire.

This rare footage from 1896

Shows the 77-year-old queen
holding her dog turi

At balmoral,
her scottish castle.

Since the death
of her beloved husband albert

35 years ago,

She has lived
in permanent mourning

And wears only black.

This is the first film
ever taken of the queen.

Victoria will later watch it
for her private amusement.

Walking alongside her carriage,

Her favorite granddaughter,
princess alexandra,

And her husband,
tsar nicholas ii of russia.

[dog barking]

At this time,
the queen has seven children

And 33 grandchildren
still alive.

Many have married
into europe's royal houses.

But she is reclusive
and rarely seen by her subjects.

In the coming century,

The people will expect more
from their monarch.

[cannon fires]

January 1901.

The 81-year-old queen
dies on the isle of wight.

Her yacht alberta
passes a saluting warship

As it transports her body
to the mainland.

She is taken to windsor castle.

Surprisingly,
after 40 years in black,

She requests that her coffin
is draped in bridal white

As she prepares to join her
beloved prince albert in death.

Also at her request, and for
the first time in royal history,

Her coffin is transported
on a gun carriage.

En route, one of the horse's
harnesses breaks.

[horse neighing]

So for the last part
of the funeral procession,

Sailors take up the reins
of the carriage on foot.

This becomes a royal tradition
which continues to this day.

Crowds line the streets
to pay their respects

To britain's longest serving
monarch of 63 years.

[horse neighs]

40 members of royalty
walk behind her coffin.

Many are the heads
of european countries,

And most are related
to victoria.

Directly behind her body,
in the brown cape,

Is her son and heir, edward vii.

On his right is her grandson,
kaiser wilhelm of germany.

But the linchpin of this
enormous royal family has gone.

[cheering]

18 months later,

The gold state coach takes
edward to his coronation.

♪

Victoria always worried

That edward would not
rise to the job.

Edward is known to be
larger than life,

With a love of horses,

Pheasant shooting...
[bang]

And women,

Even though he is married

To the danish princess,
queen alexandra.

Edward invents
the modern royal appearance.

On this tour to the industrial
northern city of sheffield,

He comes to open the university.

Unlike his mother,
queen victoria,

He understands
that his public need

The theatre and spectacle
of royalty.

But he wields
little actual power.

The country is run by
the government and parliament.

He is a constitutional monarch
who reigns but does not rule.

Many of his european family
have more political clout.

His nephew nicholas,
tsar of all the russias,

Is from a long line
of autocrats.

His other nephew,
kaiser wilhelm of germany,

Has complete control
over the german military.

Still, when the king
goes to paris in 1903,

He has an important role to play
as the public face of britain.

The british prime minister
arthur balfour

Wants to improve
tense relations with France.

But when edward is invited there
on an official state visit,

He charms them.

Crowds gather and cheer him
as he rides through the capital.

This visit paves the way
for a series of treaties.

Britain becomes
an official ally of France.

The king now has a new name:

Edward the peacemaker.

[bottle shatters]

The peacemaker is also the head
of the world's largest navy.

In 1906, he launches
hms dreadnought in portsmouth.

It's the fastest
battleship to date.

This launch spurs edward's
envious nephew wilhelm

To create a navy
that rivals britain's.

Tensions mount as britain and
germany engage in an arms race.

[cannon fires]

In 1909, king edward assembles
the splendor of the navy

Just off the isle of wight

To welcome rare guests,

The russian royal family.

It's regatta week,
the height of the social season.

In this rare footage,

The tsar and tsarina
and their four daughters

Line up to greet auntie alex
and uncle edward.

These are some of the few images

Of the british
and russian royal families

Together in britain.

But this is also a state visit.

Russia is now britain's
official ally.

Tsar nicholas and alexandra lead
their children onto british soil

For the first time.

It will also be their last.

Edward vii's nephew
kaiser wilhelm

Has always had
a difficult relationship

With his british
royal relatives.

His mother
was princess victoria,

Queen victoria's eldest child.

He has a love-hate relationship
with britain

Which stems back
to his childhood.

His left arm hangs
6 inches shorter than his right,

The result of a breach birth.

Wilhelm blames his mother's
english doctor

For his disability.

To disguise it, he often
holds a sword in public

To make his arm seem longer.

His british family find him
pompous and arrogant,

But uncle edward
manages to keep the peace

Between the two families.

[bell tolling]

1910.

King edward vii,
"the uncle of europe,"

Dies of a heart attack after
nine short years on the throne.

His funeral is the largest
gathering of european royalty

Ever seen--

Bigger even than his mother's.

The roll call includes the kings
of norway, greece, Spain,

Denmark, portugal, and bulgaria.

Former president
theodore roosevelt

Also walks in the procession.

The chief mourners directly
behind edward's coffin

Are the new king george v

And kaiser wilhelm.

[horse neighs]

No one here knows that
this is one of the last times

These royal families
will all be together.

In just four years,

Their monarchies
will be thrown into war.

[cheering]

In June 1911, king george v
and his wife, queen mary,

Welcome the crowds
at buckingham palace

After their coronation.

George is known as cautious
and conservative.

And mary does not believe
that it is appropriate

For royalty to smile in public.

George has served in the navy,

And runs family life
in the same way he'd run a ship.

Here his children
play at being sailors.

Practicing his rifle drill
is his eldest son and heir,

Edward,

Known in the family as david,
one of his middle names.

Alongside him
is his brother bertie

And sister mary
brandishing a sword.

In george's reign,
the social order is changing.

Working people
are becoming more vocal,

Demanding their rights.

A flash point is
the suffragettes' campaign,

"votes for women."

One of their most daring
publicity stunts

Will involve the king
at the 1913 epsom derby.

Famously, this moment
is captured on film.

As the race reaches
tattenham corner,

Emily davison steps
in front of anmer,

The horse owned by the king.

[horse neighs]

The horse survives,
but emily is killed.

No one knows exactly
what emily's motives are.

Some speculate
that she merely wanted to tie

The suffragette colors
to the horse.

Others see it
as an act of martyrdom.

The suffragettes
are front-page news.

A year later, 200 of them
March on buckingham palace

To present a petition
to the king.

67 are arrested.

George never publicly responds.

As king, he is expected to be
impartial in politics.

But some matters
cannot be ignored.

In germany, the war machine
is gathering pace.

Even so, in 1913, george
attends the family wedding

Of the kaiser's daughter
in berlin.

George even wears
an honorary german uniform,

Including a spiked helmet
called a pickelhaube.

This family occasion
is the last time

The cousins
will ever see each other.

[cannon fires]

Just a year later,

Britain declares war on germany.

Civilians are encouraged
to enlist

And defend king and country.

In newcastle, king george
inspects the shipyards

That are building
britain's war fleet.

These images become a vital part

Of george and mary's
morale-boosting propaganda

And appear in cinemas
across britain.

George makes more public visits
than any previous monarch,

Including trips
to front-line France,

Where he rides a supply train

To see the battlefields
of the somme.

Over a million men
are killed or wounded here

In this fight
with his cousin's army.

George and mary
also visit field stations

Behind the front line,

Including this american one
in étaples.

They see it as their duty

To visit the troops
fighting in their name.

The king understands
that the monarchy must be seen

As serving the people.

Their traditional right to rule

Is not enough
in the 20th century.

The royal family must adapt

Or die.

George's heir,
20-year-old david,

Joins the grenadier guards

And is allowed to be posted
to the western front.

But he is kept back
from the front line,

Much to his frustration.

George's second son, bertie,
is already in the navy.

Unlike his brother, he will see
the fighting first-hand

In the battle of jutland.

Three years into the brutal war,

The germans deploy
a new long-range plane,

The gotha bomber.

They begin bombing raids
on british towns.

In June
in the east end of london,

Gotha bombers kill 162 people,

Including 18 children.

The name has an unfortunate
resonance for the royals

Because the family name
is saxe coburg gotha.

It's inherited from
queen victoria's german husband,

Prince albert.

In an anti-german atmosphere,
that's a huge disadvantage.

George is right to worry
about public opinion.

On the 15th of March 1917,

His russian cousin tsar nicholas
is overthrown in a revolution.

Concerned by republican
sentiments at home,

George comes up
with a radical solution--

A rebranding exercise inspired
by one of their family homes.

He changes their family name

To the more british-sounding

"windsor."

Worried that britain

Could one day have
its own revolution,

He refuses asylum

To his cousin nicholas
and his family.

In July 1918, in siberia,

They are herded
into a basement and shot.

[gunshot]

[cheering]

Just a few months later,
in November 1918,

The allied countries
sign an armistice.

People rejoice in america,

France,

And britain.

At st. Paul's cathedral
in london,

George and mary attend
a service of celebration.

George's defeated cousin,
kaiser wilhelm, abdicates

And spends the rest
of his days gardening,

Exiled in the netherlands.

The once mighty german empire
no longer exists.

The russian and austro-hungarian
royal families also fall.

George is one of the few
great monarchs to survive.

In peacetime, george and mary
continue to meet people

Up and down the country.

They are determined to stay
at the center of national life.

George opens the gates
of buckingham palace

For his annual
royal garden parties,

Filmed here
for the first time in 1935.

Also on display is
the next generation of royals,

Including his heir, david.

♪

David is a prince who embraces
all things modern,

Even learning to fly
his own plane.

♪

He prefers more casual dress
to his father,

Particularly when in public.

When he visits glasgow,

He's not afraid to rub shoulders
with his subjects.

His parents,
king george and queen mary,

Send him all around the country
on official duties.

On the third of July 1933,

He opens a record three bridges
in west london in one afternoon.

Edward: I'm just about
to cut a ribbon

Of this hampton court bridge.

I might add that it is lucky
it has only just been put up

Because I have
crossed this bridge

No less than ten times already.

Narrator:
George's second son, bertie,

Also plays his part
in public life,

Inspecting troops
and attending openings

On his father's behalf.

But unlike
his older brother david,

He is painfully shy

And has a debilitating stammer.

Bertie: And we are all...

Happy to feel...

That...

That the generosity
of his majesty...

Has set an example to all...

And which has been
widely followed...

Throughout the country.

Narrator: In 1923,

Bertie marries
elizabeth bowes lyon,

The daughter of a scottish earl.

Unlike queen mary,

Bertie's bride believes royals
should smile in public.

She is nicknamed
"the smiling duchess."

In 1926, they have
their first daughter,

Princess elizabeth,

Seen here with her nanny...

Followed by
princess margaret rose

Four years later.

The family settle down
in central london,

In piccadilly.

Their next-door neighbor
is socialite rosie newman.

In 1936,

She captures
10-year-old elizabeth

And 5-year-old margaret

Playing with their pet corgis,
dookie and jane.

No one yet realizes

The vital role
princess elizabeth will play

In the survival
of the house of windsor.

[ship horn blows]

29th of August 1924.

As prince of wales,

David travels the world
in the king's name,

As an ambassador for britain
and the empire.

He draws enormous crowds
wherever he goes,

Like here in new york.

He is the first royal
to visit a rodeo in america

And even tries his hand
at being a cowboy.

During the last part of his stay
at this long island estate,

He invites the newsreels in
for a private audience,

In a way that no royal
has previously allowed.

David is clearly at ease
with the media

And becomes the most
photographed man in the world.

Even though he's just 5'7" tall,

He cuts a dashing figure.

He's known for his stylish suits
in prince of wales check.

For a royal, a red tie
is a bold statement.

David is a wildly popular
trendsetter,

But his father, george v,
sees him as immature and spoilt.

What particularly upsets him

Is david's preference
for married women.

[gunshot]

Announcer: They're off.

[cheering]

Narrator: When he's filmed
at the grand national in 1935,

The cameras are unaware

That the woman next to him
is his mistress,

The married american
wallis simpson.

Wallis is a baltimore debutante,

The society "it girl"
of her day.

She's on her second marriage
to ernest simpson,

A shipbroker and former soldier.

But edward and wallis
are soon inseparable

And openly vacation
together in austria.

The royal family are shocked

That david flaunts his
unsuitable married mistress

In public.

His father george v predicts,
"after I am dead,

The boy will ruin himself
in twelve months."

[fanfare plays]

In may 1935,

Britain celebrates
george's silver jubilee

Of 25 years on the throne.

[fanfare]

At the end of the celebrations,

He addresses his nation

In a new medium
for the royal family--

Radio.

King george: Thank you from
the depths of our hearts,

For all the loyalty,

And, may I say, the love

With which this day and always

You have surrounded us.

Narrator:
George has survived the war

And the collapse
of his royal cousins.

The windsors are now
more popular than ever before.

In January 1936,

The news breaks that
the king is seriously ill.

A lifetime of smoking

Has given him trouble
with his lungs.

The king dies in sandringham,

His estate
in the east of England.

[fanfare plays]

January 21, 1936.

St. James's palace, london.

The day after the king's death.

The garter principal
king of arms

Formally announces
the new king's accession.

Man: God save the king.

[cannon fires]

Narrator:
David is now edward viii.

He should be privately mourning,

But instead flies in
from sandringham

To watch the ceremony.

This breaks with royal protocol

And is seen as tasteless.

But what really
upsets the royal family

Is that wallis
is at the window, too.

Edward bans the footage
from being shown.

But the public welcome
their dashing new king.

News announcer:
Even before westminster abbey

Is closed to receive
its coronation threads,

The wheels of british industry
are spinning at top speed.

Narrator: The country
prepares for the coronation

Of what promises to be the most
popular king in living memory.

Factories begin
to make souvenirs.

The ceremony is set
for a year later, in may 1937.

But edward viii
has little interest,

Leaving his brother bertie
to organize the details.

Instead he goes on
a series of vacations,

Including this one to cannes,
in the south of France,

With the still-married wallis.

Later that summer,

A photographer catches wallis
touching his arm.

The american media realize
they are more than friends.

But while the british press
cover the holiday,

They print nothing
about the affair.

A gentleman's agreement
with the palace

Keeps edward's secret.

But in October 1936,

Wallis files for divorce.

Behind closed doors,
edward meets with the government

And tells them
that he plans to marry her,

Even though
the church of England,

Of which edward is the head,

Does not allow divorced people
to remarry.

Prime minister stanley baldwin

Tells him that his choice
of bride is impossible

If he wants to remain king.

As edward tours south wales
in November,

Meeting impoverished
welsh families,

His popularity
is at an all-time high.

No one in the crowd has any idea

That the monarchy
is in crisis...

Even though in america,

The press loudly speculate

On a royal wedding date.

Back in london,

The prime minister still refuses
to support the marriage.

Finally on the 2nd of December,

The british press run the story.

The opinion of the country

Is divided.

It's the biggest crisis
since world war I.

Man: In my opinion, the king
should marry who he loves.

He's been a good chap
to the working class.

That's my opinion of him.

Man: Quite apart from the fact
that she isn't of noble blood,

Mrs. Simpson has twice
been in the divorce courts.

To my mind,

That completely rules her out
as queen of England.

Man: The nation is behind him,

And we must not lose him.

Narrator: 10th of December 1936,

Edward officially
abdicates his throne.

A day later, he publicly
renounces his title.

Edward: A few hours ago,

I discharged my last duty
as king and emperor.

Believe me when I tell you

That I have found it impossible

To carry the heavy burden
of responsibility

And to discharge
my duties as king

As I would wish to do,

Without the help and support
of the woman I love.

Narrator: Crowds converge
on central london,

Shocked that their
beloved king has gone.

[fanfare plays]

Five months later,

Stammering and unprepared
brother bertie

Is crowned as king george vi

In the ceremony that he helped
plan for his brother.

[cheering]

The popular edward viii
will be a tough act to follow.

And george will need to become
a symbol of national survival

As war looms.

[cheering]

George vi, the reluctant king,

Has one advantage over
his scandalous brother edward--

His family.

This film is taken

Just as they first move in
to buckingham palace

In 1937.

The invited cameras show george
as a happy family man

With his heir,
10-year-old elizabeth,

And 6-year-old margaret.

They are so close-knit,
the king calls them "us four."

Just a month
after the coronation,

Edward marries wallis at
the chateau de cande in France.

Not one member
of the royal family attends.

The bride wears
a special kind of blue,

Dubbed "wallis blue"
by its dressmaker.

George gives
edward and wallis the title

"the duke and duchess
of windsor."

But he refuses wallis the title
"her royal highness,"

Which would officially
recognize her

As a member of the royal family.

By now, adolf hitler is in power

And germany is once again
turning into a military machine.

New king george vi
and his government

Are appalled
by the fuhrer's warmongering.

But what really upsets them

Is when the duke of windsor
defies government advice.

He goes on a semi-official,
unsanctioned visit

To nazi germany.

Dr. Ley,
one of hitler's inner circle,

Meets the duke and duchess
at berlin station.

♪

They attend a concert

And inspect a squad
of ss stormtroopers.

Hitler even invites them to
his private mountain retreat.

The trip is a huge embarrassment
to the british government

And royal family.

The once popular king
is now notorious

And accused of being
a nazi sympathizer,

An allegation
that will hang over him

For the rest of his life.

In June 1939,

George and elizabeth go
on a state visit of their own,

To america.

They are guests of
president franklin roosevelt

In washington, d.C.

This is the first time

That a president has stood next
to a reigning british monarch

On american soil.

It's a calculated pr maneuver
by roosevelt.

As war in europe looks imminent,

He's invited the king here

To boost american support
for the brits.

Announcer: Dense crowds
line the thoroughfare,

And the cheers are eloquent with
the understanding and friendship

Felt for britain's
king and queen.

[cheering]

Narrator:
Secretary of the treasury

Henry morgenthau, jr.

Films some of their trip.

His home movies show something

The newsreels are not allowed
to broadcast--

A polio-stricken roosevelt
walking.

[cheering]

They board
the presidential yacht

To visit mount vernon.

King george even lays a wreath

On the tomb
of george washington,

Becoming the first
british monarch to do so.

[applause]

Later, the royal couple
spend time

At roosevelt's country home,
hyde park,

With the president's wife,
eleanor,

And his mother sara.

On the menu that day--hot dogs.

It becomes news

That the royal couple eat
and enjoy them.

[cheering]

When they visit the world's fair
in new york,

They are the biggest attraction

For the attending
american crowds.

This is the dawn of a new era

In american and british
cooperation,

An important milestone

In the two countries'
special relationship,

Which will soon
be put to the test.

[gulls squawking]

Dartmouth naval college,
July 1939.

The king and queen return to
their british royal engagements.

On this trip they bring
their daughters.

It's here that 13-year-old
princess elizabeth

Is officially introduced

To 18-year-old
prince philip of greece.

As they play croquet,

One of their first exchanges
is captured on camera.

It will turn out to be
a life-changing visit

For princess elizabeth.

[artillery fire]

Just two months later,

On the 3rd of September 1939,

Britain declares war
against germany.

The king decides
to stay in london,

Even as the bombs rain down

In the most terrifying blitz
the capital has ever witnessed.

On the 13th of September 1940,

A bomb falls
on buckingham palace,

Nearly hitting
the royal apartments.

Shortly after,
the king talks about it

In a radio broadcast
to the nation.

George vi: I am speaking to you
now from buckingham palace,

With its honorable scar.

Narrator:
The queen reportedly says,

"I can now look the east end
in the face."

They tirelessly visit
their war-torn subjects

And lift the spirits
of the country

During its darkest years of war.

♪

[cheering]

Princess elizabeth serves
as an army mechanic.

The family's war efforts
make them incredibly popular.

The duke and duchess of windsor
see out a very different war.

In 1940, winston churchill,

Worried about
their nazi sympathies,

Sends the duke to become
the governor of the bahamas.

He's kept as far away
from the war as possible.

Churchill wants to avoid

Any further encounters
with the nazis.

Privately the duke calls
the bahamas a third-rate colony

And asks for the governor's
mansion to be refurbished.

The cost is estimated to be
the same as a fighter plane.

The british government refuse.

[cheering]

After six long years of war,

Hitler is finally defeated

And peace is declared.

[cheering]

In london, thousands descend
on buckingham palace.

They cheer for the king
to come out on the balcony

Again and again.

The royals emerge
an incredible eight times

To celebrate
with their people...

[cheering]

...With some trademark waving.

But war has
physically exhausted the king.

At only 49,
his health is failing.

Princess elizabeth will soon be
thrust into the limelight.

Hms vanguard, February 1947.

The royal family are
on their way to south africa.

It's their first overseas
royal tour after the war.

[cheering]

A carefree
20-year-old princess elizabeth

Plays a game of tag on deck.

After years of turmoil,
the family can finally relax.

George leads the family
off the ship in cape town.

This is the first time
a reigning monarch

Has ever visited south africa.

[cheering]

Later, when they
drive through durban,

They are overwhelmed
by the crowds.

[cheering]

The tour takes in 10,000 miles
in just two months.

The royal family
also visit zululand

In eastern south africa.

Thousands of locals
come to pay homage to them.

[chanting]

On her 21st birthday,

Princess elizabeth
addresses her people on camera

For the very first time.

Princess elizabeth:
I declare before you all

That my whole life,

Whether it be long or short,

Shall be devoted
to your service

And to the service
of our great imperial family

To which we all belong.

Narrator:
Buckingham palace, 1947.

After a year of secrecy,

The royal family announces
elizabeth's engagement.

Her fiancé is the naval officer
she played croquet with

Before the war,

Prince philip.

For some, he's a controversial
choice of groom.

He is from
the greek royal family.

Three of his sisters
were married

To german nazi aristocrats.

At one sister's funeral
back in 1937,

He is seen walking
next to the nazis.

But he was also decorated
for bravery during the war.

People in britain are delighted
to celebrate a royal wedding.

[playing mendelssohn's
wedding March]

The couple dazzle in newsreels
around the world.

[bells ringing]

In the throne room,

They pose for their
official wedding photos.

They are the glamorous future
of the royal family.

London airport,

Five years later,
in January 1952.

A very ill george vi cannot go
on another tour of the empire.

He sends his daughter
in his place.

[applause and cheering]

The family come
to say their goodbyes.

Princess elizabeth
does not realize

That she will never see
her father again.

George vi has only days to live.

[cheering]

Princess elizabeth and
prince philip's six-month tour

Starts in kenya.

[cheering]

Bystanders remark

That the princess
looks happy and carefree.

They stay at sagana lodge
following a safari.

It's here,
just six days into the tour,

That elizabeth receives
the tragic news.

Her father is dead.

Devastated,
she returns to britain.

These are her first steps
on british soil

As elizabeth ii,

Queen of the united kingdom.

She is just 25 years old.

George's body
is taken to westminster hall

To lie in state.

A grieving public
pay their respects

To the monarch who led them
through world war ii.

The 56-year-old king
is then taken to windsor

To be buried with his ancestors.

The royal women hide their grief
in thick black veils.

The queen leaves
the ceremony first.

She is now the head
of the house of windsor.

2nd of June 1953.

Britain prepares for the biggest
event of the queen's life--

Her coronation.

The entire country is gripped
with coronation fever.

For the first time ever,

It will be broadcast
as a live television event.

Everyone will have
the opportunity

For a front row seat.

Just three cameras recorded
her father's coronation.

Now there will be 20.

The man in charge
is david eccles,

The minister of works.

David eccles:
It's quite clear that this time,

Right from the very beginning,

We must plan the
scheme of decorations

And select the points
at which cameras are sited

So that the best pictures
can be made.

[cheering]

Narrator: Although many
will be watching at home,

Tens of thousands gather

As she leaves
for westminster abbey.

[cheering]

In the abbey,

She formally dedicates herself
to her millions of subjects.

Man: Madame, is your majesty
willing to take the oath?

Queen elizabeth:
I am willing.

News announcer:
The anointing takes place

Under a canopy of cloth of gold,

For this part
of the ceremony is withheld

Even from the eyes
of those present.

Narrator: 27 million viewers
crowd around tv sets

Specially bought
for the occasion

And watch this mysterious
and rare spectacle.

Though she doesn't know it
at the time,

The queen is bringing
the modern television age

To britain.

[cheering]

The broadcast helps launch
queen elizabeth

As one of the most popular
rulers in british history.

This coronation is a watershed
moment for the monarchy,

Ensuring their survival
into the next century.

Elizabeth ii becomes a symbol
of duty and continuity

In uncertain times

And will eventually outlive

Her great-great-grandmother
queen victoria

To become britain's
longest-serving monarch.

[cheering]