1. The speech of Cape Town, trajectory of a life
“I declare before you that my whole life, whether long or short, will be devoted to your service. » It is a young Elizabeth, barely 21 years old, who speaks on the occasion of her majority on April 21, 1947, to assure the British people of her devotion.
Filmed in black and white in Cape Town, South Africa, this speech intended for cinemas “is a stunning archive “, according to Don Kent, director of Scottish origin of the documentary Ballad for a queen, released on the occasion of the 60 years of reign of Elizabeth II. ” We see an impressive woman, determined, mature, and yet so young», he completes. Five years later, her father, King George VI died prematurely, and Elizabeth was declared Queen of the United Kingdom at the age of 26.
2. The coronation ceremony, the founding event of British television
Almost 27 million. This is the number of viewers, out of the 36 million inhabitants of the United Kingdom, seated in front of their stations on June 2, 1953, for the live broadcast of the coronation mass of Elizabeth II. an audience that “exceeds for the first time that of the radio”points out the BBC website.
“This event exploded sales of television sets, not very widespread at that time in England », Analyzes Don Kent. It is also a technical challenge for the BBC teams, who must install the heavy cameras of the time among the 8,251 guests of the coronation. A first inside Westminster Abbey.
Twenty cameramen and a team of one hundred people, including eight commentators, are mobilized to cover the ceremony. The queen, against the advice of her advisers, brings the monarchy into modernity. The only compromise, the rite of anointing, which takes place under a canopy, will not be filmed. The cameras turn modestly towards a tapestry…
3. The documentary Royal Family invites himself into the royal apartments
In 1966, the “Firm”, nickname of the royal family, fell in popularity: its lack of reaction during the Aberfan disaster, where 144 people were killed, caused the population to scold.
To remedy this, it must be brought closer to the inhabitants of the United Kingdom. For a year, director Richard Cawston follows the royal members during official ceremonies, but also in their daily life, such as in Sandrigham, where the little princes Andrew and Edward clash with blows of snowballs. This communication work results in an unprecedented documentary on the royal family, Royal Family, viewed on June 21, 1969 by more than 30 million viewers on the BBC.
According to critics at the time, “it was quite catastrophic, and bordering on the ridiculous, because it rang false says Don Kent. After a second broadcast in 1972, the crown finally censored the documentary. In May 2021, Royal Family leaked on the Internet, before being removed in stride. But some users have picked it up in the meantime, making it available on YouTube.
4. Elizabeth II, James bond girl at the Olympics
During the opening ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012, spectators were dumbfounded: in a short film, they discovered the “real” queen dressed in pink, playing comedy alongside 007 agent Daniel Craig. The latter escorts him to his helicopter, before a double of the monarch parachutes over the Olympic Park.
“Never has the Queen been presented to her audience in this way! », exclaims a commentator, amazed. “In the first shots, from behind, we all thought we were seeing an actress, Helen Mirren for example, who had already played her in 2006 in the film The Queen, se souvient Don Kent. It was an incredible moment. » An unimaginable episode a few decades earlier…
According to the director, this video, viewed more than 57 million times on YouTube, shows the humor « so british » by Elizabeth II. “It’s the perfect illustration of her intelligence: she knew how to take a step back, and laugh at herself”, point Don Kent. In 2013, the queen received an honorary BAFTA for this “performance”, a symbol of her support for British cinema.
5. And Tea Time touching with paddington bear
“Would you like a marmalade sandwich?” » asks, candidly, the little Paddington bear to Elizabeth II. Last July, in a short film released on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the Queen offers herself a cup of tea alongside the famous children’s hero, recreated in 3D.
The crested accent of the first responds to the touching awkwardness of the second. On porcelain, Elizabeth II taps the rhythm of the song We will rock you, from the band Queen. She also reveals, always with humour, a well-kept secret: in her eternal black handbag, she is carrying a jam sandwich!
“The Queen plays here on cultural references that every Englishman knows, and with which the country has grown”, deciphers Don Kent. Paddington to conclude on behalf of the British people: “Thank you Ma’am. For everything. »