Royals

All the best bits from the Queen’s first on-air interview in 26 years

The Queen reminisces about her coronation in the BBC documentary. Source: Instagram/TheRoyalFamily

The Queen’s highly anticipated interview with the BBC has finally aired in Britain and royal fans around the world are loving it.

The Coronation aired on Sunday night, delving into the history of Britain’s monarchy and revealing a decidedly relaxed and fun side of the Queen.

Speaking with coronation expert Alastair Bruce, the Queen gave a frank appraisal of her bejewelled coronation crown, which she said is so heavy wearing it risks “breaking your neck” and the “horrible” 4-tonne gold carriage that carted her from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, where English monarchs have been crowned since 1066.

The Queen was just 25 when she ascended the throne following the death of her father King George VI in 1952, with the coronation taking place a year later.

“It’s the sort of, I suppose, the beginning of one’s life really as a sovereign,” she said. “It is sort of a pageant of chivalry and old-fashioned way of doing things really.

“I’ve seen one coronation [her father’s in 1937] and been the recipient in the other, which is pretty remarkable.”

At one point, the 91-year-old was seen “man-handling” the magnificent crown after Bruce asked the crown jeweller if it could be moved closer to her. The crown jeweller is one of three people allowed to touch the magnificent headpiece, but that didn’t stop the Queen reaching over.

“This is what I do when I wear it!”, she said, grabbing the crown and spinning it around to show off her favourite jewel.

https://twitter.com/bbconeuk/status/952637407798718465

“I love that everyone on #TheCoronation is treating the Crown Jewels with such care and reverence, with special gloves and everything. And then The Queen’s just picking at it and shaking it about and tapping on the metal,” laughed one royal fan on Twitter.

“These men delicately touching the Crown in gloves vs. Queen Elizabeth II literally man handling it is just hilarious,” said another.

The Monarch also spoke about her beautiful coronation dress, which was embroidered in silk with pearls, and gold and silver thread. “I remember one moment when I was going against the pile of the carpet and I couldn’t move at all,” she said.

The Guardian reports that in once scene showing the Queen’s personal footage of the 1953 ceremony’s aftermath, as the young Prince Charles and Princess Anne played hide-and-seek underneath her train, Bruce commented “Such fun for the children.”

“Not what they were meant to do,” the Queen replied tartly.

The interview is the first on-screen press Her Majesty has done in 26 years. Her last appearance in 1992, marking her 40th year on the throne, was later withdrawn from public view by the Palace over fears it intruded too much into the Queen and her court.

The Royal Family has since overhauled its image and opened their lives to the public, with many crediting the fallout after Princess Diana’s death as the reason for the change.

The Family’s younger members, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry have made it their mission to welcome the public into their much of their lives and tear down the walls that once divided the family from the rest of the world.

This rare peek into the Queen’s personality, who her grandkids call “the boss”, has certainly showed the public that Britain’s longest serving monarch is on board with the plan for change, too.

Did you watch the documentary? Are you a fan of the royal family?

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