Stream Royal Family documentaries

Watch Royal Documentaries with BBC Select

BBC Select is the place to watch documentaries about the Royal Family from the BBC and beyond. We have a huge collection of TV series and films that focus on the past, present and future of the British monarchy.

Explore the life of Queen Elizabeth II, including her coronation, her royal palaces and her reign as Britain’s longest-serving monarch. There are also series focusing on her family, including her son King Charles II, his sons William and Harry and their respective wives, Kate and Meghan. Plus learn more about the scandal surrounding Elizabeth’s uncle Edward VIII, sometimes referred to as “the traitor king”.

From royal weddings and family trees to clothes, customs and duties. Learn what it’s like to be a member of the monarchy with this collection of British royal documentaries on BBC Select. Available in the US and Canada.

Born To Be The King

Stream Born To Be The King on BBC Select

As Prince Charles, he was the longest serving heir apparent in history. After the death of his beloved mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Charles finally ascended to the throne as King Charles III. But what sort of monarch will he become?

In this BBC royal family documentary, those who know him well discuss his personality, what he achieved as Prince of Wales and how he will adapt to the role as Britain’s new king.

Watch Born to be the King on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

Princess Margaret: Queen of Mustique

Watch Princess Margaret: Queen of Mustique with BBC Select

Scandalous affairs, X-rated party games, a rumored rock star lover and even an alleged bank robbery. Queen Elizabeth’s sister Princess Margaret loved the Caribbean Island of Mustique. But her time there was mired in controversy.

With archive footage, insider testimony and expert interviews this royal family documentary reveals what the original royal party girl really got up to on her Caribbean hideaway.

Watch Princess Margaret: Queen of Mustique on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

Secrets Of Royal Travel

Watch Secrets of Royal Travel with BBC Select

Pack your bags and climb aboard for a rare look inside the British monarchy’s luxurious private planes and trains. Discover five-star opulence in vehicles fit for a king or queen with lavish fixtures and fittings plus handy staff on standby to grant you your every wish.

Insiders reveal the special protocols and secret traditions associated with these unique, extraordinary mobile palaces in this two-part royal family documentary.

Watch The Secrets of Royal Travel on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.

The Palace & The Press

It’s a battle waged constantly in the pages of British newspapers: The Royals vs The Press.

BBC Select has the inside scoop on the tabloids’ obsession in this fascinating Royal Family documentary.

The younger royals might consider journalists a nuisance but there’s no denying the role of the press when it comes to holding them to account. But can these personal intrusions be justified?

 

Watch The Palace and the Press on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

Diana’s Decades

Princess Diana, the thoroughly modern princess who both captured and transformed the spirt of the times she lived in. This Diana documentary is the story of how, over three decades, she changed not just the monarchy but the press and the very nature of celebrity as she went from shy fairytale bride to global icon.

Watch Diana’s Decades on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

A Royal Guide to…

Why are certain royal babies christened in holy water imported from the River Jordan? And why would Princes be required to wear shorts until the age of eight? This fascinating 6-part series explores the British Royal Family’s obscure (and sometimes strange) protocols. Learn how to live like a king or queen and do everything from correctly hold a tea cup to performing the perfect the “Duchess slant” with this Royal Family documentary series. Go back through the history of royal families and learn about the origins of these customs and traditions that still continue today.

Watch A Royal Guide to… on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

Picturing Elizabeth: Her Life in Pictures

Picturing Elizabeth: Her Life in Images

During her reign, The Queen became the most visually represented person in the whole of human history. From stamps and coins to formal portraits, press photos and snapshots, her image became an integral part of our everyday lives. This documentary explores the stories behind some of the most famous and era-defining pictures and shows how they chart the changing relationship with the monarchy.

Watch Picturing Elizabeth: Her Life in Pictures on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

Diana: Seven Days That Shook The World

Stream Diana: 7 Days That Shook The World on BBC Select

The world fell in love with Lady Diana from the moment she appeared as the shy, stylish fiancé of Britain’s heir to the throne. This eye-opening Princess Diana documentary tells the inside story of the seven days of public grief that followed Diana’s death and how the royal family had to enter crisis mode to survive it.

Stream Diana: Seven Days That Shook the World one of a collection of Royal documentaries available on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

Edward VIII: Britain’s Traitor King

Stream Edward VIII: Britain's Traitor King on BBC Select

Historians examine newly discovered sources relating to the Duke of Windsor, the former king who renounced the throne to marry Wallace Simpson. This revelatory Edward VIII documentary explores his life after abdication, his connections with the Nazi Party, and evidence that he encouraged Germany to bomb the UK into submission during World War Two so he could regain the throne.

Watch Edward VIII: Britain’s Traitor King on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

Charles & Di: The Truth Behind Their Wedding

Stream Charles & Di - The Truth Behind Their Wedding on BBC Select

20 year-old Lady Diana Spencer laughed out loud when Prince Charles proposed to her having met her only 12 times. Five months later, she walked up the aisle – watched by three quarters of a billion people around the world – to marry what people believed was her Prince Charming. This BBC royal family documentary tells the true story of the seven days that led to the wedding of the decade – was it doomed before it even began?

Watch Charles & Di – The Truth Behind Their Wedding on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

Elizabeth And Phillip: Love And Duty

This BBC royal family documentary offers a unique view of the life together of the Queen and Prince Philip as they celebrated their seventieth wedding anniversary in 2017. From their fairytale royal wedding onwards, the couple enjoyed the longest royal marriage in British history. They experienced moments of pride and survived challenges, often played out in public, but kept their love affair and the nation strong throughout.

Stream Elizabeth and Phillip: Love and Duty on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.

The Queen Mother

Wife, monarch and much-loved public figure: Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was one of the most respected members of the British Royal family. But did her friendly image disguise something darker?

This moving royal family documentary reveals the dramatic inside story of her life. The moments of pain and upheaval that defined her legacy.

How did this woman, who didn’t aspire to be Queen, fulfill her destiny?

Watch The Queen Mother on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

Elizabeth: Her Passions and Pastimes

A celebration of the life of The Queen through the passions and pastimes she relished. From horses and dogs to TV, film, music and theatre, the distractions that gave Her Majesty the most pleasure are revealed. Featuring interviews from friends, members of the Royal Household, celebrities and those who have shared her passionate interests, an unseen side of The Queen emerges.

 

Watch Elizabeth: Her Passions and Pastimes on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

My Years With The Queen

Stream My Years with the Queen on BBC Select

In this royal family documentary film, Lady Pamela Hicks talks for the first time about her incredible life growing up within The Royal Family and her very special relationship with The Queen. As the great great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and cousin to Prince Philip and Her Majesty herself, she’s uniquely placed to reveal royal secrets and unique memories with the British royal family.

Watch My Years with the Queen on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

The Princes and the Press

It’s a battle waged constantly in the pages of British newspapers: The Royals vs The Press. This BBC royal family documentary focuses on the tabloids’ obsession with the British royals, whether the press go too far and if the intrusion is justified?

In this compelling documentary about the British princes and the press, Amol Rajan investigates the relationship between the British Royal Family and newspapers has changed dramatically in recent years. Unlike older members of the family such as The Queen, the younger royals like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex face far greater scrutiny but does the press ever go too far?

Watch The Princes and the Press on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen

The Unseen Queen BBC

Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II in her own words and using rare and unseen footage and family home movies.

The Queen looks back on her life in this acclaimed BBC film, reflecting on her childhood, her coronation and her 70 years as British monarch. See previously unseen unique home movies shot by the British royal family including footage from the Queen’s childhood, on board HMS Vanguard en route to South Africa in 1947, as well as archive footage of Royal weddings, events and speeches.

Watch Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

Elizabeth Fashioning A Monarch

Elizabeth Fashioning a Monarch BBC

A look back at how, for almost a century, Queen Elizabeth II used her wardrobe and her sense of style to communicate with Britain and the wider world. The Queen’s clothing had a daunting number of functions to perform both regal and practical. This documentary reveals how Her Majesty used fashion, color, jewelry and even accessories to help her send an unspoken but important message.

 

Watch Elizabeth Fashioning A Monarch on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

The Queen’s Palaces

Stream the Queen's Palaces on BBC Select

Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. From Henry VIII to Harry and Meghan, these buildings have been part of British royal history for hundreds of years.

Fiona Bruce tells the story of these amazing places in this majestic BBC royal documentary.

Watch The Queen’s Palaces on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*

What secrets lurk in the long history of the Queen’s Palaces and what treasures can be discovered within their walls?

A Tribute to Her Majesty The Queen

Stream A Tribute to Her Majesty The Queen

This BBC film looks back at the life of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history, who has died aged 96. Ascending to the throne at the age of 25 in 1953, she enjoyed an extraordinarily long reign and steered the monarchy and the nation through periods of huge social change. This tribute features interviews with her children, public figures and those who served her during her reign.

Watch A Tribute to Her Majesty The Queen on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.

When the Queen Spoke to the Nation

Throughout her long reign, the Queen was an enigmatic figure who never gave interviews. But there was one way to discover what was deeply important to her: her speeches. This documentary looks back at the Queen’s annual Christmas Day messages, as well as other special addresses, and reveals how she shared her values and beliefs through these public announcements.

Watch When the Queen Spoke to the Nation on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.

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The Earth Month Collection

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