A Very Royal Wedding

On November 20, 1947, Britons everywhere celebrated the marriage of Princess Elizabeth (soon to be Queen Elizabeth II) to Philip Mountbatten. In this joyful royal documentary, Alexander Armstrong chats to celebrities such as Joan Collins and Sheila Hancock about this very special day. Clips from the Queen’s private home movie footage provide an intimate portrait of the occasion.
Watch A Very Royal Wedding and more acclaimed documentaries on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.
More documentaries you might like...

Elizabeth and Philip: Love and Duty
A look at the Queen and Prince Philip’s marriage as they celebrated 70 years together.

Queen Victoria and her Nine Children
How Queen Victoria's grief changed her as a mother and a monarch

The Princes and the Press
Explore the changing relationship between the Royal Family and British tabloid press

Royal Cousins at War
It makes The Crown look like Sesame Street. The bitter regal rivalries that led to war.
BBC Select Email Newsletter
Sign up to be the first to know about new shows on BBC Select, the latest collection of documentaries and other content from BBC Studios we think you’ll enjoy.
1940s

King George VI: Brother, Husband, King
The story of an unlikely King whose closest family relationships shaped him and his reign.

India's Partition: The Forgotten Story
In 1947, India was divided in two leading to violence and death. Why did it happen?

Belsen: The Untold Story
Using survivor testimony and archive footage, the story of the infamous camp is told.

BBC at War
This enthralling series asks, how much did World War II shape the personality of the BBC?

Could Hitler Have Been Stopped?
Leading historians debate whether Adolf Hitler and the Nazis could have been stopped.

Churchill: Winning the War, Losing the Peace
Why was Winston Churchill ousted from power after World War II?

Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial
Could the Nuremberg trials help shed light on the motivations of leading Nazis?

Edward VIII: Britain's Traitor King
The amazing story of the former British King who may have had Nazi sympathies during WWII.

Edward VIII: Britain's Traitor King
The amazing story of the former British King who may have had Nazi sympathies during WWII.
Cultural Exploration

Behind The Scenes: The Coronation of King Charles III
Discover what goes into the planning and organization of a historic royal coronation.

Border Country
What are borders, why are they created and how do they affect nations and individuals?

The Coronation: A Day To Remember
The coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort Camilla

South Korea with Alexander Armstrong
Alexander Armstrong explores one of the most dynamic nations on earth: South Korea.

Inside the Tower of London
Go behind closed doors to see how an iconic piece of British history is run today.

Born To Be The King
What does the future hold for the heir to the British throne, Prince George?

The Ottomans: Europe's Muslim Emperors
The story of the mighty Ottoman Empire and its role in shaping Europe and the wider world.

Titanic and Me
After more than a century the impact of the Titanic disaster is still felt today.

Iceland With Alexander Armstrong
Travel to the Land of Fire and Ice to learn more about its unique nature and culture.

The Art Of Japanese Life
The mysterious and remarkable art and culture of Japan is explored and explained.

India's Partition The Forgotten Story
In 1947, India was divided in two leading to violence and death. Why did it happen?

India's Partition: The Forgotten Story
In 1947, India was divided in two leading to violence and death. Why did it happen?

The Art Of Japanese Life
The mysterious and remarkable art and culture of Japan is explored and explained.

African Apocalypse
The atrocities committed by a rogue French officer in Africa are still being felt today.

Renaissance Education: The Schooling Of Thomas More's Daughter
How the ideas that shaped Margaret More's education changed the cultural life of England.

Russia: 1000 Years Of History
An exploration of Russia's beginnings to its position as the biggest country in the world.

African Apocalypse
The atrocities committed by a rogue French officer in Africa are still being felt today.

Joanna Lumley: In The Land of the Northern Lights
Can Joanna Lumley fulfill a life-long dream and track down the elusive Northern Lights?

The Normans
How the extraordinary ambition of the Normans transformed the history of Europe.

Picturing Elizabeth: Her Life in Pictures
The stories behind some of the most famous and era-defining pictures of Queen Elizabeth II.

Joanna Lumley's Unseen Adventures
Ab Fab legend Joanna Lumley takes viewers behind the scenes of her epic travels.

Armada: The Untold Story
The fierce naval conflict between England and Spain that changed the face of Europe.

Black Power: America's Armed Resistance
What is the Black Liberation Movement trying to achieve and what tactics do they use?

The Platinum Jubilee Interview: Tina Brown
Writer Tina Brown speaks with Katty Kay about decades chronicling the British royal family

Joanna Lumley in the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon
Ab Fab's Joanna Lumley takes a personal odyssey to retrace her grandad's steps in Bhutan.

A Royal Guide to…
A revealing look into some of the more peculiar protocols followed by the Royal Family.

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
The fascinating story of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

The Silk Road
The world's first superhighway that carried goods and ideas between Europe and China.

The Wild West
What is the truth behind the iconic figures of the Wild West – and what is pure myth?

Secrets of South America
What do money, sex, status and power mean to the young people of South America?

Secrets of China
Digging beneath the skin. What it’s really like to grow up in this secretive state?