"Royal Family" (1969) - Ground-breaking TV Doco about the Windsors

[sarahedwards2]

Originally Posted by HRHHermione

Oh, and how stunning does Princess Anne look in this still image from the film- the one next to Prince Phillip? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/ar...ew-Royals.html

Anne, no reading at the dinner table!

[Warren]

Part 3 of the surprisingly good 4-part documentary series "The Windsors, A Royal Family" (1994) contains a segment on the 1969 "Royal Family" documentary film.

Apparently, after the success of Lord Mountbatten's TV series, Lord Brabourne (married to Mountbatten's eldest daughter and a film and television producer in his own right) proposed the idea of a film showing the "domestic" side of the Royal Family with an emphasis on "getting to know" the Queen.

Philip Ziegler provides some commentary: initially he believed it was a most successful propaganda film which brilliantly achieved its aim (it was broadcast in the same week as the Investiture of the Prince of Wales).
However, he, like many others, now believes it was a mistake.

Some snippets from the original fim are shown.

"Royal Family" (1969) begins around the 44.20 mark...

The Windsors: A Royal Family (1994)

[An Ard Ri]

Have they ever been released on dvd?

[Dman]

I didn't think the film was a mistake at all. I just think the royal family and other royal historians got a bit scared of the film after viewing it. Now they do documentaries all the time.

[zactay]

Does anyone have "The Royal Family" documentary from 1969? It has been televised once only.... and cannot be found anywhere... Im assuming there are some VHS tapes out there, which probably have been converted already... anyone know where I can find it online? Or is anyone willing to upload it?

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by zactay

Does anyone have "The Royal Family" documentary from 1969? It has been televised once only.... and cannot be found anywhere... Im assuming there are some VHS tapes out there, which probably have been converted already... anyone know where I can find it online? Or is anyone willing to upload it?

From what I understand, the program was aired once in 1969 and then stashed away somewhere in a vault never to be seen again by request of the BRF. As it was 1969, it was filmed long before VHS and VCRs were available to the general public. I looked it up and it was first available to the public in 1976.

[An Ard Ri]

Here's a clip

"Royal Family" Documentary 1969 - YouTube

[Elly C]

It intrigues me that the Royal Family can maintain an apparent ban on this documentary in view of other interviews which surface from time to time that are extremely sensitive (I'm thinking particularly of those from the troubled years of Diana & Charles ). I have only slim memories of the programme, and as I have mentioned here before, have a very interesting booklet published to coincide with its airing. I don't recall the footage as being negative for the Royal Family, and indeed, it is increasingly becoming a significant piece of social history. The booklet I have seems to emphasise the Royals as hardworking and quite down to earth family( given their status). I think we will get to see it once the Queen & The Duke have passed on.

[Warren]

It's not so much a "ban" but more an issue of the Crown retaining copyright and not authorising further distribution. There may be copies of the original somewhere in the world but I'd imagine the quality of the broadcast tapes after 44 years to be somewhat diminished.

The documentary itself is fascinating, the problem the Royal Family and its advisers had, and continue to have, is that it is seen to be the genesis of intrusive media interest into their private lives and therefore is held responsible for the excesses that followed.

[Elly C]

So it seems that it represents to the Queen one of the rare occasions when she allowed herself to be persuaded against her better judgement. And to think there is reputed to be over 40 hours of footage locked away somewhere.

[Tiara Mania]

I don't know how but someone has uploaded the documentary to YouTube. I'm watching it now because it will probably be taken down soon. At about eleven minutes in the Queen is shown handling her sapphire tiara and the Timur ruby necklace while she's talking to her dresser.

The Royal Family 1969

[RCBadger]

I remember watching that when it first aired on American television.

[Queen Claude]

Film the Queen never wanted you to see: Palace fury at BBC after fly-on-wall royal doc banned by Her Majesty in 1972 for 'cheapening her family' is leaked on YouTube - and includes moment she referred to US ambassador as 'a gorilla'

• 1969 documentary about royal family was famously banned by the Queen for 'cheapening' The Firm
• It has been kept in BBC archives for decades and recently reappeared on YouTube with thousands of views
• Making of the fly-on-the-wall documentary was covered by series three of The Crown, released in 2019
• Video, which was viewed by thousands, has sine been taken down from YouTube, due to a copyright claim

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...d-YouTube.html

[CyrilVladisla]

What company filmed Royal Family (1969)?

[Sandy345]

I remember when it first was shown. I don't know if it was ever run again. I remember the barbecue scenes and Charles playing music on a cello (?). And I remember HM buying a candy bar for Edward in the film.

[TLLK]

Originally Posted by CyrilVladisla

What company filmed Royal Family (1969)?

I believe that it was a joint BBC and ITV production.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Family_(film)

[Dalriada]

Originally Posted by Tiara Mania

I don't know how but someone has uploaded the documentary to YouTube. I'm watching it now because it will probably be taken down soon. At about eleven minutes in the Queen is shown handling her sapphire tiara and the Timur ruby necklace while she's talking to her dresser.

Thanks to this poster Tiara Mania I caught this video before it was pulled from YouTube. I see why the BRF wanted it shelved as they come across as more awkwardly mundane and remote than full of majestic mystique.

[Sandy345]

There was one scene where Anne snapped at Andrew, "get down from there" when he was climbing on furniture.

[AC21091968]

Republic UK has written to BBC director general demanding the "Royal Family" (1969) documentary be released fully. I personally think they are just picking up a fight just to denigrate the royal family, but even trying harder, because they thought The Crown would "bring down the monarchy" (but it didn't). They are acting like children throwing toys out of the pram who were never been told the word "no" ....

Chris Ship @chrisshipitv
Replying to @chrisshipitv
Campaign group @RepublicStaff says it will write to the BBC director general to demand that the full 1969 film is released Movie camera
@GrahamSmith_ said: “It is clear that the royals are worried about damage to their image, which is why they're insisting the documentary stay locked away”
2:49 AM · Jan 30, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

https://twitter.com/chrisshipitv/sta...81358067408900

[QueenMathilde]

Oh! Thank you, thank you - even though the clip has been deleted *snif* I couldn't believe someone here hadn't uploaded this. I learned about it from an article in the Mirror and they had good stills from it. They contacted BBC who said that the clip wasn't uploaded by them - according to them it aired once, the queen didn't like it and she had it stored in the BBC vault never to be seen again. It's too bad - it looks like a cute documentary and we've certainly seen more familiar videos of the royal family since then.