Royal Family

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History Documentary hosted by Michael Flanders, published by BBC in 1969 - English narration

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The film "Royal Family" is a jointly produced film by the BBC and ITV, filmed by Richard Cawston, presenting an intimate portrait of the daily life of the British Royal Family as well as the inner workings of Buckingham Palace, on board the Royal Yacht and the Royal Train, behind the scenes at daily events and special occasions, holidays at Balmoral and Sandringham, Christmas at Windsor, all of which were recorded in picture and sound as they happened. The Queen is 63rd in a line of Sovereigns stretching back over 1,000 years to the grandfather of Alfred the Great. In all that time there has never been so full and open a revelation of the life the members of the Royal Family lead, and the work they do. For the first time ever, the Royal Family agreed to let a television film team follow them with cameras and microphones not only while carrying out their duties, but in their off-duty moments as well. Richard Cawston's film captures the events, duties and relaxations that helped to make up the 17th year of the Queen's reign. It was the brainchild of William Heseltine, then royal Press Secretary, and the television producer John Brabourne (son-in-law of Lord Mountbatten), who both believed that showing the family's day-to-day life on TV would help to revive public interest in an institution widely seen, in the Swinging Sixties, as out of touch and irrelevant. All scenes had to be agreed by an advisory committee chaired by the Queen's husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. However, Cawston was allowed to shoot everything he wanted, later recounting: "I never asked for things which I thought would be in bad taste; therefore, there was never any question of asking for something that would have to be turned down". The Queen saw the film in its entirety one month before the broadcast. "Royal Family" was first broadcast on BBC One on June 21st, 1969 and on ITV the following week on the 28th and 29th of June. It was later broadcast in Australia on September 21st, 1969. Owing to the film's popularity, there was no televised Royal Christmas Message in 1969. Elizabeth issued a written message to avoid the possibility of over-exposure. The documentary was last shown on BBC television on the 6th February 1972 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne. "Royal Family" has been accused of revealing too much about the royals. David Attenborough – at the time, controller of BBC Two – warned Cawston that his film was in danger of "killing the monarchy". A review in 'The Times' concluded that Cawston's film had given the nation "an intimate understanding of what members of the Royal Family are like as individual people without jeopardising their dignity or losing the sense of distance". The journalist and broadcaster Peregrine Worsthorne remarked: "Initially the public will love seeing the Royal Family as not essentially different from anyone else … but in the not-so-long run familiarity will breed, if not contempt, familiarity".