Princess Margaret

This is the story of how a prince became a king, a revealing portrait of our new monarch across the seven decades he spent as heir to the throne. It’s a journey from cradle to crown told almost solely in his own words, from film and television recordings to private home movies and featuring a wealth of material, some of which has never been seen before. As well as drawing on home movies from the Royal Collection, the film-makers were given exclusive access to sequences featuring the prince, shot for the landmark 1969 film Royal Family, including private unseen moments.

The coronation of Elizabeth II as queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and executive councils shortly afterwards. The coronation was held more than one year later because of the tradition of allowing an appropriate length of time to pass after a monarch dies. It also gave the planning committees adequate time to make preparations for the ceremony.

Marking the Diamond Jubilee (1952-2012) of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles shares his memories of the private side of his mother, the Queen, making use of his family's home movies.

Queen Elizabeth's younger and only sibling, Princess Margaret, went on a 5-week tour of Mauritius and East Africa in September-October 1956.

Even the most devout monarchist may feel uncomfortable watching this film - hindsight makes this a rather poignant experience. Although clearly intended as a hymn to royal life, with a panting narration describing the bliss Charles, Anne and Andrew are experiencing (the film was made three years before the birth of Edward), the images tell a different story - only a couple of shots feature the children smiling, while the first glimpse of Andrew as a baby, a spotlight shining on his face as photographers snap away, is a faintly sinister symbol of the royals’ lack of privacy from birth. The knowledge that a future of divorce and tabloid scandal would tarnish these children's adult lives adds irony to this snapshot of supposed utopia.

The story of Queen Elizabeth II in her own words, featuring never-before-seen home movies.

This fascinating documentary reveals the behind the scenes story of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, drawing on rare archive footage and made using eyewitness accounts of participants and historical experts.

This documentary revealed Peter Sellers obsession with the occult. Sellers was a highly superstitious man who consulted fortune tellers, clairvoyants and mediums to help him make key decisions in his life and work. Many of Sellers important decisions were influenced by Maurice Woodruff - a clairvoyant and astrologer based in London. Advice from the other side was taken on his marriage to Britt Ekland, accepting film roles such as Inspector Clouseau and dealing with his near fatal heart attack.

1964 short directed by Peter Sellers

The MacIver brothers (Michael Redgrave, Griffith Jones) build the first ship to cross the Atlantic by steam power alone.

The complex relationship between royal brothers Edward VIII and George VI, who were both at the heart of the infamous abdication crisis of 1936, is the subject of this excellent documentary. From British Pathé TV's Royalty Collection.

Hosted by Orson Welles, this documentary utilizes a grab bag of dramatized scenes, stock footage, TV news clips and interviews to ask: Did 16th century French astrologer and physician Nostradamus actually predict such events as the fall of King Louis XVI, the rise of Napoleon, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy? And are there prophecies that have yet to come true?

This amazing film of the Royal Wedding was shot by the late Jack Cardiff, a pioneer cameraman working with the then new Technicolor process in the 1940s. It contains never-before-seen footage in full colour of the processions at Westminster Abbey and afterwards at Buckingham Palace of the wedding of HRH Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in autumn of 1947.

Documentary film.

A lavish documentary film of Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953.

Gene Kelly is a legend of the heyday of the Hollywood musical. His name stands for masterpieces such as "Singin' in the Rain" and "An American in Paris". As a singer, dancer, actor, choreographer and director, he was a true all-round artist who revolutionized the world of dance in particular. Kelly, who loved to experiment, explored new forms of dance expression and helped a whole generation of young talents to fame. From his beginnings in cabarets and on Broadway to his recognition as a choreographer and director, the documentary shows how the good-looking star with a charming smile expanded the boundaries of dance expression: He danced in the open air in the streets of New York, with a cartoon character or his own reflection. But this dazzling entertainer image should not obscure the fact that Kelly, as a staunch supporter of the American civil rights movement, also saw dancing as a political statement.

A magical, musical mystery adventure held in the presence of HRH the Princess Margaret, in aid of the NSPCC. Join Billy Jones, Indiana's younger brother, on a quest to recover a rare ruby stolen from the depths of the British Museum.

Once upon a Time.... Some of Britain's best-loved television stars take to the stage of the Dominion Theatre in London to raise funds for the NSPCC. This year's show is an adventure. A boy sets out on an unusual quest - to find a name for himself, and to find a story to entertain the wizard who created him in an idle moment.

Imagine you had a gadget that let you travel to any point in history. Then imagine you could put together a bill of your favourite comedians, pop stars and even cartoon characters. That will give you some idea of this year's Children's Royal Variety Performance, An Adventure through Time.

A gala evening from the Dominion Theatre in London, presenting a galaxy of star entertainers, from as far afield as the United States of America, Czechoslovakia, Australia and Russia. Plus a host of talented young performers.