This June marks Her Majesty The Queen becoming the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service.
In Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen, never before seen home movies filmed by the Royal Family unveil the real story of the monarch’s life as a Princess. Unlike other documentaries, the 75-minute special features The Queen’s own voice and words as it takes viewers behind the scenes of The Queen’s upbringing and other rare moments throughout her life.
Since the 1920s, the Royal Family have always filmed each other, but for decades hundreds of these reels of home-made recordings have been held privately by the Royal Collection in the vaults of the British Film Institute (BFI). The Queen has now granted the BBC unprecedented access to the footage, taking us inside Her Majesty’s life as never before through home movies shot by her, her parents, Prince Philip, and others.
BBC World News, BBC World Service and BBC.com will also be broadcasting extensive coverage of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations for its global audiences. There will be comprehensive coverage of the build up to Jubilee weekend, the official celebrations in London and how communities across the UK and the Commonwealth are marking the Platinum Jubilee over four days – with all the pomp, pageantry, and parties.
Full Programme Line Up
BBC Lifestyle Asia & BBC Player
Sunday 5th June @ 6pm SGT
Party at the Palace Repeat
An eclectic evening of entertainment to celebrate The Queen’s 70-year reign will feature global stars Alicia Keys, Duran Duran, Sam Ryder, Sir Rod Steward, Hans Zimmer, Celeste, Sir Elton John and more.
Sunday 5th June @ 9pm SGT
Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen
A rare look at the early years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, using previously unseen royal archives including the Queen’s home movies. We all know who the Queen is today but who was she before she was called upon to be the monarch 70 years ago? What was the world like that she left behind, and how did she build a new life for herself and her family behind palace doors? Using archive footage that has never been seen before, this immersive and visually rich documentary reveals the other side to the monarch – a relaxed, family-orientated Queen. Until now, the thousands of hours of footage have been kept private, but to mark the Platinum Jubilee, access has been granted to an extensive collection of more than 400 reels – a filmic treasure trove.
Saturday 11th June (with subtitles)
Party at the Palace Highlights
BBC World News
Thursday 2nd June
Platinum Jubilee: Trooping the Colour
We will be live outside Buckingham Palace where we will look ahead to the weekend’s events. The first of the festivities will be Trooping the Colour (The Queen’s Birthday Parade), consisting of 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians who will be joined by Royal Family members on horseback and in carriages. The Royal Family will also gather on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. TX times: 5:00-8:15pm Singapore/Malaysia time.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: BBC News Special
An hour long special by presenter Katty Kay. Not only will we be looking back at the day and forward to the rest of the weekend, but we will also include interviews with royal watchers, people partaking in the events, and members of the public – plus, we will share feature material about the Queen’s reign. TX times: 3:00-4:00am Singapore/Malaysia time
Platinum Beacons: Lighting up the Jubilee
The United Kingdom has a long-standing tradition of lighting beacons to celebrate Royal Weddings, Coronations and Jubilees. The channel will be broadcasting the lighting of the Platinum Jubilee Beacons where thousands of candles will be lit by charities and community groups across the UK. A total of 54 Commonwealth beacons will be lit (one in each Commonwealth capital city), and the principal beacon will also be lit – an illumination of a “tree of trees” sculpture at Buckingham Palace. TX times: 4:00-5:00am Singapore/Malaysia time
BBC World News America: Special Edition
Katty Kay will present a special on-location edition of BBC World News America. TX times: 5:00-5:25am Singapore/Malaysia time
Friday 3rd June
Platinum Jubilee: A Service of Thanksgiving
A service of Thanksgiving will be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. We will be broadcasting outside of Saint Paul’s in the morning, moving back to Buckingham Palace in the afternoon. (Please note the channel will not be broadcasting live footage of the service due to rights restrictions). TX times: 5:00-7:30pm Singapore/Malaysia time
BBC World News America: Special Edition
Katty Kay will present a special on-location edition of BBC World News America. TX times: 5:00-5:25am Singapore/Malaysia time
Saturday 4th June
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: BBC News Special
An hour long special presented by Katty Kay, looking back at all of the day’s highlights. TX times: 12:00-1:00am Singapore/Malaysia time
Sunday 5th June
The Big Jubilee Lunch
The focus of the final day of celebrations is on The Big Jubilee Lunch. Over ten million people in the UK are expected to join the celebrations, with events including world record attempts for the longest street party. The occasion will be marked internationally too, with over 600 lunches planned throughout the Commonwealth and beyond – from South Africa to Canada. As part of the events, BBC World News will be coming to you live from street parties around the UK. This special coverage will be presented by Annita McVeigh and Martine Croxall.
The Platinum Pageant
BBC World News will be broadcasting from the street as The Platinum Pageant brings together artistic performers, dancers, musicians, military personnel, key workers and volunteers who will unite to tell the story of The Queen’s 70 year reign in an awe-inspiring festival of creativity. The Pageant will draw on talent from every part of the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth.
