But one programme aired in the 1960s reportedly hasn't been seen for almost 50 years – in fact, it's said to be locked away in archives, never to be seen again.
The documentary, Royal Family, was created by Richard Cawston for the BBC.
It followed the royals for 18 months, documenting their every move from Prince Philip frying sausages at a Balmoral BBQ, to small talk over the breakfast table.
The two-hour documentary was aired on June 21, 1969, with 37 million viewers tuning in.
And while the Queen consented to the 38 hours of footage, according to the Express, she later decided the film was "too intrusive" and reportedly ordered for it to be locked into BBC vaults.
The film's editor, Michael Bradsell revealed he was initially hesitant about showing the final product to Her Majesty.
"We were all a little bit nervous of showing it to the Queen because we had no idea what she would make of it," he told Smithsonian Channel, who uploaded a clip of the documentary on YouTube.
"She was a little critical of the film in the sense she thought it was too long, but Dick Cawston, the director, persuaded her that two hours was not a minute too long."
While the Queen was happy with the final product, it's understood that she later changed her mind, resulting in it never being seen since.
Princess Anne is said to have hated the film, later admitting: "I never liked the idea of ‘Royal Family’, I thought it was a rotten idea.
"The attention which had been brought upon one ever since one was a child, you just didn’t need any more."
Now, in a new ABC show, The Story of the Royals, experts have weighed in on why.
"Some people say that this would open the floodgates, and therefore after that all the sort of tabloid interest in them [would come after]," said royal biographer Hugo Vickers. "They would want to know more, and more, and more."
Robert Lacey, historical consultant on Netflix show The Crown, explained: "They realised that if they did something like that too often, they would cheapen themselves, letting the magic seep out."
While excerpts of the film have been released for special occasions – such as Prince Philip's 90th birthday and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee – where Her Maj granted permission for the National Portrait Gallery to play a small clip – the remaining footage is said to be stored away.
"Legend has it that the Queen doesn't want parts of it to be shown," explained the National Portrait Gallery's Paul Moorhouse.
"Regrettably, the film hasn't been seen for a long time. It just disappeared. There is a reluctance for this to be revisited."
Earlier this week, we told you why Princess Diana would have dealt with Thomas Markle ‘the same way Prince Harry has’, according to her former butler.
We also revealed the bizarre reason why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry won’t have full custody of their own kids.
And we showed you why Meghan Markle didn’t have to sign a prenup – despite Prince Harry’s £30 million fortune
Source: Read Full Article
