Life of a Queen
Women's History Month 2025
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15m
Directed by Not credited • Documentary • With Queen Elizabeth II • 1960 • 16 minutes
Compilation newsreel portraying Queen Elizabeth II from her childhood to the early days of her reign, sponsored by the Central Office of Information. This film starts with early footage of the Queen as a girl and young women, including some images of her during the Second World War. Important events in the young Princess’s life depicted include a visit to South Africa at the age of 21, her engagement to Philip Mountbatten and subsequent Royal Wedding, as well as King George VI lying in state. We follow the Queen on visits to Commonwealth countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Nigeria, and to European neighbours such as France where she gets a warm welcome from the people of Paris. There is footage of the King and Queen of Thailand’s state visit to the UK followed by other official engagements the Queen carries out such as ship launches, a tour of a coalmine, and the opening of a new telephone system. We also see Queen Elizabeth as a mother and surrounded by her family. The film stresses her responsibilities as monarch and depicts it as a lonely role, but the commentary ends on an uplifting note with the following words: “Alone, but sustained by the love of her family, and the love of her people.”
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