Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday - discover our favourite documentaries about Her Majesty's life

Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday is a time for national celebration but not everyone knows that The Queen celebrates her birthday twice a year - so there are actually two annual opportunities to say “Happy Birthday Queen Elizabeth II”!

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When is Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday?

The first of Queen Elizabeth II’s birthdays occurs on 21st April, marking The Queen’s actual date of birth on 21st April 1926 - this year she will be celebrating her 95th birthday. This is usually commemorated with a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park, a 21-gun salute in Windsor Great Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London, although these will not take place this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. It will be the first time in her near 70 year reign that Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday has not been celebrated in this way.

The ‘official’ date of The Queen’s birthday, however, takes place in June, and is celebrated by the Trooping the Colour parade. This two birthday tradition was started by King George II in 1748 because it was felt that the clement June weather would provide a better atmosphere for public celebration than his actual November birth date.

To celebrate the Queen’s birthday we are sharing our favourite facts about Queen Elizabeth with these five Royal documentaries about the head of the British Royal Family. See the 1953 coronation in colour, celebrate our monarch’s 90th birthday and go on a journey through the decades in these Queen Elizabeth documentaries.

The Queen’s Coronation in Colour

In 1953, something extraordinary happened. For the first time ever, the general public were able towitness a Royal coronation from their living rooms. When Queen Elizabeth, aged just 27, was crowned,this new accessibility meant that for the first time it wasn’t just a Royal coronation: it was thepeople’s coronation and everyone was invited to celebrate. Despite the massive celebrations across the nation,The Queen’s coronation also marked a very sad period in the young monarch's life: the death, of course,of her beloved father. How did the young Royal manage on a day that was both so sad and so symbolic?By using interviews and archive footage, this Queen Elizabeth documentary goes behind the scenes on thathistoric day to discover what it was really like to be there.Discover more facts about Queen Elizabeth on True Royalty TV.

Queen Elizabeth II: Reign Supreme

Despite her parent’s efforts to give the young Princess as ‘normal a life as possible’, Queen Elizabeth II’slife got turned upside down when her uncle Edward abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry American divorceeWallis Simpson. Suddenly, the eleven year old Royal found herself the daughter of a King and second-in-lineto the throne. Despite the unexpected turn of events, Queen Elizabeth took her duties seriously from the start.From pledging her dedication to the monarchy at just 21 to succeeding the throne at 27, Elizabeth II has beena symbol of stability and continuity for almost 70 years. From entering a true love marriage to becoming thegrandmother of the nation, explore the truly extraordinary life of England’s longest reigning (and oldest)monarch in this Queen Elizabeth documentary.

The Queen’s 90th Birthday

Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday was marked by a star-studded gala. Put on in the grounds of her belovedWindsor Castle, 900 horses, 1,500 performers and a host of famous faces including Dame Helen Mirren,Damian Lewis and Dame Shirley Bassey performed at this milestone anniversary. Relive the festivitieson True Royalty TV.

Royal Secrets: An Extraordinary Queen

From the end of the steam age to the dawn of social media and artificial intelligence,our world has changed beyond recognition over the last 90 years. One thing, however, has remained the same:Prince Williamand Prince Harry’s grandmother, our monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.To celebrate International Women’s Day in 2015, this Royal Secrets documentary explores Queen Elizabeth’sbiography to share new insights on the woman behind the crown. Born in 1926 - a long time before 24/7news and the heights of tabloid journalism - our future Queen lived a quiet, idyllic life mostly out ofthe public eye where she developed a keen love of horses. Everything changed, however, when Elizabeth wasjust 9 years old. Find out more in this royal documentary, streaming on True Royalty TV.

The Queen: A Remarkable Life

Few have lived such a long and remarkable life as Queen Elizabeth II.While she initially lived a fairly isolated existence during the Second World War,the young princess met the man of her dreams and shared a few brief years of relatively ’normal’young married life. It was, however, turned upside down following the death of her father,King George VI which, aside from grief at the loss of her father, meant that Queen Elizabethwent from young mother and wife to the new monarch of England - a role which has no retirement.This Queen Elizabeth biography explores what family life was like for the young family and howtraditional values coincided with Elizabeth’s status. Join us on a journey starting in the 1940s aswe learn more about the extraordinary life of Queen Elizabeth in this royal documentary.Stream on True Royalty TV.

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