(upbeat music)
- What do I make of Queen
Victoria and Queen Elizabeth
being on the throne for so long?
- It is a thousand times
harder to be a queen
then a king.
- Do people hold queens
to higher standards?
Probably, I mean, they're women.
- In order for these
queens to survive,
I'm sure there was a
lot of gin involved,
maybe a little bit of brandy.
- [Narrator] In
the last 200 years,
two women have sat
on the British throne
for two thirds of the time:
Queen Victoria and
Queen Elizabeth II.
- The reigns of both
Victoria and Elizabeth
were all about the numbers.
- When we think about monarchs,
we always want to say,
what kind of legacy
did they leave?
- I don't think many
people understand
how much Queen Victoria and
Queen Elizabeth innovated.
They changed the world.
- Under these two women
you see these great changes
in women's roles, in society.
- [Narrator] And in
a changing world,
they've had to adapt to succeed.
- The stories of
both Elizabeth II
and Queen Victoria are
stories of survival.
- [Narrator] So what's the
secret of their Royal success?
And what does it take to
become queen for life?
(upbeat music)
God save the queen ♪
(computer beeps)
(rockets blasts)
(dials rattle)
(dials rattle)
(numbers beeps)
(typewriter clicks)
(typewriter dings)
(upbeat music)
- The second half
of the 20th century
was a time when the
whole ideal of monarchy
began to look pretty outdated
but there was a
woman on the throne.
- [Narrator] She
may be Elizabeth II,
but for this queen,
the number that counts
is the number one.
- Queen Elizabeth
has been, you know,
the first Monarch
to send a tweet.
- The first Monarch
who does zoom calls.
- Hello!
- And if she just goes
just a few more years,
she'll beat the longest
reigning monarch in the world
who is Louis XIV of France.
- [Narrator] And she's already
the longest reigning
British Monarch in history,
a title she cinched in 2015
by surpassing the previous
record holder Queen Victoria,
who sat on the throne for
63 years, seven months,
and two days.
(computer beeps)
(bouncy upbeat music)
Neither Elizabeth, nor Victoria
ever expected to be queen.
They rose to the top because
of accidents and deaths.
(dramatic music)
- Becoming a monarch
or assuming the throne,
meant somebody either had to die
or somebody had to be k*lled.
- [Narrator] In Victoria's case,
that meant seven
dead somebodies.
Her path to power
starts before she's born
with something called
the succession crisis.
- The succession
crisis kicks off
18 months before
Victoria's birth.
(tape rewinding)
In 1817 Princess Charlotte
died in childbirth
and her baby with her.
(dramatic music)
- The entire next generation
of the British throne
is wiped out at a shot.
(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] It's 1817,
and King George III
is 79 years old.
- What's that?
Speak up!
- [Narrator] Charlotte is
George's granddaughter.
He has more than 50
other grandchildren
from his nine sons,
but none of these grand
babies can inherit the throne
because all of them
are illegitimate.
- Dag nab it!
(babies crying)
- The heir to the British throne
has to be legitimate heir,
a child born in marriage.
- So King George
had 50 grandkids.
That's too many kids.
- King George's sons
were having a lot of sex.
And that's I guess impressive,
but I guess not
because they're rich
so they can do
whatever they want.
- Gross.
- They all did that.
They all slept around.
There's literally no surprise.
- They spent their money on
carriages, on jewels, on women,
on enjoying themselves and
they had massive debts.
- [Narrator] George's
sons pressure parliament
to agree to pay off their debts
if they leave their mistresses,
marry a notable woman
and start making babies.
- There was this undignified
scramble to get married,
mostly to German princesses.
- [Narrator] In the
race to produce an heir,
the number 20 looms large.
The top contenders
are the king sons,
William and Edward.
Edward ditches his
misses of 20 years
and proposes to a woman
20 years his junior.
- Hello, darling.
- [Narrator] Not to be out done.
- You'll do.
- [Narrator] William also finds
a gal 20 plus years younger.
The brothers marry on the
same day in a double ceremony
and then get down to business.
(romantic music)
- There was a poem at the time,
which is a little bit
racy and it was said,
"Hot and hard each
royal pair are at it,
going for the heir."
So really that
summed up the fact
that it was not a very
dignified race for an heir.
- [Narrator] Within months,
both wives have
buns in the oven.
William's daughter is born
first, but she doesn't survive.
Then on May 24, 1819, Edward's
daughter, Victoria, is born.
- At the time when
Victoria was born,
it wasn't clear that she
would be the next queen.
- [Narrator] Victoria is
fifth in line at her birth,
but when she is just
eight months old,
her father Edward dies.
And then six days later,
so does King George III.
Victoria's naughty
uncles take the reigns,
but they don't last long.
King George IV dies in 1830
and King William
IV dies in 1837.
I hope you've been counting
because that's a total
of seven dead somebodies.
And Victoria becomes
queen at the age of 18.
- Although Victoria
is only just 18,
there's nonetheless
this huge relief
that she is technically an adult
and can inherit
the throne direct.
(counter rattling)
(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] It
only takes one death
for Elizabeth to become queen,
but there are 55,000
reasons to mourn.
She's born third in
line for the throne
behind her uncle,
Edward, and then her dad.
- It's a bit like
Prince Harry now.
No one would think
necessarily the Prince Harry
was likely to be king.
(dramatic music)
- [Narrator] Uncle
Edward becomes king
when Elizabeth is just a child,
but there's trouble brewing.
(upbeat music)
You see good time Eddie is
having a passionate fling
with an American socialite
named Wallis Simpson.
He's head over heels and
wants to make her his bride.
Which is shocking given
she's married already.
But here comes the kicker.
She's already been
divorced once before.
As head of the
church of England,
Edward is bound by
its moral rules.
It's unacceptable for a
Royal to marry someone
who had divorced, but King
Edward VIII is crazy in love
so he gives up the throne after
11 months to be with Wallis.
And she divorces
her second husband
to make Edward VIII
Wallis's third.
- [Edward] A few hours ago,
I discharged my last duty
as king and emperor.
- [Narrator] With Edwards
abdication, his younger brother,
George, must take the throne.
- Edward has been seen as
glamorous and young and fun.
And George, the younger
one, not really so much.
- [Narrator] Like her great,
great grandmother, Victoria,
Elizabeth is young when
she becomes next in line
for the throne.
Only 10 years old.
And that line moves faster
than anyone expects.
As a child Elizabeth's father
George suffers from a stammer.
He's incredibly shy
and lived in the shadow
of his brother Edward.
George hates public speaking
and when Edward abdicates
he's thrust into a role
he never wanted.
Being a king is all
about public speaking.
- It has been
performed
willingly and wholeheartedly
by all.
(dramatic music)
- [Narrator] World
w*r II breaks out
and George must rule through
the horrors of the blitz.
To cope, he lights up,
puffing an average
25 cigarettes a day.
The second World w*r
lasts 2,194 days.
At 25 cigarettes a day,
he lights up nearly 55,000
times during the conflict.
At the age of 55, King George VI
is diagnosed with lung cancer.
He dies one year later.
It's a tragic chapter in the
Royal family's long history
with tobacco.
(upbeat music)
In 1878, they began
endorsing Gallaher's,
a tobacco manufacturer that
supplies them with smokes.
The Royal coat of arms is
featured on their packs.
But smoking kills the last
four Kings of England.
It's not until 1999
that the Royal tobacco
endorsement is revoked.
- It's a grim business
being a Monarch.
George's use of tobacco products
is the thing that accelerates
Elizabeth's rise to power.
- She was losing someone
desperately close to her.
You know, the father to
whom she was devoted.
- [Narrator] When
King George VI dies,
Elizabeth becomes
queen at the age of 25.
- And it was the 1950s.
It was a very sexist time.
People believed that
women should be housewives
and even Winston
Churchill, he was saying,
"Oh, she's too young.
She's only a child."
And that was the attitude of
very many people around her.
- [Archbishop] Is your majesty
willing to take the oath?
- [Queen Elizabeth]
I am willing.
- [Narrator] Elizabeth
needs to prove
she can be as good as
her beloved father.
Victoria needs to
prove she's better
than her train wreck uncles.
No matter which way you
slice it, it's pressure.
(upbeat music)
A century earlier, Queen
Victoria's coronation
is the must-see
event of its time
drawing a crowd of 400,000.
Given the population of
London is just 1.7 million,
it's quite the turnout.
Almost 1/4 of the
city's population
is jammed along the
procession route.
- The idea that 1/4
of London showed up
to see Victoria's coordination
is kind of incredible.
- [Narrator] Compare that
to the inaugural Macy's
Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924,
which drew a crowd of 250,000,
just a smidge over 4% of
New York City's population
at the time.
(trumpets blare)
The purpose of the
coronation ceremony
is to see the
monarch swear an oath
to uphold the church
and to rule with honor,
wisdom, and mercy.
- We have the American with
the Presidential inauguration.
The coronation is so symbolic
to show the power turned over
to the queen in a public forum.
- So what you see with
Victoria is the real beginning
of the use of Royal spectacle.
- But it's also a good
way for the monarchy
to re-establish their
relevance for the population.
- The ceremony itself,
unfortunately, is
a bit of a mess.
(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] How many mistakes
does it take to crown a queen?
In Victoria's case, four.
The coronation ring has
been fitted for her pinky.
But the Archbishop of Canterbury
painfully forces it
onto her ring finger.
- [Archbishop Of
Canterbury] Perfect fit.
- [Narrator] but
the show must go on.
Then a bishop hands
Victoria the orb.
- [Archbishop] Here
you go, your highness.
- [Narrator] At the wrong time.
Yet another Bishop
accidentally flipped two pages
of a reading at once
missing a crucial bit.
- [Bishop] Your majesty.
- [Narrator] Forcing him
to call Victoria back
so he can read it again.
Finally, as an elderly man tries
to pay homage to the queen.
- [Elderly Man] Your majesty.
Whoa, whoa!
- [Narrator] He falls
and rolls down the steps.
The uppity ups in
attendance are aghast.
One renowned writer calls the
ceremony, "highly barbaric."
(upbeat music)
Come on ♪
- [Narrator] 115 Years later,
the coronation of Queen
Elizabeth II takes place.
This time close to 3 million
people lined the streets
of London while others
buy their first TV
just to witness the
first coronation ceremony
to ever be televised.
Upwards of 20 million
watch from home.
- I know 20 million viewers
doesn't sound like a lot,
but considering that
TV's weren't common
and there was no live
streaming service,
20 million is a lot.
- [Narrator] How much is a lot?
Well, the world's population
in 1953 was 2.1 billion.
That means one out of every
113 people in the entire world
saw Elizabeth's coronation.
She's not just big,
she's queen sized.
(upbeat music)
- We don't have
royalty in America.
I mean, we have King James,
we have Queen Latifah,
we have Prince, but we
haven't had actual royalty.
We fought to get
away from royalty.
- [Narrator] It's one thing
to be long reigning monarchs
over one of the most powerful
countries in the world.
But what actual power did
they themselves wield?
- I don't think queens
have a lot of power
beyond stern looks
and talking to us.
- I have no idea
what her powers are
other than she gets to own all
of the swans in the kingdom.
(swan quacks)
- The type of power queen
has, is in name alone, right?
'Cause she's not like,
she couldn't have like a
person k*lled if she wanted to?
Right?
Right?
- Elizabeth II is a
constitutional Monarch.
So was Victoria to a
slightly lesser degree.
That means she's actually
bound by a lot of rules.
- They're a neutral figurehead.
They are supposed to
be above politics,
but she has extensive
symbolic power and influence.
- To put it simply, the
queen is Michael Jordan,
but for the British empire.
She represents their brand.
(number clatter)
- [Narrator] But heavy is the
head that wears the crown,
especially when you add
it to the number 105.6.
It's May 1st, 1851 and
Queen Victoria opens
the Crystal Palace
Great Exhibition.
Many consider it the apex
of the British empire.
- This was the great fulfillment
of the industrial revolution.
- [Narrator] It's
open for six months
and draws 6 million visitors.
That's equivalent to 25%
of the entire population
of the United Kingdom.
(upbeat music)
Well, actually it's
more like 5 million,
999,966 visitors
because Victoria herself comes
a staggering 34 times to see.
- [Queen Victoria] Every
conceivable invention!
- [Narrator] It showcases
new technologies
such as the
stereoscopic 3D viewer.
- [Queen Victoria] Oh my!
They're in their knickers.
- [Narrator] And the
electric telegraph.
Early versions of the
bicycle are on display.
- Watch out, oh, oh yeah.
- [Narrator] A folding piano.
But the star of the
show is the Koh-i-Noor.
- 100 carrots, 66
facets, now it's huge.
- [Narrator] It's the
biggest diamond in the world.
- [Queen Victoria]
Oh my! It's so big!
- This is pretty much stolen
because the Victorian Army
conquered the Sikh Empire.
And this was put on display
as a gift to Victoria,
which of course it was
nothing of the kind.
- [Narrator] The Koh-i-Noor,
exactly 105.6 karats
becomes a mainstay of the
crown jewel collection.
- The Great Exhibition
is a big demonstration
of Britain's right to oppress,
to conquer other nations.
- [Narrator] At the height
of the Victorian Empire,
the British controlled
13.7 million square miles
of territory and rule
over 450 million people
or 25% of the world's
entire population.
- If I have the power
over 25% of the world,
I would probably start
a crazy religion,
something real whacked out.
- Yeah, I would definitely
behead some people.
(dramatic music)
- It would be free
sushi Tuesdays.
Everyone can have a bear as
long as they're able to tame it.
And then pants are optional.
- Queen Victoria is such a
controversial figurehead,
but you can't argue about
the size of the kingdom
that she ruled over.
Also the innovation
that she oversaw.
So you can argue that
that Queen Victoria
is the most successful
Monarch in English history.
- A queen is going
to get the credit
for the nation's successes,
but she also gets the
blame for what goes wrong.
- [Narrator] In Victoria's case,
she gets the blame
2 million times.
In the mid 1800s, Ireland
is under British rule.
When a potato blight
devastates Ireland's main crop,
1 million people
die of starvation
or famine related illness.
Another million
flee the country.
Ireland's population
plunges by 25%
and Victoria is dubbed
the "Famine Queen."
- It was really a moment of
horrendous treatment of Ireland.
And although Victoria gave
some of her own money,
the potato famine becomes
a great rallying point
for anger about British rule.
(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] The empire
built under Victoria
will be dismantled
during Elizabeth's reign.
While most of Ireland
gains independence,
six counties in the north remain
part of the United Kingdom.
Lines are drawn
between those in favor
of continued British
rule and those opposed.
A 30 year conflict ensues and
becomes known as the troubles.
- Queen Elizabeth inherits a
really complicated situation,
and there's not a clear answer.
- [Narrator] The
numbers are bleak.
3,500 deaths, 35,000
sh**ting incidents,
15,000 b*mb attacks.
Until one famous handshake
finally helps to
end the conflict.
But during those
30 years, no one,
not even the Royal family will
be immune to the violence.
Lord Mountbatten, Queen
Elizabeth's cousin,
owns a vacation home
in Northwest Ireland.
- It was a pretty day.
Mountbatten's out on a
fishing boat with his family.
- [Narrator] It's
August 27th, 1979.
Unknown to Mountbatten, the
boat has been booby trapped.
15 minutes into the journey-
(b*mb explodes)
a b*mb explodes on board.
Mountbatten dies instantly.
A witness says the boat
was there one minute
and the next minute looked
like matchsticks on the water.
The IRA claims responsibility.
- Of course it was a huge
difficulty for the Royal family,
the assassination
of one of their own.
- [Narrator] It's not until 1998
that a peace agreement
is finally reached.
- There is no place
here for old fears
and attitudes born of history.
No place for blame
for what is past.
It is to the future
we must look.
- [Narrator] In 2012,
Elizabeth makes headlines
around the world when she
meets Martin McGuinness,
a former IRA commander,
who many believe
helped plot the assassination
of Lord Mountbatten.
One handshake to make amends
for centuries of conflict.
- To me, that is the
ultimate sign of a leader.
I go by Lincoln's quote.
The best way to
get rid of an enemy
is to make them your friend.
- [Narrator] Both queens
face political threats,
and they also put themselves
in the firing line.
Just take a look at the numbers.
(numbers beep)
122 people of concern.
Nine in the red alert category.
That's how many stalkers and
anti-monarchists are identified
as active threats to the
Royal Family in 2020.
Elizabeth herself
has been the target
of three assassination attempts.
Danger is part of the
royal job description.
So it's a good thing Elizabeth
is such a tough cookie.
- Okay, if somebody tried to
assassinate me, I'm ready.
- But I would also freak
out, literally freak out.
- In my purse right now, I
have three different knives.
Different lengths, all very
sharp and pepper spray.
Have I accidentally used
the pepper spray on myself?
Yes.
- It was trying
to assassinate me
I would want to like
Jason Bourne it,
like my programming
would kick in
and I'd jump out of bed
fully clothed somehow.
I'd kick them in the throat
and then just like bail
out a window, you know,
but I'd probably just die.
(dramatic music)
- [Narrator] 1981.
Elizabeth is riding
horseback to the annual
Trooping of the Color ceremony.
She's among 1400
parading soldiers,
200 horses, and 400 musicians.
But all it takes is one man
in the crowd with a g*n.
He fires six shots as
Elizabeth rides past.
(g*nshots)
- Elizabeth retained her calm.
She steadied her horse and
went on with the ceremony.
- [Narrator] The g*nman is
identified as Marcus Sargent,
a troubled teenager obsessed
by the assassinations of JFK
and John Lennon.
He will spend about three
years in a psychiatric prison
before his release.
If 1,400 armed guards
can't protect her,
will a 14 foot high
perimeter wall do any better?
- What was probably more
frightening for the queen
was when, not that long
after, an intruder,
Michael Fagan, managed to
make his way into her bedroom.
- [Narrator] It's early morning.
Fagan scales the perimeter
wall of Buckingham Palace,
climbs a drain pipe and gets
in through an unlocked window.
- Although the alarms go off,
the police don't really
think anything's happening.
They think it's like
a mouse or something.
(alarms blare)
- [Narrator] And
without much concern,
they turn it back off.
The Queen's bedroom is
guarded by an armed officer.
He goes off duty at 6:00 AM.
- [Guard] Time to
knock off for the day.
- [Narrator] And his replacement
takes the dogs out for a walk.
- [Guard] Come on, darling.
- [Narrator] That's
when Fagan shows up.
He breaks a glass ash tray
and heads towards the
queen, bloody shard in hand.
(snoring)
Following Royal tradition,
Elizabeth is alone.
Her husband sleeps
in another room.
Fagan creeps towards
the Queen's bed.
He pulls back the curtain.
- [Queen Elizabeth] Hello?
- And she is so calm.
She allows him to talk to her
and then she finally manages
to get a maid's attention.
And Michael Fagan
is escorted out.
- The fact that somebody will
be willing to take the risk
and sneak into hurt
the Queen of England
says how much comes
with this position.
- He didn't hurt her at all.
That's lucky.
- This guy got into
Buckingham Palace!
People really didn't have
that stuff on lock back then.
All it takes is one drunk person
and you could
really do anything.
- Doesn't she have
guards everywhere?
So I guess, hire more guards.
- [Narrator] Many call
it the most embarrassing
Royal security
breach in history.
After the break-in,
the British government
spends 1.6 million pounds
to build a police station
next to the palace.
And today the queen security
team includes soldiers
from seven elite regiments
of the British army.
And it's estimated
the Royal family
spends more than $100 million
on security every year
or $270,000 per day just
to protect themselves.
- $100 million a
year in security is
fairly mind boggling.
That's a pretty big expense
for British taxpayers.
(bouncy upbeat music)
- [Narrator] Despite
numerous threats,
Elizabeth still attends 100s
of Royal engagements a year.
- Both Victoria and Elizabeth,
very consciously wanted
to position themselves
at the heart of
British public life.
- [Narrator] But for Victoria,
that will come at a price.
Seven g*ns, three teenagers,
and one act of
blunt force trauma.
That's the mixed bag of
peril Queen Victoria faces.
- But nonetheless, Victoria
continued to be accessible.
- Victoria is a
really good PR woman
in a way that hasn't been
seen in previous monarchs.
She makes sure that
her face is seen,
that her carriage is seen.
- [Narrator] It's during
one of these carriage rides
that she has a brush with death.
Not just once, but twice.
(bell rings)
Victoria and her
husband, Albert,
are riding home
from Sunday service.
- What the deuce?
- [Narrator] When Albert
spots a man pointing a p*stol
at the carriage.
- Oh dear.
- [Narrator] He's so close
Albert hears the
click of the trigger,
but the weapon fails to fire.
- [Man] Curses!
- Victoria herself is
surprisingly unbothered.
You know, after an
assassination attempt,
it's those around her
who are terrified.
- [Narrator] Security
asks her to hunker down
until the bad guy is caught
or at least protect herself.
- [Security Team] No, no, no,
you're not going anywhere.
- They come up with an idea
that she could have a
b*llet proof parasol.
It's a little bit James
Bond, really, isn't it?
- [Narrator] But
Victoria refuses.
- [Queen Victoria] Duty
above all else, after all.
- Being seen by your people is
great and it's all very well,
but it does make you
a bit of a target.
- [Narrator] The next day,
she's back in the carriage.
Undercover officers are
on the lookout for a man
that matches
Albert's description.
- A little swarthy,
ill-looking rascal.
- [Narrator] Suddenly, just
steps from the carriage,
(g*nsh*t)
a shot rings out.
This time, the g*n does fire,
but the assailant has bad aim.
John Francis is caught and
he's sentenced to death.
But Victoria, a
woman of the people,
wants to be more lenient.
- She actually pushes
for a lesser punishment.
She said just do
banishment for life.
- [Narrator] During her reign,
she survives eight assassination
attempts on her life.
Three of her attackers
have bad aim.
One, a faulty g*n.
One gets close enough
to smash her in the head
with a cane.
- [Queen Victoria] That hurt!
- [Narrator] All
are apprehended.
Elizabeth and Victoria both
survive assassination attempts
and political crises.
But the biggest threat
to Elizabeth's reign
will come from two
sons, one grandson,
and three daughters in law.
You might think one
Oprah interview in 2021
is as bad as it can get.
But remember 1992?
- 1992 is not a year in
which I shall look back
with undiluted pleasure.
It just turned out to
be an annus horribilis.
- An annus horribilis?
- It sounds horrible.
- If you take one
of the Ns away,
it's like the aftermath
of Mexican food.
- A bad year.
(dramatic music)
- [Narrator] Annus horribilis,
Latin for horrible year.
1992 is the year Windsor
Castle, Elizabeth's family home
is gutted by fire.
The inferno is sparked
by a faulty spotlight
in the Queen's private chapel
and quickly spreads from there.
- Windsor castle is far
older than Buckingham palace.
I mean, it was built
in the 11th century.
It survived the English
Civil w*r in the 1600s.
It survived n*zi
bombings in World w*r II.
So you could imagine
how devastating it was
when it burnt down in 1992.
(dramatic music)
- [Narrator] Repairs we'll
ring in at $50 million.
- The fact that it
wasn't insured is
kind of mind boggling,
but I guess we're just used
to homeowners insurance
being tied to a mortgage
and I can't imagine that
Elizabeth had a mortgage.
- She would expect the public
to pay for the renovations,
the taxpayer, but there
was an outcry in the public
about paying for it.
- If I had to pay for
their castle to be rebuilt
and they could totally afford
to do that by themselves,
I would not be too pleased.
- If something
happened to my home,
are you going to pay for me?
Are you going to help me?
Nah, you're not.
- So I'm sorry you
had a rough year.
I'm having a rough
life and I don't care.
- [Narrator] But
her annus horribilis
is only just beginning
thanks to her kids.
- One month, it was the breakup
of Princess Anne's marriage.
Then it was the appalling
rift between Charles and Diana
and then to cap it off,
it was the scandal over
the Duchess of York.
- [Narrator] Andrew's wife,
Fergie, is photographed
having her toes sucked by an
American financial big shot.
(suspenseful music)
1992 is bad, but 1997 will
be 60 million times worse.
The queen is on
vacation in Scotland
when she gets some
horrific news.
Princess Diana has been
k*lled in a car crash
after being chased by
a swarm of paparazzi.
- Diana's death was an
incredible moment of shock.
People were overwhelmed,
taking flowers to
Buckingham Palace,
to Kensington Palace.
They were all grieving.
- [Narrator] An estimated
60 million flowers
are placed in public tribute.
The population of the UK at
the time was about 58 million.
(bell tolls)
Wanting to be with her grandsons
after the death of their mother,
Elizabeth chooses
to stay in Scotland.
(bell tolls)
Six days in which the very
future of the monarchy
will hang in the balance.
- The Royal family as a whole,
but even the queen are blamed
for not being down in
London soon enough,
for not showing
overt signs of grief.
- Diana was her daughter-in-law
so her silence allowed people
to read all sorts of things
into it.
- There becomes
this huge moment,
I think it seems like
the monarchy is in
the biggest crisis
it ever has been in.
- [Narrator] After Diana's death
and the public outcry
over the Queen's absence,
six days pass before the
queen returns from Scotland
to address the nation.
- What I say to you now as your
queen and as a grandmother,
I say from my heart.
First, I wanted to pay
tribute to Diana myself.
- She talks about how she
admires Diana as a mother,
as someone who gave
to her charities.
And she also says, I am speaking
to you as a grandmother.
(gentle music)
And that does a lot to
win over the public mood.
- [Narrator] The next day,
2.5 billion people watch
the televised funeral.
The world's population in
1997 was 5.872 billion,
which means an astonishing
43% of the world
watched the funeral
of Princess Diana.
- 2.5 billion.
To put that in perspective,
the only events that
could compare to that,
where the World Cup,
and the Olympics.
Both global events.
So never before in history
has the world mourned
a single person more than
they did Princess Diana.
- The funeral cortege
of Diana was going past
and the Queen bows her head
in a moment of respect.
This is very significant.
And I really think that if
it hadn't been for that,
there would have been a mass
outrage against the monarchy.
- [Narrator] Many felt the
monarchy mistreated Diana,
and that they should have
loosened their stiff upper lips
more after her death.
- I think Queens are in
a very difficult position
in how they show emotion.
- Elizabeth has always been
notable for her self-control,
perhaps it didn't
always serve her well.
- [Narrator] As for
Victoria, it was the opposite
40 times over.
(bouncy music)
Victoria is only 18 when
she takes the throne
and feels pressured
to get married.
She doesn't want to lose
any of her new power
and autonomy to a man,
but then she meets Albert.
- When her cousins, Albert
and Ernest come to visit,
Victoria is writing in her diary
about Albert's exquisite
nose and charming mouth.
And you know just what an
all round good thing he is.
- [Narrator] After spending
time with Prince Albert,
she's smitten and
decides to marry him.
- [Queen Victoria] Oh, Albert.
- [Narrator] Victoria gives
birth to their first child
at the age of 21.
They have nine kids
over a span of 17 years.
Of those 17 years, Victoria
is pregnant for seven.
That's about 42% of the time.
- I hope she had a little
rubber donut for her throne.
- I could not imagine back
then one child let alone nine,
like good for her
for surviving two.
Just the childbirth.
- Victoria actually
hates being pregnant.
Hates the fact that
that meant, you know,
no sex with Albert
for months on end.
And after the birth
often, she suffered
what we now might think of
as postnatal depression.
- [Narrator] She suffered
mentally and physically,
but at least Victoria's early
fears of her husband Albert
taking away her independence
never came to fruition.
In fact, he becomes her rock
and helps hold down
the Royal Fort.
But then her world crumbles.
(gentle music)
Albert dies prematurely
at the age of 42.
- Prince Albert died of typhoid
and Victoria is thrown
into a devastating grief.
- [Narrator] Victoria
becomes a recluse,
refusing to see the public.
- [Staff Member] Here
you are, your majesty.
- [Narrator] Every morning,
she has the house staff
bring up warm water
and place it at the sink
where Albert used to shave.
And every night she
sleeps with his jacket.
(quiet sobbing)
(snoring)
- There's a lot of public
sympathy for her initially.
But as time goes on,
people start to say,
"Well, where is she?
Why isn't she out here?"
- [Narrator] After four
years they've had enough.
They say she's abandoning
her Royal duties.
There's calls for
her abdication.
She's eventually convinced
to get back to business,
but will wear black for the
next 40 years of her life.
(upbeat music)
Being in the public eye is what
being a queen is all about.
- I've seen Queen Elizabeth face
more than I see my wife's face.
- The queen is literally
the biggest celebrity.
- I will say the queen lacks
the sex appeal of Beyonce,
Taylor Swift, and Drake.
But you know, she's been
leaning into that role
and it is a very performative
role for many years.
Like she's worked out the wave.
(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] Taking cues
from Queen Elizabeth
and Queen Victoria before her,
today's Royal families
thrives on spectacle
and celebrity culture.
(cameras shutter)
24 million, that's
how many Brits
watched Will and Kate's wedding.
Brides to be around the
world tried to look like Kate
and Kate, whether
she knew it or not,
tried to look like
Queen Victoria.
When Victoria gets
married in 1840,
she chooses a white
wedding dress to highlight
the local handmade
lace on her gown.
More than 200 women work
about nine months straight
to create the delicate material.
- A lot of people thought
it was rather shocking.
Some people thought it
looked like a night dress.
They thought it was indecent,
but Victoria's white wedding
dress caught on overnight.
- [Narrator] 14 Years
and nine kids later,
Victoria squeezes
back into her dress
to pose for this photo.
Today her influence is
still alive and well
in the $40 billion
bridal gown industry
where 80% of brides wear white.
- But the point that
the trend has not waned,
I think is more a reflection
of like the wedding
industrial complex
and the recognition that
if you can sell someone
a white dress, they
can never wear it again
and we'll have to buy
more and more dresses.
- [Narrator] Victoria is
the first celebrity queen.
She understands the value of
putting a face to her name
and so she puts her face on
something that will be seen
around the world.
(gentle music)
Known as the Penny Black,
the world's first stamp
features Queen Vic.
It allows people
to send letters,
weighing up to half an ounce,
about the weight
of a AAA battery,
for the equivalent of 1 cent,
regardless of how far
the post is going.
68,808,000 Penny
Blacks are printed.
- 68 million off them, 68
million of Victoria's face
whizzing round and round
the country and overseas.
This idea of a stamp
and the Penny Black
and Victoria really
it's revolutionary.
- [Narrator] Today they're
highly prized by collectors.
In 2011, a mint condition,
Penny Black sold at auction
for $345,000.
Elizabeth's stamp
game is strong too.
This image of her appears
on some 220 billion stamps
and is considered
the most reproduced
work of art in history.
And while both women send
their image around the globe
on stamps, Elizabeth
takes it a step further,
sending herself
around the world.
Queen Elizabeth has visited
more than 110 countries
across six continents.
She's traveled more
than 1 million miles.
Wee!
That's enough to circle
the earth 40 times.
During a Royal tour in 1970,
she goes on her
first walk about.
- The walk about, you
know, walking round,
taking bouquets from children,
chatting with people,
only came in really a fair
way into the Queen's reign
- By the 1970s the Royal family,
they're really falling
down in popularity.
Suddenly movie stars, pop
stars, they seem more important.
So this is really a
massive transformation
and it's one that I think
is absolutely necessary.
- [Narrator] Queen Elizabeth
endears herself to the public
through 50 plus years
of face-to-face meetings
and televised addresses.
Her most watched address
happened in 1980,
with 28 million viewers
tuning in in the UK,
about 50% of the population.
- [Queen Elizabeth]
Thank you for tuning in.
- [Narrator] By comparison,
the most watched
State of the Union Address
by a U.S. president
happened in 1993.
Bill Clinton drew an audience
of 66.9 million viewers,
just 26% of the population.
Nice try, Bill.
- Dag nab it.
- Technology has been
moving so rapidly.
(morse code beeps)
(typewriter clacks)
(computer beeps)
And Elizabeth has
been really clever.
Her face is the most seen
face of the last century
and that's kind of helped
keep her relevancy.
- [Narrator] And as the world
changed rapidly around them,
both Elizabeth and Victoria
managed to protect
the British monarchy.
Girl power!
- Going back 100 years,
monarchies were toppling.
The British Royal
family saw their German
and their Russian relatives
lose their thrones
and maybe having a
queen at the top,
a woman rather than a man,
helped the British
monarchy survive.
Maybe there's more affection,
if you like, for a Queen
Victoria, a Queen Elizabeth,
then there might be for a king.
- Queens do have privileges
but it's a lot of stress
for that amount of
money or whatever.
- I have no idea what it
would be like to be born
with that amount
of responsibility.
Like I cried as a kid
when my mom asked me
to go mow the lawn.
- Being in the public
eye for that long
is definitely a
difficult job to have.
Like a lot of celebrities end
up crashing their Ferrari's
and getting into face
tattoos and you know,
bad quality cocaine.
- Who wants to be
born into their job?
Like if you were
born and you're like,
"Oh, you're destined
to be an accountant."
Who would want that?
- The queen does remind me of
my grandparents a little bit
so that's sorta nice.
- Queens are balling, dude.
(upbeat music)
Long live the noble Queen ♪
God save the queen ♪
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01x03 - Queens For Life
Watch/Buy Amazon
This series is loaded with mind-blowing factoids and stats, entertaining expert interviews, and infographics injected with cheeky humor.
This series is loaded with mind-blowing factoids and stats, entertaining expert interviews, and infographics injected with cheeky humor.