This is the story of Queen Elizabeth – a remarkable journey through her early years right up to 2009. It is an unprecedented social record of the great events in the Queen’s public life, set against the joys, sorrows, trials and passions of her private life. The film traces how she became a love-struck teenager, a devoted wife and – after her father’s early death – the monarch who has reigned over Great Britain for more than half a century.

It is an emotional portrait of a blissful childhood that ended abruptly, the life-long bond that the Queen shared with her sister Margaret, the shock of her father’s death, the naval officer she fell head-over-heels in love with (and never stopped loving), the joy of her children’s weddings, and the dismay at their broken marriages. These are memories that show us the Queen at her most unguarded – transparently happy at her own wedding, and weary and anguished when the castle she loved went up in smoke.

The film celebrates the astonishing transformation of a shy, solemn monarch into a confident, amused and serene woman, taking us right up to the most important events of her recent years, including her grandson, Prince Harry, joining the British armed forces and, in 2009, her meeting with the Obamas. When The First Lady put her arm around the Queen (not exactly royal protocol) Her Majesty responded in kind.  It was the reaction of a Queen who, even in her 80s, is ready to move with the times. In the 21st century, in an ever-changing world, the Queen remains the calm centre of a tempestuous age, a splendid royal servant to her people – a monarch for all seasons.