Even though she’s spent her entire life in the public eye, there’s still much to learn about Queen Elizabeth II, as the new documentary Queen of the World proves. The film, which aired last night on HBO, gives viewers exclusive access into Buckingham Palace, and explores the Queen’s role on a global stage. But what exactly was uncovered about her in the program? Below, the most fascinating tidbits. 1. Her coronation gown and Meghan Markle’s wedding veil shared something in common. For her May 19 wedding, the Duchess of Sussex had flowers representing the 53 countries of the British Commonwealth embroidered into her veil (plus a California golden poppy). As it turns out, Queen Elizabeth did a similar thing for her coronation day. Although her dress designer, Norman Hartnell, originally suggested including flowers from the United Kingdom, Elizabeth chose to incorporate flowers from the eight countries in the Commonwealth at the time. 2. She holds the record for longest journey by a monarch. After her coronation, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip traveled 40,000 miles throughout the Caribbean, the Pacific, Asia, and Africa in six months. According to the documentary, “This extraordinary trip is still the single longest journey ever undertaken by a reigning monarch.” 3. The Queen has a ton of family photographs throughout Buckingham Palace. Yes, the interior of Buckingham Palace is filled with fine pieces of furniture and priceless art. But one of the documentary’s best Easter eggs? The various family photographs in Buckingham Palace. In one scene alone, eagle-eyed watchers will spot a picture of Prince Harry and Prince William posing in military uniform, an engagement portrait of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and a shot of Prince Philip. 4. She used to host a movie night on the Royal Yacht Britannia. While it was still in service, the Queen and her family used to sail around the world on the Royal Yacht Britannia. And while much of their time was spent hosting dignitaries for formal dinners and parties, they’d occasionally have a movie night at sea. The dining room doubled as a royal cinema. The Queen, recalled a royal yachtsman, “didn’t like cowboy films,” so they requested “quite modern movies at the time.” One of them? “I remember being responsible for bringing Dr. No on board,” Commodore Anthony Morrow told the documentarians. 5. The Queen was an avid home-movie maker. Viewers may be surprised that some of the archival footage used in the film was shot by the monarch herself—“the Queen was an early home-movie enthusiast,” the documentary explained. One standout snippet? Prince Philip rushing down the waterslide on the Royal Yacht, and Princess Anne scrubbing the deck. 6. The Queen originated the walkabout. The “walkabout”—or, when a royal goes out to greet the crowd at an engagement—wasn’t always something the Windsors did. Back in the day, you’d be considered lucky to get a glimpse of them driving by. But that all changed in the 1970s, when the Queen decided to “shake things up” at an appearance. She went outside to talk to the crowd, and since then, all other royals have followed suit.<doc-sep>As Netflix’s “The Crown” has spent two seasons proving, Queen Elizabeth II is fascinating precisely because of how uninteresting she is. She has to be in order for her title and office to make sense; she’s spent 65 years as the standard-bearer of British life and culture, and bearing herself with unflappable composure and a comforting staidness is the point. All of which makes her a challenging subject for art; she has little of the public dynamism that keeps us watching. And yet “Queen of the World,” a new documentary airing on HBO Oct. 1, makes the case both for her stoic refusal to change as a boon to the planet and for the idea that she’s shifted more than is visible to the stateside observer. The documentary depicts the royal family’s efforts to engage with the world through the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental group that fosters cooperation and exchange between countries, with the United Kingdom at the helm. That the film, for which the royal family granted access, is so tightly focused on this sort of cultural exchange makes it a somewhat dutiful watch, and an intriguing document of both Elizabeth’s and her heirs’ priorities. The Queen herself is little-heard-from throughout; she delegates speaking to the camera to family members and other speakers, who clearly filled with a sort of pious appreciation for her, reminisce about her travels around the world throughout her reign. Her daughter, Princess Anne, offers a commentary about how interacting with the public has changed that may be more revealing than she intends: “It’s not for me to say it’s wrong,” she says of taking selfies, then goes on at some length about how it is wrong indeed. Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, appear, too; In a frank and sweet conversation with residents of Commonwealth nations brought to work at Buckingham Palace, Harry offers advice if they are to bump into the Queen in the hallway: “Don’t panic. I know you will; we all do.” The film, indeed, feels animated by a similar deference and fear of its largely absent star, whose efforts to unite many of the world’s nations around the values of the U.K. go uninterrogated. No matter how much access the Queen grants — we see her speaking gently with subjects and hear that she’s come to love Jamaican callaloo soup, for instance — she’s inaccessible. What tidbits we’re given only emphasize quite how much is held back; her metier, when speaking to her subjects, is the lightest sort of small talk. Perhaps the film’s best touch is the degree to which it sets up a contrast between the royal for whom “Queen of the World” is a valedictory document and the one for whom it’s something of a debut. Meghan appears in a segment during which she examines her wedding dress with a preservationist before it’s put on public view; she recounts the floral patterns, symbolic of different Commonwealth nations, with what has become her trademark creamy semi-sincerity. Meghan’s commitment to the role — and to conveying her serious interest in engaging the people of the world on her mission — is carried off with as much intensity as the Queen’s diplomacy is done through lightness. It makes for a surprising and resonant point, one that “Queen of the World” carries across gracefully: Queen Elizabeth could be a moral exemplar for the world because being ruler of the British Empire is something meaningful in and of itself. She didn’t have to be interesting, or to give too much of herself away. Meghan and Harry, along with the rest of their generational cohort, will have to fight harder to keep our interest. They won’t have the luxury of being boring. “Queen of the World,” documentary, 60 mins., HBO, Mon., Oct. 1, 8 p.m. E.T. Director: Matt Hill Executive Producer: Nick Kent<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up fornow for the biggest moments from morning TV The second episode of ITV’s new documentary saw Queen Elizabeth II select three of the Queen’s Young Leaders award winners to come and visit her personally at Buckingham Palace. Elizabeth Ketay Kite from Tonga, who was actually named after the Queen herself, was one of the three young women chosen for the incredible opportunity. Yet while the Queen was getting ready for the afternoon, she appeared to become slightly frustrated with one of her aides as they arranged everything. “Can you push that open?” The Queen asked, seemingly pointing at a door.<doc-sep>
Queen of the World type TV Show The new trailer for HBO’s latest documentary feature takes audiences inside the British Royal Family as she prepares to pass her prestigious baton of leadership from one generation to the next. Judging by the brief teaser for Queen of the World — set to premiere Oct. 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET on the subscription network — released Wednesday, the film offers fly-on-the-wall insights into Queen Elizabeth II’s daily role as a figure on the global cultural stage, while also chronicling the 92-year-old’s personal relationships with the likes of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Anne, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and the Countess of Wessex. “If you suddenly bump into her in the corridor, don’t panic,” Prince Harry says to a group of visitors in the brief teaser. “I know you do. We all do!” Later, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, is seen preparing to uphold Elizabeth’s proper legacy ahead of the Royal Wedding earlier this summer. “53 countries, oh my goodness,” she tells an off-camera companion as she views her wedding veil, which featured blooms from 53 Commonwealth territories (as well as one for her home state of California and another for Kensington Palace). “It’ll keep us busy!” Filmed over the course of approximately one year with unprecedented access to The Queen and her family, staff, and their various residences, the “this landmark documentary tells the story of how the Commonwealth has been a central focus and passion throughout Her Majesty’s life,” per a press release, which describes the Commonwealth as “an association of free and independent nations, the majority of which were formerly part of the British Empire.” Queen of the World makes its royal procession to HBO on Monday, Oct. 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Watch the new teaser trailer above.