An infamous 1969 documentary about the British royal family, apparently banned by Queen Elizabeth II for decades was mysteriously leaked onto YouTube. It gives the public a very intimate view of the royals.
The film provided a unique look inside the royal family and was watched by millions when it first aired on the BBC. But it was later stashed in the corporation’s archives, seemingly at the appeal made by Buckingham Palace. It was last broadcasted in the 1970s.
However, it is unknown who extracted the film titled “Royal Family” or posted it to YouTube. However, the video-sharing platform quickly removed the video after the royal family made a copyright request.
In the film, the monarch supposedly compared the US ambassador to a gorilla.
“There was a gorilla. I had the most terrible trouble; he had a short body, long arms,” news agency the PA recited the Queen’s saying.
More mundane scenes like showing the royals eating together and the Queen delving in her purse to buy six-year-old Prince Edward candy in a shop was considered ground-breaking for showing the popular opaque household in a new way.
“This disgusting gooey mess is going to be in the car, isn’t it?” the Queen declares, PA reported.
Popularity in the early days
The 110-minute movie was watched by 30 million people in 1969 and remained one of the UK’s most-viewed television broadcasts. Moreover, the BBC evaluates more than 350 million watched it worldwide.
Its production was more recently portrayed in Netflix series “The Crown,” which showed the royals’ disapproval at having TV cameras inside their properties.
“When a copyright claim is reported, we remove the content instantly, as is the case with this upload,” YouTube told CNN.
BBC made the film after the royals approved the BBC exclusive entry to document their daily lives. The royal family was increasingly seen as being out of touch with traditional society in 1960. Moreover, the program was considered as an attempt to regain significance.
