The release of Queen Elizabeth's home movies gives us a peek into the covert life of a royal, and we can’t get enough.
The footage shows snippets of the Queen's life, from very early days right up to her coronation back in 1953 at the tender age of 27.
The clips are all extracts taken from the newly produced BBC documentary "Elizabeth - The Unseen Queen" to mark her Platinum Jubilee.
Aside from sweet memories of the Queen and her sister as young girls, the shots also include some clips of the Queen playing volleyball and smiling and posing for the camera on the navy ship on their way to South Africa.
These clips also depict the young Princess Elizabeth on holiday in Balmoral with her parents and sister Princess Margaret, as well as memories from her first tour abroad in South Africa, when she was just 20 years old. This tour was particularly crucial as it was here that the Queen made her iconic speech on her 21st birthday, committing herself to a life of service and duty.
The film producers were given the privilege of having access to over 400 hours of the historical home videos. Just last week, Her Majesty explained why she allowed the footage to be released to the public and why she holds these memories so close to her heart. In an announcement recorded at Windsor Castle, she says: "cameras have always been a part of our lives."
She goes on to imply that her parents were the ones behind the camera for the most part, "I think there's a difference to watching a home movie when you know who it is on the other side of the lens, holding the camera. It adds to the sense of intimacy. Like many families, my parents wanted to keep a record of our precious moments together. And when it was our turn with our own family, we did the same. I always enjoyed capturing family moments. Private photos can often show the fun behind the formality."
She continues to say, "I expect just about every family has a collection of photographs or films that were once regularly looked at to recall precious moments but which, over time, are replaced by newer images and more recent memories.
The documentary includes the Queen's narration, for the most part, using audio and clips to explain the footage and the impact that particular scenario had on her career as Queen.
These clips are a gentle reminder that even the Queen herself is, in fact, human.
Main image: Skynews