‘It would fall off’
Later this year will see the 65th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation - just one of the huge royal occasions of the year - we’re looking at you Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Marking the special occasion, the Queen has taken part in a BBC documentary, airing this Sunday and we’re apparently set to see Queen Elizabeth like we’ve never seen her before.
The Coronation will see the 91-year-old monarch in conversation with expert on the Crown jewels, Alastair Bruce, as together they re-watch footage of the day and recount memories of everything from the uncomfortable carriage ride and her children not doing what they were told to how she managed to keep the crown on her head.
Describing the crown as ‘unwieldy’, the Queen explained how it was adapted after the death of her father to fit her. ‘You see, it’s much smaller isn’t it?!’ she pointed out to Alastair Bruce while watching the coronation footage. ‘You know, it would have been up to about there when my father wore it - fortunately my father and I have the same sort of shaped head. But once you put it on it stays. I mean it just remains on.’
‘It’s difficult to always remember that diamonds are stones and so they’re very heavy,’ explained Alastair Bruce, observing, ‘You have to keep your head very still.’
‘Yes,’ the Queen agreed. ‘You can’t look down to read the speech - you have to take the speech up - because if you did your neck would break’ she exclaimed. ‘It would fall off’.
She even went on to explain how the priceless jewels were hidden during the Second World War in the event of a Nazi invasion - and even gave away their hiding place.
According to the monarch, her father George VI ordered for the jewels to be hidden in the grounds of Windsor Castle, where they were buried, hidden in a biscuit tin.
We’ll definitely be tuning in on Sunday to hear more of these stories, especially after Alastair Bruce enthused that it will showcase the monarch’s ‘most delightful sense of humour.’
The Coronation is set to be broadcast on BBC One on Sunday.
