What made Queen Elizabeth II smile?
In this special centenary episode, we look back at some of the happiest moments in the life of Queen Elizabeth II — the flashes of humour, the unexpected freedoms, and the small, human pleasures behind the crown.
Rather than the grand set-pieces of state, we focus on something more elusive: what actually made her smile. From dancing anonymously into the crowds on VE Day, to the rare, almost ordinary happiness of life in Malta as a young naval wife, these are the moments when the future queen stepped briefly outside the constraints of her role.
We revisit the Balmoral barbecues, where guests found themselves quietly astonished to see the monarch doing the washing up — and the curious aftermath of a gifted pair of yellow rubber gloves. We explore her lifelong love of animals, the joy she took in horses and racing, and the particular satisfaction of seeing her daughter succeed in the saddle.
There are glimpses, too, of her connection to a wider world: wartime memories that stayed with her for life, encounters that carried emotional weight long after the cameras had gone, and the enduring appeal of simple routines — driving, walking, small domestic rituals — that offered a sense of normality within an extraordinary existence.
Along the way, we ask a deceptively simple question: in a life so defined by duty, where did happiness really reside?
Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams
Series Producer: Ben Devlin
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini
Executive Producer: Bella Soames
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