The Queen: Her Commonwealth Story

BBC Newsreader George Alagiah will present a new film for BBC One exploring the fascinating history of The Queen and the Commonwealth that she has led for over 60 years. Walking in Her Majesty's footsteps, George discovers how the role of heading-up this family of nations progressed, exploring moments of triumph, diplomacy, challenge and political intrigue. George's journey starts in Tonga, one of the furthest flung stops on The Queen's first Commonwealth tour in 1953, where he meets Princess Pilolevu, granddaughter of The Queen of Tonga, who welcomed the 27-year-old Queen. From there George's own Commonwealth tour takes him to Australia, Ghana, India and South Africa. George explores how, amidst safety fears and the risk of political unrest, The Queen travelled to newly independent Ghana and charmed President Nkrumah. And looking at how Royal visits to Commonwealth countries haven't always run so smoothly, the film explores how The Queen's arrival in India in 1997 meant revisiting the painful memories of the 1919 Amritsar massacre, with many expecting an apology for this difficult episode in Britain's past. George Alagiah says: 「What we see in this film is the transformation of a young, diffident woman into a confident figure able to command the respect of leaders around the world. We discovered that as Head of the Commonwealth she has far more room to manoeuvre - able to influence world events in a way she cannot at home.」 Gathering testimony from people who have met The Queen across the years and from experts who have followed her fascinating journey, George builds a picture of how deftly The Queen has played her role as head of the Commonwealth. Her daughter Princess Anne talks about her own experiences of Royal walkabouts and The Queen's role in a male dominated world. Other interviewees include former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, the second Commonwealth Secretary-General Sir Sonny Ramphal and South African politician Mamphela Ramphele, who reveal unique insights into the Queen's contribution to the history of the Commonwealth.