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

Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams

Series Producer: Ben Devlin

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Content Editor: Joseph Palmer

Executive Producer: Bella Soames

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Sign up to Palace Confidential, the FREE royals newsletter from the Mail's top experts. Delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday, it's the smartest way to stay in the royal inner circle. Just head to dailymail.co.uk/palaceconfidential to sign up today.

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Celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s life - her character, the scary look she gave those who displeased her, and what President Trump really thought about her majesty. It’s a packed first episode of a mini series of exclusive revelations.

Journalist and historian Robert Hardman opens up to Professor Kate Williams about his research and private recollections as a royal reporter, in celebration of her 100th anniversary. From the Queen’s unshowy political skill to her stoic sense of duty, this episode paints a vivid picture of a monarch who kept working to the very end. Along the way, there are striking glimpses of royal life that feel by turns funny, startling and deeply moving: the alarming account of Prince Andrew (as he then was) and his altercation with a senior member of the royal household; Donald Trump fussing over exactly where to hang a portrait of the Queen at Mar-a-Lago; and the extraordinary image of Elizabeth II still dealing with state papers and official business in the last days of her life.

The conversation also ranges across her wartime years, her relationships with prime ministers, her ability to deflate overblown personalities with a single look, and the immense pressures she absorbed during the final years of her reign during the Harry & Megan debarkle. The result is a portrait not just of a symbol, but of a working sovereign: pragmatic, disciplined, funny, devout, and, in Robert’s telling, much more politically astute than she was ever given credit for.

Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams

Series Producer: Ben Devlin

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Executive Producer: Bella Soames

Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams

Series Producer: Ben Devlin

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Content Editor: Joseph Palmer

Executive Producer: Bella Soames

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Sign up to Palace Confidential, the FREE royals newsletter from the Mail's top experts. Delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday, it's the smartest way to stay in the royal inner circle. Just head to dailymail.co.uk/palaceconfidential to sign up today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you receive more than twenty-six proposals from Europe’s most powerful men, why should you refuse them all?

In this final episode of our trilogy on Elizabeth I, we step into the most personal — and most politically dangerous — question of her reign: marriage. From the moment she becomes queen, Elizabeth is treated as a prize. Kings, princes and emperors line up to claim her, each proposal promising alliance and stability.

At the centre of it all stands Robert Dudley: not a king, nor even a prince, but the man Elizabeth trusts most. Their closeness is undeniable. Yet when Dudley’s wife is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, everything changes. Suspicion, scandal and political fear close the door on the one match that might have been possible.

From there, the suitors keep coming. Philip of Spain lingers in the background. Eric of Sweden writes devoted letters. Archduke Charles offers power and heirs. And finally, the Duke of Anjou arrives in person — young, charming, and bearing gifts, including the famous frog-shaped earrings that delight the queen. For a moment, it seems Elizabeth might finally choose.

But every option carries risk. Marriage could mean losing control of her kingdom. A husband might claim authority. A child might replace her. Around her, advisors push, Parliament demands, and the shadow of Mary, Queen of Scots looms ever larger.

As the years pass, the question shifts. It is no longer who Elizabeth will marry — but whether she ever intended to marry at all.

And as we follow her story to its final days — her long decline, her refusal even to lie down, and the quiet gesture that signals her successor — we see the ultimate consequence of that decision.

No husband. No heir. Just a legacy powerful enough to outlast them all.

Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams

Series Producer: Ben Devlin

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Executive Producer: Bella Soames

Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams

Series Producer: Ben Devlin

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Content Editor: Joseph Palmer

Executive Producer: Bella Soames

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Sign up to Palace Confidential, the FREE royals newsletter from the Mail's top experts. Delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday, it's the smartest way to stay in the royal inner circle. Just head to dailymail.co.uk/palaceconfidential to sign up today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.