The 12 Best Movies, TV Shows, & Documentaries About The Queen’s Life & Reign

Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II, has died, bringing an end to the second Elizabethan age. Buckingham Palace confirmed her passing on Sept. 8 at 96 years old, which made her the longest-reigning British monarch. Initial reports of her medical conditions sparked an outcry from the general public. As many begin mourning, it seems like a proper time to acknowledge her life as its been told across countless movies, TV shows, and documentaries. From Helen Mirren’s award-winning portrayal to Netflix’s multi-season epic, The Crown, here are the stories that offered a new perspective on the royal family.

The Queen (2006)

Starring Helen Mirren as the titular Queen of England, this 2006 film follows the events in the wake of the Princess of Wales’ death in 1997. The movie dives into the push-pull that permeated the palace as to how to react to Diana’s death. Issues of royal protocol, expectations, and both Diana and Elizabeth II’s legacies play a wider part in a film that won Helen Mirren an Oscar for Best Actress. The Queen is available on HBO Max.

A Royal Night Out (2015)

Available on Prime Video, A Royal Night Out is an unfamiliar look into Elizabeth’s early life, before she became queen. In the comedy loosely based on the Queen’s youth, Sarah Gadon (Dracula Untold) plays a teenage Elizabeth who’s in the midst of celebrating Victory in Europe Day in 1945. Full of excitement, danger, and even a little bit of romance, the movie chronicles a fictionalized night out on the town with Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret (Bel Powley).

The Crown (2016-)

Netflix’s The Crown is a sprawling epic that covers the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The historical series is led by its incredibly star-studded cast with several actors playing the Queen across several seasons: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton. The cast list also includes the likes of Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, Helena Bonham Carter, Gillian Anderson, Emerald Fennell, Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, and Charles Dance. It’s like modern British acting royalty meets British historical royalty. The first four seasons cover several key events from the Queen’s life and reign, including her wedding in 1947, Churchill’s resignation, the Suez Crisis, the rise of Margaret Thatcher, and Lady Diana Spencer’s entrance into the royal family.

The Majestic Life of Queen Elizabeth II (2013)

This hour-and-a-half documentary on Prime Video uses rare archive footage that follows the death of the Queen’s father, King George VI, all the way to the 2011 marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton. However, what makes this documentary worth seeking out is how deeply it dives into the struggles and expectations the Queen faced throughout her reign.

Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen (2022)

This documentary is perhaps the most intimate one on this list. Compiled of home movies shot by the royals themselves, it first aired on the BBC in May 2022, in preparation for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and features footage captured by Prince Philip, Princess Margaret, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth. For example, the archival footage includes showing family aboard the HMS Vanguard on a trip to Southern Africa in 1947. Other sequences feature footage of Elizabeth II’s engagement at Balmoral, as well as her and Princess Margaret's childhood antics on those same grounds. Also, the documentary has old videos of the Queen as a young mother with Prince Charles and Princess Anne. Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen is available to stream on Prime Video with BBC Select subscription.

Elizabeth At 90: A Family Tribute (2016)

The 2016 television documentary celebrates the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II and features extensive private footage that was shot by Prince Phillip, Princess Margaret, and The Queen Mother. The footage had never been seen before and features commentary from Princess Anne, Prince William, and Prince Harry. Elizabeth At 90 can be purchased or rented from Prime Video and YouTube.

Elizabeth: A Portrait In Part(s) (2022)

Available to stream on Paramount+, this tribute to the Queen follows her personal and public victories, alongside the publicized turbulence she faced across several decades on the throne. The documentary tracks from her coronation and early royal tours to her interaction with the people of the Commonwealth, even including the assassination attempt made against her in the ‘80s. The documentary also features the public criticism she faced following the death of Princess Diana and the scrutiny levied against the family, especially Prince Andrew. It paints a complete picture of one of the longest-reigning monarchs in history.

Elizabeth & Margaret: Love & Loyalty (2020)

This documentary investigates the complex and largely misinterpreted relationship between Elizabeth and her sister, Margaret. Across 90 minutes, the feature explores their relationship, primarily focussing on the sacrifices Anne had to both make, and endure in order for her older sister to reign, and for the greater good of the monarchy as a whole. Elizabeth & Margaret is streaming on Netflix.

The Royal House of Windsor (2017)

Also available on Netflix, this six-part docuseries tracks the last 100 years of the monarchy. The series goes to great length, drawing from old and newly surfaced research to investigate just how the family managed their reign amidst a century of differing public opinions and power struggles. It’s more of a family saga that articulates how one of history’s most aggrandized families was able to survive four generations of crises.

Royal Family (1969)

Royal Family is maybe the most controversial title on this list. The documentary first premiered in 1969 before it was banned in 1979 and scrubbed from record. The documentary is a fly-on-the-wall television special that gave viewers a rare and intimate glimpse into the daily lives of the British royals. It’s estimated that 350 million viewers turned in to BBC 1 and ITV on the night of its debut, and though the special was put together by the Queen in honor of Prince Charles, it was ultimately banned. The reason was that the Queen felt as though the cameras she let in her home offered too close a look at her family’s privacy and operations. There’s even an episode of The Crown dedicated to this scandal. Although the Queen has never spoken publicly about her disapproval of the documentary, Princess Anne later said publicly, "I never liked the idea of the royal family film. I always thought it was a rotten idea.” The documentary is currently on YouTube.

A Queen Is Crowned (1953)

Narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier, 1953’s A Queen Is Crowned is a technicolor film that documents Queen II’s coronation in 1953. In its time, it was one of the most revered pieces of royal media, nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards. It was also the first-ever winner of the Golden Globe award for Best Documentary Film and remained one of the highest-grossing films at the British office in the year of its release. The film is available on Prime Video with a BritBox subscription.

Elizabeth R: A Year In The Life of The Queen (1992)

Available on YouTube, filmmaker Edward Mirzoeff showcases a calendar year chronicling the public and private life of Queen Elizabeth II on her 40th anniversary as ruler. The 1992 special served as the first documentary to be officially approved by the British monarchy since Royal Family, and it was actually filmed over 18 months between 1990 and 1991. The royal family first watched and approved it before it was aired. The doc is full of royal gatherings, grandchildren playing at Balmoral, and the preparation for the Windsor Castle banquet. The footage also includes the Queen’s visits with other royal and political figures like The Queen Mother, President Ronald Reagan, and Prime Minister Edward Heath, among others.