The fight to televise the Queen's Coronation
How BBC bosses battled with the government for the right to film inside Westminster Abbey
Witness History · BBC World Service
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (open.live.bbc.co.uk) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953 was a watershed moment for television as millions watched the ceremony live.
But it nearly never happened as the UK Government initially refused to allow TV cameras inside Westminster Abbey.
The late Peter Dimmock, the BBC’s former head of outside broadcasts, looks back on the challenges the corporation faced.
Former maid of honour Lady Jane Rayne Lacey also shares her memories of the day with Vicky Farncombe, including the part that felt “too sacred” to televise.
(Photo: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Credit: Getty Images)