This is the week we almost drowned in Jubilee programmes. Sadly, many of these were unavailable to reviewers, possibly because to criticise such a programme would itself amount to lèse-majesté, or perhaps they just hadn’t finished the edit. But I doubt we’ve missed much. This weekend BBC1 (Friday) was running A Jubilee Tribute to the Queen, presented by Prince Charles. Maybe he’s said that it’s all very well banging on about her sense of duty, but it didn’t do much for family life, and he still can’t get over how, after six months touring the Commonwealth, she famously didn’t kiss her little boy but shook his hand. I doubt it. The royal family are their own greatest fans, as you can see at Balmoral, where the grounds are crammed with memorials to dead kings, queens, princes, etc.
The same evening, ITV has Elizabeth: Queen, Wife, Mother presented by Alan Titchmarsh.
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