David Attenborough tells all about the Queen he knew in new BBC documentary as childhood friend remembers standing with Elizabeth II in front of Coronation crowds

By ELIZABETH HAIGH, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:09, 17 April 2026 | Updated: 16:29, 17 April 2026 Sir David Attenborough is to tell all about the late Queen Elizabeth II in a new BBC documentary produced to mark what would have been her 100th birthday. The presenter will remember the former monarch as he knew her alongside contributions from celebrities, close friends and members of the Royal Family. While Sir David pays tribute to her 'regal' air, her childhood friend Baroness Glenconner will recall facing cheering crowds on the Buckingham Palace balcony at her coronation. The documentary, titled Queen Elizabeth II: Her Story, Our Century, is set to air at 9pm on BBC One on Sunday and will also feature a contribution from Queen Camilla. In a clip from the show, Sir David said of Elizabeth II: 'The reality of being Queen was very evident to her at all times, It wasn't something that she put on like a coat or something. It was in the marrow of her bones. She was regal.' Born just weeks apart from the Queen in 1926, Sir David enjoyed a close friendship with the late monarch that spanned from six decades.  The environmentalist, who was knighted by the Queen in 1985, appeared on The Queen's Green Planet in 2018 and produced her televised Christmas Day address for various years in the 1980s and 1990s. Sir David Attenborough is to tell all about the late Queen Elizabeth II in a new BBC documentary produced to mark what would have been her 100th birthday The documentary, titled Queen Elizabeth II: Her Story, Our Century, is set to air at 9pm on BBC One on Sunday and will also feature a contribution from Queen Camilla He featured in a segment of the BBC's Platinum Party at the Palace in 2022 to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. In 2020, Sir David was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael And St George for services to television broadcasting and to conservation in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. After her death, he captured the mood of the country when he said: 'The whole nation is bereaved'. Elsewhere the documentary hears from Baroness Glenconner, who was a close childhood friend to both the late Queen and her sister Margaret. She was selected as one of her maids of honour during Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. Recalling stepping out onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the service, Baroness Glenconner said: 'People were absolutely thrilled. I remember going on the balcony and the crowd packed together, roaring.  'You could actually feel it on one. And every time she turned to go they wouldn't let her.' The documentary takes a look back at the long life of the last monarch, who died aged 96 on September 8, 2022, and her legacy. The documentary is billed as a blend of archive footage, news interviews and contemporary reflection Its other contributors include Dame Helen Mirren, Barack Obama, Dame Sheila Hancock and Queen Camilla.  It is billed as a blend of archive footage, news interviews and contemporary reflection. The late Queen would have turned 100 on April 21.  Royal Mail is also set to mark the milestone with a dozen special edition stamps. A main set of eight stamps will feature photographs from memories in Queen Elizabeth II's life, from delivering her first radio broadcast in 1940 aged 14 to her 1953 coronation balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace.  And her love of horses and dogs has also not gone unrepresented - as four other stamps, in a miniature sheet, show her at stages in her life with pets or thoroughbreds. A presentation pack including all 12 stamps costs £22.50. Catherine Catton, head of factual entertainment and events, said: 'Queen Elizabeth II: Her Story, Our Century explores the life of her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II through the lens of a century of change and offers an important reflection on how modern Britain has been shaped.'  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.