Coronation almost halted by carpet pile

The Queen acceded to the throne on February 6 1952 when her father died unexpectedly in his sleep at Sandringham in Norfolk.

Despite the country being in the grip of post-war austerity, a glittering coronation was staged on June 2 the following year at Westminster Abbey.

The documentary features footage of the Queen processing through the abbey and highlights how her coronation dress was embroidered in silk with pearls and gold and silver bullion thread.

The Queen recounts: “Well, I remember one moment when I was going against the pile of the carpet and I couldn’t move at all.”

Mr Bruce said: “Really?” and the monarch replied: “Yes, they hadn’t thought of that.”

The documentary is part of the Royal Collection Season, a major partnership between the BBC and Royal Collection Trust, which also features the four-part television series Art, Passion And Power: The Story Of The Royal Collection.

The Coronation is screened on BBC1 at 8pm tomorrow.