Frogs, foxes, fossils—and four generations of royalty.

In part two of this special celebration, we continue our exploration of the remarkable parallel lives of Queen Elizabeth II and Sir David Attenborough—two figures born just weeks apart in 1926 who went on to shape how we see the modern world.

From wartime childhoods to global influence, we trace how both became defining voices of the 20th and 21st centuries: one through monarchy, the other through the lens of a camera. Along the way, we uncover surprising connections—shared beginnings in 1952, a mutual passion for the natural world, and a quiet but powerful influence on generations of royals, from Prince Philip to King Charles III and beyond.

There are stories of early wildlife filmmaking, royal expeditions, and the radical beginnings of conservation—long before it was fashionable. Plus, a glimpse of the man behind the legend: Attenborough the colleague, the traveller, the reluctant celebrity who chose economy class over first.

By the end, what emerges is something more than coincidence: two lives moving in parallel across a century of change, united by curiosity, duty, and an enduring belief that small actions can shape a much bigger world.

Hosts: Robert Hardman and Kate Williams

Series Producer: Ben Devlin

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Executive Producer: Bella Soames

Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams

Series Producer: Ben Devlin

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Content Editor: Joseph Palmer

Executive Producer: Bella Soames

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Sign up to Palace Confidential, the FREE royals newsletter from the Mail's top experts. Delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday, it's the smartest way to stay in the royal inner circle. Just head to dailymail.co.uk/palaceconfidential to sign up today.

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What do Queen Elizabeth II and Sir David Attenborough have in common?

More than you might imagine.

In this third episode, celebrating the Centenary of Queen Elizabeth, we explore the remarkable parallel lives of two icons born just weeks apart in 1926 — figures who would go on to shape not just Britain, but the very way we see the world. One inherited a throne; the other helped invent television as we know it.

So, it’s a big happy centenary birthday to Sir David, who’s still going strong, and a remembrance of how those 100 years shaped and were shaped by two extraordinary people.

From wartime broadcasts to the birth of colour TV, from Buckingham Palace to the farthest corners of the natural world, their stories intertwine in surprising ways. Along the journey, we uncover Attenborough’s unlikely rise (his family never owned a TV set), his clashes with royal thinking, and his quiet influence behind the scenes — including his role in shaping how the monarchy presented itself on screen.

A witty, insightful look at two national treasures.

Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams

Series Producer: Ben Devlin

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Executive Producer: Bella Soames

Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams

Series Producer: Ben Devlin

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Content Editor: Joseph Palmer

Executive Producer: Bella Soames

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Sign up to Palace Confidential, the FREE royals newsletter from the Mail's top experts. Delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday, it's the smartest way to stay in the royal inner circle. Just head to dailymail.co.uk/palaceconfidential to sign up today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What made Queen Elizabeth II smile?

In this special centenary episode, we look back at some of the happiest moments in the life of Queen Elizabeth II — the flashes of humour, the unexpected freedoms, and the small, human pleasures behind the crown.

Rather than the grand set-pieces of state, we focus on something more elusive: what actually made her smile. From dancing anonymously into the crowds on VE Day, to the rare, almost ordinary happiness of life in Malta as a young naval wife, these are the moments when the future queen stepped briefly outside the constraints of her role.

We revisit the Balmoral barbecues, where guests found themselves quietly astonished to see the monarch doing the washing up — and the curious aftermath of a gifted pair of yellow rubber gloves. We explore her lifelong love of animals, the joy she took in horses and racing, and the particular satisfaction of seeing her daughter succeed in the saddle.

There are glimpses, too, of her connection to a wider world: wartime memories that stayed with her for life, encounters that carried emotional weight long after the cameras had gone, and the enduring appeal of simple routines — driving, walking, small domestic rituals — that offered a sense of normality within an extraordinary existence.

Along the way, we ask a deceptively simple question: in a life so defined by duty, where did happiness really reside?

Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams

Series Producer: Ben Devlin

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Executive Producer: Bella Soames

Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams

Series Producer: Ben Devlin

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Content Editor: Joseph Palmer

Executive Producer: Bella Soames

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Sign up to Palace Confidential, the FREE royals newsletter from the Mail's top experts. Delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday, it's the smartest way to stay in the royal inner circle. Just head to dailymail.co.uk/palaceconfidential to sign up today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.