'Queen Of The World' Is A Documentary Royal Fans Won't Want To Miss

As the frenzy over Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle earlier this year made abundantly clear, people all over the world have a seemingly-endless fascination with the British royal family. Yet, while the royals certainly live in the spotlight, it's not often that they open up about their private lives. In a new documentary set to air on HBO Oct. 1, viewers will be given a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of Britain's longest reigning monarch, and it's seriously fascinating. Queen Of The World takes us inside Queen Elizabeth's private life in a way that hasn't been done before, and in addition to interviews with the Queen, her family, and members of her staff, according to Deadline, the film even includes footage taken from the monarch's private film archives.

Given that Queen Elizabeth has ruled for more than six decades now, it's safe to say that there is plenty to cover when it comes to documenting her reign and influence. But while much has already been written over the years about the queen's early life as head of state — not to mention that it's also inspired the Netflix hit, The Crown — Queen Of The World gives a look into details of that time that few outside of the royal circle would likely even know about.

For one, it has already been well-documented that the Queen and her husband, Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, embarked on a six-month tour of the Commonwealth on the Royal Yacht Britannia following her 1953 coronation. But it might be surprising to learn that, when their children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, finally joined them, they weren't simply allowed to run around and play to their hearts' content.

In the film, Princess Anne said she had "very good memories of that trip," according to The Express, but revealed that she and her brother "were kept very busy," adding "there was lots to do, all sorts of places to go and things to keep clean, lots of scrubbing and polishing. That was part of our role."

In addition to taking a look back over the Queen's history though, the future of the monarchy — and the family's next generation of leaders — is also a big focus of the film. With her son, Prince Charles, set to inherit the throne (and his son, Prince William, after that), Queen Of The World provides a look into the various ways the monarch "passes her knowledge and experience to the younger generations," according to ITV — including to its newest senior royal, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.

The documentary actually marks Meghan's first official television interview since joining the royal family, and in it, she is shown touching the hand-embroidered wedding veil she wore on her big day. Though the trailer only gives a short peak into Meghan's contribution to the film, it certainly seems like a special moment: discussing the inclusion of 53 flowers on the veil to represent each country of the Commonwealth, the duchess remarked, "53 countries, oh my goodness. It will keep us busy."

But while the film will include interviews with many members of the royal family, there is one who may be markedly absent. Though the documentary itself was filmed over more than a year, according to Deadline, the primary focus centered around the Queen's role as the head of the Commonwealth, and highlighted a meeting the monarch held for the heads of state, which occurred in April. But at the time of the event, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge was already on maternity leave following the birth of Prince Louis.

What that means, is that while the duchess does appear in some scenes in the film, she doesn't actually give any direct interviews, according to People, because, as a source explained to the outlet, Catherine was simply "largely out of action during the main filming."

Even without the duchess though, there will surely be many revealing details that shed light on the royal family in a way that we haven't seen before. No word yet on whether Prince George or Princess Charlotte will make an appearance on behalf of their beloved "Gan-Gan," but regardless, Queen Of The World sounds like a film full of memorable moments royal fans won't want to miss.