David Dimbleby Drops Bombshell on What Really Happened Behind the Scenes at Queen’s Funeral
Dimbleby suggested that what the audience saw during the funeral service was only a part of an extremely controlled broadcast.
A new BBC documentary has shed fresh light on how carefully managed Queen Elizabeth's state funeral was behind the scenes. The revelations, which came from renowned author David Dimbleby, suggest that what the audience saw on the day was only a part of an extremely controlled broadcast shaped by Palace intervention.
Viewers were left stunned by the veteran broadcaster's revelations about the monarchy. In the final episode of his three-part BBC documentary series, What’s The Monarch For?, which aired on December 16, Dimbleby exposed moments when the royal family lost control of its public image. He reflected on how far the Firm was prepared to go to reclaim influence over the public narrative. Opening with the Queen’s passing in 2022, Dimbleby referred to the event as a “solemn state funeral,” before disclosing details that shed light on how tightly the monarchy manages what the public is allowed to see.
The journalist shared, “The Palace was issuing instructions to the broadcasters about scenes in the broadcast that they can't ever use again. And they're quite small things.” Dimbleby claimed that some moments from the mournful day were deliberately time-stamped to ensure they are never aired again and were effectively removed from the public records.
According to the presenter, these permanently banned scenes included the handling of the crown and an attendee who appeared visibly distressed at the funeral, whose identity he kept confidential. He also mentioned that a snippet of Prince George touching his nose was banned from further use, as well as shots of Prince Edward and his wife Sophie’s handkerchiefs. As he read from his notes, Dimbleby continued, “At the lying in state, shots of the royal family mouthing the Lord's Prayer. These little excisions from reality are called by the Palace ‘perpetuity edits’. It's kind of George Orwell-speak. Perpetuity edits.”
He further slammed, “They remove from the world anything they don't particularly like. Never to be seen again. It is a bit confusing because on the one hand, this is a family funeral of a mother and grandmother, and you could argue they have the right to grieve in private. On the other hand, it's been turned into a state occasion because the Queen was our head of state, and this is her public funeral. Do we have a right to see it all? Or do they have the right to control what we see?” Dimbleby concluded sternly by adding, “It happened. It's reality. But no longer. It's cut out.”
His claims in the documentary led to extreme reactions from the public who watched the BBC broadcast. A fan posted on X, “Fascinating that the royals (unknown to many) always controlled their image and what we received, but that has fallen apart in these days of social media and investigative journalism.” Another expressed, “Perpetuity edits are wrenching. And what weird requests to remove the reality and emotion. #whatsthemonarchyfor” Meanwhile, a third viewer added, “David Dimbleby pulls no punches in his superb documentary #WhatsTheMonarchyFor. They were obsessed with how they would be portrayed and ensured the media were 100% controlled. Maybe they have always known their days are numbered.”
