BBC launches Queen Elizabeth archive

The BBC has launched an online archive chronicling Elizabeth II's journey from Princess to Queen during the years leading to her Coronation.

The website features 19 radio and television broadcasts from the years 1940 to 1952, which includes the then Princess's contribution during the Second World War.

Radio broadcasts in the archive include Princess Elizabeth's first broadcast for the BBC at the age of 14 for Children's Hour as well as a speech the Princess gave to the Commonwealth on her 21st birthday in South Africa (see video below).

Newsreel footage includes the Royal wedding from 1947 and the announcement of the birth of Prince Charles, heir to the throne.

Another newsreel clip shows the Princess and the Duke of Edinburgh on a Royal visit to Athens, taking in the Acropolis and cheering crowds.

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"This collection provides a fascinating insight into the contribution made by Princess Elizabeth through the Second World War, and the post-war years leading up to her Coronation," Julie Rowbotham, executive producer at BBC Archive.

"The BBC's remarkable archives enable audiences to learn much more about the time, and also the important role played by the then Princess in years that saw so much change," Rowbotham added.

Earlier this month the BBC opened up its archived material on the celebrated writer George Orwell.