Millions of TV viewers will be pulling on 3D glasses next week for what is being described as "the closest thing to time travel" royal watchers will ever experience.
Previously unseen footage of the Queen's 1953 Coronation will be broadcast for the first time. Amazingly, the 17-minute 3D reel was lost in the national archives for half a century.
It was found by the son of Arthur Wooster - one of the two cameramen behind the piece who went on to work on nine Bond films.
Mr Wooster and fellow cameraman Bob Angell – both now in their 80s – made the movie for £3,000, around £65,000 in today's money. But it was never shown in public as the Coronation prompted so many people to buy their own sets that popularity for 3D cinema plummeted.
The footage covers the procession to and from Westminster Abbey, a trip to the Derby at Epsom and exclusive footage of the Queen and Prince Philip on the Royal Barge on the River Thames shortly after she was crowned.
When Buckingham Palace was informed about the piece the Queen was so pleased that she invited the film-makers to go behind the cameras again to obtain contemporary 3D footage at a Buckingham Palace garden party and the Highland Games.
The old and new scenes will be shown next Monday in documentary The Queen in 3D, as part of Channel 4's 3D week. Viewers can collect free 3D glasses from Sainsbury stores across the UK.
