Documentary on the royals banned by the Queen has been unearthed for first time in decades

A documentary about the royal family that was banned by the Queen nearly 50 years ago has made its way online. You can watch a clip of the film below:

Titled Royal Family (original), the fly-on-the-wall TV special gave viewers a rare and intimate insight into the daily lives of the British monarchy.

It first aired on BBC 1 and ITV in June 1969, drawing in an estimated 350 million viewers - to this day, the film remains one of the most-watched TV broadcasts in UK history.

But despite the fact the project was commissioned by her majesty to celebrate Prince Charles' investiture, Buckingham Palace banned it in 1977.

Reports state that the Queen regretted allowing a camera crew into her home as it provided the world with too close a look at her family's lives and operations.

YouTube/British History Documentaries

Netflix's The Crown even dedicated a full episode to the scandal, citing the negative reaction from the media and viewers when it first aired.

Whatever the reason for the ban may be, the documentary has been kept under a lock and key - until now.

Back in June, the full 90-minute special was shared on YouTube before being uploaded to Reddit last week.

Reaction has been very similar to how it was back then - albeit a little more scathing - with many pointing out that the film is just, well, pretty boring.

In one mundane scene, we see the Queen, Prince Philip and their kids having a barbecue at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

YouTube/British History Documentaries

Another shows the Queen buying Prince Edward an ice-cream, telling him: "This disgusting gooey mess is going to be in the car, isn't it?"

The family are also seen having lunch with then-US President Richard Nixon.

Responding to the resurfaced footage, one Redditor commented: "The Royal family is as boring as the Kardashians."

Another wrote: "A sick, twisted, outdated blight and dark beacon of societal suppression and yet still incredibly boring."

A third chimed in: "The wealthy are so disconnected from us and we are brainwashed to think that we must work hard until we get sick and retire."

YouTube/British History Documentaries

Although the Queen has never spoken publicly about her distaste for the doc, Princess Anne later said: "I never liked the idea of the royal family film. I always thought it was a rotten idea.

"The attention that had been brought on one ever since one was a child, you just didn't want anymore. The last thing you needed was greater access."