Historical film footage of the visit by Queen Elizabeth II to Tonga in 1953, and her friendship with Queen Salote, is shown in a new 58 minutes long documentary film, broadcast for the first time on BBC One in the United Kingdom last week.

The Queen: Her Commonwealth Story, can be seen online by British audiences for another 20 days until April 25, on the BBC One website.

It will also be broadcast on BBC Two in the United Kingdom next Thursday 12 April at 00:15 hours.

Presenter George Alagiah explores the history of Queen Elizabeth II and her beloved Commonwealth. Walking in her footsteps, he discovers how the role of heading this family of nations has affected the Queen as she grew and developed, both as a monarch and as a person.

George's journey starts in Tonga, one of the furthest-flung stops on the Queen's first Commonwealth tour in 1953, where he meets Princess Pilolevu, granddaughter of the Queen of Tonga who welcomed the 27-year-old Queen Elizabeth II so warmly all those years ago. Princess Pilolevu said that Queen Salote gave up her palace so the English queen could stay there.

George introduces the tour from the beach at Kanokupolu, on Tongatapu. He rides in Queen Salote's car in Nuku'alofa. Historical footage of the Tonga visit from the BBC archives is colorized and shows the arrival of the queen, the welcome by crowds and the extravagant feast at the Royal Palace in Nuku'alofa, as well as earlier footage of Queen Salote at the Coronation in London.

Queen Elizabeth II reflected after the 1953-54 tour:  "This Commonwealth Tour was the longest one we've ever done. Of course, it was very interesting to be able to go and see the people who had come to the Coronation, to see them in their own countries. Like going to Tonga and visiting the Queen of Tonga in her own country. Crossing the Pacific in a ship... was an experience in itself, three weeks at sea... Extraordinary to look back on, isn't it?" 

From Tonga, George's own Commonwealth tour takes him to Australia, Ghana, India and South Africa. In each country he discovers how the shy young Queen grew into a monarch who commands respect, exploring moments of triumph, diplomacy, challenge and political intrigue. Gathering testimony from people who have met the Queen across the years and from experts who have followed her fascinating journey, George builds a picture of how deftly the Queen has played her unique role as head of the Commonwealth, through a passage of history that has seen some Commonwealth nations going through difficult and tumultuous times.

The queen's daughter Princess Anne talks about the queen's role as a woman in a male-dominated world, and the much-deployed royal walkabout. Other interviewees include former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke, the second Commonwealth secretary-general Sir Sonny Ramphal, former private secretary to the Queen Sir William Heseltine and South African politician Mamphela Ramphele.

Presenter George Alagiah

The Queen: Her Commonwealth Story was made by BBC Studios and Pacific Quay Productions in Scotland. George Alagiah with the BBC Producer Director Minoo Bhatia and crew visited Tonga last year on a round-the-world trip to make the documentary. The Tonga location producer was Mary Lyn Fonua. 

Currently, the documentary cannot be viewed online outside of the UK, but the producers indicated that it may possibly be shown in other parts of the world at times to be announced later, following its UK broadcasts.

Photo gallery: Royal Yacht Britannia. Photos: BBC One.