This Unearthed Video of the Royals Socializing at a G7 Cocktail Reception in 1991 Is Fascinating

An unearthed clip of the the Queen, Prince Charles, and Princess Diana at a G7 cocktail reception in 1991 is going viral.

britains queen elizabeth ii leads french president françois mitterrand l, german chancellor helmut kohl r and other participants onto a balcony of buckingham palace following a banquet during the london 17th g7 summit on july 16, 1991 photo by jean loup gautreau afp photo credit should read jean loup gautreauafp via getty images
(Image credit: JEAN-LOUP GAUTREAU)
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  • In an unearthed clip that's currently going viral, members of the royal family can be seen mingling and chatting at a G7 cocktail reception at Buckingham Palace.
  • The video, filmed in 1991, features Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, and Princess Diana and is a rare, unfiltered look at the royals interacting with other world leaders.
  • The clip is originally from a 1992 BBC documentary called Elizabeth R. 

It's rare that we normals get a real, inside look at the royal family, but an unearthed clip from 1991 is offering exactly that.

In the video, taken at a G7 cocktail reception at Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Princess Diana all drink and mingle with other world leaders and VIPs. It's a rare (and deeply fascinating) chance to listen in on the private conversations that royals have during events the general public just doesn't get to see.

The clip has gone viral since being posted by @BenABrittain, and lots of royal reporters have joined the hoards of regular royal fans in sharing and commenting on it.

One thing that's stuck out to a lot of the people who have watched the video is the rude way some men, including former Prime Minister Ted Heath, speak over the Queen repeatedly during the clip (one highlight of the clip is when the Queen jokes to Heath that he's "expendable" after being cut off several times).

The Times' Valentine Low summed up the sentiment writing, "What is noticeable here: 1. How well informed and articulate the Queen is and 2. How the men, including Heath, insist on talking over her."

After sharing the video, Brittain explained in a followup tweet that we have the 1992 BBC documentary Elizabeth R to thank for this footage. The documentary is available to watch in full on YouTube and is absolutely worth a watch:

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Kayleigh Roberts
Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.