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Princess Elizabeth Thoroughly Enjoys Herself at the Royal Tournament

Fit for a princess: the future Queen Elizabeth II accompanies her parents to the military tattoo at Olympia, Kensington

Non-Fiction 1937 1 mins

Overview

The 11-year-old Princess Elizabeth joins her parents in the best seats in the house at the Royal Tournament in this Pathe newsreel. After making a rather grand entrance, the future queen applauds a spectacular display of rope gymnastics. Although cinema audiences would no doubt have been keen for a glimpse of royalty, it's the death-defying stunts of the gymnasts that really steal the show.

The Royal Tournament is a military tattoo held annually from 1880 until 1999. From the 1900s, the tournament was held at Olympia, Kensington, having outgrown its original venue, Islington's Royal Agricultural Hall.