Television: Show on Queen a royal bore

Lin Ferguson

Even at 90 years, HRH's presence still has the power to cause knees to tremble, eyes to be dabbed, hands to quiver and children's faces to beam and smile widely when she visits her subjects.

Either driving at snail's pace through the streets of a town, snipping a ribbon, or walking slowly clasping a posy presented by a shy child.

The Queen at 90 on Prime was a marathon moving at a slow but even pace for two hours. It was monotonous in that you couldn't really beef up a documentary on our Queen, not because she's an old girl at 90 but because there's simply nothing flamboyant, risque or tantalising about being the monarch. It's all about diplomacy and protocol.

In saying that, there were a couple of tiny moments when she spoke to her horses and we saw that famous sweet smile glow as she offered a very nice pared and peeled carrot. God forbid it would be a woody old carrot hauled out of the garden that morning. I wanted to see her have a few moments with the corgis too but that sadly didn't happen.

Really the two hours was spent showing us footage from the old days when our girl was young. Why we had to be reminded of what a handsome man she'd married was hard to fathom. There were endless shots of her in pastel ensembles with matching hats and the ever present handbag slid across an arm but absolutely nothing new.

Darn, I was hoping for a casual moment with our queen but it simply didn't happen because I suppose it would never do.

Endless stories over the years about how the younger members of the monarchy are part of the modern world and ever keen to show their so-called ordinary selves. But as far as our Queen goes, she's still the stylish, stiff-upper lipped wee woman.

She has to be admired for her tireless attention to service and duty and for everyone who has met her either receiving an award, a gong or tap on shoulder, they go away convinced they have been touched by an angel, a royal angel.

Our Queen within the royal network is different in that you rarely hear her speak. Even her so-called conversations with members of the royal household, politicians or presidents all seem stilted or scripted.

In reality she has carried the weight of the Commonwealth on her shoulders during her reign so really, just how much do we need to know about her personally? The programme was too long and too carefully edited but for all that she's a great lass.