Little Princess: New Film Shows the Queen at Four Years Old

Princess Elizabeth in 1928

The Royal Collection 2010 / Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

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The little girl in the film would rather not sit still. She ruffles her hair with abandon, throws a ball at the cameraman and delights in balancing coins on a stranger's forehead and nose. Silly, curious and slightly naughty, she's too young to understand that one day she will become Queen Elizabeth II, the symbol of an empire and the most photographed woman in the world. (See portraits of the Queen.)

The video, re-discovered in the depths of the British Film Institute's archives two months ago, captures the would-be queen in 1931, aged four-and-three-quarters. Shot during a visit to the studio of royal photographer Marcus Adams, the two-minute film — which has never before been seen by the public — has been released to coincide with an exhibition of Adams' work opening at Windsor Castle on April 24. (See the video of the would-be queen in 1931.)

The film helps paint a fuller picture of Britain's monarch — one that isn't steeped in ceremony and doesn't depict her wearing solid-colored overcoats or hats the size of open umbrellas. "People basically don't change. As a child, she's a happy, bubbly personality," says Lisa Heighway, curator of the Royal Collection's exhibition. "I suppose people shouldn't say this about the Queen, but I imagine that at home, when she's off duty, she's still the same happy, easygoing person."

The 56 images on display in the exhibition capture the then princess and her family in a variety of moods and include her first portrait sitting at the age of seven-and-a-half months. "The great thing about these photos is that the family's not actually fulfilling their royal role," Heighway says. "They're just an ordinary family having their photographs taken." (See pictures of the Queen meeting Lady Gaga.)

In one photo of the Princess at nine months, she stares at pictures of her parents — the Duke and Duchess of York — probably unaware of who they are or that they're away on a six-month tour of Australia and New Zealand. In a shot taken when she was two, she adopts the angelic pose of the cherubs in Raphael's Sistine Madonna, resting on her forearms and gazing skyward. In others she laughs hysterically, embraces her sister the Princess Margaret, and, in a picture taken after she turned eight, channels Hollywood glamour by donning a fancy frock and leaning on an armchair.

And while the photographs certainly capture Princess Elizabeth's maturation from infant to woman, the most interesting glimpse is that of her transition from mere royal to heir apparent. On Dec. 11, 1936, when the Princess was 10, her father, George VI, unexpectedly became king following his brother's abdication. In a family photograph taken four days later, she appears to already feel the weight of her new role. "It's such a pivotal moment in the family's life, and I think that it shows through in that photograph," Heighway says. "She's holding herself quite upright even though she's seated, and her expression is quite serious." And just like that the carefree girl stops balancing coins, and starts fulfilling her obligations.

Read a TIME cover story on the Royal Family.

See pictures of Prince Charles turning 60.