TV firm takes the blame for Queen mistake

Monday July 17th 2007

The TV production company behind the documentary A Year With The Queen has taken responsibility for the recent furore surrounding the monarch.

RDF Media, who made the documentary for BBC One, admitted it was to blame for a documentary trailer that made the Queen look like she had stormed out of a photo shoot.

RDF chief executive David Frank sent an e-mail to BBC director general Mark Thompson on Monday saying:

"I deeply regret the embarrassment this has led to for both the BBC and the Queen and wanted to apologise to you unreservedly."

"There no attempt to include anything misleading in the documentary. I nonetheless condemn what was done by RDF employees in manipulating the chronology of any footage regardless of its objective, use or context."

"It has been an extremely painful lesson for those involved. I am taking steps to put in place measures which I hope will ensure nothing of this sort happens again."

The trailer was shown during the press launch for BBC One's autumn season last week.