History

The Queen and the Coup

February 1953: the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Little does she know she is about to be deployed in a secret plot to topple Iran’s democratic leader in favor of an all-powerful Shah. Planned by MI6 and executed by the C.I.A., the coup that follows destroys relations between Iran and the West. Using newly declassified documents this film unravels this secret for the first time.

A Seven-Decade Secret

3m 10s

Did Queen Elizabeth meddle into the internal affairs of another country? Or was the Queen used as a hidden asset to start a coup?

Extras + Features

  • A Seven-Decade Secret: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    A Seven-Decade Secret

    3m 10s

    Did Queen Elizabeth meddle into the internal affairs of another country? Or was the Queen used as a hidden asset to start a coup?

  • Trailer: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trailer

    30s

    February 1953: the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Little does she know she is about to be deployed in a secret plot to topple Iran’s democratic leader in favor of an all-powerful Shah. Planned by MI6 and executed by the C.I.A., the coup that follows destroys relations between Iran and the West. Using newly declassified documents this film unravels this secret for the first time.

  • A Different Tactic: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    A Different Tactic

    2m 5s

    The British come up with a plan to exaggerate the communist threat to get the Americans to join their efforts with the coup.

Schedule

WETA Passport

Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.