A new documentary has captured the sweet moment that the Prince and Princess of Wales returned to Buckingham Palace after the King’s Coronation.

The royal couple beamed as they returned to a warm round of applause in the footage, which captured the moment after the King’s service at Westminster Abbey on May 6.

Prince William and Kate, who were dressed in formal robes and mantels for the historic occasion, walked past a slew of people curtsying and cheering the couple.

Moments later, Kate is seen warmly greeting the new King with a kiss on the cheek after his big day.

The 90-minute film is written and co-produced for Oxford Films by the Mail’s Royal expert Robert Hardman, and is a highlight of the BBC‘s Christmas schedule.

A new documentary captured the sweet moment that the Prince and Princess of Wales return to Buckingham Palace after the King’s Coronation

It is the first time a crew has been given fly-on-the-wall access to the Royal Family in the run-up to such a momentous national event.

On the Coronation day, Kate donned a formal robe, and wore the Royal Victorian Order mantle reflecting her status as a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.

The Order was created by Queen Victoria in 1896 to allow her to recognise people who helped her or represented her.

Underneath the robe she wore a dazzling ivory Alexander McQueen dress which featured thread work embroidery with rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs to represent each of the four nations.

William looked smart in the Mantle of the Order of the Garter over the ceremonial dress uniform of the Welsh Guards.

He also donned the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle Sash, with the Badge of the Order, and RAF Pilot Wings.

The documentary is written and co-produced for Oxford Films by the Mail’s own royal expert Robert Hardman, who gives more delightful detail in today’s Weekend Magazine.

The royal couple, beamed as they returned to a warm round of applause in the landmark documentary which captured the moment after the King’s service at Westminster Abbey on May 6

Moments later Kate is seen warmly greeting the new King with a kiss on the cheek after his big day

The programme includes interviews with family members, notably Princess Anne, and staff responsible for making the King’s big day such a success.

On the morning of Saturday, May 6, King Charles and Queen Camilla are involved in last minute preparations at Buckingham Palace.

Along the corridor, Her Majesty walks out in her Bruce Oldfield embroidered ivory gown, accompanied by her pages – who she affectionately calls ‘the lads’.

‘Very slow, together,’ she says. Lady Lansdowne, one of Camilla’s two official ladies in attendance on the day, says of the moment: ‘It wasn’t until we were all ready that we actually all came together to see each other for the first time.

‘She hadn’t seen our dresses and we hadn’t seen her dress. That was a very special moment. It was quite like a wedding. It was the bridesmaids going to see the bride.’

The footage shows the Queen gingerly walking towards the exit, accompanied by her three-grandsons and great-nephew.

‘Don’t tread on my dress or that’s going to a be a problem,’ Camilla affectionately reminds them.

She adds to the cameraman, with a smile: ‘Here we are, with all the lads.’

The King then appears talking to his equerry Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, smilingly helping to diffuse everyone’s nervousness by flapping the Robe of State worn by his grandfather, King George VI, at his Coronation in 1937, in his own ‘I can fly’ Titanic moment.

Kate glanced across at her children during the service, who were sitting quietly alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales throughout the ceremony (Pictured 6 May)

Instead of a tiara, the royal mother-of-three wore a matching Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen Headpiece with silver bullion, crystal and silver thread work three-dimensional leaf embroidery (Pictured 6 May)

Camilla also jokes: ‘Someone always gets pulled over,’ referring to the weight of their finery.

As the couple depart in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach for Westminster Abbey, Lady Lansdowne, lifelong friend of the Queen, remarks: ‘There was just a really exciting moment of getting them into that carriage for the first time and then we were off.’

In an exceptionally moving segment, Camilla’s other lady in attendance, her sister Annabel Elliot, waves her off and dabs at her face with a handkerchief, apparently moved to tears.

She recalls: ‘I thought back to being two years old and watching the Queen’s [Elizabeth] Coronation on a tiny black and white television – and there goes this golden coach with my sister in it.

‘It’s so surreal and this cannot be happening. Yes, it was quite a moment.’ Lady Lansdowne adds: ‘We were ready to go out and face literally the world.’