John Freeman, The Royal Collection © 2006, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Two wonderful Royal TV programmes are currently gracing our screens in Britain. The Queen’s Castle on BBC2 Tuesdays, and Time Team’s Channel 4 archeological dig at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Hollyrood Palace in Edinburgh. Both are fascinating and gripping television.

The Queen’s Castle is a repeat of a series about the inner workings of Windsor Castle. And if you thought the old place must be a bit down-at-heel in democratic, 21st century England, think again. You’ll need to travel many leagues around the world and beyond to find interiors as sumptuous as these. It’s no wonder Windsor is the Queen’s favourite residence.

Last week’s hour-long episode centered around a visit by the President of France, Jacques Chirac, the State Banquet for him and Madame, and a performance by the entire West End cast of the hit musical, Les Miserables.

The meticulousness of the arrangements was what caught the eye : chairbacks precisely 27 inches from the massive table, cutlery lined up with military precision, and the Queen’s personal inspection of the table before her guests arrived. What a sharp eye she had for every detail.

If you get a chance to see this series of films, you won’t be disappointed. Just gazing at the inside of Windsor Castle provides enough fascination for an entire day.

By contrast, Time Team’s dig, which is still going on as I write, is almost all outdoors amid the dirt and rubble of trenches and bits of old pottery. The event is being staged to mark the Queen’s 80th birthday and required special permission from Her Majesty to set up. Digging up not one of the Monarch’s lawns but three must have taken a good deal of persuasion.

What have they found so far? Well, the beginnings of Windsor Castle had serious Arthurian connections. Wouldn’t you just know it. They also think they’ve found the site of King Edward III’s Round Table, the HQ for his Knightly Order based on King Arthur’s presumed version at Camelot. Could Windsor Castle be built on the site of “Camelot”? They’re not saying, but there’s a great deal of excitement in the air at Windsor this weekend.

It’s a good job the Queen is at Balmoral — another of her castles — but well away from all the digging.