The BBC's ornate 'royal microphone' from the 1930s revealed

Anyone who has seen the film, The King's Speech, will know that the microphones used for broadcasting by the Royal Family in the 1930s didn't look anything like those used by ordinary mortals.

That's because the BBC designed special "royal microphones", in ornate art deco cabinets.

The BBC still has one, locked away in a cupboard - and this weekend it was dusted off and taken into the studio of Radio 4's Broadcasting House programme by BBC Heritage collections manager Rory O'Connell.

Nick Higham had a sneak preview - and the big question is, does it still work?