She reigned for almost three quarters of a century as the world changed around her. She was a symbol of unity in good times and bad. Successful because she knew her unique place and she understood it. The act of being there, of being. You know, a. A continuing. Reference point of stability and endless duties is something that i think is. Is of the greatest importance. It was really about service and her definition of service, and that was a lifetime. Literally 24 7, 365 days of the year. It was never something you could turn off and turn on. It was there all the time. It is so strange to almost everyone in this countryl that she is no longer queen. It will take a long while to come to terms with that. I declare before you all, that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperialfamily to which we all belong. As Queen Elizabeth ii, she reigned over more than 135 Million People and, as head of the commonwealth, a third of the planets population. Her majesty was perhaps one of the youngest leaders in the world at a time of male domination, and yet she led, like elizabeth i. And she was a fabulous queen. The one thing that people wanted was just to get as close as they possibly could to the lustre of her presence and somehow to share in it a bit. I believe this nation would not be |as united as it is had it not beenl for herand herexample. Today, we need a special kind of courage. Not the kind needed in battle, but a kind which makes us stand up for everything that we know is right, everything that is true and honest. The kind of courage that can withstand the subtle corruption of the cynics. So that we can show the world that were not afraid of the future. She was crowned Queen Elizabeth ii onjune the 2nd 1953, after the early death of her father, when suddenly the pomp, ritual and tradition of centuries reached out to claim her. Head of the United Kingdom and commonwealth since the young age of 25. She was the most famous woman in the world. But above mere celebrity, outside politics, a constant Background Figure in every british life. When she was born, in april 1926, nobody expected that. She was royal, but not regarded as a future queen. Here she is, Princess Elizabeth, merely third in line to the throne. Those who knew her spoke of a child whose focus rarely wavered, and, by the age of five, at a photographic session, already the object of obsessive public gaze. She never went to school or had ordinary friends, relying instead on the companionship of her younger sister, Princess Margaret. She was brought up with the greatest care and affection, but also, as queen mary is reported to have said, she was brought up sensibly. Ready for inspection. This was herfirst public engagement. Ceremony at Windsor Castle. Princess elizabeth celebrated her 16th birthday by inspecting the Grenadier Guards in her capacity as colonel of the regiment. After the ceremony, there were presentations and informal conversations. And this final record of the occasion. And in 19114, at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in hackney, her first public speech before the cameras. I need not say how proud i am to be associated with the hospital in this way. I feel that i have long had very close ties with it. But no speech embodied her character and belief more than the one she gave in south africa on her 21st birthday, when she pledged herself as a kind of sacrifice to the british state. I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperialfamily to which we all belong. God help me to make good my vow, and god bless all of you who are willing to share in it. She says, i pledge myself to serve you, and, by the way, the you here is notjust people in london or even in england it is the whole. Then empire, becoming the commonwealth. We learnt from it that the queens sense of duty came above Everything Else above marriage, above parenthood. She is pledging herself to serve. But where did this sense of duty come from . Her early life was crucial. Shed watched her grandfather, the King Emperor George v, at his silverjubilee in 1935 and then, in dramatic, even scandalous circumstances, her father was called upon to step into his brothers shoes. This is Windsor Castle. And now that i have been succeeded by my brother, my first words must be to declare my allegiance to him. But you must believe me when i tell you that i have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility without the help and support of the woman i love. It was as if a deep line had been scored across the history of these islands, and also the history of the monarchy. Edward viii� s reign lasted just 325 days. He was the first british monarch to abdicate. He did so in order to marry the twice divorced american wallis simpson. With no children, the crown went to his younger brother, the duke of york, a quiet family man whose happy marriage to Elizabeth Bowes lyon had borne the two girls, elizabeth and margaret. The abdication in December 1936 caused a political crisis. It divided the nation and there was talk about whether the monarchy itself would survive. But, i mean, its a tremendous shock to a rather staid and very settled society and the institution that is at the apex of the political and administrative systems. So its quite hard now, in a secular age, more secular age, and a more understanding age about divorce and personal preferences and all the rest of it, to appreciate just what a lightning flash December 1936 was. When King George Vi came to the throne, the princesses were moved to Buckingham Palace. When she was told, a horrified elizabeth replied, what . Do you mean forever . Does this mean youll be queen . Asked her sister, Princess Margaret. I suppose it does. She was born into this really happy family. They had dogs, they had a lovely family life and they were a very secure little unit and a very loving little unit, and then, suddenly, the security of her life went out the window. Leaving their comfortable private home in piccadilly, the task was thrust towards them and the whole family had to learn to embrace it. She took it very seriously. I think the example that she had from her father, as well as her mother, was absolutely crucial to her understanding of what being a monarch actually meant. She grew up watching her father as he overcame his shyness to become the face of the empire at war. Hed arrange for practical things, Foreign Office papers she would be shown and so on, so she picked up from him essential ingredients of kingship, in the round, the whole lot, but also she was aware of the affairs of state. Air raid siren wails. In 1939, when war broke out, it was suggested that the princesses elizabeth and margaret should be evacuated hurriedly to canada. Queen elizabeth, their mother, said, i should die if i had to leave. The children wont go without me. I wont leave the king and the king will never leave. In daylight raids, between 350 and 400 enemy aircraft were launched in two attacks against london and southeast england. While her parents spent their days working in london, returning to Windsor Castle at night, elizabeth watched as her mother courted the press, boosting the nations morale, and joined in along with her sister in theirfirst Radio Broadcast in october 1940. Thousands of you in this country have had to leave your homes and be separated from your fathers and mothers. My sister, margaret rose, and ifeel so much for you, as we know from experience what it means to be away from those we love most of all. There was this sense that she wanted to say that she understood how difficult it had been for others her age. Its almost the first time that we saw her reaching out to her future subjects. Four years later, 18 year old Princess Elizabeth joined the war effort as a member of the auxiliary territorial service. I thinkjoining any branch of the armed forces in a total war would leave a very great imprint upon you. The comradeship, the need for shared fortitude, and also doing ones bit. Its very, very important when you have a family on the throne that the family does its bit with the rest of the country at times of duress. I think that her majesty herself was affected by the experience of that second world war, and i think she never forgot watching the whole commonwealth come to the aid of the United Kingdom in its darkest hour. Big ben chimes. It was on ve day that the king had broadcast his message to the people of britain, the British Empire and the commonwealth of nations. The queen and i know the ordeals. Which you have endured. Throughout the commonwealth and empire. People came from the six corners of the then British Empire to volunteer to help the United Kingdom remain safe because they were seen as the emblem of freedom. Almost right up to the end, l london and Southern England had been underfire. London certainly had as much right i as anywhere to celebrate victory, i and london certainly did. On the 8th of may 1945, as victory in europe was announced, the crowds shouted for the king. The princesses could not resist the lure of the swarming streets. I think we went on the balcony nearly every hour, six times, and then when the excitement of the floodlights being switched on got through to us, my sister and i realised we couldnt see what the crowds were enjoying, so we asked my parents if we could go out and see for ourselves. Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief. After crossing green park, we stood outside and shouted, we want the king. I think it was one of the most memorable nights of my life. These new Beginnings Saw the princess emerge from the war as a woman in love, having set her heart on the naval officer lieutenant philip mountbatten, the first time that the media caught on to it, or decided wedding in october 1946. Meanwhile, at the entrance to the abbey, Prince Philipl of greece waits to escort the royal family from their car. And theres a famous photograph which is often published of him taking her fur coat at the door of romsey abbey and sort of looking at each other, and i think that started a real interest because i think people thought, aha at that point. The royal family and Princess Elizabeths fiance have permitted |these special film studies to bej made in response to the rapidly mounting worldwide interest in the forthcoming Royal Wedding on the 20th Of November in westminster abbey. I in the evening, londoners,. Who had been waiting outside the palace for hours, made their feelings perfectly clear when the princess and her fiance came out onto the balcony. The day of the wedding and immense crowds. I thousands had assembled overnight, others had arrived at dawn, all eagerly waiting to see and to cheer the royal procession. The wedding was a fantastic occasion. If you think of a Family Wedding and multiply it hundreds of times, it was that sort of atmosphere that really spread through the country. I, Elizabeth Alexandra mary. Take thee, philip. Take thee, philip. To my wedded husband. To my wedded husband. To have and to hold. From this day forward. Wedding march plays. Following the king and queen in the procession were queen mary, princess andrew of greece, the bridegrooms mother,. And king haakon of norway. The wedding was the first extravagant Public Display after the war, drawing scattered and out of work royals from across europe and reminding the british of a grander age theyd almost forgotten. Iand how they cheered the happy pair| when they came out onto the balcony. What a wonderful picture the princess made, looking most lovely in her magnificent gown and standing happily beside her husband. The two of them were walking out together into a life of relentless observation. She would lean on him heavily for humour, advice and spontaneity as they began a journey in which every outside smile, every turn of the head, every wave was dutifully filmed. It was an outstandingly successful marriage. The common bond is that they loved each other and went on loving each other. And they had that rather rare capacity, both as individuals and as a couple, always to put other people before themselves. So i think they really did think of themselves as sharing a very important job. He would never interfere on constitutional issues, on issues of. To do with sort of government programmes, etc, but he was incredibly useful to bounce ideas off, to get his views on things. Leaving london airport on saturday in one of the viking aircraft of the kings flight, | on which is blazoned the royal badge, was his Royal HighnessPrince Philip, Duke Of Edinburgh, lieutenant in the royal navy, bound for malta and service afloat. It was on the island of malta that Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip spent their happiest days as a young couple, relatively free, relatively private. I think, for the princess, it was a marvellous experience to be able to live a fairly anonymous life because people were very sensible and realised that, you know, they didnt want to be treated differently, and i think it was a very special experience to be able to live as a private individualfor a change. In malta, the prince took up polo. And the princess found a hobby of her own. And this is what she filmed, capturing the greatest and enduring loves of her life horses. And her husband. Dynasties, of course, need children, and, on cue. Fanfare. This is the first time for two centuries that a prince in line of succession to the throne has borne the name charles. A year into their marriage, private home movies captured their newborn, a baby boy. It was rare to see the princess so relaxed, playful, unguarded a glimpse of the ordinary life that she lived behind the railings and the ceremonial. Private feeling and public duty were always in tension. Unlike her, Prince Charles was a future king from his cot. Two years later came the birth of their second child. For one month old Baby Princess anne, this was the first public appearance, but she appeared blissfully unaware. But the family was about to suffer a shattering blow. In 1952, King George Vi was gravely ill. He sent his daughter and her husband on a tour of australia and new zealand with a private holiday in kenya. It would be the last time that they would see one another. In kenya, Prince Philip broke the news to the queen of her fathers death. Flying back to london, she was said to have been in tears, staring out of the window, contemplating the future. Official britain was waiting to claim her. The death of the king at the age of 56 meant that her life changed forever. The mother of two Young Children came to the throne at 25. Well. It must have been a terrible shock, in many ways. You could imagine at that age, when presumably shed hoped that shed have a chance to. To do other things and, you know, bring up herfamily and us, and have more time to adjust. God save the queen. Cheering. It took 16 months to plan but, onjune the 2nd 1953, Queen Elizabeth iis Coronation Transfixed a country which was still emerging from austerity and rationing. The barriers could hardly hold back the multitudes flooding into the great squares. Every country of the commonwealth was represented in that vast crowd. | it was the First Television occasion in this country, and Bbc Television was the only Television Network in western europe. And it was an extraordinary affirmative and positive, moving event. And at last, the coach, for which all eyes have been waiting, and all cheers as they give forth full throated. One of the things that struck me most forcefully was the very beginning of the service, when the queen came in and went past the throne on which she would sit and, by herself, knelt in prayer at the high altar and theres a profound symbolism there of the Head Of State giving her allegiance to god before anyone gives their allegiance to her. The queen anointed, blessed, and consecrated. Youre anointed under god and the law. For her, thats the moment you actually become queen. In a ceremony essentially unchanged for over 1,000 years, the queen was crowned. Music Zadok The Priest by gf handel. Faith, the Christian Faith has been astonishingly important to the queen, and its been accompanied by real discipline, observation, churchgoing, and, i think, has been rooted in a life of prayer. And i think one of the interesting things about the queen is that she would always have been surprised that other people didnt take prayer so much for granted as she did. As this day draws to its close, i know that my abiding memory of it will be not only the solemnity and beauty of the ceremony, but the inspiration of your loyalty and affection. I thank you all from a full heart. God bless you all. It was a choice moment. It was a moment to linger on. It was a moment to savour. And there she was with her dazzling consort, Prince Philip. It had the lot, you know. Stardust doesnt sum it up. 27 Million People had watched the ceremony on television, but not these private Family Moments captured for the queen herself behind the scenes at Buckingham Palace. They remind us that monarchy and family are the same thing. Prince charles, now four years old, was the first child ever to watch his mother being crowned sovereign, sitting on his grandmothers knee. Princess anne was too young to attend. I shall neverforget, you know, when we were small, having a bath and she came in practising wearing the crown for the coronation. Marvellous moments i shall never forget. Now, she was sovereign of the United Kingdom, australia, new zealand and canada, and Head Of State of a further 14 independent territories. Head of the church of england, the royal navy, the army, the royal air force, and, of course, the commonwealth. The full weight and glitter of one of the worlds last 24 carat monarchies. And on slim young shoulders. Her early reign was a golden time. She and Prince Philip set off on a tour of commonwealth countries, including new zealand and australia. She first came in 1954, when i was 14 or 15, and it was the first ever visit to australia by a reigning monarch and it created incredible interest. It was a big event. I think the reason people responded to her so well is the love that she had for the commonwealth was palpable. Every particle of that territorial empire she cherished, as she did every particle of her United Kingdom. A monarch and a mother, Queen Elizabeth ii was the first reigning British Sovereign to have a child since the days of queen victoria, with the birth of Prince Andrew in 1960. Prince edward was born four years later. Princess anne is 15. Prince charles, 17. As heir apparent, Prince Charles received the title of prince of wales when he was still a boy. To help him understand its full significance, the queen required him to be formally invested at 20. I remember very well being slightly nervous, to say the least, of having to walk up through the whole of the castle and have this coronet, which was of a slightly revolutionary design, plonked onto my head and then go and kneel in front of my mama to take the oath. I, Charles Prince of wales, do become your liege man of life and limb. It was a very proud and moving and rather humbling moment, ithought. In keeping with modern times, they have come closer to their peoples than ever before. In the weeks before his investiture, a candid Television Portrait of the royals was watched by two thirds of the population. It gave an insight into how the royalfamily lived in 1960s britain. I was wondering if we couldnt find something for the sapphires. That, you could wear with silver brocade. Oh, quite easily, yes. So can we remember that . Yes. Low sliding note. Sounds like a tiger. Thats right. Growling note. 0h shall we go and join the others . Yes, shall we go and join the others . The queens juggling of motherhood and monarchy was much questioned over the years but not, it should be said, by her children. The holiday times were pretty well kept, actually, from our perspective. Our holidays were. They were nearly always around. Partly because it included all the things that she enjoyed and that included the countryside, the dogs, the horses, and just being out and about and being able to get away a bit from that public gaze. And i do have very happy memories of childhood up in scotland, you know, balmoral in the summer. And. Yes, it. Well, i was very lucky to have her as a mother. She was always the queen, because that was really important for all of us, but she was always my mother so that is how you would remember her. The happiest times, inevitably, that wed spend together would be on holidays. So, balmoral and Sandringham Stand Out very, very clearly as favourite places. Because of the time that we spent together as a family. 0h why have you done that . Save you the trouble. She always took a great interest in things i was doing. I remember being. When i was sent off to school and everywhere else, i was always accompanied by a note saying i was to be treated just like everybody else. She was working and so we didnt see much of her during the day because of the duties. But in the evening, just the same as any other family, we would get together. We would always see them at weekends, we would always go down to Windsor Castle. Well see if this is Strong Enough to. Get off. We werent appendages that should be seen and not heard. We were definitely the priority. What do you want here . Good morning. Ice cream. This is what he really would like. They always go straight for the ice cream. The relationship was patently about periods away, doing things which couldnt be altered, programmes which were set, and an attempt to always have a sort of regular time slot for the children. Britannia was particularly special. Those were the times when i probably felt that. You know, the queen was the most i relaxed and was the furthest away. From the pressures of the job and the state. But there was, you know, there was always a sense of there were other things which were extremely important, which had to be dealt with and places had to be gone to. I certainly accompanied her on tours in the early days, and that was probably the best way of realising what was expected of you and how to respond. It wasnt necessarily very easy because, of course, the spotlight� s on you from the word go, so you didnt exactly learn in the quiet. Jump. It was a very special relationship and, apart from my three brothers, were the only people who have that relationship, so thats. That� s how i remember her. So, family first but only after hours. Day after day, constitutional duty almost overwhelmed the queens life, starting with an endless river of official documents. We used to send her up a red box every evening, full of cabinet papers, intelligence reports, telegrams. It would always come back the next day, read, ticked off. Since the days of winston churchill, she knew every important secret of the british state, something shared by nobody else. As Head Of State, only the monarch has the power to summon or end a session of parliament and appoint a Prime Minister, and she appointed plenty and knew them well, seeing each in regular weekly meetings. The Prime Minister, your highness. Good evening, maam. I think all Prime Ministers would say the same. Theyre an immensely therapeutic event. Very nice to see you again. Lovely to see you again. Its been. Its sort of like a priest no matter how appalling your confession may be about whats been going on, and. She had heard it all before and she had seen it all before, and that was immensely consoling. Its the one place where a Prime Minister can sit down with somebody who is knowledgeable, as the queen was knowledgeable, and know that nothings going to be briefed out from that meeting. There wont be any leaks from that meeting. Youre both just talking to each other, one to one. When things were really tough and difficult, you know, decisions, War And Peace or. Even i found, if there was a crisis within government, those audiences were a chance to talk to someone with that acquired wisdom, things that i literally could not discuss with anybody else. And she was brilliant without ever giving an opinion to nonetheless give advice. Beyond regular meetings with her Prime Ministers, for most of her reign, the queen was engaged in a relentless round of ceremonial duties, from the Garter Parade At Windsor to Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace and holyroodhouse, with more than 30,000 guests attending each year. In her lifetime, the queen conferred more than 400,000 honours and awards. As a token of thanks and appreciation. By her recognising the work that they were doing, the sense of pride and self worth that she gave to people is something that is so valuable. Each june saw the celebration of her official birthday at trooping the colour. Until the latter years of her reign, the queen turned up for around 400 official engagements every year in the uk and across her reign she made more than 270 foreign trips. Monsieur le president , mesdames et messieurs, je rends hommage a la nation francaise. Each year, 1,000 diplomats mingled at Buckingham Palace in the presence of the royal family, with every single one of them expecting at least a few sentences. Youre studying here . Whenever we did engagements which required all the family to be together, we would often discuss afterwards funny things that had happened and she loved to hear all of those stories. She had the most wonderful sense of humour. Well, your majesty, youre looking well, taking into account your tight schedule. Tomorrow im going to see 16 people. I may not look so good tomorrow. Laughter. In 1991, the queen was officially welcomed by the United States president , george bush sr. Unfortunately, no one adjusted her podium. Instead of the Head Of State, the worlds press and television saw only the hat of state. It is 15 years since our last visit to washington. Mr speaker, her majesty Queen Elizabeth ii, his Royal Highness| the Duke Of Edinburgh. Two days later, at a meeting of the us senate, the queen made it quite clear that shed noticed. Applause. I do hope you can see me today from where you are. Laughter. During her long reign, there were serious challenges. To be queen meant to weather all the storms of the changes of atmosphere that blew in around her. By the 1970s, a rougher and more politically extreme decade, overt republicanism began to be voiced, particularly in scotland. Some students started i banging on the window, shouting, queen out. Groups of students, many Drinking Beer and wine,. Were almost everywhere the queen went. Obscene songs were sung and a stink bomb was thrown as students protested at the amount of money spent on the visit. The queen appeared unruffled and none of the students actually reached her. Her Silverjubilee Celebration of 1977 was, in one way, a test of the institution of monarchy itself. She easily passed it with the help of the biggest Street Parties ever seen and an emotional statement, reiterating the promise she had first made as a princess on a birthday long ago. When i was 21, i pledged my life to the service of our people. And i asked for gods help to make good that vow. Although that vow was made in my salad days, when i was green injudgment, i do not regret nor retract one word of it. She wasnt going to flinch or step away. Her resolution would be tested time and time again, and never more brutally than when, in 1979, the republicanism of the Northern Ireland troubles came horribly close to home. The man she called uncle dickie, lord louis mountbatten, was murdered by the ira on a family boating trip. A huge amount of private grief for the queen, but she would have known that, for Prince Philip, for her husband, it would have been devastating, knowing that hed lost probably the second most important person in his life. I think it added a sense of fragility, really. Just brought home the reality of the fact that actually the royals and their supporters could be targets and that effectively rocked the royal family to its core. In her lifetime, the most serious challenges to the status of monarchy came not from external factors, but internal family troubles. Not a paradox, really, because the House Of Windsor, the self styled family monarchy, prided itself on upholding traditional christian values. After her own wedding, the queen gave a Speech Denouncing Divorce but the modern monarchy couldnt escape marital breakdown. The first divorcee in the queens close Family Circle was her only sister, Princess Margaret. In 1960, she married Antony Armstrong jones and, in 1978, they divorced. The queens first child to marry was princess anne, who wed captain Mark Phillips in 1973. And, in 1986, the nation celebrated the wedding of Prince Andrew and sarah ferguson. They separated in the same year as princess annes divorce. 1992 is not a year on which i shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an annus horribilis. This year of upheaval also saw Windsor CastleCatch Fire On what was the queens 45th wedding anniversary. The castle, occupied by a royal family for almost 1,000 years, was partially gutted by the most Humdrum Accident A Spotlight Setting Fire to a curtain. I dont think any of us will forget the sight of our diminutive sovereign in that raincoat and cape and hood, you know, in the rain, looking at the damage and how it was being dealt with. But 1992, this year of royal trauma, was overwhelmed by the news of another, more dramatic marriage breakdown. It is announced from Buckingham Palace that, with regret, the prince and princess of wales have decided to separate. Separation then led to divorce, something few people thought possible back in 1981, when Prince Charles, heir to the british throne, married lady diana spencer. With no expense spared, this had been one of the great public weddings of all time, watched by a global audience of 750 Million People. And what an extraordinary moment for the new princess of wales to look out at this sea of human beings. I. Who now will feel that they, in some way, own her. At the time, the future of the monarchy had never seemed more secure than with the birth of Prince William of wales in 1982. Two years later, a second son was born. Prince harry appeared. For the cameras wearing |the Christening Robe of honiton lace| worn by generations of royal babies. For his father, Prince Charles,. It was an excuse to give an instant History Lesson to young Prince William granny was christened in this. Great granny. And great granny. And i was. But by the mid 1990s, the final scenes and confrontations between them were being played out in public. When it was clear that they were going to separate, i was very much, at that stage, the intermediary with the princess. The queen was. Looking at pragmatic ways in which she could help the princess in establishing a new life. I think the queen accepted that this was the sad outcome of that. She kept in close touch with the princess. Then, in august 1997, came news which shook not only the monarchy but the world. Reporter just after midnight, | the black mercedes hit the kerb, cannoned into a concrete pillar of an underpass, then bounced into the side wall. Concussion, a broken arm, lacerations to the thigh shouldnt give enormous cause for concern. Stephen, i have to interrupt there, because, within the last few moments, the press association in britain, citing unnamed british sources, has reported that diana, princess of wales, has died. Everything came to a sudden head. Much of britain was convulsed with grief publicly displayed grief, an almost mediterranean outpouring of grief. She sobs. As the nation mourned, it was the queen herself who was criticised for staying silent. That was a very difficult time for the monarchy because, frankly, there was a. There was a distance that arose very sharply between the public reaction to princess dianas death and. The traditional distance of the monarchy and reserve of the monarchy in situations like that. And over the days of that week. She was, i think, genuinely wrestling with what she felt was appropriate and what she felt was necessary, and was it possible to find the right compromise between those two things . For four days after dianas death, the queen stayed with her grandsons at balmoral as public anger grew. There were two Young Princes who had lost their mother, and how the family coped with that was very much in her mind. I think it was one of the occasions when she put Family Centre stage for a few days, at the same time as trying to work out how the nation honoured, if you like, the princess. The queen came back to london. I remember that the atmosphere was really threatening. Large crowds of people, but silent. As the queens car came to the end of Constitution Hill to approach Buckingham Palace, you began to hear a slight applause amongst the crowd. Reporter this is a tragic occasion. Looks as though the queen is about to. She is. Shes getting out of the car, wes, and is going to talk to people. Its extremely unusual. This is almost unprecedented. Soft applause. I think perhaps the last time that the queen was among her people, outside the palace, was the day the war in europe ended. And from that moment, it sort of felt that the queen had come back, that the criticism that had been made had, in a way, been answered, and the atmosphere did change after that. On the fifth day after the princesss death, the queen finally talked to the people. In her calmly familiar voice, she said something difficult and unfamiliar. It was a generous admission of dianas power. What i say to you now, as your queen and as a grandmother, i say from my heart. First, i want to pay tribute to diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. It was interesting in the conversations i had with her that week. I mean, i could tell the hesitation and the reserve. But what came through ultimately and predominated was what she thought was necessary and right, notjust for the monarchy, but for the country. She does duty, and her duty was to lead the country through a difficult time, even if actually some i of the difficulty and some i of the antagonism and anger was directed at her. Six days after her death, dianas funeral took place at westminster abbey, and, as the coffin passed, the queen paid her respects in a way she had never been seen to do before. I was standing right behind the queen and, completely to my surprise, the queen gave a bow. It wasnt a nod. It was quite a bow. It hadnt been discussed beforehand at all. And i think it was something that came completely from her and it was a wonderful gesture. She was the queen of the stiff upper lip. She didnt like displays of emotion, particularly over what she saw as personal private issues. Monarchy meant to her stability, dignity and continuity, even in the face of direct threats against her. At the age of 55, during the queens annual birthday parade, trooping the colour, despite the heavy presence of troops and police, a man fired directly at the queen six times. Gunshots reporter Duke Of Edinburgh, colonel of the Grenadier Guards. She barely flinched, concentrating on controlling herfrightened horse. The policemen immediately dived at him, about half a dozen of them. I think one soldier got involved, at least, because he lost his bearskin and had to retrieve it afterwards. It turned out to be a replica gun firing blanks. The queen, who carried on with the parade, had no idea whether she had just narrowly escaped assassination. But nothing highlighted her vulnerability and calmness more than the day in 1982 when she woke up to find a disturbed, barefoot intruder in her bedroom. The man, michael fagan, had somehow stumbled across the queen alone during his second foray into the palace. He came in through a place where the alarm kept going off, so the. Policeman in the police lodge says, oh, its that alarm again. Switch it off. The policeman who was on guard at the queens door, and should have been there, had some urgent appointment, or so he thought, and he knew his colleague was coming on in a few minutes time, so he nipped off. Startled, the queen was woken up by fagan, and after an exchange of words, she managed to leave the room. The queen was unharmed and fagan was apprehended. This steely character was called upon at moments of National Commemoration and crisis. She never said very much, but she was always there to give witness to what had gone before and to hear the pain. What was perhaps underestimated was the personal toll it took upon her. When a coal tip collapsed in the welsh Mining Village of aberfan in 1966, it engulfed a row of houses and an infant school. Of 144 people who died, 116 were children. The queen waited eight days before visiting something she reportedly deeply regretted. Perhaps that was why she would return to aberfan several times during her reign. And 30 years later, when a gunman ran amok in the scottish town of dunblane, killing a teacher and 16 schoolchildren, the queen knew what was called for. There we were in Dunblane Cathedral and the queen had met the Emergency Services and the councillors and various representatives of the community to commiserate on behalf of the country, and there had been a moment set aside in the vestry, a totally private room, with nobody else present, just the queen and any parents who were there. To my astonishment, there were some 20 parents, including one mother who was so prostrate with grief, she could not stand. I rememberthe queen putting her handbag deliberately down and she physically braced herself before going into the room because she knew who was in there. She knew that somehow she was going to have to convey the sympathy of the nation and to react as a mother and grandmother. When Terrorist Bombs hit london injuly 2005, the queen expressed what is close to being her personal philosophy keep calm and carry on. I want to express my admiration for the people of our capital city who, in the aftermath of yesterdays bombings, are calmly determined to resume their normal lives. That is the answer to this outrage. Big ben chimes. Making her presence felt in an uneasy city still alive to the threat. On the saturday of that week, we had a huge parade on horse guards. As part of that parade, the queens programme, which was all set, all agreed, was that she would go down the mall in an open top land rover, and i remember vividly this Immediate Reaction as london was locked down, this question of, well, what on earth do we do about the parade . And her instinctive view was the parade goes ahead. Life was going to go on and she was not going to be cowed by terrorism. Band plays. Being seen is essential to the monarchy� s survival. I have to be seen to be believed, she once said, and its been calculated that the queen personally met more than three Million People. In the 1970s, she invented the Royal Walkabout a way of meeting as many people as possible and it became a Signature Feature of her reign. She opened up the doors of the occupied palaces to paying visitors and she introduced theme days to promote british culture. Gosh. To be in Buckingham Palace never in My Wildest Dreams did i ever feel i would be here. I wish my wife was here to see it. But behind her public face was a side of her character known only to the few. Underneath everything, she was quite a shy person, without any sense of sort of ego, which is extraordinary, if you think of her life, if you think of her upbringing, if you think of her role. I would often see her entering i a room, which would fall silent. People would, as a reaction, fall back, as it were, creating a space around her. I think she found thatj actually very difficult. Difficult or not, she did it all her life. Her reward was that the landmark occasions proved her popularity. For the goldenjubilee in 2002, a poor turnout was predicted by the press, and yet people crowded into central london. Cheering. In fact, it was the largest gathering there since the end of the second world war. The year saw her visit jamaica, new zealand, australia, canada and 70 british towns and cities, culminating in the party at the palace to mark the queens 50th year on the throne. Music National Anthem. Cheering and applause. The queen was overwhelmed by the enormous outpouring of public goodwill, and she watched the crowds in the mall utterly astonished by how many people had turned up. But 2002 was a year of mixed blessings, one that dealt her a double personal blow. In february, Princess Margaret died at the age of 71. The queens younger sister could hardly have been more different, known for her glamorous and extrovert nature but throughout life, the two had been constant companions. I have been so touched by the kindness shown by so many of you over these recent months. At easter, the queen mother died at the age of 101. Almost as much of a National Character as the queen herself, and certainly much more of a personality, with her cheerful reputation for extravagance and her wry, sometimes shocking sense of humour, she had long been a foil to her more serious minded daughter. Do you know that i havent watched from a pair of binoculars for ages. Look at it. Pouring with tears. Oh, dear i always watch on the television. Its the emotion, perhaps. No, no. I watch on the television. No, mummy. If you look into the wind like that. Its like looking for deer. After the deaths of the two women closest to her, the queen almost inevitably carried on working, though with a renewed awareness of her place in life. My grandmother, im sure, was a grand influence on my mama. Whatever she felt, or whenever ill, whenever difficult or exhausted, i she always went out and did what was required, and thatj does rub off, i think. So, of course she was going to go on because theres something. I. You know, wider and. Greater that has to be. Has to be taken care of. Her reach was far and wide. She was the first british monarch to set foot in russia since the days of tsar nicholas ii. The first ever to visit china and to officially receive a pope on a state visit. And in 2011, the queen became the first british monarch to set foot in the republic of ireland. 100 years earlier, her grandfather, king george v, visited when this soil was unified with britain but this was the queen in green, the irish speaking mistress of tact. A uachtarain agus a chairde. When the queen stood up and made that speech, the first words of which were in gaelic, itjust melted the entire country with huge affection for her. Applause. The fact that she was ini ireland, in the republic, i and given such a great reception, i and there she was, the embodiment of everything that going back half a century, going back to the time when she first began to reign, would have been thought of as impossible. To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past, i extend my sincere thoughts and deep sympathy. That whole visit and the dignity with which she did everything and the visit to croke park and the War Memorials was immensely powerful. Coming, you know, at the end of so many years and after so much hurt and pain was a wonderfully healing, reconciling moment, which i think. Had a profound effect and has made a fantastic difference. Looking further afield, her most Important International role was clearly head of the commonwealth, embracing a third of the worlds population. Being head of the commonwealth, she is head of a worldwide multiracial organisation that brings people of different races, religions, backgrounds, cultural dispositions together. We have 2. 4 billion people, 60 of whom are under the age of 30, all of whom come from different economic backgrounds, and because shes known so many of the leaders throughout that period, shes brought wisdom and judgment and a Historical Perspective that i think no one else has been able to give. I think as a head of the commonwealth, she has given inspiration, she has given encouragement. She came to my country, Port Of Spain, when we hosted chogm in 2009. She was in Port Of Spain then, and shes gone to any part of the commonwealth. Thank you very much. The queen will always be remembered as the person who gave the continuity to the commonwealth through all of the decades when she was the leader of it. Its something which can never be replicated, i think, in history, in any other organisation. |where else have you got a person| whos been meeting a 36 year old Prime Minister from dominica, and the same person was sitting alongside nehru and menzies and churchill . | so, the combination of that longevity and wisdom has meant that people have been able to ask her about tricky situations because shes been through so many of them. The last decades of the queens reign saw her as a revered mother, grandmother and great grandmother. This was a period of gradual, careful modernisation. One potential Future Problem for the monarchy melted away in 2005 when she gave her blessing for the wedding of Prince Charles to the divorcee Camilla Parker bowles. Cheering reporter here he is, his Royal Highness, the prince of wales, and her Royal Highness, the years that followed saw the newly titled duke and Duchess Of Cornwall take on more of the engagements traditionally associated with a now more elderly queen, including visits to many of the more distant countries and shouldering more responsibility at commonwealth summits. Ive watched as my mama has carried out all these Commonwealth Duties for a long time. It must be quite difficult for her not going. I learnt a lot from it and tried, i hope, to fulfil it in a way that she might have been quite proud of, i dont know. And the next generation continued to move centre stage. They chant we love william we love kate we love william we love kate when the queens grandson Prince William married catherine middleton, it was a spectacular example of modernity mixed with tradition. Flags and foliage inside westminster abbey, more than half a century on from the queens own wedding there. By welcoming such an authentically modern middle class recruit in catherine, the queen continued the Long Term Strategy of constantly restitching the monarchy into the changing social fabric of the country. Hip, hip all hooray in 2012, the queen reached a historic milestone. The only other british monarch to have reached 60 years on the throne had been queen victoria. Cheering and applause. Your majesty. Mummy. This is our opportunity to thank you and my father for always being there for us, for inspiring us with your selfless duty and service, and for making us proud to be british. Music National Anthem the Diamond Jubilee year also brought evidence of a sense of fun, and buttoned lip, with the opening of the 2012 london olympics. During the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in london, there was daniel craig asjames bond arriving at Buckingham Palace. And everybody looking, going, oh, so he is going to Buckingham Palace. Whos he going. . Is he going to meet the queen . And as it went further on, he is going to. Mr bond, your majesty. And everybody, wherever you were in the world, i was thinking exactly| the same thought. Who will be playing the queen . He clears his throat. Good evening, mr bond. Good evening, your majesty. Music music for the royal fireworks, La Rejouissance by handel corgis whine. And it had the same effect on everybody| who was watching. Theyjust couldnt believe it. Music james bond theme. The fact that my mother kept that completely to herself and the team that were there and didnt tell. Anybody was just brilliant. Reporter her majesty the queen | in this Diamond Jubilee year proving that she certainly has a sense of humour. And preparing to open these games as her father, edward vii, in 1908. Prince Harry MarriedMeghan Markle american, divorced and of mixed race. Harry and meghan� s wedding, i think, can be summed up finally found the one. The sun was shining. There was the glorious nature of the Carriage Ride down the long walk, which was hugely iconic, but also this idea of a new beginning. This was the first mixed race woman to marry into the British Royal family. You know, they had hopes and ambitions and dreams and people talked about how this brought the royal family more into the 21st century. It was definitely Ground Breaking and it was just a really, really joyous day. Her own marriage gave the queen greatjoy for 73 years married to Prince Philip, the Duke Of Edinburgh, with most of her life defined by that union. The queen has said very often throughout her reign, Prince Philip was an enormous part of her life and an unbelievable part of the success of her reign. He was her strength and stay. I i dont think that she could havei possibly done the job that she did for all those years without him by her side elizabeth ii became queen in her 20s and lived to become the longest reigning british monarch. She understood very well her unique situation. She taught herself ways of handling herself in public, and she stuck to them. But who knew her thoughts . A rare occasion when her private voice was heard was in elizabeth r, A Bbc Film Marking Her 40th year on the throne. Most people have a job and then they go home. In this existence, the job and the life go on together because you cant really divide it up. I mean, luckily, im a quick reader, so i can get through a lot of reading in quite a short time. Though i do rather begrudge some of the hours that i have to do and in 2018, she shared her memories of wearing the crown at the coronation. Heavy . Well, i think its three pounds or something. Quite heavy. Comfortable, maam . No. Nothing like that is comfortable. A little after that, she allowed herself to be filmed strolling through the gardens of Buckingham Palace with her fellow nonagenarian, sir david attenborough. All the countries of. The commonwealth. Have agreed. To allocate parts of their native forests. Yeah. For conservation. And its called the queens canopy. Well, thatll be marvellous. A wonderful legacy. She did it so marvellously that it was a conversational exchange. I i was going to say, a sundial neatly planted in the shade. Isnt it good . Yes. He laughs. Amazed to hear myself saying i thought the sundial was perhaps not well placed, bearing in mind it was underl the shade of a tree. Thats pretty cheeky, really. But she laughed. Had we thought of that, that it was planted in the shade . It wasnt in the shade originally, im sure, but. He laughs. Maybe we could move it. The final years were a masterclass in dedication to duty. No matter what occurred, the queen maintained her diplomatic composure throughout public crisis and difficulties closer to home. Good evening. Prince andrew, whos been engulfed in controversy, has announced that he will not undertake any royal duties for the foreseeable future. In 2019, the queens second son, the duke of york, stepped back from public duties over serious allegations about his private life, which caused what he described as a major disruption to my familys work. Cheering. Injanuary, 2020, the duke and duchess of sussex, harry and meghan, announced their sudden departure from life as senior royals to forge a new future in north america. Reporter they are going with the best wishes of the queen. In a statement from Buckingham Palace, she said. Harry, meghan and archie will always be much loved members of my family. She went on, i recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life. But the greatest challenge of 2020 to the whole world came with the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Which forced populations into lockdown. The queen herself was placed into quarantine at Windsor Castle from where she addressed a fearful nation. Im speaking to you at what i know is an increasingly challenging time, a time of disruption in the life of our country, a disruption that has brought grief to some, Financial Difficulties to many, and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all. Boris johnson when there were difficult times, she was incredibly important and perhaps never more so in recent times than during covid. She was able to reach people in a way that no politician could have hoped to do. A lot of the bringing of the nation together was through her. We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again. Well meet again. It was a rallying call invoking the wartime spirit. Dont know when. And just weeks later, with all Public Events cancelled, the queen marked the 75th Anniversary of victory in europe with another address drawing parallels between the two events. Bell chimes. I speak to you today at the same hour as my father did exactly 75 years ago. His message then was a salute to the men and women at home and abroad who had sacrificed so much in pursuit of what he rightly called a great deliverance. The war had been a total war. It had affected everyone and no one was immune from its impact. Never give up, never despair that was the message of ve day. Never give up, never despair could be described as a theme of the queens reign. Injune 2020, her official birthday ceremony, trooping the colour, saw a pared down, socially distanced affair in windsor, not in london. Right. Turn coping with relentless imposed changes while keeping the spirit of tradition visible that was the queens task through 70 years of shifts in society and technology. Something she reflected upon annually at christmas. Today is another landmark because television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on christmas day. These techniques of radio and television are modern, but the christmas message is timeless. We need reminding of it. This was the queen on matters closest to her heart the commonwealth, the military, religion and family. Of course, for many, this time of year will be tinged with sadness, some mourning the loss of those dear to them and others missing friends and Family Members distanced for safety, when all they really want for christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand. And shortly afterwards, the queen would experience her own loss. In february, the Duke Of Edinburgh was hospitalised, not because of covid, but for longer term issues. After a month, he returned home for what became his final weeks. He died peacefully at windsor on april 9th 2021, aged 99. The Ceremonial Royal Funeral at Windsor Castle was modified due to government restrictions. Present. Arms nonetheless, it had military at its heart, as the duke had wanted. It was as unique a farewell as the man himself. Forward. March band plays and bell tolls. Despite the pomp and ceremony, only 30 people were allowed to attend the service itself. All of them socially distanced. Leaving the enduring image of the masked monarch alone, grieving the death of her husband. For the First Time Since coming to the throne, the queen would reign without her consort. And after a period of official mourning, she was straight back to work. Fanfare. My lords, pray, be seated. The queen continued to lead the nation, i think we would all now say, with an affection and respect for her that grew and developed. She didnt get left behind. As the world endured a second year of pandemic, the queen carried on fulfilling engagements. Although not always in person. Good morning, your majesty. Your majesty. Good evening. Ah there you are. Its a great honour for the armed forces that youve taken the time to meet some of our people serving around the world. She was able to still do and still have conversations that she would have had if she had been physically visiting places. Im currently in curacaoi at the moment, maam. Weve gone past montserrat, the British Virgin islands, and its been absolutely incredible | seeing all these different places. | well, im very glad to have been able to meet all of you, and the best of luck. Able to meet all of you,. And i think that was really important to people that she was still there for them. Cheering and applause. The queens enthusiastic connection with the people was clearer than ever at her platinum jubilee. As she appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony, it was the climax of a spectacular four day summer celebration. This was quite a feat, unmatched by any other british monarch 70 uninterrupted years. Her decline in health meant the queen was largely absent from jubilee events, so it was herfamily who took centre stage. Never the slightest doubt, however, who remained the central focus. Cheering. And the 96 year old had lost none of her sense of humour or capacity to surprise. Perhaps. You would like a Marmalade Sandwich . I always keep one for emergencies. So do i. I keep mine in here. 0h . For later. Summing up the remarkable mood, her son charles made a warm personal tribute. Now, ladies and gentlemen, i know the queen is watching these celebrations with much emotion, having, i hope, finished her Marmalade Sandwich. Laughter. Including immense regret that she cannot be here in person with us this evening. But Windsor Castle is l barely 20 miles away, so if we cheer loudly enough, she might might just hear us. So, lets alljoin together. Cheering. Cheering and applause. As an individual, she wrote her ownjob description. As Queen Elizabeth ii, she held the survival of the monarchy in her hands. In a world which has changed beyond recognition. She was always there. The queen is dead. But in the most direct way, she lives on. She leaves her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren. And this is a less remote royalfamily. Who now face the journey without her. Into unknown waters. And the future of the House Of Windsor lies in their hands and their judgments. And, of course, in ours too. In the end, the queens strength as a constitutional monarch was fundamentally strength of character. In an age of self gratification, she never forgot her duty. She didnt take herself too seriously, but she took her role very seriously indeed. She wasnt like anyone else, and she knew it we knew it and there will never be anyone else like her again. If we said the queen, everyone knew we were talking about Queen Elizabeth ii, and i think shell always be the queen, the best, ithink, that this world has to offer. She had this kind of talismanic, magnetic ability to make people feel better about themselves and people came away from being with her. I. Chuffed to bits. I think she genuinely was also i an immensely happy and positive person and that communicated itself to everyone. In her time as queen, we moved from imperial decline and leaving empire. To the kind of country we are now and the queen has led through that. That is an often unmentioned but extraordinary, remarkable achievement. I think it was her sense of duty. Its something that. Money couldnt buy. Its either within you or its not, and its something that she had in spades. I think it was instilled in her by her parents, and its something that she continued. I dont think that she ever. Stopped learning. Huge experience after that length of time. She had this. This. Innate ability to be able to come up with the right four words and to be able to be in the right place at the right time. The expression mother takes in so many aspects of your life and your experience. Which part of that is most important im not quite sure but the very fact that she was your mother and she was there all the time. You miss that. She was always there, representing this country. And indeed many other countries in the commonwealth or the realms. You know, id go and talk to her about this, that or the other, and thats always been something, i think, thats. Well, itd be very difficult not to have, if you know what i mean. All that she could do, she has now done. A constant presence in all of our lives has gone and britain becomes a different place without her. I would like to read you a few lines from pilgrims progress because im sure we can say with mr valiant for truth, these words. Though with great difficulty i am got hither, yet now i do not repent me of all the trouble i have been at to arrive where i am