On the river themes in london without a ticket, as the uk prepares to usher in 2020. More than 100,000 tickets have been bought for tonights sold out fireworks display, where approximately 12,000 fireworks are set to light up the capitals skyline when the clock strikes midnight. The metropolitan police is urging those without tickets to watch from home or attend other events in the city. Hogmanay celebrations got underway in edinburgh last night. The festivities began in the city last night as around 40,000 people joined a torchlit procession which ended with them forming the shape of two humans reaching out a hand of friendship. The events will end with the traditional firework display, with more than 3,600 fireworks being set off at Edinburgh Castle at midnight. Now its time for a look at the weather with carol kirkwood. We will usher in the new year with
some sunshine . No, it will be really cloudy, simon, notjust by night but also by day tomorrow. Starting with also by day tomorrow. Starting with a ridge of High Pressure today, a week weather front sinking south, this is coming from the south west and will give spots of rain across the isles of scilly, devon and cornwall and possibly south wales. For wales, central and southern england, fairly cloudy. Moving north into the midlands, Northern England, scotla nd into the midlands, Northern England, scotland and, for a time, before the cloud builds, Northern Ireland, we have sunshine. Temperatures of about fourin have sunshine. Temperatures of about four in edinburgh if you are getting ready for hogmanay, to about ten in plymouth. This evening and overnight, watch how the cloud builds. By midnight, eastern areas of scotla nd builds. By midnight, eastern areas of scotland handsomest in areas of england will be clear, so wrap up warm, it will be dry, but it is towards the west that it is more dry with spots of drizzle. Any morning fog lifts tomorrow, tomorrow is
generally dry but rather cloudy. Hello, this is bbc news with simon mccoy. The headlines thousands of people seek refuge on the beach and in the sea to escape bush fires in Australia Military helicopters and the navy are deployed to help them. Former nissan boss carlos ghosn flees to lebanon, despite being under house arrest in tokyo on financial misconduct charges. The National Living wage is to rise in april by 6. 2 four times the rate of inflation. Heterosexual couples in england and wales will be able to enter into civil partnerships from today, giving them similar rights to people who are married. The government says it will raise concerns with the cypriot authorities about the fairness of a trial of a british woman convicted of lying about being gang raped. Now on bbc news, Sarah Campbell looks back on the key events of the year for the royal family in review 2019 the royal year. And just a warning, this film does contain some flash photography. Archies first royal tour. The duke and duchess of sussex make headlines in Southern Africa and reveal the pressures of life in the royal spotlight. For me and for my wife, of course, there is a lot of stuff that hurts, especially when the majority of it is untrue. I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum. A no holds barred interview by Prince Andrew fails to draw a line under his friendship with a convicted sex offender. We try and uphold the highest standards and practices and i let the side down. Its as simple as that. Mr president , i am delighted
to welcome you and mrs trump. The queen hosted the us president first for a full state visit and then again at natos 70th anniversary. And the cambridge children enjoyed getting back to nature in a garden designed by their mother. The headlines accompanying a royal year normally revolve around babies, marriages and colourful pictures from the various countries visited by the family. This year has been somewhat different. Another annus horribilis . Well, only the queen can truly answer that question. And there have been significant highlights, not least the birth of her eighth great grandchild. Monday, the 6th of may and after staying tight lipped about his wifes due date, and declining to reveal any details as to the birth plan, a clearly delighted prince harry called an impromptu press conference in the grounds of windsor castle. X marks the spot. The royal family had
gained a new member. Im very excited to announce that meghan and myself had a baby boy early this morning, a very healthy boy. Mother and baby are doing incredibly well. Its been the most amazing experience i could ever possibly imagine. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. But were both absolutely thrilled and so grateful to all the love and support from everything out there. Its been amazing, so just wanted to share this with everybody. Cue the congratulations from the streets of windsor and beyond. On a visit to germany, Prince Charles accepted one of his grandsons first teddy bears. My best regards. And from the new babys uncle. 0bviously thrilled. Absolutely thrilled. Im looking forward to seeing them in the next few days, when things have quietened down. Im very pleased and glad to welcome my brother to the sleep Deprivation Society that is parenting. There was just one thing missing any pictures of the new baby, which had been born at a private london hospital. It would be another two days before the couples global fan base and curious royal watchers would get a glimpse of Archie Harrison mountbatten windsor. Congratulations. Thank you. Magic. Its pretty amazing. I mean, i have the two best guys in the world, so im really happy. Its great. Parenting is amazing. Its only been, what, two and a half days, three days. But were just were just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy. Archie remained asleep throughout, unaware of his royal status and unique place as the first Anglo American mixed race child at the heart of monarchy. We just bumped into the duke as we were walking by, which was so nice. So itll be a nice moment to introduce the baby to more family, and my mums with us, as well. Its been really. Another great grandchild. A short while later, the couple posted a picture of the moment archie met his great grandparents, the duke of edinburgh and the queen, with meghans mother doria watching on. The couple chose not to give their son a royal title and, to some criticism, have kept secret details such as the names of his godparents. It wasnt until cape town, when he was four months old, that the cameras got a proper look at the seventh in line to the throne. On his first royal tour, archie was introduced to Archbishop Desmond tutu and his daughter thandeka. Not surprisingly, all eyes
were on the baby, and the young royal didnt disappoint, taking the first of what will be many meetings with the great and the good in his stride. The presence of american born meghan and now archie has increased exponentially the interest in the royals from across the pond. And thats a useful link, especially at a time when britain is looking to forge new relationships beyond the European Union. Doing her bit for brand britain, the queen has hosted not once, but twice this year, the president of the united states. It was only the third full state visit by a us president during the queens reign. Long in the planning and unwanted by many, if the queen had any reservations about meeting President Trump again, of course, she didnt show it. He managed to avoid breaking royal protocol this time, just by not walking ahead
of the queen as he had done on his last visit. This was a Family Affair with the trumps in attendance en masse. Next stop, Clarence House and tea with Prince Charles and camilla, duchess of cornwall. Looks like an ice cream. The conversation did apparently take a more serious turn. Mr trump said that Prince Charles had talked at length about climate change. Also commented upon. Watch the duchess of cornwall. What did prompt that conspiratorial wink to camera . That evening, pomp and pageantry were in full flow with the centerpiece of any state visit, the banquet. Tails and tiaras were on display as the queen took her seat at the head of the very large table. These pictures will have done President Trumps political standing at home no harm. And this was a useful demonstration in the soft power the queen is uniquely able to wield on the uks behalf. Im delighted to welcome you and mrs trump to Buckingham Palace this evening, just 12 months after our first meeting at windsor. Visits by american president s always remind us of a close and longstanding friendship between the United Kingdom and the united states. And i am so glad that we have another opportunity to demonstrate the immense importance that both our countries attach to our relationship. The state visit had been timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the d day landings. Britains commemorations centred around portsmouth, where, three quarters of a century earlier, ships had set sailfor the beaches of normandy and the largest assault by sea, air and land in history. President trump was joined by leaders from france, germany and canada, among others, to pay tribute to those who fought and those who never returned. It is with humility and pleasure, on behalf of the entire country indeed the whole free world that i say to you all thank you. Public support for the monarchy, and particularly the queen, remains high. But, this year, perhaps more than most in recent times, has seen members of the royal family hit the headlines in the most negative circumstances. Prince andrew at a regatta in devon. Three weeks earlier, on the 10th of august, across the atlantic, a formerfriend of his a wealthy financier called Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his
new york jail cell. At the time of his death, epstein had been awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking. But, years earlier, and, crucially, before this picture of him with Prince Andrew was taken in 2010, epstein had pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting a minorfor prostitution. The pressure on Prince Andrew to explain his friendship with epstein and why that friendship had continued, even after epsteins conviction and imprisonment for sex offences, led him to agree to a no holds barred interview with newsnights emily maitlis. Was i right in having him as a friend . At the time bearing in mind this was some years before he was accused of being a sex offender i dont think theres anything wrong then. The problem was the fact that once he had been convicted. You stayed with. I stayed with him. And thats. Thats the bit that. That, um, as it were, i kick myself for on a daily basis. Because it was not something that was becoming of a member of the royal family. And we try and uphold the highest standards and practices. And i let the side down. Simple as that. The prince was asked about the girl in this picture Virginia Roberts who was 17 in 2001, the year she says this picture was taken at the london home of ghislaine maxwell, andrews friend and epsteins then girlfriend. She says she met you in 2001. She says she dined with you, danced with you at tramp nightclub in london. She went on to have sex with you in a house in belgravia belonging to ghislaine maxwell, your friend. Your response . I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady. None whatsoever. The prince said he doesnt recall meeting Virginia Roberts and absolutely and categorically denies any sexual contact with her. His accuser, now known as virginia giuffre, gave her side of the story to the bbcs panorama. He knows what happened. I know what happened. And there is only one of us telling the truth. And i know thats me. The prince leaving home in windsor after days of criticism and negative comment. So much so that this statement announcing he was stepping back from public duties for the foreseeable future seemed almost inevitable. In contrast to his television interview, he said he did regret his illjudged association with epstein and deeply sympathised with everyone whod been affected, adding, of course, i am willing to help any appropriate Law Enforcement agency with their investigations, if required. Still to come in this look back on the royal year. Rumours of a falling out between the two brothers who for so long seemed to be each others confidant and best friend. And who better to judge the duchess of cambridges chelsea garden than her own three children . How many marks out of ten would you give it . Ten being the highest. 20. 20 out of ten . Thats pretty good. In march, the honorary guard of the revolutionary armed forces welcomed Prince Charles to cuba the First Official visit there by any member of the royal family. It was much commented upon that this was the heir to the hereditary british throne visiting one of the last single Party Communist states. The first photo call alongside a portrait of the revolutionary che guevara. This was, at times, a slightly chaotic visit here in the heart of old havana. Prince charles likes to get involved and was happy to try out this labour intensive sugar cane juicer. Camilla joined in for a mojito cocktail making lesson. Later, they sat alongside one of cubas most famous exports the ballet dancer carlos acosta. In sending the royal couple to see and appreciate cuba for themselves, the British Government was sending a very clear signal that britain wants to engage more fully with this island republic. This wedding, back in may, was one of the few times this year the duke of edinburgh was caught on camera. Since his retirement in 2017, hes been able to enjoy a well deserved break from royal duties, away from public scrutiny and comment. That came to an abrupt end injanuary, when it emerged that hed been involved in a car crash
with another vehicle. The duke was helped from his land rover, which ended up on its side. The Emergency Services were quickly on the scene and he returned to sandringham house largely unhurt. The other vehicle contained two women and a nine month old child. The driver was treated for a broken wrist. Questions were immediately raised about whether the duke, then aged 97, should be driving on public roads. There was further criticism when, two days after the crash, the duke was spotted on a public road driving without a seat belt. The following month, Prince Philip voluntarily surrendered his driving licence. A few days before christmas, and the second queens speech of the year. The snap election meant pageantry was kept to a minimum, with the queen in a dress rather than ceremonial robes. This was the 66th time shed outlined her governments agenda
at the state opening of parliament. My governments priority is to deliver the United Kingdoms departure from the European Union on the 31st of january. It was a significant year for princess charlotte, who started reception at the same fee paying Primary School as her big brother george, who just a few weeks later could barely contain his excitement as aston villa beat norwich city 5 1. 2019 was a big year for meghan, the duchess of sussex. The family moved here to windsor. She became a mother and got stuck into her new role as a working royal. In january, her first four patronages were announced. As an animal lover, a dog and cat rescue home was an unsurprising choice. A long time proponent of further education, she took over the queens patronage of the association of commonwealth universities, including
the university ofjohannesburg. A former actress, she was an obvious choice to be patron of the national theatre. What do you feel more comfortable in . I did love the pop of that coat. And empowering women has been a passion of hers since childhood attracting her to smart works, a charity that aims to do exactly that. Different continent, but, in south africa, the message was the same. The rights of women and girls is something thats very close to my heart and a cause i spent the majority of my life advocating for, because i know that when women are empowered, the entire community flourishes. And just on one personal note, can i just say that while im here with my husband, as a member of the royal family, i want you to know that, for me, i am here with you as a mother,
as a wife, as a woman, as a woman of colour and as your sister. It was another busy year for the cambridges. Prince william travelled solo to oman and kuwait in december. And, earlier in the year, he gave his condolences in person to those affected by the massacre at two mosques in christchurch, new zealand. In a moment of acute pain, you stood up and you stood together. And in reaction to tragedy, you achieved something remarkable. Ive had reasons myself to reflect on grief and sudden pain and loss in my own life. And in my role, ive often seen up close the sorrow of others in moments of tragedy, as i have today. What i have realised is that, of course, grief can change your outlook. You dont ever forget the shock,
the sadness and the pain. But i do not believe that grief changes who you are. Grief, if you let it, will reveal who you are. In october, catherinejoined her husband on what was judged to have been a very successful tour of pakistan. This was the first royal visit to the country for 13 years. And alongside the usual photo calls, visits and colourful backdrops, there was a serious message. In the hindu kush region of pakistan, william and catherine were shown glaciers which stretch along to the himalayas and which are currently retreating due to global warming. Catherine and i thought it was really important to come to pakistan and, again, see all the different range of environments there are in pakistan and really trying to get a feel of the country. But also to use our voice to lend our position and our visit to kind of talk about issues like climate change, issues about the environment. And weve seen around the world now, the young are getting very engaged in whats going on. And i think its fantastic that we can all come together and really have a very good conversation about what we need to do. And that action needs to happen very soon, because a lot of people rely on this. If we take too long about this, we will lose many of the precious things we care about. Conservation was also on prince harrys agenda as he travelled across Southern Africa here, planting a tree in botswana. In angola, the focus was ridding the country of landmines. These pictures so reminiscent of his mothers visit to the same area in 1997. She so famously picked her way through a minefield. 22 years later, her son walked along the same path in huambo now a busy street with shops, houses and a school. Dianas legacy is deeply felt here. To walk in her footsteps is clearly quite emotionalfor me. But i think as much as she did then,
there is still so much to do. But, without question, if she hadnt campaigned the way that she did 22 years ago, this could arguably still be a minefield. So im incredibly proud of what shes been able to do, and meet these kids who were born on this street, who didnt even know that this was a minefield. The royal couple managed to shine a spotlight on places and issues of importance to them throughout their tour. But, as it came to an end, there was a new headline. They announced that meghan was taking legal action against the owners of the mail on sunday newspaper, and harry subsequently launched his own legal action against the publishers of the sun and the mirror. Harry accused the british tabloid press of running a Ruthless Campaign against his wife. They were both interviewed for an itv documentary. When i first met my now husband, happy
because i was so happy. But my british friends said to me, im sure hes great. But you shouldnt do it because the british tabloids will destroy your life. And i very naively, im american, we dont have that there. What are you talking about . That doesnt make any sense. Ive been in tabloids. I didnt get it. So its. Yeah, its been complicated. Part of this job and part of any job, like everybody, means putting on a brave face and turning a cheek to a lot of that stuff. But, again, for me and for my wife, you know, of course, theres a lot of stuff that hurts. Especially when the majority of it is untrue. But all we need to do is focus on being real and focus on being the people that we are and standing up for what we believe in. I will not be bullied into into playing a game
that killed my mum. There certainly have been critical headlines involving the sussexes in 2019 their use of private jets, while encouraging others to think more carefully about the climate. The use of £2. 11 million worth of taxpayers money to refurbish their new home frogmore cottage. Whats at issue here is what constitutes legitimate public scrutiny by the press. And what is unfair and possibly untrue. That may now be for the courts to decide. Prince harry also revealed a distancing between himself and his brother william. When asked about rumours of a rift, he gave this answer. Um, part of the. Part of this role and part of this job and this family, being under the pressure that its under, inevitably, you know, stuff happens. But, look, were brothers. We will always be brothers. Were certainly on different paths at the moment. But i will always be there for him as i know hell always be there for me. We dont see each other as much as we used to, because were so busy. But, you know, i love him dearly. And, you know, the majority of this stuff is probably. Well, the majority of stuff is created out of nothing. But, you know, just, as i said, as brothers, you know, you have good days, you have bad days. And, finally, to one of the key events in the queens calendar the chelsea flower show. This year, with added royal input. Catherine, the duchess of cambridge, spent months helping to design a child friendly garden. And who best to try it out, but george, charlotte and louis . Over the previous few months, the cambridge children had collected twigs, leaves and moss, which were included in the final design. George was clearly impressed. How many marks out of ten would you give it . Ten being the highest. 20. 20 out of ten. Thats pretty good. A very personal project. Catherine is rarely interviewed, but, on this, she wanted to speak out. Theres so much amazing Scientific Research out there about the importance of being outside and the benefits it has, really, particularly foryoung children and laying the foundations for positive physical and mental wellbeing. And i really hope that this woodland that weve created, in a huge collaboration here, really inspires families and kids and communities in general try to get outside, enjoy nature, enjoy the outdoors and really spend quality time together. The queen was shown round and, if it seemed familiar, that will be because much of it was inspired by the gardens at sandringham. Looking ahead to 2020, what part, if any, will Prince Andrew play in the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal . Prince harry and meghan will launch
their own charitable foundation, as well as continuing their legal action against british newspapers. And her majesty, who turns 94 in april, will lead the nation in commemorating 75 years since the end of the second world war. Good morning. A early quiet end to the decade for most others. Today will be a dry day, but there are showers in the forecast, mainly towards the south west of england, around the out of city, cornwall, all linked into this weak weather system which is in quite a big area of High Pressure. Around the isles of scilly, cornwall. It will
stay cloudy for wales, the midlands, the south east of england and the south west, best of the sunshine from lincolnshire, Northern England into scotland and Northern Ireland for a time. Colder than yesterday, four ht ten further said. If you are going out tonight, looking largely dry, cloud spreading north and east, clear skies in north east scotland and north east england. Some fog developing as we approach midnight but as for new years day, it will be dry with a lot of cloud around. Goodbye. This is bbc news im simon mccoy. The headlines at 10am thousands of people seek refuge on the beach and in boats to escape bush fires in Australia Military helicopters and the navy are deployed to help them. Nothing prepares you for that bearing down of a fire front, charging at a community. I mean, were talking massive walls of fire, coming straight at you. Former nissan boss carlos ghosn flees to lebanon, despite being under house arrest in tokyo on financial misconduct charges. The National Living wage is to rise in april by 6. 2 four times the rate of inflation. Heterosexual couples in england and wales will be able to enter into civil partnerships from today, giving them similar rights to people who are married