Transcripts For WBAL Today 20120605

and welcome to a very special edition of "today" on a tuesday morning. i'm matt lauer alongside nbc special correspondent meredith vieira. ann has this morning off. and meredith, it doesn't seem like all that long ago, just about a year ago, in fact, that we were here together at buckingham palace just to give people a lay of the land. we are at australia gate here just to one side of the palace. and short time ago we were on the other side. >> exactly. the royal wedding, 1 million people lined the streets then, if you remember. i don't know if there will be that many today. but don't forget this is the fourth day of celebrating the queen's diamond jubilee and the people here absolutely love her. she has been their constant, in all these years of change, she has been the face that they turn to. >> and you've been here for the previous days of celebration. and it's fair to say that today the tone takes a little bit of a different turn. >> absolutely. the first day saturday there was a horse race, the derby, they have the derby. on sunday that thousand vessel flotilla, was a cold, wet day. but very celebratory. many, many people lined the thames. and then yesterday, as you said, last night that concert to end all concerts right here behind us outside buckingham palace. and the fireworks. all of that fanfare. today is the church service of thanksgiving. the royal family began the day with the church service at st. paul's cathedral just a short drive from buckingham palace. but prince philip, the queen's husband of 64 years, unfortunately he was not by her side. he's come down with a bladder infection and will spend the next few days recovering in a landing hospital. he was actually taken there yesterday afternoon. so the queen sat next to her son, prince charles, and the duchess of cornwall during that service. the archbishop of canterbury who presided said our prayers and thoughts are very much with him, prince philip, this morning. >> after the service you just talked about the royal family departed st. paul's for a reception celebrating the jubilee. the queen is now that mansion house. that's the official home of the lord mayor of london. let's not confuse that with the mayor of london. prince charles and his wife camilla, prince william and kate and prince harry are all at a reception at guild hall. we'll tell you much more about that. they're expected to leave those receptions, i'd say about 30 minutes right now for a lunch at westminster palace, also known as london's house of parliament. >> and then after that the royals will participate in a carriage procession through the streets of london, ending here at buckingham palace with an appearance on the balcony and a military fly-pass. >> and i think that's when we may miss prince philip the most, when we see the members of the royal family step out onto that balcony, and the two should be side by side. he will not be here. >> in her past two jubilees he was always by her side. but not today, unfortunately he's in the hospital. al roker is along the procession route this morning. he's actually at the duke of york steps. al, good morning to you. set the scene for us down there. >> well, it's really festive. people have been hanging out. they're lining the street. this is the mall, they say the mall here, but we would call it the mall, leading to buckingham palace. folks are ready. along balconies here we've been seeing parties going on. ironically, parties with a lot of americans. we're going to try to crash one of those parties, because they've got caviar and champagne. nothing wrong with that. but again it's a very festive mood. lots of flags. lots of kids have these, they're kind of like periscopes that you can look through so you can see up over the crowd. so it's a very festive occasion. i've got mine ready. i'm going to get down there a little bit as things get going on. guys, back to you. >> lots of souvenirs, al, that's right. i've seen those periscopes. i saw a young lady wearing stockings that had crowns all over them. some with crown glasses. >> that was me. >> yeah, exactly. nbc's stephanie gosk is in trafalgar square where thousands gathered to watch today's festivities. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. you know, this square is where people in this city come to mark momentous occasions. it's where they celebrated at the end of world war ii. it's where it was announced that london would be hosting the summer games. today, obviously, they are here for the diamond jubilee, and for the queen. they are all very excited for the royal procession, which will pass right in front of us. those horse-drawn carriages. after it goes past, they're going to move the barricades and people will be able to flow down the road towards the palace. a lot of people hoping to catch a glimpse of the queen and her family on that famous balcony. although i think they're going to be hard-pressed to get close with all these crowds. matt? >> and stephanie, i want to mention, as we look at you, we're looking at the queen right now, but we see the huge monitors behind you. those are dotting london this morning so that people at many of the different venues don't miss what's happening at the others. and by the way, let's just talk a little bit, although i should have done this with al, the weather for that procession, you've just mentioned, it looks favorable at the moment that we're going to see the queen in that open landau? >> yeah, everyone hoping it stays dry. but the last few days, if there's any reflection on where the weather's going, it could rain here as well. you never know in london. things change quickly. but, they're ready to weather anything that comes their way. matt? >> all right, stephanie gosk over in trafalgar square, not far from us here. stephanie, thank you very much. meredith? >> okay. as we mentioned the queen's husband of 64 years unable to attend today's jubilee events. prince philip, who turned 91 actually this saturday, is being treated at king edward vii hospital for what the palace describes as a bladder infection. nbc's duncan golestani is there. duncan, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. there has been no updates on prince philip's condition after spending the night here in hospital. he came yesterday from windsor castle to be treated for that bladder infection. buckingham palace did say it was just a precautionary measure. but he will be spending several days here being assessed, and observed. he was last seen, of course, on sunday during that great river pageant along the thames. and he looked happy, jigging along to the music along with other members of the royal family. of course, he spent several hours outside in the cold and the rain. while medical experts say that would not have caused this problem, they all agree it could well have made it worse. it's worth remembering he'll be 91 in a few day's time. and to date the biggest health scare was at christmas when he spent several days in hospital after suffering chest pains. then he underwent minor surgery to increase blood flow to his heart but he made a good recovery. meredith? >> duncan, is there any likelihood that the queen will visit him in the hospital? >> we don't know. we're all on standby, whether she will come. but, of course, at christmas it was more junior members of the royal family who first of all came to visit him. often when the queen travels, of course, it involves a big entourage and security and the last thing that the duke ever wants to cause is a fuss. >> all right, duncan golestani, thank you so much. >> as we mentioned this is actually a four-day celebration. today's events are just getting started. and one thing is very clear by now, the british know how to celebrate big events. departing buckingham palace with one of her ladies in waiting, queen elizabeth traveled to st. paul's cathedral, where a service of thanksgiving, receiving a warm reception from thousands along the way. at st. paul's she was greeted with applause, and chants of "god save the queen." inside she was joined by other members of the royal family, including her son prince charles, and his wife camilla. her grandsons, prince william and prince harry. and william's wife catherine, the duchess of cambridge. following the service, the queen made her way to mansion house, the official residence of london's lord mayor, for a private reception. while the rest of the royal family attended a separate reception. on monday, thousands lined the mall, honoring the queen as they rocked out to rock royalty into the night, with performances from the likes of sir elton john -- ♪ i remember when rock was young me and suzy had so much fun ♪ >> reporter: stevie wonder. ♪ do believe >> reporter: and sir paul mccartney. ♪ that i miss you remember i'll always be true ♪ >> reporter: the queen arrived to the concert alongside her son, prince charles. notably absent, her husband prince philip. hospitalized monday, a day after appearing alongside his wife in the flotilla along the thames. for what buckingham palace has said is a bladder infection. >> your majesty, mummy -- >> reporter: at monday night's concert, prince charles took the stage to honor his mother, and his absent father. >> it is unfortunately he has taken unwell. but, ladies and gentlemen, if we shout loud enough he might just hear it in hospital. >> reporter: and ended the night on a celebratory note. >> three resounding cheers for her majesty the queen. hip hip hoar roo! hip hip hooray. hip hip hooray! >> reporter: as her majesty lit the national beacon. and fireworks lit up london's night sky. from a big concert, to a grand flotilla, parties in gardens, to those on the streets, it's been a celebration of the queen, with more pomp and pageantry later today. and we are joined now by a panel of experts here at buckingham palace. we have camilla, who is a royal expert, historian andrew roberts and christopher dickey, good friend of our show who is the paris bureau chief for "newsweek" magazine and "the daily beast." good morning to all of you. nice to see you. camilla, we should start with you and put this in perspective from the royal family's point of view, the events of today, and of course the absence of prince philip. >> well, hugely important day for the royal family. diamond jubilee. the queen doesn't like to have too much attention put on her but this is the commemoration of 60 years on the tloeb. it's a very important occasion for her. memories of her coronation in 1963, very important and the absence of prince philip is going to be keenly felt here. he has been by her side for 64 years. he's very important to this country, very important to the royal family. a figurehead there. she might be the queen to all of us but behind palace gates prince philip is the head of that household. it's very sad that he's not here. the queen as ever putting a very brave face on things. >> you could tell last night she seemed very preoccupied. >> well, that's right. it's a great shame. the royals are very good at this type of thing. they are wonderful at making the show go on. >> carry on. >> and actually, the coronation, he had appendicitis, so these kind of things, what's going on. the important thing is, historical context, it's only the second time in 1,000 years that the british monarchy, that we've had a diamond jubilee and this is something that really is therefore incredibly special for us. >> and maybe, christopher, that's a good jumping off point for you. let's put it in perspective in terms of its timing. this comes at a time where there are high hard times being felt here in the united kingdom and all throughout europe as well as many other parts of the world. so how is this celebration being viewed in that context? >> well, i don't think we'll know until we're all historians in the future. but basically this is a moment when europe is on the brink. things are looking very desperate on the continent and it feels as if there's some ethical change taking shape. so in a sense it is one of those things that in a cornby history you look back and you say, this was the moment, this was a celebration in london of the diamond jubilee, and then the world changed. and you can feel that happening in europe right now. i don't want to sound terribly gloomy or rain on this parade, because it's a fabulous event, but, it is an episode -- >> are you feeling make the calm before a storm? >> well, i think the storm is already under way. it's sort of like looking in london at the ship that's going to sink. >> so in london, just to be happy for a little bit? >> i think it absolutely is. the french are watching us very closely and they're enjoying it, too. you know, the french can be a little churlish with the british, but they really are getting into it. there was a very admiring front page story about the queen herself. >> it's also worth pointing out, i think, that although that is true, unlike the french, we're not in the euro. and so, although we will have problems, we've got knock-on problems, we don't have anything like the serious problems that the greeks and italians and spanish people. >> before i head to new york, is there one moment today you're looking forward to, camilla? >> the balcony. it's always about the balcony, the grand finale. i think that's what everyone will be looking to, these crowds on the mall. that's the moment everyone looks forward to. >> all right, guys. thanks for having you here. while a lot of our attention is here in london, other news stories making headlines as well. let's go back to new york. savannah guthrie is at the news desk filling in while natalie is off today. >> good morning. in the news today, canadian man accused of a grisly murder has been arrested in berlin following an international manhunt. nbc's jim maceda has the latest for us there london. jim, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. well, this morning, the canadian porn actor known as luka magnotta is in german custody, a week after a gruesome murder he allegedly videotaped and then posted online triggered a global manhunt. german police arrested luka magnotta in this berlin internet cafe on monday. an employee tipped them off after recognizing interpol's most wanted man surfing for reports about himself. >> the web had been used for him, to glorify himself and we believe that the web brought him down, also. >> reporter: magnotta, 29, whose real name is eric clinton newman is accused of killing, dismembers, even cannibalizing the corpse of june lin, a 33-year-old chinese student he dated in montreal. police believe body parts mailed to canadian political parties belong to june. so was the torso found in a suitcase near magnotta's apartment. inside his residence, police uncovered human blood on a mattress, the floor, the refrigerator. the police dragnet quickly spread from montreal to paris where police say magnotta stayed at this hotel and frequented bars, picking up men. then on to berlin. police say he traveled by bus, and was tracked down putting up no resistance. >> he tried to give them a fourth name at the police insistence, and so he said, you've got me. >> reporter: now, there's relief back in canada that the nightmare is over. >> obviously, pleased that the suspect has been arrested, and i just want to congratulate the police forces on their good work. >> reporter: today german police confirm, based on fingerprint results, that magnotta is the man they were looking for. now the extradition back to canada should happen relatively quickly. probably in a couple of weeks. savannah? >> all right, jim maceda in london. thank you. u.s. officials say they are, quote, optimistic that a cia drone strike has killed al qaeda's second in command. the drone targeted him in a tribal region of pakistan. alibi became the terror network's number two after the death of osama bin laden last year. president obama teamed up with former president bill clinton at fund-raisers in new york city last night. clinton said that if republican rival mitt romney were elected president this november, the results would be, quote, calamitous for both the u.s. and the world. jury selection begins today for jerry sandusky's child sex abuse trial in pennsylvania. the 68-year-old is charged with 52 counts of abuse over more than a decade. on monday, a judge ruled that the former penn state assistant football coach's alleged victims will have to testify using their real names. sandusky denies those allegations. and a once in a lifetime show starts today, if you just look up. the so-called transit of venus marks the planet's trip between earth and the sun. and the next time you'll be able to see venus pass by is in 2117. so you better take a look. experts say you've got to be careful, though, it is never safe to look directly at the sun. they advise using solar filter glasses, or a pinhole projector if you want to watch. it is now 7:18. back to matt and meredith at buckingham palace. maybe you should get out al's periscope that he was showing you guys a little bit earlier. >> i'm not sure even that is safe, savannah. but thank you very much. we appreciate it. we want to talk about al for a second. because al, after days of hearing meredith whine over here -- >> oh, my gosh. >> about how cold it is, it seems pretty pleasant to me. how about you? >> yeah, it's actually -- it's actually pretty nice, matt. i think it's interesting that meredith was here all this time, weather lousy. you and i get here, weather nice. yeah, i mean -- it's a little overcast. >> oh, yeah, please. >> it's a little overcast. temperature of about 57 degrees. but all in all, not a bad day. we think the rain will hold off for the festivities through the afternoon. however, rain's not going to hold off for our friends in the southeast. we've got a risk of severe weather there. and in fact we're talking about strong storms from mobile all the way to charleston. as far south as jacksonville. damaging winds. hail. can't rule out a tornado or two. you can already see the heavy rain now making its way from jackson, mississippi, all the way into the southeast. anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of rain, especial lay long the southeastern atlantic coast. >> good morning. it will be a little on the cool side. high temperatures will be the low 70's. it will be little breezy. >> and this is the best part of this. nobody does pomp and circumstance quite like the british. meredith? >> you got that right, al. of course, today is a day to honor queen elizabeth. but there are two other women in the royal family who are likely watching careful i, maybe even taking some notes. two women will be queen or queen concert. nbc's michelle kosinski has more on their relationship with the queen. michelle, good morning to you. >> hi, meredith. there's a triumvirate growing in strength here. an old-style palace plot, just kate, camilla and the queen getting along royally. those nervous days before the royal wedding, we knew something was going on when camilla and catherine, very public lunch date. everyone talking. was camilla instructing young kate? or warning her of the pressures that pushed princess diana away? it soon became clear these two were going to be friends. camilla ever discreet and tenacious. kate, exactly the same. look at the great shot from sunday's river pageant. >> how are you? >> reporter: the public has embraced camilla. and now she kate steals the lime light despite the fact camilla will be queen consort first has embraced her. camilla's even seemed to step up her fashion lately. >> i think maybe kate -- >> reporter: but something else is happening. and the queen and camilla have bonded warmly. sometimes surprisingly so. so there appears much affection between the monarch and the royal bride. >> you could see by their body language that they were clearly getting along very well. and the queen was very solicitous of kate, and making sure that she said things to her that reassured her, that calmed her nerves. >> reporter: now you see them side by side. kate whispers in the queen's ear. the queen smiles. if there's a wide gap in status and experience, the queen does not let it distance them. >> the three of them were very easy with each other. the queen has, you know, not only accepted camilla, but i think from what i can gather, she genuinely likes her. they're both country women. they both like horses and dogs. and shooting. and kate seems to be getting into the swing of it, as well. >> reporter: and she does nothing to deliberately steal their thunder. modest, poised, but natural seems to work for all three. it has forged a union there. in a world only they can understand. really not that surprising they get along so well when you consider these are three very independent, strong, practical, frugal women, with a grace, even naughty it's been described, sense of humor. they seem to realize that they just strengthen each other. matt and meredith? >> thanks, michelle. she makes a very good point about sense of humor because the queen -- most people don't realize it in her private life she's very, very funny and a great mimic. >> you've been around when she's cracking jokes? >> occasionally. yeah, in my dreams. >> a different kind of relationship. we are waiting -- go ahead. >> waiting for the queen and members of the royal family to leave their lunches to proceed to the palace. we'll have that for you live with much more of our coverage of the queen's diamond jubilee. still ahead much more from the queen's diamond jubilee in london. >> that's right after your local news. e it? well, it's not gonna clean itself. want me to get dad? no thank you. viva's all i need. look at that! still in one piece. yeah, so's the towel. [ female announcer ] grab a roll and try it on your toughest mess. who's she? downy unstopables. here to shake up your fresh. toss these little scent boosters in before you wash. and the fresh scent will last until you're ready to wash again. downy unstopables. the fresh too feisty to quit. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here's a look at one of our top stories. anne arundel county police are looking for the suspects in two home invasions reported within 10 minutes of each other. both victims were elderly woman who woke to a stranger shining a flashlight in their face. the suspects made off with cash. investigators are worried because these are the latest of a string of attempted home invasions in the last five days. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> several accidents to watch for in the next few minutes. 140 just past malcolm drive in westminster, we have an accident. further south, in the korea to 29, there is a crash wrapping. 18 miles per hour on the west side from reisterstown road down to edmondson. back up on the north side outer loop. southbound 95, you can see this coming down from white marsh down to the beltway. live view of traffic in the white marsh area. we will switch to a live view of traffic are ford road, where we are looking at what some delays. >> we had some rain last night. it is dry now. tsa little bit on the cool side. -- it is a little bit on the cool side. a bit of a breeze as well. b.w.i., a temperature of 57. a mixture of sunshine and clouds. dry this morning. we will warm up at the end of the week in the upper 70's. 80s by the time we we're back at 7:30 now on a tuesday morning. the 5th day of june, 2012. you're looking at live pictures of the queen, queen elizabeth ii, leaving a reception that was in her honor, and honor of her diamond jubilee at the mansion house. that is where the lord mayor of london resides. not to be confused with the mayor of london. that would be david wooten. and she is now leaving that reception heading over to a lunch that is also in her honor. >> at westminster hall. and the rest of her family, royal family, are coming for the reception from guild hall. i believe they're already at westminster hall because she's supposed to be the last one to enter, i believe, to much fanfare and company. >> that's right. we are going to speculate about everything, so let's just bring in our experts right now, joining us in london, we have andrew roberts who is historian, camilla, who is a royal expert and ben fogle who is a correspondent for us here at nbc news. welcome back. thank you very much. we watch the transition of events this morning, what should we keep our eye on? >> every member of the royal family that we can find. and particularly i think people will be interested in the younger royals and seeing how they're coping. obviously kate the newcomer who everyone likes to point out. she'll be there at the center of it. and of course the queen and how she's feeling and what her emotions seem to be like. she's missing her right arm and her right hand man and he's not here. i think it will be just be caring for her and hoping she's okay today. >> i think what's really interesting is still seeing the crowds. this has been going on for days and days and yet the crowds are still -- >> gathering. >> you can see behind us, still millions of people coming out. i think it's fascinating to see this. and not just the older generation. lots of young people still out. and it just shows we all think of her like our grandmother. and we really care. and given that she's lost her, you know, her right hand man, you know, temporarily, while he's in hospital, i think that there's an even more of a wave of emotions. >> it's also worth pointing out, of course, this is going on throughout the commonwealth. she's the queen of 16 countries, and as well as london, there are celebrations taking place right across the country and right across the world. >> is this the way the jubilees always go? always the church service first followed by the exceptions and then -- >> this is very much based on the 1897 diamond jubilee of queen victoria and the way in which it happened. the big difference is queen victoria, she was younger than our queen, but she was so ill she couldn't get out of the carriage. they thought of taking it up the steps but they knew it couldn't get back down. >> her lumbago? >> it's serious. the queen is able to get up on her own. >> as we continue to look back at some of the images and events that have already taken place this morning you saw the queen arrive at st. paul's earlier. when i mentioned this reception at mansion house, with the lord mayor of london, that's not an expression we use in the united states. so help us out here. >> lord mayor of london is the head of the corporation of the city of london. very different from the elected mayor of london. he's the lord mayor goes back to 1193, and that was why at mansion house, which is a very modern building, that was built in 1752, but the guild hall which is where the rest of the royal family were, that goes back to 1193 and it really is a fascinating building. >> what you must remember is they had a real function going to mansion house. that's where a lots of the trade, lots of industry, you have to remember even people who don't like the royal family, you must remember they bring in a huge amount of trade, tourism, billions of pounds. i think we were talking, it cost about -- talk about an american dollar, per year but they bring in billions of pounds in trade. so for her to meet these heads of industry, heads of trade, they're probably backing her for helping them with their business dealings all around the world. >> and the public actually are thinking, literally the crowd lining the streets of the route, and down here at the mall, if anything is going to lift her spirits it will be seeing the people. she's always been the kind of queen who has so much followed in the vein i think of her grandfather and her father. but her main role is to be seen by the public. that's why she's always done walkabouts. even why she wears bright colors. she must be seen. to see the crowd psyching her i think is great. >> when we get to this luncheon that's about to take place at westminster palace, who would be invited to a luncheon like that? how do you score a ticket for something like that? >> you wouldn't be. >> that's the entire british establishment. only the speaker of the house of commons, the prime minister, the house of lords, as well as -- in fact westminster hall was the senior lord court where they have all the great trials in british history. the trial of charles i. 1822. so you have this combination of the british establishment all sitting down and having lunch with her, it is truly ancient place. it was started by edward ii nearly 1,000 years ago. and a wonderful to see this magnificence. >> she celebrated a jubilee just ten years ago, her golden jubilee. the significance of this one to her? >> obviously historically, the second one since queen victoria to reach this mile stone. memories of her coronation. and it's interesting the guild hall, she spoke at her jubilee and where she gave that famous speech about prince philip being her prince in stay which will resonate this morning. >> how much fun it must be for those people the londoners and people probably from all over the uk who have come to london for this diamond jubilee to be along the route of parade here, or i guess the motorcade route, as she heads to west ninester. and al is down along the parade route, as well. al, fill us in. >> hey, it's kind of cool, matt. there are all these folks just hanging out, they're ready. this is a four-day holiday. in fact, you don't normally get this, do you? >> no, not usually. we get long weekends, but this is an extra day. >> it's very nice. very excited to see the queen go by? >> a little bit excited to see the queen. what i would really like to do, though, is join in the atmosphere here on the mall. i think all the people around will agree that that's what they're here for, as well, to support the queen and also for the atmosphere. >> it's all about the atmosphere? and we've got a few yanks among us. what's your name? >> tony. from california. >> all right. having a good time? >> excellent. >> did you come here just for this? >> accidentally. >> say yes. >> yes. >> exactly. there you go. so we're all here, all here and we've got our little periscopes. i've got to tell you, guys, these work really, really well. low tech but as good as it gets. that's what's going on around >> good morning. it will be a cool day today. temperatures will make it into the low 70's. a mixture of sun and clouds. a slight chance >> we've got a couple of the queen's smallest subjects. who are these? >> this is joshua. and this is emma jane. >> are you guys excited? >> we're very excited, yes. >> as is everybody here, matt and meredith. >> all right, al, thank you very much. we're going to have much more of our special coverage of the queen's diamond jubilee. including the royal family's arrival at westminster hall. that's coming up soon. we'll be back right after these messages. there are a lot of warning lights and sounds vying for your attention. so we invented a warning.. you can feel. introducing the all new cadillac xts, available with the patented safety alert seat. when there is danger you might not see, you're warned by a pulse in the seat. it's technology you won't find in a mercedes e-class. the all new cadillac xts has arrived. and it's bringing the future forward. the next generation and then countless more. how do you kill them? frontline plus. it uses two ingredients. one to kill adult fleas and ticks. plus another to eliminate flea eggs and larvae, annihilating the next generation of fleas. and, frontline plus works non-stop for thirty days. no wonder it's the number one choice of vets for their pets and yours. ask your vet about frontline plus. accept nothing less. ask your vet about frontline plus. hi. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. two flavors. in harmony. honey bunches of oats. make your day bunches better. ready or not, here i come! ♪ found ya! you always find me. you always hide here. 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>> i think the younger generation are getting more and more in tune to throyals, actually. it's a period where people remembered the queen, now the likes of william, harry and kate have brought a whole new audience. that said the queen ever the modernizer has been forward thinking, she's got the royals on youtube. she's been twittering in the household at least. she's keeping up with tech nothing and i think there is a whole new audience back behind us in the mall where i was yesterday afternoon that have loads of children. very much a family atmosphere. >> once you get away from that, you'll hear a lot of kids. >> are you suggesting parents wouldn't waste their tickets -- >> they want to have a good time. exactly. >> who is in the car with the queen at this point? >> that i believe is diana lady farnham. that's one of the queen's ladies in waiting. these are the women who look after the queen, keep her company, carry her hand bags, take poseys, and a lot of the people who work with the queen worked with her for an extraordinary amount of time. on the barge yesterday, her lady in waiting for over 50 years. the queen when she has staff she likes she holds onto them. >> would she have been there if prince philip had been there, though? >> possibly not. she would have been there and lurking around to take flowers and anything that well-wishers might want to hand off but i think she's now gone into the car to be next to her so she's got companionship there. >> meredith mentioned a couple of minutes ago that ten years ago the queen celebrated her golden jubilee. talk to me a little bit about that passage of time, that amount of time, and how the image of the royal family has changed in these ten years. >> well, the last ten years have been very good for the royal family. the bad times, of course, with lady diana, in fact now 50 years ago, the last ten years have been wonderful. i saw in a -- in a report the other day, that americans, 82% of americans think the queen is a good thing. and that's pretty much any american would love to have an approval rating of 82%. it's wonderful, and even higher in this country. so the last ten years have been really wonderful. because, of course, the unhappy times have now been put behind us and we're looking forward to the future, especially with regard, of course, the very happy wedding last year. >> they were hoping that this jubilee would encourage people to go out and buy things. hopefully somehow revitalize the economy through the energy that we've seen over the past four days. >> you have to remember that many countries in the world are suffering economically. people are really stretched financially, and this is a time not only for us to kind of celebrate and try and be happy but we are hoping, a lot of hoping to kick-start the economy and get people spending again. >> which brings up a question. when we were here for the royal wedding there was a lot of discussion as to who was paying for that. so who pays for the jubilee celebrations? >> well, it's a kind of governmental thing. quite an investment. at the end of the day the biggest cost for all of these things is security. that does come out of the taxpayers' pocket. some people object to it. on the whole though, there's a sense of support, actually for the public, they don't have to pay. so it's kind of a true celebration for the whole country. >> -- equating it with the olympics which is costing the taxpayer 9.3 billion pounds this is a tiny fraction of that. it's a minute percentage of that. >> plus they got a four-day bank holiday. >> that's right. >> the olympics are not very far away now. and this is just a general celebration, getting a feel, and london working out. how it's going to work with the transport systems, with security. this is very much a test case. >> it's hard to remember a city that's had a better 12 months or 14 months than london between the royal wedding, the diamond jubilee, and the upcoming olympics. i mean, and the people here have really shown that they can pull this off with great ease. >> well, also, we're very -- we do pomp and pageantry the best. and obviously, actually the thing about the queen is that she always draws crowds. you look at how many people are here. what celebrity, what politician would you see getting this many people out in the streets? it just doesn't happen. she's the one and only. >> she's the symbol of the country on legs. it is her job to be seen. >> right now she's on wheels, and she is riding in the royal bentley. if it looks familiar, that is the same bentley that prince william and prince harry rode in on their way to william's royal wedding. the question now, i guess, is will the queen jump into that convertible aston martin after she appears on the balcony. that's the car that caught my attention. >> with tin cans on the back of it. 60 years or something. >> you can help me do the show and tell. there's the mirror says you've made us proud to be british. with the picture of the queen and prince charles and camilla and paul mccartney. sir paul mccartney. rock and royals among the other paper. the party for one. this one talking about the fact that prince philip was not around. and the show must go on. another message talking about the fact that prince philip was unable to make it for today's festivities. clearly this is the news in great britain. >> there's only one story in town. >> would you like to hear the menu? >> yes. >> marinated salmon with lime bay crab followed by saddle of welsh mountain lamb with braised shoulder of lamb, grill isle of wight apair gus, potatoes and the dessert is chocolate delight. did you ever hear of that? >> that would be one of those trickle dessert things. >> with chocolate and cream. >> chocolate delight. >> regional -- we had at the royal wedding last year, as well. they're very much trying to support local producers in this country. >> also the queen is a big fan of fish. so the queen likes very plain food and she usually for lunch just has grilled fish, plain, no salted. water, still not sparkling. >> i thought she liked gin. >> she does but only one in the evening. she certainly doesn't during the daytime. >> maybe today to celebrate. >> looks as if she's pulling up now at westminster hall. that is the shot we just saw on the wider shot. >> will she be met with trumpets? >> i would have thought so, yes, as soon as she arrives. there will be cheering going on down there, no doubt. she's been waving to the crowd. very much enjoying it. really the whole route and the procession, and huge memories of the royal wedding. it's basically the same plot on the map she'll be taking. >> all right we're going to take a break. we'll have you guys stick around. we've got much more ahead from london on a special edition of "today." the wheat in every mini-wheat has gotta be just right. perfect golden color. rich in fiber. my dad taught me, and i taught my son out there. morning, pa. wait... who's driving the...? 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[ female announcer ] grab a roll and try it on your toughest mess. ♪ spread a little love my way ♪ ♪ spread a little something to remember ♪ [ female announcer ] fresh milk and real cream makes philadelphia and the moment a little richer. >> this is wbaltv 11 news in baltimore. ah caldwell.ar >> new accident in phoenix at jarrettsville pike. columbia road, left lane bloced. eastbound 100, accident there. major delays on north and west side. quick live look at traffic. not bad here. no delays in this area. delays from harford towards harrisburg expressway. >> we had rain last night, but should be dry commute. low 50s near the pennsylvania line. feels like upper 40s and low 50s. as we head into the afternoon, atmosphere becomes unstable. average high is 80. closer to that mark by the weekend. we turn the corner thursday and friday. 81 8:00 here on a tuesday morningth of june, 2012. you're looking at live images of the crowded room at westminster hall, where a jubilee luncheon is being held for the queen. there, of course, are some of the most notable members of the royal family. and the queen is just about to make her entrance. she'll be announced even as we speak. and -- >> she is inside the hall at this point. >> your majesty, it is the greatest possible honor for me, as master of the merchant's company, and on behalf of the livery companies of your city of london to pay tribute to you on this most special of days. a day when the city has already solemnly marked this jubilee as our great cathedral of st. paul's and through the color and drama of the thames river pageant. the day we mark and we give thanks for your 60 years unwavering commitment and service to the nation, to the wider world, and also to each and every one of your subjects here in the united kingdom, and each and every man and woman of the nation's of the commonwealth. how right it is that we should honor you here in westminster hall, a place that traces its history back nearly 1,000 years, and a place which has itself played such a dramatic part in our national story. your reign writes a further proud chapter of that extraordinary story. >> as you can hear, in honor of queen elizabeth the second. and we're going to have more coverage of this event coming up in just a little while. after this there will be a spectacular royal carriage procession from westminster to here at buckingham palace. it's expected to match the pageantry of the one we saw last year at the royal wedding. and just ahead the queen is a fashion icon. i'm matt lauer joined by our special correspondent meredith vieira. >> why did you point to me when you said fashion icon. >> i was actually pointing to you for special correspondent. but that's okay, you're also a fashion icon. and people do look to see what the queen is wearing. >> absolutely. you know and i don't think people usually use the word fashionista with her. but she has developed a style that is so unique. and anywhere you see that bright blue colored suit in the world you know it is the queen. last night she sparkled at the jubilee concert. coming up how her look has evolved through the years and her influence on other royal women like kate middleton that many are kaying is already becoming a fashion icon. >> all right. then we're going to take a look at america's fascination with queen elizabeth and get the scoop on hat she's really like when her former press secretary joins us. but first, al is along the royal parade route. he's at the duke of york steps. al, what's it like there? >> well, actually, matt, i have decamped, and i am now along the royal -- the royal society, these are the carlton terraces with a group of yanks who actually these, these, these folks are all hanging out looking out over the parade route, and this is the south carolina tourism board. of course south carolina getting its charter from charles ii. and so, charleston being the first settlement there, and so everybody is enjoying. everybody's got their glasses of champagne. oh, we do have a -- a -- one of the loyal subjects her. your name? >> lord evans of watford. sort of related to charles ii. it's quite a distant relationship. >> just don't tell anybody that. you're a lord. >> no. >> you're a lord for goodness sake. that's more than meredith is. you're a lord, hey, right? he's a lord for god's sakes. >> i think al's been there with the champagne a little longer than we thought. all right, al, thanks very much. >> now to new york for a check of the headlines. savannah guthrie in for natalie morales at the news desk. >> good morning. in the news today the canadian man wanted for a gruesome murder is expected to make his first court appearance in berlin today. security camera video shows 29-year-old luka magnotta entering the german internet cafe where he was arrested on monday. he's accused of killing and dismembering a chinese college student in montreal. videotaping that murder. and sending body parts to canadian political parties. a huge political showdown in wisconsin today, with potential ramifications for the political parties this fall. voters are going to the polls today to decide whether republican governor scott walker should remain in office. he's only the third governor in u.s. history to face a recall. the election was called after walker cut most state workers of collective bargaining rights in an effort to shrink the state's deficit. political observers are watching this as a barometer of voter mood ahead of the presidential election this fall. the alternate juror falsely accused of flirting with john edwards at his trial is speaking out now. she is a happily married mother of two and as for her now infamous off-the-shoulder red shirt, she said she wore it to court because she was planning to go out afterwards. a startling school bus crash caught on tape. a 73-year-old driver hit a bump and tumbled out of his seat. he struggled to reach the steering wheel and then crashed into a garage. fortunately there were no students on board and no one inside the garage at the time, either. the driver was not seriously injured. now for a look at what's trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. facebook is reportedly exploring ways to let children 12 and under join the social network without having to lie about their age. the current minimum is 13 years old. but it's estimated that millions of younger kids are already using facebook. our interview with celine dion is a hot topic online. dion was asked about actress kate winslet's remarks that my heart will go on makes her feel like throwing up. while dion didn't exactly appreciate winslet's remark, but she joked if she counted how many times she's had to perform it, she might get sick, too. >> and thanks to crafty editing, president obama is the latest person to mouth the lyrics to that viral hit, "call me maybe" by carly rae jepsen. >> and this is crazy. call me maybe. so call me maybe. >> that parody was stitched together by a 19-year-old who goes by the name barack dubsen youtube. it is now 8:07. back to matt and meredith in london. a guy with a lot of time on his hands. >> somebody needs another hobby. that's all right, savannah. thank you very much. >> now let's head back to al for a check of the weather. al? >> hey, guys. we can pan over you can see oh, they're just finishing up. there were all these horse drawn carriages and cannons. obviously for some sort of numbered gun salute that will happen probably later today. but as you can see all the crowds hanging out, waiting for this great procession that will take place that will be the culmination of the diamond jubilee. let's check your weather again. we've got a risk of strong storms throughout the southeast today. could be some isolated showers and thunderstorms there. we're looking at a few showers, wet weather moving in to the northeast. mid-atlantic states. more wet weather in the pacific northwest. windy conditions through southern california, with plenty of sunshine. the heat builds throughout the northern plains into the upper mississippi river valley. 84 degrees today in minneapolis-st. paul. >> good morning. it will be a little on the cool side. high temperatures will be the low 70's. it will be little breezy. >> warrant to thank our friends from the south carolina tourism bureau. thank you so much from the carlton terraces of the royal society back to you guys. back to you matt over by buckingham palace. >> all right, al. thank you very much. and our thanks to the folks from south carolina, as well. up next, royal style. the queen's mark on fashion, and the buzz over kate middleton's jubilee outfits. some of the pageantry passes behind us here. we're back right after this. i've worked hard to build my family. and also to build my career. so i'm not about to always let my frequent bladder urges, or the worry my pipes might leak get in the way of my busy lifestyle. that's why i take care, with 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gives you the confidence to eat those healthy foods day in and day out. and welcome back to buckingham palace. and "today" at the queen's diamond jubilee. there's always a lot of talk about kate middleton's fashion choices but the queen has her own unique style that makes her instantly identifiable. regal and refined. as one of the most photographed women in the world, the queen's wardrobe has been on display for decades. a style all her own. >> consistent, reliable. confident. she knows exactly what's appropriate to what occasion. >> reporter: from herren orately stunning wedding dress in 1947 to her early days on the throne, her majesty put forth an image of an elegant, dignified, world leader. in the decades to come her stately style began to take shape. after favoring printed chiffon fabrics in the '70s, her iconic two-piece matching coats and dresses became her signature. bold, bright colors. lemons, pinks, blues, a string of pearls, and of course that famous hand bag. >> i think her clothes send a message saying, i am here to be seen. she is the shining person. so she knows that. >> reporter: her hats have become something of a trade mark, as well. on occasion displaying a sense of the queen's lighter side. when touring the british countryside, she's been known for a more relaxed image. wearing colorful head scarves and down-to-earth tweeds. despite some describing her style as dowdy or even dated, in recent years, she's become somewhat of an improbable style icon. in 2007, british vogue listed the queen as one of the 50 most glamorous women in the world. she perhaps paved the way for the next generation. catherine has captivated crowds the world over with her stunning sense of style. when walking down the aisle to wed prince william in 2011, her choice of dress was one of the most highly anticipated fashion moments of the year. mixing couture pieces with high street retail fashion her looks are often imitated, her style fit for a queen. executive fashion and beauty editor for harper's bazaar, good morning. >> good morning. >> a lot of fun is poked at the queen and her outfits but you call her a style icon and says she always has been and no more so than the past three days, really. >> the queen is considered a style icon. and over the years she really hasn't sort of put wrong. we didn't see her wearing crazy miniskirts in the '60s. we didn't see her wearing hippie looks in the '70s. she's kept very true to her own sense of style. no big shoulders in the '80s. nothing embarrassing to look back and be upset about. >> the outfit she is wearing here at the cathedral. >> is by her designer and again a designer who worked with her over the last 10, 15 years. again, looking at all of the colors that she wears, she's wearing a lot of pastel colors she favors very much. in the last few years, very, very flattering. off-whites today, i think, is terribly chic. slight nod -- >> let me add to that a slight controversy, sunday during the flotilla. >> yes. >> catherine had on that red dress. by alexander mcqueen and there was some criticism in the papers the next day saying she upstaged the queen, she should not have worn red. what's your feeling about that? >> she's years younger than the queen. the reason she's wearing red is it's the most fashionable color. she looked stunning wearing that color. i think it would have been very inappropriate for the queen to be wearing royal red on a red barge, kind of odd. i actually thought the queen stood out. i was at tower bridge watching her and i thought she really stood out with that very sort of off-white color. i don't think for one second that catherine, duchess of cambridge, is ever going to upstage the queen. knowingly. you know, i think it's whether we're in one of those situations where she will always be younger, she's very beautiful, but it's not going to be a deliberate situation. >> in some ways the queen's outfit is almost like a uniform. the pastel colors that she can be seen. >> right. >> she always has the purse with her. nobody quite knows what's in it. >> yes. she has that wonderful hand bag. it's by a bespoke company. i've got one here, actually. it's by launer. and it's a very old english hand bag company. and this is the actual bag that she carries. it's called the diva bag. who would have thought the queen carries a bag called the diva bag. >> does she carry it to have something to do with her hands? >> it is an anchor so her hands don't like awkward in photographs. it's always light. we don't know what she's carrying in her bag. we know it's not money. >> interestingly enough, her skirts, the hem is weighted and the arm holes are a little larger than normal? >> we don't want to see a flash of royal underwear. she's joining plaum from the top of the steps of a plane so we don't have any wardrobe malfunctions. that's why the hems are waited. >> thank you so much for your perspective on our style icon. >> my pleasure. >> still much more from the diamond jubilee here in london right after this. 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[ excitement from mom and dad ] alright, let's take this puppy for a little spin alright madre, padre. alright, let's take this puppy for a little spin let's get our creativity running. then get some blades spinning, paper sanding, and bits turning. let's motor to the only place that carries our favorite tools... for our favorite people... armed with a budget and a mission... and see what happens when we put those tools to work for us. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, get the ryobi four-piece 18-volt super combo kit, just $99 - our lowest price ever. the queen is not only loved here in london, americans also watch her, and the royal family, with awe and fascination. nbc's andrea mitchell is in washington with that part of the story. andrea, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. well, we americans have admired this queen since she was just a princess. volunteering as an auto mechanic in world war ii. it's a relationship that has survived even as presidents and prime ministers come and go. we divorced ourselves from the monarchy in that little tempest in a boston tea party more than two centuries ago. but we yanks still can't seem to get enough of this queen. >> we are here to celebrate the tried, tested, and yes, special relationship between our two countries. >> reporter: she won our hearts from her coronation and on through her troubles with her children. and in this case, it's a love affair that has lasted through 12 american presidents. over the years she's put up with a lot from her former subjects. the indignity of going to where the revolution started, to celebrate the bicentennial of our independence from the monarchy. >> we learned to respect the rights of others, to govern themselves in their own ways. >> reporter: and while the queen seemed to enjoy riding with president reagan, her reciprocal trip to ride in his california ranch was a total washout. >> i knew before we came that we had exported many of our traditions to the united states. but i had not realized before that weather was one of them. >> reporter: and then there was the rose garden podium that all but reduced her majesty to a talking hat. >> a warm welcome to washington. >> reporter: and the orioles game where she suffered temperatures pushing 100 degrees while feigning interest in that most american of pastimes, baseball. at times the queen almost seemed like one of us. perhaps that's why george w. bush felt comfortable enough to be, well, himself in 2007. >> you helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17 -- in 1976. >> reporter: and then there was this touchy feely moment when michelle obama first met the queen. >> i don't know. but i suspect it's not the thing that would bother her in the slightest. >> reporter: what is it about this special relationship americans have with britain's monarch? >> it strikes me as ironic that you basically kicked us out just over a couple centuries ago in order to get rid of monastic monarchy but you have as much for the queen as britons do. >> reporter: she once said her reign is the humbling reminding of the fleeting presidency and prime ministers. matt? >> all right, andrea, thank you very much. chris is the paris bureau chief for "newsweek" and the daily beast. christopher, good morning again to you. take a shot at that question. what is it about this relationship between the queen and the monarchy and the american people that works so well? >> well, the big picture, it represents continuity. i think it represents continuity for all of us. to have one monarch head of state for 60 years in a country we think we understand like britain is a wonderful sense of history attached to that. on the other side of it, it's great soap opera. we can be spectators for all of this. >> it's soap opera and yet when it comes to the queen herself, there is an awful lot we don't know about her. no tell-all biographies. she hasn't sat down for that big revealing interview. >> she's never sat down for an interview as far as i know. we don't really know anything about her except what's given to us through official channels. and that one moment in 1992, and then again in 1997, when her world seemed to be falling apart, and she could not contain herself. >> maybe we love what we don't have and we certainly don't have a royal family. and presidents serve for eight years at most. we don't have anything like what we're seeing today. christopher, always good to see you. we're going to be back with more from london right after these messages. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> we have an accident on the inner loop on the northeast corner at perring parkway, with speeds of around 24 miles per hour as a result. outer loop of delays. some delays on the west side. you are down to 15 miles per hour from 142 edmondson. slow go on eastbound i-70. further south eastbound on 295, watch for the crash. there is a live view of traffic. we will update you off at the accident scene and perring parkway. let's switch over to a live view of traffic in the area of par for. > -- harford. >> we are off to a quiet start. we had rain last night. rest of the commute is going to be fine. 55 in rising sun. a little breeze out there and will make it feel even cooler. forecast for today is a mixture of sunshine and clouds. 30% chance of rain shower. most of you will have a dry day. tomorrow, same kind of weather. then we will turn the corner. but the time we hit the weekend, we will get back to where we should be for this time of year, with high temperatures in the low-to-mid-80's. >> we will have another update at 8: 56. some of the sights and sounds of london at 8:30 on this tuesday morning. june 5th. 2012. as four days of celebration for the queen's diamond jubilee start to wind down here in the united kingdom. outside buckingham palace i'm matt lauer alongside our special correspondent meredith vieira, who is in for ann this morning. meredith, nice to have you here. >> nice to be here. to think that all of this was never supposed to happen, at least for this queen. she was never expected to reign at all. but when she was just 25, she was a young wife and mother at the time, with two children, her father died and she became the monarch. coming up we'll look at her 60 years on the throne, and we're also going to have a rare interview with her former press secretary, who served her in the '90s. which was a turbulent time for her. >> all right. catch up with him. also we'll catch up with british singer james blunt. you probably know him from his hit songs but did you know that he actually served in the queen's horse guard? he's going to tell us how that experience helped to shape his life and shape his career. but first, let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker. he's down somewhere in the crowd. al? >> that's right. we're here down from the steps of the duke of york steps, and folks are just craning to try to see what they can. this young lady's got a great view. what's your name? >> indiana. >> well, you're from austria? >> yeah. >> what brings you to see this? you excited about it? >> yeah. >> could i get up on your shoulders? >> yeah. >> wow! they're so friendly in austria! that's awfully nice. thank you so much. wow. he doesn't know what he's in for because i'm going to get up there. let's see what we've got as far as your forecast is concerned. for today, whoo! we've got some strong storms in the southeast, rain in the northeast, especially later this afternoon. could be some coastal flooding, rain in the pacific northwest. tomorrow, we're looking at more strong storms, midsection of the country. wet weather continues in the northeast, on into the mid-atlantic states. we're expecting, again, windy conditions down through southern california. all right. are you going to come down so i can get on your dad's shoulders? i'm only kidding! really, honestly, seriously. i'm going to get on your shoulders. okay, here we go. all right. >> good morning. it will be a cool day today. temperatures will make it into the low 70's. a mixture of sun and clouds. a slight chance >> this is one, big party, guys. and it's still got a ways to go. back to you. >> all right, al, thank you very much. up next, more of the queen's diamond jubilee celebration. including an interview with her former press secretary. but first, this is "today" on nbc. welcome back to london and "today's" special coverage of the queen's diamond jubilee. queen elizabeth is the world's most recognizable monarch in the world but she's also been called the most familiar enigma. she has never granted an interview, instead devoting her life to honor and duty for great britain. she is an accidental queen. as a child, she was a quiet life of privilege. third in line to the throne with no expectations of becoming queen. she was known to her family simply as lillabeth. then a crisis in the british monarchy changed her destiny. her uncle abdicated to marry an american and elizabeth's father ascended the throne. from a young make the princess understood duty. >> my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service, and to the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. >> reporter: just four years later, young lillabeth at 25 became queen elizabeth ii. >> the word has gone forth, the queen is crowned. >> reporter: charles hanson served as the que's press secretary in the '90s. the journalist has said about the queen that she's our most familiar enigma. how would you describe queen elizabeth? >> well, i think she is a mystery. and i think part of that mystery is the mystery of monarchy. she's shy by nature, as well. so that perhaps increases that sense of mystery. but in general she is who she is. and when people say what you see is what you get, that is very much the case of the queen. >> queen elizabeth's personal motto is, i have to be seen to be believed. and she has lived it. every day, every minute, of her life is meticulously planned four months in advance. and has been for the last 60 years. she is never late. rarely cancels. and is forever stoic in public. the time that you served under her as press secretary, what was her daily life like? >> it's got a strong routine to it. she likes to always be on time for her engagements. partly because of training. but also out of consideration for other people. and i find it very relaxed and flexible to deal with. she is a perfect boss in that sense. >> but i have read that if she was not happy about something she has a stare. >> she definitely has a stare. you very rarely get a cross word but you know when something's not quite going the right way. >> what's the stare like? >> and you certainly know -- it's very long and very hard, and if a photo call has gone on for too long, you can see the stare coming towards you. >> so you've experienced the stare? >> definitely. >> what did that feel like? >> well, you come to know it. and it's a good signal, actually. >> to change gears. >> yes, actually, yes. >> but those closest to her say there's a softer side to this queen. margaret rose is elizabeth's cousin. they grew up together and are still good friends. >> she had a wonderful, wonderful sense of humor. she's always been a good mimic, and she can take off people very well which of course seine taining for all of us. >> it is a side of the queen her grandchildren say they adore. >> she is very funny but i think she gets it from my grandfather. the two of them are fantastic. we as a family, i think, obviously my family, when it comes to behind closed doors and humor. >> prince philip has faithfully stood by the queen's side throughout her monarchy. at almost every public events, just steps behind his royal wife. elizabeth had a crush on the handsome naval cadet as a young girl. >> in those days, she wrote, you know, to come for the weekend, or this that or the other. and the wonderful thing is she's never looked anywhere else. and it has been a love affair since day one. >> 64 years together. but their lives might have looked very different, and some say the queen may have preferred it. >> queen elizabeth actually famously said that if she wasn't the queen she would have just liked to be living in the country with lots of horses and lots of dogs. >> reporter: a simple life denied. instead, a place in royal history. elizabeth became queen when churchill was in office. she has served alongside 12 british prime ministers. leading great britain through times of sorrow, and times of triumph. few of us today remember a world without queen elizabeth ii. charles is the queen's former press secretary. welcome. good day to you. you know the queen well. you served with her for i guess 1990 to 1997. you know her facial expressions, including the stare. do you think she's having a good time during the diamond jubilee? >> i think the queen is touched by the enormous response, not only here in london, but also really from around the world, and especially from the commonwealth. so i think she is enjoying it. it may not always show. but then, her face tends to be serious. but you can see the smile, when the prince of wales spoke to touchingly at the end of the concert yesterday, you could see the queen smile immediately. >> he called her mummy. absolutely. she must, this must be hard for her. she must be very sad not to have her husband by her side. he has always been there. >> well, it's such a special moment, the diamond jubilee and i think they both were looking forward to it and were touched by the huge public response. so yes, it will be great for comfort and great for enjoyment. but if you've been doing the job for so well for 60 years as the queen has, she knows that the show must carry on. that the program is scheduled. and she will still be enjoying the day. and i was struck by the way she came out of the service at st. paul's cathedral this morning, looking very chatty, and talking to the various clerics, and other people at st. paul's cathedral. she looked completely relaxed to me. >> this has been a much better year for her than 1992 when you were press secretary. three of her children's marriages fell apart, a fire at windsor castle. a very tough time. how did she cope with the media back then? >> well i think the 1990s were difficult. but they were mainly difficult on the family front. and in that sense, the monarchy, like other families, has moments of sort of setback. they all came together rather like number 11 buses. they all came together at the same time. but i think her role as monarch. her role as queen, remains very highly supportive in that time. and i think there is a distinction between her institutional role as head of state, and her role as head of the family. and she has public support, always very diligent, nonpolitical, with her international role. >> do you feel, charles, that she feels good about the future of the monarchy when she looks to the future? >> well, i think she -- the queen is wise, wisdom is something you learn very quickly in her role. and one strength, one great strength of the british monarchy, why it's lasted for 1500 years is being able to adapt. and it's never had to adapt so much as when her reign for 60 years because society has changed so much. the world has changed so much. and i think the queen has been very skillful in being open to that change, whilst keeping the sort of heritage and tradition, and duty, sense of duty. someone once quipped everything's changed but the head scarf. >> that will never change. charles, thank you so much for joining us. up next we'll head to new york with a live interview with dr. jill biden who has her own reason to celebrate the day. and much more from the queen's diamond jubilee here in london. f back now in new york with dr. jill biden. the teacher and wife of vice president joe biden has written a new book about military families. and the inspiration is her son beau biden's deployment to iraq. and the impact it had on her granddaughter natalie. the book is called "don't forget, god bless our troops" dr. jill biden, good morning. >> good morning. >> it's good to see you. >> thank you. >> i can't wait to talk about the book. but first things first, you had something really exciting happen over the weekend. your daughter got married. >> yes. >> to a doctor. not only are you the mother of the bride, you hosted the event in delaware. >> at our home. and you know, tent and all. it was beautiful. it was magical. it was a magical evening. >> i have to ask, who cried? i mean this is your youngest daughter. >> joe. joe cried. he cried when he saw her in her wedding gown and she just looked so beautiful. and so he was a little emotional. >> well, congratulations on that event. and the book. >> well, thank you. >> of course you've done a lot of work with military families over the years, as well as with the first lady. i know you're celebrating a year anniversary. why did you think a children's book would help with this work? >> i've traveled all across the country and met with military families and i realized that many americans do not know someone who's in the military, or know the military family experience. so i thought what better way to educate americans with moms and dads reading this story to their children, and then i put back matter in the book that explains, you know, once they've read the book, if they feel inspired and they want to do something to help, there's all sorts of suggestions. if you say, what can i do? there's all sorts of suggestions to help with that. >> you like to say this is quite personal for you. you're the mother of a son who was deployed to iraq. >> yes. >> and your granddaughter natalie is the inspiration. she's kind of a lead character of the book. >> she was, we have the line that goes through, be brave, natalie. and she really was a brave little girl during that year. and i think it was a really hard year for our family, as it is for all military families who have someone deployed to a war zone. and so i tried to capture what it was like, through family events, you know, losing a tooth, or being in a swim meet, or all the things that you would want your mom or dad there for. >> even the title of the book comes from something natalie said. >> that's right. i was putting the kids to bed one night when they stayed over, and we said our prayers, as we always do, and i was tiptoeing out of the room and natalie said, don't forget, nanna, god bless our troops. and i just thought that it was just so pure, and so heartfelt, that you know, it really struck me and i thought what a great title for the book. >> i imagine even if you are vice president or second lady of the united states, when you have a son or daughter deployed, that worry is just the same. >> it's always there. for all military families. and i recently met a teacher who told me that on her way home every day before turning that corner she said, to go home to her home, she would say a prayer because she never wanted to see that car in front of her home telling her that something had happened to her son. and i think that feeling of anxiety is pervasive for military families. and so that's why michelle and i have tried so hard to say, you know, commit to an act of kindness for a military family. >> well, i can't let you go without asking a little bit of politics. >> okay. >> of course you're about to head out on the campaign trail. your husband has been out on the campaign trail a lot. and you've been campaigning with him basically since the '70s. >> forever. >> do you think this is his last campaign? >> i don't know. i don't know whether this is his last campaign. >> we're -- >> we're focusing on this campaign, and winning this campaign. >> there is talk that he might run for president. >> one campaign at a time. >> would you support it, though, if you got another one in you? >> you know, joe would make a great president. i always felt last time when he ran, i supported him. i wanted us out of iraq. i felt that joe would do that. but barack did it, so everything, you know, has worked out. so obviously your husband is known for his straightforwardness, or his blunt talk. a lot of times i know that the white house goes up on the campaign trail, occasionally gets him in some trouble recently i know he apologized to the president about getting out in front on the issue of gay marriage. did he feel bad about that? about speaking too openly? >> you know, joe and barack are, you know, they've worked this out, they're great. it's fine. he, you know, joe speaks from the heart. and that's what he did. and that's what i love about him. i know a lot of people aren't used to that with politicians, and maybe that's what surprises them. >> it's good to have you here dr. jill biden. thank you so much. >> thanks. >> and we want to remind everybody the book is called "don't forget, god bless our troops." coming up next we're going to head back to london for more on the queen's diamond jubilee. welcome back to london and buckingham palace. a royal occasion like the queen's diamond jubilee would never be complete without the sights and sounds of the queen's horse guards. they're out today to escort the royal family on their marriage procession. and we met up with a former member of the guards that you're bound to know. ♪ they're iconic and essential to royal pageantry. the dashing men of the queen's mounted household regiment, also known as the horse guards. every day they change sentries on hars guards parades. it was here we caught up with one of their numbers. yes, you saw right it's james bluntz, known to most of us as a singer. ♪ you're beautiful you're beautiful ♪ >> reporter: but he's captain blunt to his regimental friends. >> many fond memories. really special time. my friends are still involved. i stay in touch with them. about the early mornings, they're doing early morning rehearsal. >> reporter: the regiment dates back some 350 years. and there are no shortcuts when it comes to keeping up appearances. there are helmets and breast plates to shine. polishing those boots can take six hours. and, they do a serious job. >> they're dressed up in ceremonial uniforms, but they're fully trained to protect the queen, and they're regular soldiers. we've just come from afghanistan. our job, our job is historic one, which is to protect the monarch. >> reporter: in his former life as an officer in the queen's life guard blunt spent time in kosovo during the balkan war. >> show you around the vehicle. here's a machine gun. load the ammo in here. >> reporter: these days he doesn't need to dodge bullets. ♪ but there's always the chance of an ambush by fans. >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: in this diamond jubilee year, though, some of those memories from his time's in the queen's life guard come flooding back. >> i was there for the golden jubilee. which is a real moment in history. i think what is amazing is the queen herself. we look at it as all this great pageantry and great ceremony but i don't think it's an option that any of us would necessarily volunteer for ourselves because it is a complete lifetime of service. for great britain. it's a remarkable, a remarkable length of time as the head of our state, and a wonderful celebration. >> so something you didn't know about the queen's horse guards. and james blunt. and we're back here outside buckingham palace with a look at some of the souvenirs that you can find her commemorating the diamond jubilee. >> including or starting with this lovely necklace. do you like this? >> looks like something some kind of stripper would wear. >> exactly, my point. thank you very much. what about these berkeley hotel high tea cakes. eugenie actually ordered a bunch of these for the queen to have. check out that hat. that was the hat that beatrice wore. >> right. and the masks are apparently very popular. people on the subways wearing these. >> hold it -- no, no. >> we're going to have much more ahead right after this. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. baltimore county police are looking into establishing in middle river just. after 9:00 last night, they found a man suffering a stab wound to the chest. he was >> it is fy to be another unseasonably cool day. we will make it into the low 70's this afternoon. 30% chance for rain shower. same story tomorrow. warmer into the weekend. 80s on saturday and sunday.

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