Queen Elizabeth II: Above All Else [FULL MOVIE] –  Hw

I would like above all, to declare my resolve to continue with the support of my family, to serve the people of this great nation of ours to the best of my ability through the changing times ahead. What is demanded from us all is something more than courage and endurance. We need a revival of spirit, a new unconquerable resolve.

– You Ma’am, are a symbol of unity in a world of insecurity, of continuity in a world where nothing stays the same. She is an extraordinarily shrewd and perceptive observer of the world. Hers is advice worth having. – 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.

– The Queen takes an intense interest in every aspect of life in our country, and she brings to bare a formidable grasp of current issues and a tremendous breadth to experience. – When I was 21, I pledged my life to the service of our people. And I asked for God’s help to make good that vow. Although that vow was made in my salad days when I was green in judgment, I do not regret nor retract one word of it.

– [Narrator] Queen Elizabeth II, the cornerstone of modern British history, her inscrutable commitment to duty above all else has defined her lifetime of service to the throne and her lifetime of service to God. Join us as we look back at the incredible and incomparable life of Queen Elizabeth II. – Change has become a constant.

Managing it has become an expanding discipline. The way we embrace it defines our future. – She is stable, she’s diligent, and she has an extraordinary ability to put duty before else. That is the characteristic that defines her. (gentle music) I think the day-to-day life of the Monarch is very regimented. I mean she would be woken, that’s about 7:30.

Her dresser would come in with a cup of tea and some biscuits for the dogs. You know, her clothes would be laid out. She would dress, have breakfast and then read the newspapers and listen to the radio. And then her day would start. And her private secretary would bring her important letters to look at and sign.

And then every 20 minutes during the day, there is an appointment. And it’s the same every day during the working week. So it is a very regimented life. (gentle music) The Queen does choose her own wardrobe with her various couturiers. And in the early days it was Norman Hartnell. The Queen is actually quite interested in clothes and having had so many fittings during her lifetime, she knows exactly how things should be and she can spot if a hem is a little uneven.

For you know, she’s got a very, very astute eye and she always says, “I have to be seen” and so that’s why she wears such bright colors. And luckily for her, she’s got a perfect skin. Even in old age, she has the most beautiful skin so she can wear the most extraordinarily bright colors. – First, if she will forgive me, though she is the queen and the essence of dignity, it is a dignity that is very much down to earth.

Unstuffy, unfussy, indeed unphased by anything with a keen sense of humor, an amenability for mimicry. – Visits by American presidents have been memorable landmarks in my reign. Unlike in the United States, the British head of State is not limited two terms of four years, (laughing) And I have welcomed no fewer than seven of your predecessors.

– Well, the Queen actually does have a very well-developed sense of humor, and she’s very funny and very, very quick, but you don’t often see it. The fact that she looks very somber, but then, you know, her face can crack into the most wonderful smile. And we learned over the years about her sense of humor and her ability with mimicry.

So we’ve got to know her, but very gradually. (vocalizing) (gentle music) The Queen and Sir David Attenborough are almost the same age. I think that David Attenborough is three weeks older and there was a wonderful TV documentary in which he sort of chatted with the Queen. He didn’t really interview her and she was showing him round Buckingham Palace garden, some of the amazing old trees and plants and things that they have there.

And they found, she showed him a sundial. and she realized it wasn’t in the sunshine. She said “Oh, we better move that quickly.” And so they really bounced off well against each other. – I was going to say sundial needs to be planted in the shade. – Isn’t it good, yes? – Yep. (laughs) – How do we sort out that? That it was planted in the shed.

It wasn’t in the shade originally, I’m sure, but (laughs) maybe we can move it. (gentle music) – [Narrator] 1926 Britain was a very different place, almost unrecognizable in fact. King George V was on the throne and Britain was still recovering from the horrors of the great war, World War I. On April the 21st, 1926, the future queen was born, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary.

– Princess Elizabeth had a very, very happy childhood. She was born in 1926 in the center of London in Briton Street. And it was six weeks before the general strike. So it was a time of great political turbulence, but there was still great excitement about this new Royal baby. People were really interested in the Royal Family, although they never thought that she would be an heir to the throne because at the time, everyone loved the Prince of Wales, who of course, was later the Duke of Windsor who abdicated,

but and all eyes were on him, but this was a beautiful baby. And she was bought up by a series of nannies and nursemaids, and she had very loving parents and they basically, in those days, people followed the sporting calendar. The winters were in Hunting Country, summers were in Scotland and the season was in London.

And Elizabeth had this idyllic childhood with her parents and horses and dogs, and also her loving grandparents. – She did have a happy childhood. You know that King George IV, her father or the Duke of York as he then was, he always referred to himself, his wife, and two daughters as “Us Four”. And they were a Royal Family within the broader Royal Family.

But because they never anticipated their ranks and their position and their responsibilities changing, they were very much, they anticipated carrying on as being this very close knit, very loving “Us Four” you know. So Princess Margaret and her sister did have a hugely enjoyable and very loving childhood. (soft upbeat music) – [Narrator] Elizabeth and Phillip were first introduced to one another when Elizabeth was just eight years old.

According to eyewitnesses, it was at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, Phillip’s cousin, and Prince George, Duke of Kent, Elizabeth’s uncle in 1934. Phillips suffered a difficult and strenuous upbringing fraught with tragedy, moving from place to place, but finally found stability in the Royal Navy in 1939, when he became a cadet at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth, the very place five years later when Elizabeth, 13 and Phillip, 18, would meet once again, sparks would fly.

And Elizabeth felt great affection for the man who would one day become her husband. – Princess Elizabeth met Prince Phillip at a family wedding, but she can’t really remember that moment. The reason that we know so much about it is because her governess, Marion Crawford talks in great detail about their first meeting at Dartmouth College, where Prince Phillip was a Naval Cadet.

And he was very, very good looking, 18 years old, very striking, blonde looking. And he was assigned to look after the two princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret for the day for their visit while their parents went around the college. It’s quite strange to think of an 18-year-old looking after the princesses, the oldest of whom was 13, but he decided that it would be fun if they jumped the tennis nets.

So he took the princesses outside and he jumped the tennis nets for them. And they were very, very impressed. Later, he went on board, the vessel that the king and queen had come to Dartmouth in, and he had lunch, and then in the following day, he went and had tea. So that was the meeting that the princess remembers.

– [Narrator] Elizabeth was just 21 when their engagement was announced on the 9th of July, 1947. The engagement was not without controversy. Phillip had no financial standing, was foreign born and had sisters who had married German nobleman with Nazi links. Before the marriage, Phillip renounced his Greek and Danish titles, efficiently converted from Greek orthodoxy to Anglicanism and adopted the style, Lieutenant Phillip Mountbatten, taking the surname of his mother’s British family.

Just before the wedding, he was created Duke of Edinburgh and the granted the style, His Royal Highness. Elizabeth and Phillip were married on the 20th of November, 1947 at Westminster Abbey. They received 2,500 wedding gifts from around the world. Because Britain had not yet completely recovered from the devastation of the war, Elizabeth required Russian coupons to buy the material for her gown, which was designed by Norman Hartnell.

In post-war Britain, it was not acceptable for Phillip’s German relations, including his three surviving sisters to be invited to the wedding. – But from Prince Phillip’s perspective, this is someone that had had to leave their country. They didn’t have a home of their own. All his sisters were married to German aristocracy and lived in enormous castles.

And there’s Phillip knew living off the Goodwill of his relations. So I think that the idea of marrying a princess that was going to inherit so much must’ve been very attractive. And he was pushed by his uncle, Louis Mountbatten, who was the great kin maker. And he really pushed Phillip into kind of maintaining a relationship with Princess Elizabeth, who she was completely smitten with him from the age of 13.

And I think she started right. She wrote to him to say, you know, thank you for entertaining us at Dartmouth. And I suppose she gradually, gradually kept up. Then of course, during the time when he was on leave, on shore leave, he often went to stay at Windsor Castle. (bells chiming) (gun exploding) – [Reporter] Her Royal Highness is the proud and happy mother of a prince.

The salute is fired and in the Monarch’s home lies the infant boy who will one day be king. On Saturday, the eminent gynecologist, William Gilliat was called to the palace for the most responsible case and even in his career. By his advice, Sister H.M. Roe was chosen midwife. The whole country knew that the baby would soon be born.

All day on Sunday people waited outside the palace including fake magic best men with whom it was a point of honor to show no excitement. And all day there was no announcement. It was often 10 of night that those who waited and they were very many, heard the tremendous news, a Royal baby and a boy. Video gave no advantage to watchers at the palace.

The glad tidings went out everywhere. – [BBC Reporter] This is the BBC Home Service. it has been announced officially from Buckingham palace during the past hour that Her Royal Highness, the Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh was safely delivered of a prince at 9:14 p.m. today. And that her Royal Highness and her son are both doing well.

– [Narrator] Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles on the 14th of November 1948. One month earlier, the king had issued letters patent allowing her children to use the style and title of a Royal Prince or Princess to which they would otherwise not have been entitled as their father was no longer a Royal prince.

A second child, Princess Anne was born in 1950. (celebratory upbeat music) – [Reporter] New joy has come to the Royal Family in the birth to Princess Elizabeth at Clarence House of a second son. But of course, the joy is not restricted to the Royal Family and messages of congratulations all over the world have been poring into the princess’s home ever since the news became known.

(bright music) The early years of marriage have set the seal on the happiness of the princess and her husband. The blessing of children has come not only to enrich their lives, but also to establish securely the line of succession. (fanfare music) In Prince Charles, the public has acquired a new popular subject of interest of whom some delightful pictures have been taken.

We should like to see more of him by the insatiable demand of the public has had to bow to the princess’s very proper determination that her son shall not be spoiled by publicity. The public would be no less curious to see the first pictures of his brother to compare the likenesses and note the differences.

To Sir William Gilliatt, the great gynecologist, fell the medical responsibility of seeing the new prince safety into the world. The nurse was Ms. Helen Rowe. Everything possible to ensure the safety and health of mother and son was naturally done, but there must always be anxiety. That is now over and the nation’s rejoicing is marked by salute of gun.

This is fired in Hyde park by the Royal Horse Artillery in full dress. (guns exploding) – I declare before you all, that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great Imperial family, to which we all belong. But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone, unless you join in it with me as I now invite you to do.

I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow and God bless all of you, who are willing to share in it. (somber music) – [Ingrid] Well, I think the reason that the Queen is referred to by some historians is on the unlikely queen, is that, you know, she wasn’t prepared to be queen.

She was married in 1947 and she expected to have a proper longish married life before her father died. But he died quite suddenly. So she was an unlikely queen and also she wasn’t designated to be queen because her uncle who became Edward VIII very briefly abdicated and put Elizabeth directly in the line of succession.

– When their uncle, David, as he was known to the family, otherwise King Edward VIII abdicated, it was Princess Elizabeth who told Princess Margaret. And she said, “Uncle David’s going away and Papa is to be king.” And Princess Margaret said to her, “Does that mean you’re going to be queen?” And Elizabeth said, “Yes, one day.

” And nothing more was ever said about it or between them and Princess Elizabeth is, as we know, very well is able to compartmentalize aspects of her life. So she realized, this girl of 10, that one day she would become queen, but she tucked that away and she carried on being a normal natural 10-year-old. I mean, things did change for Princess Elizabeth as heir presumptive because it was felt that on an educational level that she needed higher education, particularly when you think of the British constitution

and matters like that, that it was now crucial that she should be very well aware of. And so she was given this additional instruction by the then Provost of Eaton College, Sandra Martin. – [Narrator] During 1951, George VI’s health declined and Elizabeth frequently stood in for him at public events and visited President Harry S. Truman in Washington, D.C.

in October, 1951. Her private secretary, Martin Charteris carried a draft accessioned declaration in case the king died while she was on tour. – What happened was the Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip were standing in for the king and queen. And they started a big Commonwealth tour in Kenya as it was called in those days.

And the people of Kenya wanted them to be there and they’d given them a lodge for their wedding present. And the sort of joy for them was that they were going to visit this game reserve. And there was a little place called Tree Tops, which was overlooking a Salt Lake. So you could really see the animals. You know, this is 1952.

So the whole of Kenya was teaming with game and they spent the night up there. And actually, it was during the night, unbeknownst to the princess that she became queen. So they went, they left the game viewing, went back to Sagona Lodge and had a little sleep because they’d been up all night. When the news came across to Prince Phillip’s private secretary, Mike Parker, that the king had died.

And he thought that… He eventually had one of those little radios and he fiddled with it and eventually heard the sounds of Big Ben and he knew that the news was true. And it was his duty to tell Prince Phillip, which was probably, he says later, the most difficult thing he’d ever had to do in his life. So he went to Prince Phillip and told him the news that his wife, Prince Phillip’s wife was queen.

So Prince Phillip was in such shock. He just put a newspaper over his face and let the news just absorb. And then he got up and he went and got the princess out of her bedroom where she was resting and took her down to the lake at the bottom of the garden. And the lady-in-waiting tells a wonderful story. She watched the walk up and down, up and down, and she knew that he was telling her.

And when they walked back into the lodge, she wanted, she was putting her arms around the princess when she thought my goodness, but she’s queen and dropped into a curtsy. And then of course, they had to make their way back to England as quickly as possible. But she went by the time they arrived back at London airport, she came down the steps, beautifully dressed in her black clothes and Prince Philip waited on the steps until she was at the bottom.

And she greeted her prime minister. And that’s how it was going to be from then on. Well, I think Prince Philip never envisaged that his young princess would become queen so quickly or they thought they had years ahead of them. So I think it was very difficult when suddenly, his wife became queen and, you know, he was demoted if you like, to forever walk two steps behind.

And he was treated very badly by the stuffy old courtiers at the palace. And they thought he was an interloper and he was far too German. And although he was a Greek prince, you know, he had a lot of German blood. So they just called him and just thought he was German. And so it was very, very difficult for him.

(gentle music) The Princess Elizabeth became queen in February, 1952. And the coronation was in June, 1953, but there was no plan for her coronation. There had been a plan for her uncle’s coronation, Edward VIII’s, but that had been scuppered. So it takes a long time to pull all the ends together. So it was decided that they would wait until June the following year and then everything could be lined up because for a coronation, you’ve got to have all the heads of state from all the various countries of the Commonwealth.

So you couldn’t just say, well, we’re gonna have it in November. Everybody needed time to organize things. Well, the historical significance of the coronation is that it’s a very ancient ceremony and the Queen as she was by then, but she has to be anointed in the eyes of God. And that is the coronation ceremony.

So she sits on the throne in a very simple white linen dress, and she has holy oil put on her forehead. And that makes her queen in the eyes of God, which is why she always said in all her speeches, you know, “I will rule and I will do my duty and as long as I’m fit and able to do so.” So it it’s an anointing ceremony in the eyes of God.

And that was the great importance of it. And then of course, you’ve got all the pomp and ceremony of all the Lords and the ladies and the dignitaries and the heads of state. So it was an enormous undertaking and it was televised because Prince Phillip pushed the idea that it would be a great thing for the country and the Commonwealth and the world even, to have this ancient ceremony televised.

And it was. It was taken back to America by plane. And I know the two big networks at the time, which was CBS and NBC were in a sort of a race against each other to see who could get the film footage first. So there was all kinds of things like that. And although America got a little tiny snippet of the coronation, they didn’t have the full ceremony obviously.

It had to be played out in cinemas in those days. (gentle music) Well, when the queen came to the throne, she was only 26 and Churchill made the remark to his private secretary, “But she’s a child.” But she wasn’t a child. She was very sophisticated and mature mentally. And it was a man’s world. And women were really subservient in those days.

And the Queen was walking into this world of men who were all much, much older than her, and also she hadn’t really been taught that she said there was no way to be taught. All she did was she watched what her father did and followed him. So of course, the court was very old fashioned and very stuffy, you know, because it was really her father’s court.

– It is a real pleasure to have an opportunity so early in my reign of visiting such a beautiful part of the Principality, and to see that the natural beauty of these Welsh hills has not been impaired by this vast work of modern engineering. I thank you, my Lord Mayor for the kind terms of your loyal welcome to myself and my husband.

In declaring open the Claerwen Reservoir, I congratulate you and all concerned with it on the completion of this great undertaking and express my good wishes for its successful operation. (gentle music) – [Ingrid] I think the day-to-day life of the Monarch is very regimented. Her private secretary would bring her important letters to look at and sign.

And then every 20 minutes during the day, there is an appointment. And it’s the same every day during the working week. So it is a very regimented life. (gentle music) – At this moment of my Silver Jubilee, I want to thank all those in Britain and the Commonwealth who through their loyalty and friendship have given me strength and encouragement during these last 25 years.

My thanks go also to the many thousands who have sent me messages of congratulations on my Silver Jubilee, that and their good wishes for the future. My Lord Mayor, when I was 21, I pledged my life to the service of our people. And I asked for God’s help to make good that vow. Although that vow was made in my salad days when I was green in judgment, I do not regret nor retract one word of it.

(audience applauds) (gentle music) – [Narrator] Since Elizabeth rarely gives interviews, little is known of her personal feelings. As a constitutional Monarch,

she has not expressed her own political opinions in a public forum. She does have a deep sense of religious and civic duty and takes her coronation oath seriously. Aside from her official religious role as Supreme Governor of the established Church of England, she is a member of that church and also of the national Church of Scotland.

(slow music) – I think the characteristics that spring to mind to me are that she is stable, she is diligent, and she has an extraordinary ability to put duty before else, before everything. And that is, you know, a characteristic that really doesn’t exist anymore. But the queen was probably the last person, you know, to decide that duty was everything.

Duty became before personal happiness. Duty became before family and children. And that is the characteristic that defines her. (gentle music) – I remember first coming to broadcasting house with my father, the king, and my mother and sister shortly before the war. I came again with the Duke of Edinburgh just before the coronation in 1953.

I was struck then as I am now by the sheer pace of change, which has transformed our industry over the past 60 years. – As the Queen mentioned, the first visit here by the Royal Family was in 1939 when two young princesses were taken by their father, King George VI, and their mother, Queen Elizabeth into a control room.

There, they were played some sound effects and invited to experiment with recording technology. This archive, which has never been heard before is a fragment of that visit nearly 75 years ago. – [Queen Elizabeth] We had a very interesting afternoon here. We heard all the noises. Did you like it? – [Princess Margaret] Yes, very much.

(giggling) – [Queen Elizabeth] What did you like best of all? – [Princess Margaret] I liked the storm. – [Queen Elizabeth] Yes, I like the storm very much. (giggling) – [Queen Elizabeth] Like you talked proper. Say how are you? – [Princess Margaret] Good afternoon, (indistinct) – [Queen Elizabeth] I’ve spent a fascinating afternoon here.

It’s been very interesting, isn’t it? – [Man] It has. (indistinct) (bright music) – [News Announcer] The late King’s daughter became England’s second queen, Queen Elizabeth, carefully read to her responsibilities. She has already captured the affections of Britons during her short reign. – [Narrator] The British Empire had been changing its shape over the previous decades and more and more countries were gaining their independence.

Many of these countries wanted the freedom of being independent whilst retaining some of the beneficial ties, including trading and foreign affairs. Elizabeth had dedicated her life at the tender age of 21. And by the late 1960s, most of the British territory has became independent, but had joined the Commonwealth.

It was a time of great transition on the respect from her late father and her continued dedication maintained the structure and influence of the organization. – But the Queen and Duke on the Observation Bridge to catch the fullest view of the approach to Hobart. Small boats are out to welcome them as Gothic and her Navy escort move towards Princess ball.

It’s a glorious sunny day and the Royal couple arrived early. Both of them said they wished to see as much of Australia as they can and they are certainly missing no opportunity. The yachts line the sides of the Derwent as the Royal yacht eases towards Hobart But as it is, population has fallen to almost double and there are rousing cheers as Gothic comes alongside.

(gentle music) – [Narrator] Even through periods of political unease, the Commonwealth has continued to grow and become a remarkable force for change. – [Reporter] This is a Royal command performance. Children of Tasmania parade before their queen, who too lives in a small island. Her thoughts are undoubtedly now with her own children.

– Having on so many occasions, been welcomed to opening ceremonies around the Commonwealth, it is a pleasure this time to welcome you to my own home. Here at Buckingham Palace in 1949, my father met the heads of government when they ratified the London Declaration, which created the Commonwealth as we know it today.

I remember my own lifelong commitment made in South Africa in 1947 at the age of 21. As another birthday approaches this week, I’m reminded of the extraordinary journey we have been on and how much good has been achieved. I believe we will secure a safer, more prosperous and sustainable world for those who follow us, a world where the Commonwealth generosity of spirit can bring its gentle touch of healing and hope to all.

(gentle music) – [Narrator] In the 1970s, Elizabeth broke a Royal tradition during her Royal tour of Australia and New Zealand, opting to do a walk-about, greeting the crowds in person instead of the usual way from a distance, which delighted the people and has now become regular practice for working Royals.

(gentle music) (slow music) Lady Diana Spencer became a member of the Royal Family, wedding Elizabeth’s eldest child, Charles in 1981, a relationship that would change the whole shape and style of the monarchy. Though Charles and Diana seemed like the fairytale match, tensions grew as the couples incompatibilities quickly came to light.

The Queen and Prince Phillip attempted to intervene just enough to try to keep the couple together. Their attempts proved futile as the marriage fell apart very publicly, causing considerable scrutiny from the press. (slow music) – Well, 1992 was the worst year of the Queen’s life. And she gave a speech at the Mansion House in London towards the end of ’92.

And she said she was going to refer to the year as an annus horribilis and we all knew why. Because there was her daughter, Princess Anne was separated, divorced, and remarried at the end of the year. Well, the remarriage was happy, but so her daughter’s marriage had broken down. Fergie and Andrew’s marriage had broken down.

But far the worst thing was the breakdown of the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the official announcement that they were going to split. And then on top of all that came the fire at Windsor Castle on the Queen’s anniversary. A curtain caught upon a light in the chapel at Windsor Castle, and it just blazed and the fire raced through all the state departments.

It was a huge fire, but lucky, very, very few things were lost, but it was devastating. And then the prime minister asked the country if they would be prepared to pay for the reconstruction of Windsor Castle. And basically, the queen’s subjects said, no. I mean, although Windsor Castle is an official state building, not her own, the general consensus was that we didn’t want to pay for it.

So then the Queen had to pay tax and it just really wasn’t a good year. (gentle music) – 1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondence, it just turned out to be an “Annus Horribilis” (laughing) in that old maxim “moderation in all things.

” I sometimes wonder how future generations will judge the events of this tumultuous year. I dare say that history could take a slightly more moderate view than that of some contemporary commentators. He who has never failed to reach perfection has a right to be the harshest critic. There can be no doubt of course, that criticism is good for people and institutions that are part of public life.

New institution, city, monarchy, whatever should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don’t. But we are all part of the same fabric of our national society. And that scrutiny by one part of another can be just as effective if it is made with a touch of gentleness, good humor and understanding.

This sort of questioning can also act and it should do so as an effective engine for change. (gentle music) – I think that the death of Princess Diana was the biggest crisis of the Queen’s reign and probably something that historically, she will be judged by. And I think despite the film, “The Queen”, and despite “The Crown”, people still think the queen handled it badly and didn’t seem to understand what her subjects were feeling and thinking.

But I think the Queen didn’t understand because they traditionally, the Royal Family, when there is a death and there’ve been many, many, they mourn quietly amongst themselves. And the Queen thought because of William and Harry, it would be utter cruelty to expose them to crowds of wailing people and that they must be kept at Balmoral.

But it actually was wrong as it turned out, but she remedied the situation. But I think it will still be seen as probably one of the disasters of her reign. So when the Queen and Philip arrived in London from Balmoral, there were crowds and crowds of people outside Buckingham Palace and flowers. And the queen was actually very nervous because there was such an atmosphere.

I mean, I was there. I remember the atmosphere was sort of, you almost felt that there was gonna be a revolution, but she walked through the crowd and for the moment it was silent. And then a lady handed her some flowers and she said, “Oh, shall I put them by the gate?” She said, “No ma’am, they are for you.

” And that broke the tension. And after that, it was all right. – First, I want to pay tribute to Diana, myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and in bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected her for her energy and commitment to others, and especially, for her devotion to her two boys.

This week at Balmoral, we have all been trying to help William and Harry come to terms with the devastating loss that they and the rest of us have suffered. No one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but felt they knew her, will remember her. I, for one believe there are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death.

(gentle music) – [Narrator] 2002 was an incredibly difficult year for Her Majesty. Her sister, Princess Margaret died in the King Edward VII’s hospital, London at 6:30 a.m. on February the 9th, 2002 at age 71. One day after having suffered a stroke that resulted in cardiac problems. And three days after the 50th anniversary of her father’s death, the Prince of Wales paid tribute to his aunt in a televised broadcast.

On the 30th of March, 2002 at 3:15 p.m., the Queen Mother died in her sleep at the Royal Lodge Windsor, Great Park with Queen Elizabeth II at her bedside. And despite an incredibly difficult period of loss and mourning, Queen Elizabeth made a televised address to the nation in order to thank them for their support and well-wishes during such a tough time.

– Ever since my beloved mother died over a week ago, I have been deeply moved by the outpouring of affection, which has accompanied her death. My family and I always knew what she meant for the people of this country and the special place she occupied in the hearts of so many here in the Commonwealth and in other parts of the world.

But the extent of the tribute, that huge numbers of you have paid my mother in the last few days has been overwhelming. I have drawn great comfort from so many individual acts of kindness and respect. Over the years, I have met many people who have had to cope with family loss, sometimes in the most tragic of circumstances.

So I count myself fortunate that my mother was blessed with a long and happy life. She had an infectious zest for living, and this remained with her until the very end. I know too, that her faith was always a great strength to her. – The queen was very, very close to her mother and her sister. So for both of them to pass away within two months of each other was a sort of double shock for her.

Her sister was very unwell. And I think that didn’t come as a surprise. And because of the Queen Mother’s great age, that didn’t come as a surprise either, but it was still a shock. And she was still, you know, full of grief for the passing. But luckily, she was actually out riding when her mother started to slip away and her staff managed to get a message to her.

So she got back to her mother’s bedside. So she was there. The whole country was so moved by the passing of the Queen Mother, that the queen actually gave a speech from Windsor, thanking everyone for their concern, their good wishes and their loyalty to her mother. – I’m naturally somewhat biased, but I think all children have done all the well under very different, difficult and demanding circumstances.

(audience applauding) I think I hope we can be forgiven for feeling rather proud of them. And I’m also encouraged to see what a good start the next generation is making. I think that the main lesson that we’ve learned is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient of any happy marriage. It may not be quite so important when things are going well, but it is absolutely vital when things get difficult and you can take it from me that the Queen has the quality of tolerance and abundance.

(audience laughs) – I think many people have asked the Queen and her husband, Phillip what is the secret of their relationship? And the Queen has spoken out on a few occasions and she said, patience, sense of humor, and she had said famously, of course, that Prince Phillip had simply been her rock and her stay over the years.

And he had. He’d always been there to support her, although he never involved himself in constitutional affairs, he was there as a sounding board. He was someone to listen and someone who would be on her side or would give her a criticism, which of course nobody else really could. – A humble and hearty thanks to all those in Britain and around the world who have welcomed us and sustained us and our family in the good times and the bad so unstintingly over many years.

This has given us strength. Most recently during the sad days after the tragedy of Diana’s death. It is you, if I may not speak to all of you directly who have seen us through and helped us to make our duty firm. We are deeply grateful to you each and everyone. Yesterday, I listened as Prince Phillip spoke at the Guildhall, and I then proposed our host’s health.

Today, the roles are reversed. All too often, I fear Prince Phillip has had to listen to me speaking. Frequently, we have discussed my intended speech beforehand. And as you will imagine, his views have been expressed in a forthright manner. (audience laughs) He is someone doesn’t take easily to compliments, but he has quite simply been my strength and stay all these years.

And I and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt much greater than he would ever claim or we shall ever know. (somber music) – [Narrator] There have been few times the Monarch makes a televised address to the nation. Well, she does her annual Christmas speech. Such an address at any other time of year is very rare, and usually in response to grief or crisis in the nation.

COVID-19 was no exemption. As it swept across the world and country after country was forced to lock down, the Queen made her speech in April 2020. – I’m speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time, a time of disruption in the life of our country, a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all.

We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again. – [Narrator] with reference to the wartime Britain she had once faced, she encouraged Britons to feel the same spirit of togetherness in the fight against a common enemy.

(somber music) On the 9th of April, 2021, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died aged 99. – And I particularly wanted to say that my father, I suppose the last 70 years has given the most remarkable, devoted service to the Queen, to my family and to the country and also to the head of the Commonwealth. And as you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously.

He was a much loved and appreciated figure. And apart from anything else I could imagine, he must’ve deeply touched by the number of other people here and elsewhere around the world, in the Commonwealth, who also I think, share our loss and our sorrow. – [Narrator] To Her Majesty the Queen, this would come as a devastating loss.

Prince Phillip has walked two steps behind Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ever since she became queen in 1952 and has been the supporting man, husband and father that the Royal Family has needed him to be. Over the years, his personality has shown through in his charitable work and public appearances. He was not your run off the mill, stiff upper lip royalty by any means.

His wit and charm has endeared him to many and sometimes got him into trouble, but he will always be admired for his lifetime of duty. Elizabeth took great comfort in the many ways Britons celebrated Prince Phillip’s extraordinary life, though Prince Andrew revealed Phillip’s death left a huge void for Elizabeth.

In the following months, the Queen returned dutifully to her work, maintaining as always, her stoic attitude. Quite touchingly, whilst the Queen was unable to attend the COP 26 Conference due to illness, she prepared a video speech in which she paid tribute to the work of her beloved husband. She even wore a beautiful butterfly brooch she was gifted on her wedding day, and one that she very rarely wears.

– This is a duty I’m especially happy to discharge as the impact of the environment on human progress was a subject close to the heart of my dad, late husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. I remember well that in 1969, he told an academic gathering, if the world pollution situation is not critical at the moment, it is as certain as anything can be that the situation will become increasingly intolerable within a very short time.

It is a source of great pride to me that the leading role my husband played in encouraging people to protect our fragile planet lives on through the work of our eldest son, Charles and his eldest son, William. I could not be more proud of them. – [Narrator] In the weeks following, Queen Elizabeth spent a night in hospital and was advised by doctors she must rest.

A very important event for the Monarch each year is attending The Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday, and she was determined to make it for this event. (soft band music) – [Reporter] For the last four years, the Prince of Wales has taken his mother’s place at The Cenotaph, but the Queen has still viewed the service from the balconies above.

Today, though, there was a missing figure at the spot where the Queen was supposed to stand. Her cousins, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra stood without her. (somber music) Below, Prince Charles looked particularly somber after he laid the Queen’s wreath on her behalf. Less than two hours earlier, Buckingham Palace announced the Queen had sprained her back and with great regret, had been forced to cancel.

– [Narrator] After fears from the public, she has since returned to light in-person duties whilst also continuing to rest and recover. Queen Elizabeth continues to fulfill her duty above all else. – Change has become a constant. Managing it has become an expanding discipline. The way we embrace it defines our future.

These values find expression in our national institutions, including the monarchy and parliament, institutions which in turn must continue to evolve if they are to provide effective beacons of trust and unity to succeeding generations. We also take pride in our tradition of fairness and tolerance. The consolidation of our richly multicultural and multi-faith society, a major development since 1952 is being achieved remarkably peacefully and with much Goodwill.

I would like above all to declare my resolve to continue with the support of my family, to serve the people of this great nation of ours, to the best of my ability through the changing times ahead. (gentle music)