Elizabeth R – A Year in the Life of The Queen (1992) (BBC) –  Hw

The State Opening of Parliament. The Lord Great Chamberlain bears the Imperial State Crown into the Robing Room. The Crown is the symbol of supreme authority. For 40 years it has been worn by Queen Elizabeth II. It was in Kenya, on February 6th 1952,

that the Queen heard of her accession to the throne. ‘Her Commonwealth tour cancelled, ‘the Princess we knew as a girl ‘and watched in the even growth of her stature ‘comes back to meet her ministers as Queen ‘over the great lands that ‘for 15 years acknowledged her father as Head.’ In a way, I didn’t have an apprenticeship.

My father died much too young, and so it was all a very sudden kind of…taking on and making the best job you can. It’s a question of maturing into something that one’s got used to doing, and accepting the fact that here you are and it’s your fate. I think continuity is very important. It is a job for life.

CHOIR SINGS THE NATIONAL ANTHEM Continuity and tradition. The Queen is now one of the longest serving heads of state in the world. The ceremony of monarchy does not change, but behind the pageantry is a different world. November 1990. It’s 9am, and the Queen’s Pipe Major plays on the terrace of her London home, Buckingham Palace, a daily ritual begun by Queen Victoria 150 years ago.

Beyond this 40-acre garden, it’s a season of discord. Iraq has invaded Kuwait and holds Westerners hostage. There’s a threat of war. But for the 368 people who work at the Palace, it’s business as usual this morning. The Queen spends more time opening letters than parliaments. Today’s business, brought to her by her Private Secretary, Sir Robert Fellowes, includes a last look at the script of the Christmas message.

Good morning, Ma’am. Good morning, Robert. Your voice sounds a little better, Ma’am. Yes, it’s getting better. It’s a slow job, though. A lot of people have got it, I think. It’s rather difficult to avoid getting. Yes. Ma’am, you’ve got the latest text, I think, of the broadcast, which I’ve been having a go at over the last week or two.

And I did, incidentally, show it the other day to the Prime Minister who seemed, on the whole, to like it. He had one or two rather good suggestions which I’ll come to as we go through. Yes, I did mention it to him, the difficulties of trying to get something at this particular juncture… The Gulf is uppermost in everyone’s mind.

I think they’d be amazed if it wasn’t the first thing you turned to anyway. And I hope it’s not too gloomy, that. The tricky business, of course, is the hostages, who will be nearly all out by then, I suspect. The Foreign Secretary is very keen to mention the ambassadors. It now looks as if the chap in Kuwait will be out, I see in the papers today he’s going to come out.

Hooky Walker, I think, will still be in Baghdad… At least he doesn’t have all those people in tents in his garden. No. And he’s not doing his own cooking, either! The contentious bit I think is the next paragraph. Maybe one might soften it down a bit. You think “violent and vociferous” is too sharp? I think we might just have one. One adjective, yes.

It sounds a bit too Churchillian. Yes, and it’s frightfully difficult to say if one’s speaking. “Vociferous” is all right, Ma’am? Would you be happy with that? Well, at least we managed to mention Christmas. Yes. November 30th. The Royal Train is on its way north. Yes, equally. I mean, I feel slight disappointment rather than anger…

Among the support team of a dozen or so is Charles Anson, the Queen’s new Press Secretary, and Richenda Elton, one of her ladies-in-waiting. The party also includes the Equerry, Blair Stuart-Wilson. The Queen makes about 30 of these awayday visits a year. Each detail of the two-day trip has been checked on the spot by one of the Queen’s staff, in this case, her Deputy Private Secretary, Sir Kenneth Scott.

1.30 arrival. And Mr Gibb, the President, will present you with a rugby ball and six rugby jerseys for the grandchildren. That’s very kind. Of assorted sizes. Even for the girls? Even for the girls, yes. It’s very “in” for girls to wear rugby jerseys, you know. And a plaque outside? And then a plaque outside.

This is small children rushing about at each other in the combat room… ..and then… Another plaque? Another plaque. In the main lounge downstairs, there will be four tables with staff and residents sitting at them. And at each table there will be two vacant chairs. The idea is that you and Richenda would move from table to table, and talk to people while they’re sitting down.

We thought that would be easier for you. Oh, right. Um… Back to the plane. Then another plaque. Then another plaque! Another plaque. I don’t think you can stay in London all the time. You have to visit other parts of the country, either to find out what’s going on or try and encourage people in different areas, some of which have unemployment, some of which have new factories.

I think the possibility of meeting more people is very important, but a lot of people don’t come to London very often, so we travel to THEM instead. I name this ship James Clark Ross. May God bless her and all who sail in her. Four plaques, two town halls, one sports centre, one new ship,

one new bridge and one new bypass later, the day ends at a retirement home in Heckmondwike, Yorkshire. This is not the Queen as head of state – nothing in the constitution says she has to come here. She’s here as head of the nation – the personal focus of people’s loyalty and affection. This is very nice. Yes, it is.

And you’re a resident here, are you? You live here? I live at Scissett Mount. Oh, do you? Yes. You’ve just come in? A number of these ladies have come temporarily to stay here. Thank you. The home that they’re living in is being refurbished… Oh, really? So you’ve had to come here? Yes. They look after you well, do they? Yes, very well.

And you have a room here of your own, do you? Yes. That must be rather nice, isn’t it, the bedroom? Yes. We don’t see enough of you, though. They gave it out on t’ wireless. Over 20 years, in’t it? I think it must be, yes. Back to pageantry and ceremony. Back to Buckingham Palace. A formal welcome to another head of state.

There are usually two such visits a year, though a foreign head of state will visit once only during his time in office. Today, the Queen’s guest is Francesco Cossiga, President of the Republic of Italy. Now is the time for the exchange of gifts and honours. it’s a way of tempering the formality of a state event with the friendliness of a family occasion.

Now, your official present is this decoration. Oh, yes. Thank you very much. The Order of the Bath. Bath, yes. Which is a present which is given with a great deal of pleasure. Very pleasure for me. This is a slightly more personal present… Oh, thank you. ..of some bits of china. I think the history of it is in there.

But I hope it will remind you of your visit here. Thank you very much. This is for my wife? That is for your wife. Oh, thank you very much, yes. It’s a small clock. Clock. This is a letter from my husband. Oh, thank you very much. We hope… Also, I hope you like this. Your picture, too.

I’m afraid you get that as well! Two very beautiful boys. Yes. Two very beautiful boys. So… Busy reading. You know that I love books. We know you do, too. Thank you very much. This is from me. I thought you might like a book of clocks. Clocks. Of the Queen’s house. You can look them all up. This is lovely, isn’t it? It’s very heavy. A present for Your Majesty.

Oh, how lovely! That’s very kind indeed. We’re most grateful. The season of gifts. It’s the week before Christmas, and the Regency Room at Buckingham Palace has become a TV studio to record the Queen’s Christmas message. All we need is something unobtrusive. A huge great couple of Egyptians there isn’t exactly what we want for Christmas.

Good afternoon, Ma’am. Good afternoon. The Queen made her first broadcast on Children’s Hour in 1940. This year, the producer is David Attenborough. When you’re ready, Ma’am. Over the years, I have dwelt on the happier side of life in my Christmas broadcasts. We need reminding of it, particularly at Christmas time.

For it seems to me that there is one deep and over-riding anxiety for us all, on which we should reflect today. That is the threat of war in the Middle East. The servicemen in the Gulf who are spending Christmas at their posts under this threat are much in our thoughts. This year there have been, I hope, times of happiness and good cheer for most of us.

My family, for instance, has been celebrating my youngest grandchild’s christening. I hope that all of us lucky enough to be able to enjoy such gatherings this Christmas will take time to count our blessings. The nannies were sitting in the next… Yes. She didn’t want to go to them. She wanted her cousins.

She was quite happy when she was with the children. Very happy. Lovely smile. Beaming. Good? Do you want the rest of it? Do you want any more? Sandringham, two days before Christmas. The christening party of Princess Eugenie of York. She’s the sixth grandchild and sixth in line to the throne. In fact, 10 of the first 11 in line are here.

No idea. That’s quite funny. The grandchildren are wanted for a photograph. Right, off you go. Photograph time. Good Morning. Good morning, Your Majesty. We’ve got to do another one! Well, yes, yet another one. We’ll do it ever so quickly. If you just stand here in a line… Don’t go away! Don’t go away. Just about here.

Harry, can you hold Beatrice? Good morning, Your Majesty. Just in a line with the little ones in front. Princess Margaret, could you come forward? Thank you. We’ve got a young man behind we can’t see actually. Could you come a bit forward? Oh, don’t stand next to me! He’s so damn big! Go and stand on the end.

Come and stand in front of me! That’s fine. Your Majesty, we can’t quite see you. So if you could just stand back a little bit there. Thank you. Princess Anne I can’t see. Can I come round here? Ready? Looking at the camera, everybody, thank you. Lovely. Sandringham is an escape place, but it is also a working place and a commercially viable bit of England.

I like farming. It’s not very easy nowadays. I like animals. I wouldn’t be happy if I just had arable farming. I think that’s very boring. But I suppose that, because it’s an inherited place – one’s known it ever since one was a child – I knew how much my father had enjoyed it. Well, in fact, all my family.

Ever since King Edward bought it, they’ve all enjoyed being there. They’re very much involved with the people who live on the estate. One has a responsibility towards them, very much. I have the stud there, too, which is my, sort of, responsibility. That I enjoy doing. King Edward put the stud there and he enjoyed racing.

And I think we’ve all enjoyed racing. It isn’t a profitable venture at the moment, because the problems of racing are so great. But I think that, as a human being, one always has hope, and one always has perhaps the gambling instinct that one’s horse is going to be better than the next man’s horse and that’s why one goes on doing it.

He must have knocked it. It couldn’t have got better so quickly. No, it couldn’t. If it’d been a proper tendon injury, it wouldn’t have got better. It’s a pity because if he hadn’t done that, he should have won the Derby. He beat the Derby winner twice. The Derby second twice. What are you looking at… .

.so keenly? He can see those mares right over in the… He can see Expansive. He’s certainly got good eyesight! HOOVES CLATTER If you listen… It’s a very level walk, that. Yes. Isn’t that interesting? Another thing, you see, he nearly, nearly overreaches. I mean, he’s very, very nearly… Well, we’ll have to be careful of those.

Very flat feet, aren’t they? I love this bit. It’s very sort of… Rolling downs. ..Norfolk, isn’t it? How can anybody can say Norfolk is flat, I don’t know. Looking for rabbits? Yes, we’ve done all right. We’ve done the holes and got the rough ones. Good. That’s the Police Superintendent there. I know, that’s what made me wonder.

I thought they’d arrested him! There’s nothing like catching the Chief Superintendent poaching rabbits, is there? Perhaps have a go at this ivy on the bottom of these trees. Yes, please. That would be a good idea. We’ll kill it and pull it off when it’s all died down. In my grandmother’s day there would never have been any ivy anywhere.

She had a passionate hatred for it. I thought we’d go to the kennels now, Ma’am. Right. Take your two dummies. Where did he put it? Oh, yes. I see. Trouble is that I’m not watching him. During the summer, you see, when you’re training them… PRINCE PHILIP: Oh, he got it! No, but it’s his dog, you see.

It’s so cruel! He’ll probably go back. Bray! You’re not supposed to do that. I’m not here! Go away! I’m not here! Go and do your stuff. Bray! Go on. Go on! Now come back to here and then we’ll work them down the way. It’s very grown-up to be able to do all that on your own, isn’t it? Not steps, not steep. That’s not steep.

Not steep. Let’s go and shout for Robert, shall we? I can push it. You can push it. I’ll call. Righto. Is it your granny that’s shouting? I’ll come along, then. Good evening, Ma’am. Good evening, Robert. The Queen spends Christmas and New Year at Sandringham, but, wherever she is, one of her three Private Secretaries is always in attendance.

Sir Robert Fellowes is son of the land agent who once ran the estate here at Sandringham. A city broker for 14 years, he’s married to the Princess of Wales’ elder sister. Jane went the other day with the two little ones and it’s a very long do. Is it? Two-and-a-half hours is quite long for any child. It looks rather as if people have come alive after… The long gap.

..after New Year. I’ve got quite a lot. Just on the top here, there are some Christmas cards you might like to see. That’s… Thank you. ..the regular one. Several signings, Ma’am. There are a couple of remissions. The first one is a very unusual one. This chap discovered something rather strange going on…

In fact, he got two good marks, so he’s getting remissions, even though he’s got a fairly long list of offences himself. I should think anything to do with Strangeways is rather interesting. And the other one is a chap who helped out when there was obviously a riot of some kind. The National Canine Defence League, Ma’am, they wondered if, in honour of their centenary, you would become patron of the charity as a whole.

I have my doubts, Ma’am, about adding to your 800-odd patronages… ..at this stage, particularly as you have the RSPCA and the Dogs’ Home as well. National Canine Defence League… I don’t know much about them, Ma’am. I could find out more, if you like. That would be an excellent idea. In London, the Palace feels cut off by the snow.

My mama tried on Thursday night to go out to dinner with the Rothschilds in Holland Park or somewhere. She set out at 8pm and got there at 9.45pm. Yes. That must be just next door to us. I’ve heard all kinds of terrible stories about Thursday. I said, “Why didn’t you turn round and go home?” She said, “I couldn’t. I couldn’t get out.

” She thought it better just to go on. Can you see the balloons are still stuck in the tree there? Yes, we were trying to get the Keeper of the Privy Purse to take a shotgun out. Oh, they’re rather pretty. They look rather better than a lot of crows. Yes, then they’d look awful. Just bits of… Horrible bits of shredded rubber. ..shredded rubber.

Like after the green petrol launch. Yes. They hit the trees and exploded, and the garden was absolutely full of dead balloons. It was very disagreeable. And not very ecological, really. Not at all ecological. There are over 20 billion portraits of the Queen in existence if you count stamps, coins and banknotes.

The painter of this extra one is Andrew Festing, son of a Field Marshal. Did your father paint? No. Oh, no. He was more interested in… But he was… I do get it from him. I mean, I think I get it from his side of the family. He was quite artistic. He was a collector, wasn’t he? Yes, that’s right. He was a manic collector.

But he could also explain about his collection. That was what was so clever. Yes. To me, I, personally, think pistols and those sort of things hanging on a wall are very dull, but to have him explain it to one was absolutely fascinating. They were real things to him, you know. Objects of… He could almost imagine who would have used them, or what they were used for. Yes.

When he was relatively old, he used to go for walks outside, carrying these old guns and pistols in his pockets. He always travelled everywhere with a pair of flintlock pistols. Did he? Stuffed away in some pocket. Whenever he came to London, he used to carry them on the train. He lived this sort of fantasy life, almost, that he was some 18th-century character.

That probably explains how so many of our pistols have disappeared and been found in some sales catalogue! People do things like that. They think they’re somebody else and walk off with them. I hope… He didn’t, not necessarily, but other people like him. The gas lamps are lit for the palace’s grandest party of the year, the annual reception for the diplomatic corps, with 1,300 guests.

Foreign diplomats are accredited to the Court of St James – that is, to the Crown, not to the Government. Oh, look, we’re all in blue. There’s something very wrong. Oh, you’re green. It’s all right. The Garter. Thistle, the colour. Thistle? Oh, thistle. Yes, right. Now, do you think they’re ready? Yes, Ma’am, they are indeed ready.

The list that was submitted to you by the Marshal, they’re all present. Other than, unfortunately, the Ambassador for Chad isn’t able to be present. Everybody else is. And the poor Kuwaiti Ambassador’s wife is not here. Unfortunately she’s not here due to the fact that her brother has died. Murdered. Murdered. Murdered. Yes.

FANFARE Lining the Picture Gallery and six other State Apartments are some 130 ambassadors in order of diplomatic precedence. The Iraqi Ambassador is not among them. The Ambassador of Kuwait, Your Majesty. It’s very nice to see you here. Thank you. I’m very sorry your wife couldn’t be here this evening. Thank you. You have some very sad family problems, I gather. Yes.

Thank you, Your Majesty, for taking notice of that. Thank you for your kind words yesterday about my country. Well, we take a great interest and hope that all will be well in the end. The Ambassador of Senegal, Your Majesty. Bonsoir. War in the Gulf looms closer by the hour. This is a one-day visit by the Queen’s Flight to RAF Laarbruch in Germany.

Tornadoes from Laarbruch are being prepared for action in the desert. On this occasion, the advance reconnaissance has been carried out by the Queen’s Assistant Private Secretary, Robin Janvrin. This is all indoors, is it? Yes. We’ll go into their conference room, which is on the edge of the runways, for a presentation from Group Captain Buckland, who will concentrate on what they’ve been doing for the Gulf. Right.

The little girl is called “Bree”, and I’m assured that’s how it’s pronounced. And then they have a very large… two very large schools, and they will have all the children outside the officers’ mess. They’re children from the station? Yes. From the station. Civilians and service personnel. I think most of them are under the age of about 13.

The timing there is a little bit tight. I think it’ll work. No shaking hands? No, Ma’am. They’re in groups. Lunch is straightforward… We hope! We hope! The aim of the next two phases is to drive you past some of their reinforced hangar areas to see a few of the aircraft taking off, but then to go to one big hangar where they’ve brought the displays, which are listed, to one area, and at each display there’ll be someone briefing you on what’s there.

I always think it’s rather sad that there’s so much that’s square on it. It’s not a very pretty aeroplane. No. It’s very ugly, but it’s very potent. The one thing about the Tornado is… ..it gives us not just day flying but night and bad weather as well. With quite a powerful weapon carrier. I imagine where it’s going now, it’s very useful. Yes.

BIG BEN CHIMES ‘BBC News at midnight. This is Simon Vance. ‘The American military in Saudi Arabia ‘has just announced that war has begun with Iraq. ‘There’s been no confirmation yet from Washington. ‘Earlier, reports from Baghdad said that anti-aircraft fire had started. ‘Correspondents report trails of tracer-fire and star-bursts ‘all over the city.

‘ With the outbreak of war on January 16th, a special royal visit to Portsmouth has been quickly arranged. HMS Cardiff and HMS Gloucester are now in the Gulf, and other ships are getting ready to go. Some wives haven’t seen their husbands for months. What does your husband do on Cardiff? He’s in radar. Was he out in the first…? Yes.

Over a year now, except for a short time when they came back. He’s waiting to hear when he’ll be a dad. Is it your first child? Yes, it is. Is it quite soon? Two days’ time. Good heavens! How brave of you to come! You’ll have to keep an eye on her. All good wishes. Thank you, Ma’am. The Queen’s grandfather, father, husband and two of her sons were in the Navy, so she and Prince Philip were in familiar surroundings in HMS Nelson.

Thank you for mentioning us in your Christmas Day speech. My husband heard it on the World Service, and he was really pleased you remembered them and asked me to thank you! He actually heard it? On Christmas Day. It made him feel they hadn’t been forgotten. Has he done both trips? Yes, he has. A lot of people have been in the same position, a lot of wives have had babies since the ships have left.

It’s sad, but it’s a fact of life. I think naval wives have extra strength to be able to cope! From somewhere! It’s February 25th 1991, and a long-threatened land offensive has just begun. Secretary of State for Defence, Your Majesty. Good evening. Thank you very much. Would you like to take a seat? Well, it’s very kind of you to spare the time to tell me about the awful things that are going on.

We had a good run around the House of Commons. You made a statement, which I haven’t heard yet. It was sandwiched on TV between the American-British press briefings. It’s been a good start. It’s been about 38.5 hours since this ground campaign started. It’s a very short time. It is looking encouraging, but we’re into the critical period.

Windsor Castle, early spring. The brief Gulf War is over. In happier circumstances, the Queen has invited a group of guests from British public life to have dinner and stay for the night. It’s called a “dine and sleep”. Political opponents meet as fellow guests, with perhaps an archbishop thrown in. These two blank shields up here, which are two people who were Knights of the Garter, because all these shields are Knights of the Garter… Yes.

And then treason…both of them… Degartered. Degartered! All right. The guided tour after dinner always ends with a carefully-chosen exhibition in the library. You’re touching, I almost feel, holy things… ..because they’re so ancient. It was February 1898, and they sang, according to Queen Victoria, God Save The Queen in Welsh.

All of the miners, she says. This is Queen Victoria’s writing? Yes, that’s her writing, you see. This is her diary, isn’t it? This is her diary which unfortunately was rewritten. By another scribe? Yes. Princess Beatrice. I see. She tore it up. She thought her mother’s diaries were too frank, so she destroyed them.

She rewrote them. That’s the expurgated version? Yes. But it’s still very interesting. That’s real Victorian copperplate. With a real rhythm of writing. Her writing is difficult to understand. “Would Sir Henry…thank…” You’ll get a crib there, Kenneth! I thought he did very well! Yes! “..thank Sir William Harcourt…” who was the Home Secretary.

NEIL KINNOCK: If you watch these records, you’re glad of the word processor! There are some lovely ones… Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and here they are just stacked away. They can’t be left out, you see, because they suffer so. No, no. The definitive edition of the plays of JM Barrie. That would be all right, wouldn’t it? You see, that’s the library one. Yes, quite.

Peter Pan. He was the most wonderful storyteller. As children, we used to go to tea and he’d tell the most wonderful stories. Did he? Yes. He was just the sort of person that could tell children stories. It didn’t matter if you were sitting at the tea table. It was interesting.

And, of course, if one was a small child, one didn’t realise what a good storyteller one was listening to. If only one had known! Love that. That shows that the man cleaning the books has been around. And this book, you say you used this book at your coronation? Is that the prayer book? That’s the service… The book of service. My grandfather and father had a passion for writing in things, so I thought I’d do the same thing.

But, you see, nobody writes any more. Do you keep a diary? I keep a diary, but it’s not really a diary like Queen Victoria’s. Or as detailed as that. It’s quite small. But you write it in your own hand? Oh, yes. That’s terribly important. Well, I can’t write any other way. Back at the office, the daily routine begins with the Royal Mail.

Most of it, like the Queen’s diary, is written by hand. She receives between 200 and 300 letters a day. I’ve always had rather a sort of feeling that letters are rather personal. People write them thinking that I’m going to open them and read them. I don’t open all of them, obviously, because I don’t have time to do that.

But it does certainly give me – I suppose, because one gets, perhaps, sort of a bit remote – it gives one an idea of what is worrying people and what actually they feel that I could do to help. There are occasions when I can help, I can pass things on to the right authorities, or I can even, in some cases, write to various organisations who will look into it.

But I’ve always had this feeling that letters are written to ME, and I like to see what people want to write to me. I think in a way one feels that there is a sort of “the buck stops here”, so to speak. That I’m the one… I had a letter this morning about something which said, “I’ve been going round and round in circles, “but you are the only one who can stop the circle “and you’ll be able to fix it!” I thought that was rather nice.

The Queen was most interested to hear this gentleman… Many letters are written to the Queen as a private individual – letters from children, well-wishers, or even people wanting to know where to buy a corgi. These are answered on her behalf by her ladies-in-waiting, in this case, Lady Susan Hussey. This is to the jigsaw puzzle people, who send the Queen jigsaw puzzles to do during the holidays at Sandringham.

The puzzle unfortunately had two missing when it arrived at Sandringham this time, and the lady apologises and promises that she will do the puzzle herself before she sends it next time. But, as the Queen says on this note, I hope she does, because it’s a very difficult puzzle to do on your own! Other letters have official implications, often involving a local council or Government department.

They normally go to the Private Secretaries for investigation and reply. Then another one we’ve had in here from a councillor from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, writing on behalf of one of his constituents, saying that he objects to his poll tax taking into consideration his war pension. I’ve rung the Department of the Environment who tell me that it is a matter for the rebate side of the Department of Social Services, so I’ll telephone them for more information. OK.

The one previous to that is… I’m in touch with the Scotland Yard solicitors’ department. This person runs an ambulance service to help the homeless people in London… I know, yes. And he says he’s been harassed by Kennington Police. He’s obviously had problems before, because he’s had a hearing before magistrates in court.

Another way of keeping in touch with life outside the close circle of the royal household is the private audience, usually lasting 20 minutes. Audiences are my way of meeting people without anybody else listening. That gives one a very broad picture of what is actually going on, either in Government or in the Civil Service.

A lot of them are regular ones, but you can ask to see anybody you want to see. The Honourable Mr Justice Blofeld, Your Majesty. If one meets a lot of people, one does get to know what’s going on. Well done, indeed. Thank you. And also the badge of the Knight Bachelor. Thank you very much. That’s magnificent. It’s rather a nice one. It’s not very weighty.

I didn’t realise one got a badge. Yes, you do. The fact that there is nobody else there gives them a feeling that they can say what they like, which is part of the basis of where I get my information from. I suppose crime is still, I’m afraid, on the increase, isn’t it? I don’t know what’s ever going to stop it.

Whether it’s the fact they’re discovering more. I think white-collar crime and all this sort of fraud… Yes. This new case… Yes, it is. ..will take months. It’s going to be a nightmare. The Ambassador of the United States of America, Your Majesty. The President’s seen Mr Yeltsin too, which must be quite interesting! Mr Yeltsin came to Washington just about a week ago.

They had about 90 minutes together, and then the President came out. I think he wanted to make the effort both to recognise the fact that there is now a Russian leader who had won a popular vote, and there had not been one of those in a very long time, but also to recognise the legitimacy of Mr Gorbachev.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Your Majesty. It’s now April, and Windsor Castle is getting ready for its big event of the year – the three-day state visit by an ex-shipyard electrician from Gdansk, now the President of Poland, Lech Walesa. He is the 65th head of state to visit Britain in the Queen’s reign, and the first ever from Poland.

He and his wife will be staying in the six-roomed Principal Suite. Among the previous occupants, the King of Spain, the Emir of Bahrain and President Reagan. A lot of the visits nowadays have a very strong political tone to them, and we are really the hosts basically. I mean, we give the entertainment, initially, and have the people to stay, hoping to give them a nice time to remember.

Obviously, we keep up as many of the traditions as we can that are sensible to keep, like going in carriages. The high point of all state visits is the banquet on the first evening. The table settings are of legendary splendour. Tonight’s pudding service is French, late 18th century. The dessert service for fruit will be the Royal Minton, made for Queen Victoria in 1876.

CEREMONIAL MUSIC I think, in a way, that it’s quite an old-fashioned idea, that you do put out the red carpet for a guest. People don’t realise this, and I do tell the guests, that we do put on our best clothes and everybody dresses up, and the best china, glass and gold plate comes out which otherwise doesn’t see the light of day.

So, it’s very nice to be able to use it and show it. Where is she? She’s sitting here. I just got this message. It’s unfortunate that she can’t come, so we have to take her out. We will have to put in a Lady from the Household. Who have we got? Fortunately, we’ve got Lady Mary Mumford.

She’d do fine. Oh, no, she wouldn’t, because she’s related to the Earl Marshal. We’ll have to do a double move. Soon, the 160-foot mahogany table, made for Queen Victoria, will glisten with silver gilt cutlery and plate and some 800 Stourbridge crystal glasses, engraved with the Queen’s monogram. Meanwhile, the kitchen is preparing quails’ eggs, to be followed by quenelles of turbot, veal, and, finally, peaches Toscane, each course to be served simultaneously to 160 guests.

If you do put out the best china and glass, it doesn’t necessarily make it overwhelming, if you don’t accept it as overwhelming. Because, if people are kind to you and make you feel at home, I don’t think the outward and visible signs are really… It’s what goes on inside that really matters. Sometimes it is worth explaining that we put it on specially and we don’t live like this all the time.

I must say, the flowers really are sensational. Beautiful. Very good. Where’s the middle? Opposite the fireplace. Everything has to be ready by late afternoon, for the Queen to make her tour of inspection with the Master of the Household, Sir Paul Greening. As all the chairs are all the same as mine, it doesn’t make much odds, does it? And the flowers as usual, so we can see each other.

I have moved the furniture… Yes. ..and I have lit the fire so it looks quite sort of friendly-like. But he is amazed by the size of everything. That’s what amused me. What, the rooms? Yes. His only two English words are quite interesting words… And he goes around looking… Saying, “Good heavens”? Well, it’s further than that! Good evening. You’ve met my mother.

AIDE TRANSLATES INTO POLISH HE SPEAKS POLISH And here’s my daughter, Anne. Mr President, very nice to meet you. And the Duchess of Kent. How do you do? My husband met you this morning. And that’s Alexandra. I’m very pleased to meet you. Angus Ogilvy, her husband. Good evening, Mr President. Prince Michael of Kent. HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN And his wife, Marie-Christine.

HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN That’s showing off! He’s very good at that! My son, Edward. Good evening, Mr President. And Richard Gloucester… How do you do? And his wife, Birgitte. So, now you’ve met quite a number of the family. When I tell you, pick up your number, take the fish, take it into the dining room, come back for the sauce.

Take that into the dining room, come back and take in your salad. Then stay in the dining room until your fish and sauce has been served then clear out to the Waterloo Chamber. OK? Is she a very strict mother? > THROUGH INTERPRETER: But she’s an even stricter wife! Do you think we should…? LAUGHTER No, no. I’m not listening.

We couldn’t possibly explain that one! We should go along and meet the other guests. PRINCE PHILIP: I hope you’ve got comfortable shoes. It’s a long walk! Are we off? I think we’re off. Under starter’s orders. THE NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYS I was able to say thank you and they were able to say thank you.

How is it for length? It’s about…for a state dinner… four, five, six minutes, I would guess. If we did a certain amount out of the Embassy’s first draft… Yes… I think it reads well. It’s not too… The Embassy were particularly keen to get those two inserts in – the one on the ethnic side of things.

The visit begins with an official welcome on the White House lawn from President Bush. Unfortunately, no-one adjusted the podium, so, instead of the head of state, the world’s press and television see only the hat of state. Mr President, it is 15 years since our last visit to Washington, when, with a gallant disregard for history…

Through the perversity of publicity, this is to become the talking point of the trip. ..200th anniversary of the founding of this great nation. APPLAUSE Two days later, the first ever address to the joint Houses of Congress by a British sovereign, in a republic that became independent by armed evolution against her great-great-great-great grandfather George III two centuries ago.

It is a nerve-racking occasion. If you want to try that thing at the beginning, Ma’am, people I’ve talked to seem to think it’d be a good ice-breaker. Ah-huh. I’d suggest before you say anything… Yes. You go straight to the podium and I’ll hand you your speech. And wait there? Wait there from the welcome which comes from above.

From the Speaker sitting above you. And it is going to be built for you and not anyone else this time! Our chap Ralph is next door. I’ll go and ask that question, Ma’am. That would be very kind. Not something I would ever have thought of beforehand! What? The podium? The podium. Of course, one forgets the President’s quite tall! He’s huge, really. He’s very tall.

This is Richard Ralph who’ll talk you through every step. Presumably, I have my back to everybody… I mean, I have my back to the people who are going to start. You do. Shall I start with the entrance? No, because somebody walks one in. You’ll be proceeded down and some Congressmen will probably lean out.

They may want to shake your hand as you proceed towards the podium. There will be an enormous amount of applause going on. Eventually, that will die away. That is the moment to start your speech. I’m told there will be many interruptions. Nice ones, I hope. Friendly ones, yes! Mr Speaker, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.

APPLAUSE STOPS I do hope you can see me today from where you are! LAUGHTER SIRENS BLARE After Washington, six other cities – Miami and Tampa in Florida, then on to Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston in Texas. # In my neighbourhood # I’m gonna let it shine # In my neighbourhood # I’m gonna let it shine

# In my neighbourhood # I’m gonna let it shine # Let it shine, let it shine Let it shine # Shine, shine, shine # I’m gonna let it shine # Shine, shine, shine # I’m gonna let it shine # Shine, shine, shine # I’m gonna let it shine # Let it shine, let it shine Let it shine # In the name of peace I’m gonna let it shine # In the name of peace # I’m gonna let it shine # In the name of peace # I’m gonna let it shine # Let it shine, let it shine Let it shine # Shine, shine, shine

# I’m gonna let it shine # Shine, shine, shine # I’m gonna let it shine # Shine, shine, shine I’m gonna let it shine # Let it shine, let it shine # Let it # Shine! # The Queen comes home. Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia has sailed out Miami to join the royal party. GUN BLAST Oh, it’s so friendly! ANOTHER BLAST THIRD BLAST I thought this was rather fascinating, from someone called Lady Grundy.

That’s Prince Philip at school. How amusing! Better not show it to him! I don’t know whether Charles said, but they’ve announced that you’re to give a knighthood to General Schwarzkopf. Oh. I don’t mind! I think it was assumed that you were going to do it, so it’s probably a good time. Mm. None of that is there because… No, I was just…

But we’ve got the insignia, have we? Yes, we have, Ma’am. This evening, the Queen is hostess to Florida’s grandest society. Top of the guest list are two former Presidents of the USA. Is there some decaffeinated? RONALD REAGAN: It is decaffeinated? Take a cup and we’ll find some decaffeinated coffee. I hope! I hope.

Do you have any decaffeinated coffee? John’s bringing it through. Thank you. It’s coming. Oh. You know, we…we…we try our best! It’s coming. Is that decaffeinated? No. This is ordinary. This is for the Queen. We’ll wait. Here it is. It’s coming. Decaffeinated, sir. Decaffeinated! I’d like to meet the President.

Which one? It’s amazing how much metal they put in. I have to carry a card to get through airport security. – It sounds off? – Yes. Mine must be more deep-seated because it doesn’t sound off! It’s comforting that even though it rained on the Queen today it rained on the Pope when he was in Miami, too. We’re accustomed to showing our blessings on people by raining on them! If you’ve got two thirds of the fund paying for the bureaucrats and give only one third to the needy, something’s wrong somewhere.

But all the democracies are bankrupt now, because of the way that the services have…have been… ..planned for people to…grab! We tried to get some of these things changed, and reduce them, but, for example, we’ve got a rule, still to this day, that a supervisor’s salary is based on the number of people he supervises.

Oh, really? Well, now, you’ve got a group of people that have no interest in reducing the payroll, even if they can, as it’d reduce their salaries. Obviously, yes. It’s extraordinary, isn’t it, how…? I mean, I think the next generation are going to have a difficult time. CHEERS MUSIC: A Life On The Ocean Wave by Sargent and Russell APPLAUSE Back to base and the daily routine.

Buckingham Palace is preparing for another influx of visitors. It’s an investiture day, one of 17 this year. Some of the 3,000 men and women who have recently been given honours come with their families to receive the insignia personally from the Queen. Steps on the right. Steps on the right-hand side. On the right. Main entrance.

CBE Civil, one lady. Yes… And gentlemen, 13. OBE Civil, five ladies. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. And 21 male. To go down on the stool, very simple. Grasp the handle with your right hand, put your left foot at the left side, bend the right knee. The Queen will immediately touch you, first on the right shoulder, then on the left shoulder with the sword.

She says nothing! On receiving the accolade, stand up and come round to the left side of the stool. The Queen will attach to you the insignia you are here to receive. Once the Queen has attached the insignia, she will talk to you. She’ll be actually talking to you while she’s doing it. Then she will shake your hand.

Please, the handshake is the signal that your time is up. ‘..Order of the British Empire.’ ‘The Venerable Thomas Dyson…’ One mustn’t have a long conversation obviously because you’d never finish. The question you ask, you hope to get the answer that you want. It doesn’t always happen. Excellent. < It’ll be all right.

Good. Keep it down like that. Lovely. Very nice. ‘..they come to the final two furlongs.’ The sport of queens. It’s the 2.45 at Epsom. The focus of attention in the Royal Box is the Queen’s horse, Enharmonic, one of the fancied runners. Unfortunately, Enharmonic finishes fourth. I haven’t watched with binoculars for ages.

Look, pouring with tears! Oh, dear. I always watch on television. It’s the emotion. No! No! If you look in the wind like that, it’s like looking for deer. It is! After the race, the excuses. A postmortem with the trainer, Lord Huntingdon. We just have to find the right race track. He was moving up all the time. Yes.

He flattened out a bit at the end. He had an awful lot to do. An awful lot to do! He had 12 lengths. 12 lengths, yes. Fine if they’re easing off up front, but not if they’re keeping going. And now it’s the big race, the Derby. An occasion for a national flutter even up in the Royal Box, where the traditional sweepstake is drawn by the Queen.

Hector Protector. Duke of Edinburgh. Star of Gdansk. Mr Michael Oswald. BOOKMAKERS SHOUT ODDS Nothing! Lady Grimthorpe’s got nothing. Uh-huh! That’s not bad. Mystico. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Poor Mystico! And… ..Generous. The Queen. TV IN BACKGROUND

They’re off! ‘As they break away and begin the surprisingly sharp climb, ‘it’s Mystico leading with Generous placed fourth…’ You don’t really mean that, do you? They’re all going jolly fast. On the wrong leg! It’s on the wrong leg. No wonder it can’t corner! Piggott’s on the rails and there’s Generous. That’s Generous.

He’s coming. He’s… He’s still quite relaxed. What colours has Star of Gdansk? Oh, there. Yes. Whoops…! You’re all on the wrong leg! ‘Toulon is still last as they begin the descent.’ Who’s miles behind? Oh, Toulon’s at the back there. ‘Generous, in the dark green jacket, making significant progress.’ ‘

And Generous takes it up. Second is Hector Protector…’ He’s going to win! That’s my… That’s my… That’s my horse! I’ve won the sweep! That’s very good. > Very nice man, Fahd Salman. Is he? This is my friend who kissed my hand the other day. APPLAUSE They’ll come up after the next race. All right. May I present to you the Royal Box Sweepstake, Ma’am? Many congratulations.

How kind of you. Thank you. What do I get? You get 16, Ma’am. £16? £16 for winning. Hah! The business for the Council, Your Majesty. Drafts of seven Orders in Council. One entitled the Consular Fees Amendment Order 1990. A group of ministers attends the monthly meeting of one of the most ancient committees in the kingdom, the Privy Council.

Orders in Council allow the Government to make regulations without going back to Parliament. When the Queen formally approves, the proposal becomes law. Approved. It’s the grandest of rubber stamps. Drafts of 17 Orders in Council. One, under the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge Act 1923. Two, appointing…

In a tradition started by Queen Victoria, the Council remains standing. It’s a good way to keep meetings brief. Three, appointing three of Your Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools in Scotland. Four, under the Burial Act 1853. And 5 to 17, confirming schemes made by the Church Commissioners. Approved.

That, Your Majesty, concludes the business for today’s Council. Pretty varied list, isn’t it? We went through practically everything. It’s extremely varied today, yes. I was fascinated to see that we have to do the Inspectors of Schools. A throw-back to before the Department of Education? Yes, I think it must be. And also that Scotland is separate.

Always does things in a slightly different way. Scotland beckons. it’s June 28 and the Queen is on her way to Holyrood. Railway chiefs are aboard because this is the inaugural journey of the Intercity 225 from London to Edinburgh. It was very funny. When we arrived, there was still a bit of the wall to be blown up and they bored a small hole. I was invited to look through.

When one looked through, one could see the French on the other side. Extraordinary. The first time for 8,000 years! Very emotional ceremony. I saw the video. But in the tunnel’s case, are you building new rolling stock to go through…? Yes, yes. Yes, we’re building 30 new trains. We want to get people as close as possible on that line who are commuting to their place of work.

Hopefully we can achieve that. We looked at 80 options which are now with the Secretary of State. 80? Yes. Has he got to pick up…? No! Narrowed down to four. That was my reaction as well when I heard about the 80! The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh was once the home of Mary Queen of Scots. There are two garden parties here this week.

The guests at this one will feel at home – they’re all gardeners. How long have you been the head gardener? Nine and a half years. What sort of garden is it? It’s mixed – vegetable, herbaceous, shrubs, just about everything. It grows at all the inconvenient moments! My wife’s the gardener. I’m the hard worker.

It’s also therapeutic. It is. It does soothe, I think. Mm-hm. I’m only a weeder, really! My mother actually taught you, Ma’am, to make butter pats. Roll butter pats! I thought you would say that. I’ve always been rather proud of the fact that I CAN roll a butter pat. And I have to show everybody now here how to do it.

Rather fun, that. That was your mother! How very fascinating. Following the custom of Queen Victoria, the Queen spends a week at Holyrood each summer. Wherever she is, she tries to catch the television news programmes. After all, she has met an awful lot of the people who appear in them. ‘The Six O’Clock News from the BBC, with Peter Sissons and Anna Ford.

‘Yugoslavia’s new president calls for an immediate truce ‘as a ceasefire falls apart and fierce fighting breaks out. ‘Tanks blast their way through roadblocks on the borders ‘of the breakaway republic of Slovenia ‘and Federal jets attack targets in Slovenia, including its capital. ‘

But the most serious fighting…’ Today’s news of civil strife is of more than ordinary interest. The Queen is about to make an unannounced flying visit to Northern Ireland, her first since 1977. It was arranged with the highest security and deepest secrecy. Ulster is full of reminders of the terrorism it has suffered for more than half the Queen’s reign.

The defence of the realm is the first duty of a state so there has always been a specially close link between the sovereign and the armed forces. The programme for this rainy day includes presenting new colours to the Ulster Defence Regiment at its barracks in Lisburn. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we do consecrate and set apart these colours, that they may be a sign of our duty towards our Queen and our country in the sight of God.

OFFICIAL SPEECH: The UDR stands for those who are not prepared to stand by and let evil prosper. I salute your courage, your sense of duty and your resolve – together with a determination, which I share, that terrorism cannot be allowed to win. CHANTING: We want the Queen. We want the Queen. The afternoon is devoted to civilians, a garden party, also in the rain, and a visit to a hospice in North Belfast, where the Queen is to open the new wing.

Clare, Her Majesty the Queen is just standing at your feet. Clare’s understanding is a bit limited, so she’ll probably not respond. Respond, no. But we’ve told her and she’s been chatting this morning quite a bit, which has been a pleasure to us because for days she can go without speaking. Doesn’t say… Oh.

Sometimes she doesn’t say a thing for days. That’s how it goes. It’s very nice that she perhaps knows I’ve been here. Yes. Yes, and this morning she was talking quite a bit. I’m sure the news and what we were sharing has had some impact on that. Where do you live? Not very far away. Jordanstown, I live. Yes.

This is Eileen Thomson. And mother and daughter auxiliaries, Betty and Andrea Martin. I see, a family thing. That’s very nice. I never thought I would live to see this day and I’m most honoured. It’s very nice that I could come. Didn’t think I’d have lasted the three weeks! Oh, she’s lovely! She’s just beautiful.

She’s just lovely! The surprise visit to the province lasted six hours. Two days later, it’s still the main talking point at Holyrood. I suddenly saw you at lunch and I thought, “That’s odd. He never told me he’d be in Northern Ireland.” Then I suddenly remembered he didn’t know I would be there either! I had no idea. It was an amazingly well kept secret. It really was.

Everything in Northern Ireland, it isn’t just being a soldier, it affects all families. That’s quite true, yes. You can be shot at any minute, day or night, as two people were just that day. Quite awful! It’s a kind of sort of terrible… But a tremendous boost. When they heard you were coming, a quarter of an hour before parade, an absolute horrendous cheer went up! So delighted. Really delighted.

It’s in high summer that the gardens of Buckingham Palace are at their best. But indoors the routine of the working year must go on. The Queen is doing her boxes, the official papers that, over the years, have given her a unique knowledge of confidential Government business. Most people have a job and then go home.

In this existence, the job and the life go on together. You can’t really divide it up. The boxes and communications just keep coming. With modern communications, they come even quicker! Luckily, I’m a quick reader. I can get through a lot of reading in quite a short time, though I do rather begrudge some of the hours that I have to do instead of being outdoors.

G7, the Western Economic Summit, the big event of the summer, and Britain’s turn to be host to six visiting heads of government. It’s 12 years since James Callaghan was Prime Minister but the palace reception brings together present and past, left-wing and right, home politicians and overseas statesmen. Mrs Bush, how are you? > Very well… Delighted to see you.

Nice to see you again. It’s super. HE SPEAKS IN JAPANESE While you’ve been keeping me working very hard, my wife’s been busy shopping. We’ve had to work him very hard because he’s a Finance Minister and they have to work very hard. Tout le monde, dans le centre? Oui. Et vous connaissez Monsieur Heath? Monsieur le President… Bien, merci.

Et vous? Prime Minister, how are you? Very nice to see you again. Thank you. I very much enjoyed our talk the other day. Ma’am, how are you? Lovely to see you. We’re looking forward to my visit to Japan. I’ve got the summer school again this year. I’m quite pleased because I’ve managed to fund it from the sale of my own lithographs, my paintings, so at least I feel I’ve earned it.

I was absolutely blunt with him, told him the situation, but nobody asked when I told him this. Now I get a message back that he rather wishes he’d listened to me. I…I mean… He paid no attention to anything. I wonder, I mean, he is master of his own situation, is he? Absolutely. It’s interesting to have somebody who has been morally, nominally and every way else, defeated…

And the more his people support him! HE SPEAKS GERMAN It’s 40 years of separation. The difference in education… The whole attitude! The most difficult thing in politics is change attitudes. You didn’t tell him? No. I told Tariq Aziz, in six hours, exactly that. Yes. We told him what’d happen if they didn’t, and that’s what happened.

Was that face to face? He couldn’t go to Baghdad like you could! I went. Yes, but you’re expendable now! Yes, I’m expendable! He couldn’t go to Baghdad at that moment. Lots of people would like to be Secretary of State! – We line up soon. – Oh, we line up? Is there another photo session? > The boys line up.

Boys only! The spouses only line up! 5,000 miles from Buckingham Palace, 42 presidents and prime ministers drive through the night to meet the Queen. It’s a far cry from the wealthy Group of Seven.

This is Harare in Zimbabwe, where the Commonwealth Heads of Government are in conference. The Queen, as Head of the Commonwealth, presides over a group of 50 independent nations – about a quarter of the world’s population. It’s a sort of British Empire old boys’ club. You don’t have to be rich to belong. Your Majesty, when Malaysia was under British rule, we had British advisers, whose advice must be obeyed.

LAUGHTER We also had Malay Sultans, who were designated by the British as the rulers. But, of course, they may not rule. LAUGHTER Our Parliaments are presided over by Mr Speakers who may not speak. LAUGHTER So, it is not strange that we have a Commonwealth where the wealth is not common! LOUD LAUGHTER During the conference, which takes place every two years, the Queen holds a private audience with government heads Many of them are old friends but tonight there’s an unexpected guest at the party.

We were on to sport, Your Majesty… This is the first time the Queen has met Nelson Mandela. I was speaking to Prime Minister… Sorry… I was speaking to Prime Minister Major on telephone and he made a few remarks on sanctions and investment, but the greater part of our speeches was on cricket. Sport will be the first thing, I expect, to come back.

The Americans proved that. When Nixon went over to China, he started the ping-pong! Ping-pong, yes! Someone asked me, had I been to Africa before? Which was nice of them to ask. But I did say that I had been everywhere in the Commonwealth, in Africa and other African countries. I think I’ve seen more of Africa than almost anybody! WOMEN SING It’s time for the holidays – time for the Highlands.

I suppose Balmoral is a place one looks forward to very much as the summer goes on. I think it has an atmosphere of its own. You just hibernate! It’s rather nice to hibernate for a bit when one leads such a very moveable life. To be able to sleep in the same bed for six weeks is a nice change. Now, are we going to get on? Pony-trekking with their grandmother are Prince William and Prince Harry, Zara Phillips and the young Princess Beatrice.

Sadly, we didn’t have a gymkhana like we had last year. Just too busy. There is, I suppose, a certain fascination in keeping the place as Queen Victoria had it. Nothing very much has changed. And I think, luckily, all the children like it, all the grandchildren like it. And they sense the freedom there, I think, too.

You can go out for miles and never see anybody. You can walk or ride. And it’s endless possibilities. And we like picnics and we like open air. And, as the holidays are very short, you live it to the full, I think. PRINCESS BEATRICE: Where are they going? They can go farther than we can and they also go faster.

Can I come? Well, one day you will, yes. When you’re a bit bigger! I want to go with them! We’ll follow. Say, “Come on, Smoky.” Come on, Smoky. Come on. There we are. The Prime Minister has been on his travels – halfway around the world in ten days. Now he comes to balmoral for the first time to report to the Queen, as prime ministers have done each summer since the days of Queen Victoria.

< How nice to see you. Hello. How nice to see you. Welcome. Very nice to see you, sir. Political power passed from the sovereign to the Prime Minister long ago, but the Queen still has the right to be consulted, to encourage and to warn. The Prime Minister’s royal consultant has 40 years’ experience of affairs of state to share with him as he treads in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher, James Callaghan, Wilson, Heath, Douglas-Home, Macmillan, Eden and Winston Churchill.

The Queen’s first audience with a Prime Minister was with Churchill in February 1952, when John Major was eight years old. The feeling in Moscow in the period I was there was just astonishing. It was actually like living with history. One was in the middle of a meeting and somebody burst into a room, saying, “I’ve just talked with Gorbachev or Yeltsin or Silayev, “and this is what they’re going to do, ”

and tomorrow in Congress, we’re going to present these plans…” It was an extraordinary day! It’s gone so quickly. Certainly, here, one can’t take it in, but there it must be even more traumatic. Well, it was amazing. I laid a wreath near the Kremlin, at the site where the three demonstrators were crushed and killed. There were huge crowds. I had the opportunity to speak to some of them.

Not too many spoke English, but one man had beautiful English. I asked how he felt. He said he was interested, but he came from Woking! Just the sort of thing that happens to me when I talk in a crowd! I have had a lot of prime ministers, starting with Winston, and some stayed longer than others. They unburden themselves or tell me what’s going on or if they have any problems.

Sometimes one can help in that way. We had a few exchanges on other matters that we must come to. They know one can be impartial, so to speak. I think it’s rather nice to feel that one’s a sort of a sponge, and everybody can come and tell one things, and some things stay there, some go out the other ear and some things never come out at all.

One just knows about it, you know! And, occasionally, you can be able to put one’s point of view, which, perhaps, they hadn’t seen it from that angle. It was mainly the heavily subsidised gas supplies in parts of Europe that caused the difficulties three or four years ago. That’s a magnificent display. He’s a very good plantsman, the gardener.

He keeps it very tidy, too. This is their shed… That’s one of the garden houses we’ve done up. And, before you could say knife, the gardener had gone! And so it’s empty, sadly. Soon it will be autumn, and time to return to London for another State Opening of Parliament. In Balmoral, neighbours, estate and royal family join together for a farewell celebration, the Ghillies Ball.

The year has turned full-circle. TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH MUSIC If you live in this sort of life, which people don’t very much, you live very much by tradition and by continuity. I find it’s one of the sad things, that people don’t take on jobs for life. They try different things all the time. As far as I’m concerned, you know exactly what you’re going to be doing two months hence – or even beginning to know about next year.

And I think that this is what the younger members find difficult, the regimented side of it. You have to sort of work out in your own mind the hard work and then what you enjoy in retrospect from it of the people you’ve met. Like the soldier I gave a gallantry award to, I said it was a very brave thing to do.

“Och,” he said, “it was just the training!” I have a feeling that, in the end, probably, training is the answer to a great many things. You can do a lot if you’re properly trained. And I hope I have been.