The Modern Monarchy


The Modern Monarchy

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We've all read about the kings and queens of history. Henry VIII.

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Queen Elizabeth I. Queen Victoria.

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But what is the role of the Royal Family in the modern world?

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My team of young reporters are investigating

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the monarchy in Great Britain and Northern Ireland,

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bringing you everything you need to know about our best-known

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and most celebrated family.

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We're finding about the monarch's relationship with Parliament.

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In the UK we have the Queen as head of state.

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That is a role that involves both formal and ceremonial duties,

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home and abroad. But in other countries,

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the head of state is also the head of government. Can you think of a famous example?

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The President of the United States of America.

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Exactly. But our head of government is...

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-The Prime Minister.

-Exactly. So with a queen,

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and the Prime Minister, who's in charge of running the country?

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Callum is off to the Houses of Parliament to go behind the

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scenes of one of the biggest royal and political events of the year,

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while Elim and Saffron are at Downing Street

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to hear from the Queen's 12th Prime Minister, David Cameron,

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about the head of government's relationship with the monarch.

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INDISTINCT

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Brilliant. Where do you want me?

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Who is really in charge of the country?

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You, the Prime Minister, or the Queen?

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The Queen has become more formal and ceremonial

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so the Prime Minister, I suppose,

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with the Cabinet, really runs the country. It means

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the Prime Minister can concentrate on the business of government, what

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we tax, what we spend, what we do with our schools, our hospitals.

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The monarch can concentrate on the very important

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but quite ceremonial duties of appointing prime ministers,

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the opening of Parliament, commissioning officers

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into the Army, handing out medals, thanking people for their service.

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Ceremonial duties.

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Very important, not to be underestimated at all

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but you separate that from the Prime Minister.

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One of the Queen's most important ceremonial

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and political roles is attending the State Opening of Parliament.

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Parliament is divided between the publicly-elected MPs

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in the House of Commons and separate to them,

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specially-appointed peers in the House of Lords.

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The State Opening is a centuries-old tradition where each year,

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the Queen travels by horse-drawn carriage to the

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Houses of Parliament to open a new Parliamentary term.

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It's a rare occasion where the Lords,

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the Commons and the monarch come together.

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When the Queen arrives at Westminster,

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she takes her special throne in the House of Lords.

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Callum is meeting the Queen's messenger in Parliament,

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famously known as Black Rod.

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This is the throne. The throne is exclusively for the Queen.

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Nobody else goes on to the top step.

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Nobody else sits on the throne except the Queen

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and of course the Duke of Edinburgh.

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Just like the chamber of the House of Commons is only for MPs,

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the chamber of the House of Lords is only for the Lords

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and the top step here in the throne is only for the sovereign.

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If you look very carefully at the thrones,

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you'll see that the one on the left as we're looking at it,

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the one that the Queen sits in, is slightly higher,

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is two inches higher than the one on the right, which is the consort's throne,

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that is where the Duke of Edinburgh sits.

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-Is there any reason for that?

-No, it's just tradition.

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The Queen should be sitting on a slightly higher chair. Don't you think that's right?

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Of course. If there's a king, would the King sit on the higher one then?

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Yes, the King would sit on it.

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The sovereign. Whoever is the sovereign.

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The monarch sits on the right-hand throne, the higher throne.

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CHOIR MUSIC PLAYS

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It's Black Rod's job to collect the MPs from the House of Commons

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and bring them to the Queen.

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How he is greeted by the House of Commons is one of the most

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famous moments of the State Opening ceremony.

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KNOCK ON DOOR

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What I'd like to know is why do you walk down, why not the Queen?

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Well, the Queen's got a messenger here and that's me.

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She wants to wait in her House of Lords chamber

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for the MPs from the House of Commons to come to her.

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She sends me as the messenger to demand their presence

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in the Queen - that's why she sends me down and doesn't go herself.

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We go down towards the doors here. And then you know what happens next?

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I'm guessing that you probably knock on the door.

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It's worse than that. They slam the door in my face before I get there.

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In order to get in, I have to knock.

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-How many times do you have to knock on the door?

-Three times.

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HE KNOCKS THREE TIMES

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Obviously there is a purpose behind what you're doing.

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Where is it originated from?

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This all started when Charles I, in 1642, wanted to arrest

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five members of Parliament so he sent his messenger down here to

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the House of Commons to arrest the five members of Parliament on a charge of treason.

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The Commons wanted to maintain their independence of the Crown

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so they didn't let the King's messenger in,

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shut the door in his face and the MPs made their escape.

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That was the way of the members of Parliament saying we're independent of the Crown.

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SPEAKER: Black Rod!

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So having knocked and the doors open, I then walk in.

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I walk towards the chamber and I have to say...

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Mr Speaker, the Queen commands this honourable house...

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..to attend her Majesty immediately in the House of Peers.

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Mr Speaker gets up from his chair

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and he walks down and he comes up to me and we walk together

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and we walk all the way back,

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right up to the House of Lords and all the other MPs follow.

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Why doesn't the Queen actually enter the House of Commons at all?

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What is the reason behind that?

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This is the MPs, the members of Parliament. This is their place.

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The Queen has her place.

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That separation is identifiable by the fact that she doesn't come here

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and the MPs have their independence and their autonomy

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and their freedom to talk without the Queen being present.

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We live in a modern society nowadays.

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For something to still happen today as what something happened

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hundreds of years ago, do you believe it should still happen?

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Although we live in a modern world, we do these odd performances,

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which makes people think, "Why do we do that?" Why do we do that?

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It draws attention to our constitution

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and this is the one time in a year

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when we bring together the Queen, who sits on the throne,

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the House of Lords, her advisers, who sits around her and the MPs from

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the House of Commons come to the House of Lords to hear the Queen's speech.

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You get those three parts of our constitution altogether.

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So it's theatre, drama, its constitution, its politics,

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it's history and I think people enjoy it.

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The main event of the State Opening is the monarch's speech.

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The speech outlines many of the new laws the Government plans

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to introduce in the coming year.

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My government will continue to reduce crime and protect national security.

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Although the Queen reads out the speech,

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it's actually written by the Prime Minister.

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The Queen holds a weekly audience with the Prime Minister,

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a meeting where she is briefed on the political issues of the day.

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Why do you meet the Queen every week?

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The purpose of the meeting is for the Prime Minister to go

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and see the Queen, to discuss the current issues in the country,

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in Europe and in the world that the Queen needs to hear about

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and the Queen asks lots of questions about what's happening.

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The process of trying to explain what's happening in

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some of these situations helps to clarify the nub of the issue.

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As I say, she is very experienced so she gives good advice and asks good questions.

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When the Prime Minister

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and his government want a new law to be passed,

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it has to be approved by the House of Commons, the House of Lords

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and the Queen before it can become official.

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Laws are made here in Parliament.

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Before a law is passed, it is known as a...draft bill.

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Bills can start either in the House of Commons or

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the House of Lords. The first house debates the bill,

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makes changes and eventually votes on whether they want it to become a law.

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Then it's passed to the second house.

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The other house may make changes to the bill and pass it back to the first house.

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Both houses must agree on the changes so it can pass back

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and forth for up to a year.

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The Queen as head of state must agree to the bill.

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This is the final stage. The bill then becomes...an Act of Parliament.

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Throughout her reign, the Queen has never refused to pass a law.

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In fact, it's over 300 years

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since any monarch went against the wishes of Parliament.

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Callum is meeting political journalist Anita Anand to find out

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just how much power the Queen really has.

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So just how in charge of the country is the Queen?

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If you're asking whether she has powers to change your life

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or my life, the answer really is no,

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She doesn't. She can't do anything that could curtail your freedom or

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make your life better or make you pay less money in taxes.

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That is the job of government. That is the job of the people we elect.

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So if you think about it, the country runs a bit like...

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Imagine it's like a pyramid.

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Right at the top you've got the Queen, she sits there.

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Underneath her you've got the House of Commons and House of Lords

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and underneath that, us, we the people. Actually, it's strange.

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Although she is at the top, we have all the power.

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We're the ones who decide who the MPs are.

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They're the ones who enact the laws that we have to live by

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and the Queen really rubberstamps it all.

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That's kind of her job.

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-Can she refuse to just not stamp it at all?

-Well, in theory she can.

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There are lots of mechanisms in place in government to stop it

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getting to that point.

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We have an opposition in this country that will then say, "No, we don't want that to happen."

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It will be fought out at that level, that middle level

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so it doesn't really ever get to that point where she has to.

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Although the real power of governing the country is

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held by the Prime Minister and Parliament, politicians come

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and go far more frequently the monarchs, who can provide

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a constant role as head of state across several decades.

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Today we're finding out about the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

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Princess Elizabeth was just 25 years old when her father,

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King George VI, died, making her Queen Elizabeth II.

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A year and half later in 1953 she had her coronation,

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but can anyone tell me what was unique about that coronation?

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It was on television and it was the first time something like this had ever happened.

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That's right. Even though television was still very new,

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23 million people watched the coronation being broadcast live into their homes.

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In fact some people went out and bought televisions especially to watch it.

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But this coronation was much more than public entertainment.

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It was an incredibly significant event. We're going to find out why.

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Saffron, Callum

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and Elim are visiting Westminster Abbey in London.

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CHOIR SINGS

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William the Conqueror was crowned here almost 1,000 years ago, in 1066.

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Since then the Abbey has been the location for all

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the coronations of Britain's kings and queens.

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The last sovereign to be crowned here was our monarch,

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Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

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Saffron, Callum and Elim have been invited to a special service

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at the Abbey marking 60 years of the Queen's Coronation,

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attended by the Queen and the rest of the Royal family.

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Many of the people also present at this commemoration

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were at the 1953 coronation,

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including the Queen's maids of honour,

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six young women specially chosen to accompany the Queen on her historic day.

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Saffron is meeting two of them today, Lady Glenconner and Lady Rayne.

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I remember waiting just here.

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We could hear the Queen coming. We could hear this roar.

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CHEERING

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Then suddenly, round the corner there, came this golden coach.

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It was like a fairytale.

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It must have been a really special day for you both. What were your roles?

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Well, our roles were to carry the Queen's train.

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The train was a piece of velvet, almost seven metres long,

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forming part of the Queen's coronation gown.

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It had six handles sewn into it

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so it could be carried by the six maids.

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We were absolutely amazed. This beautiful dress.

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She had a tiny waist like that and wonderful skin and eyes.

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We just thought she looked like the fairy queen she was.

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Absolutely amazing. We helped her out and slowly went up those steps

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CHOIR SINGS

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There were six of us. Six maids of honour.

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And Jane was in front, one of the ones in front,

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and I was in the middle and we all waited there,

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we got the train all ready and the Queen hadn't said anything to us

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up to that point but she then turned round and she said, "Ready, girls?"

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The television coverage of the Coronation was

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narrated by legendary broadcaster Richard Dimbleby.

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RICHARD DIMBLEBY: And now, almost motionless,

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we watched it coming together

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almost like a mosaic, fragment by fragment of colour

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from the time very early this morning when the Abbey was almost empty.

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His son David Dimbleby, now also a well-known television

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presenter, accompanied his father to the Abbey on that momentous day.

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He was just 14 years old at the time.

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At the Coronation in 1953,

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-when you were our age, what are your memories of it?

-Well, my memory...

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Actually, I'll tell you, everybody who was at the Coronation, in

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the crowd or the Abbey or whatever, really has powerful memories of it.

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I remember this huge procession, thousands and thousands.

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You have never seen...

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You know, you could make a war with the people who were there.

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Troops from all over the Commonwealth, everywhere,

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great phalanxes of people, all with their rifles, hundreds of horses.

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Although the Coronation provided a royal spectacle for both

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the people on the streets and those watching at home,

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it was a solemn, religious service, following a traditional pattern

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laid out in the 14th century,

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where the monarch takes the Coronation Oath

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and is blessed with holy oil by Archbishop.

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This is known as anointing.

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The idea is that she's sort of set apart from the rest of us

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and is anointed with oil to dedicate herself to God first

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and to the people.

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I heard that they couldn't...

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They wouldn't be able to film the Queen actually being anointed. Why?

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The church says this is the most sacred part of the ceremony

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and somehow the most private - it's the Queen being anointed, committing

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herself to God, that it shouldn't be seen, so traditionally it's

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always had this canopy that is held over her so even the congregation

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can't see it so it's meant to be a private part of the ceremony.

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So that's why that was. And I guess it will stay like that.

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For this private part of the ceremony,

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the Queen's jewellery and cape were removed

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and her royal gown covered with a simple white dress.

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-Did you see the Queen actually being crowned?

-Yes.

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We had a wonderful view.

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And the other thing that we saw that very other few people

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saw because it wasn't televised was the anointing

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and they had any sort of canopy, didn't they, over the Queen?

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As we were standing there, we had a wonderful view.

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Marvellous. She was standing there in this long, white shift - cotton,

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it looked like - and nothing on her head, no jewellery

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and she looked like a little girl. It was very moving.

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That was the moment that she gave herself to the nation

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and to the Commonwealth and promised that she would, you know,

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do her very, very best for the rest of her life.

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The idea of a monarch was that he or she was God's appointed ruler.

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That is at the very heart of the idea of monarchy.

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Otherwise it would be more like a sort of president.

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If you imagine you took God out of it all together

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and you just had an inherited presidency, it would be a very

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different kind of service so that idea...that idea of devotion

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and duty and religious devotion is very powerful.

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The most significant parts of the Coronation happened

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while the Queen was seated in the Coronation chair.

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This same throne has been used in Coronations for over 700 years.

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King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria

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have all sat in it.

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It's only used for coronations

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and the next person to officially take a seat in it will become

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King or Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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To make sure it will withstand future coronations,

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the chair has its own team of curators.

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Aleem is meeting Marie Louise Sauerberg,

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who is in charge of its restoration.

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I thought it would be all gold. Why haven't they made it more grand?

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That's a very good question.

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I think it is because it is such a special chair.

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There is something very mystic about it. It's where power meets religion.

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It's a very powerful chair,

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so nobody has actually done very much to it in terms of re-gilding it.

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You could have thought that... thought it looked a bit tatty,

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let's get some new gold on. Not actually they never did that.

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They thought that it was perfect as it should be and that

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every part of it is powerful in its own right and that is why...

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Do you see on the front? There's little nicks in it, all the way down.

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That's people with their penknives, taking little pieces of it and they

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might have eaten it, they might have kept it in their pocket but they did

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it because it was magic, because it was special, because it was powerful.

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It's a very, very special chair.

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So, would you have liked to have been Queen that day?

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-I don't think so.

-I certainly wouldn't have.

-No.

-Very difficult.

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Very, very frightening. But the Queen didn't look frightened at all.

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-And I'm sure she wasn't.

-No.

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It's a tremendous responsibility she had taken on her shoulders.

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I mean, her life would never, never be the same again.

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-We were full of admiration for her though, weren't we?

-Absolutely.

0:20:300:20:34

You know, she was so calm and so perfect, really.

0:20:340:20:39

-Never put a foot wrong the whole day.

-No, or ever, really.

0:20:390:20:42

-Or since.

-And since.

0:20:420:20:44

I think people were so excited that suddenly

0:20:440:20:48

we had all this to celebrate, this lovely, beautiful, young queen

0:20:480:20:52

and it was the sort of start of a new Elizabethan age.

0:20:520:20:55

-I must say, it was the proudest day of my life.

-Yes, it was. Absolutely.

0:20:580:21:03

Today we are going to find out a little bit more about the Queen.

0:21:120:21:15

-So can any of you name any of the Queen's homes?

-Buckingham Palace.

0:21:150:21:18

-Sandringham.

-Windsor Castle.

-To name but a few, yes.

0:21:180:21:21

But if you go up to Scotland you'll find the Palace of Holyrood House

0:21:210:21:24

and also Balmoral Castle.

0:21:240:21:25

But these days, the Queen likes to hang out in and around London.

0:21:250:21:28

This is Windsor Castle.

0:21:280:21:29

This is where she spends most of her weekends.

0:21:290:21:31

And Buckingham Palace has been the official London home

0:21:310:21:34

since 1837 when Queen Victoria became monarch.

0:21:340:21:37

But what happens behind these stately walls

0:21:370:21:39

and what are the Queen's duties when she is there?

0:21:390:21:42

We are about to find out.

0:21:420:21:44

The role of the Queen is a full-time job

0:21:470:21:50

and, for over 60 years, Queen Elizabeth II has

0:21:500:21:54

worked from her London home and office - Buckingham Palace.

0:21:540:21:58

The Palace has 800 staff to support the royal family.

0:21:580:22:02

Assisting the Queen with her duties

0:22:020:22:04

is the work of her private secretaries.

0:22:040:22:06

Saffron is meeting one of them, Samantha Cohen, to find out more

0:22:060:22:10

about what the Queen actually does on a day-to-day basis.

0:22:100:22:13

Usually at 11 o'clock in the morning, a private secretary brings

0:22:140:22:18

the Queen a red box full of papers.

0:22:180:22:21

It is really like the Queen's homework.

0:22:210:22:22

and the Queen has these red boxes 364 days a year so the only day,

0:22:220:22:29

really, when the Queen doesn't have any homework is Christmas day.

0:22:290:22:32

Every one of us moans about getting homework. Does the Queen moan?

0:22:320:22:36

The Queen really enjoys doing her homework because it is

0:22:360:22:39

so interesting, because every day there is something different

0:22:390:22:42

and every day there is information from different countries,

0:22:420:22:45

information about different people, and things are changing

0:22:450:22:49

all the time, and I think that's what makes her homework so interesting.

0:22:490:22:52

Communication is an essential part of the job

0:22:520:22:55

and not just with politicians and world leaders.

0:22:550:22:58

In one of Buckingham Palace's 775 rooms, Saffron is meeting

0:22:580:23:01

Celia Guy, who helps with the Queen's correspondence.

0:23:010:23:05

So, why is writing letters and communicating

0:23:050:23:08

so important to the Queen's role?

0:23:080:23:09

Anybody can write a letter to the Queen

0:23:090:23:11

and it's a way that people can directly be in touch

0:23:110:23:15

with their head of state so they are able to tell the Queen things

0:23:150:23:18

that are of concern to them or they might want to share

0:23:180:23:21

a story or tell them something about themselves.

0:23:210:23:25

How many letters does the Queen receive every day?

0:23:250:23:28

It can be, on a daily basis,

0:23:280:23:30

2 or 300 letters or indeed it could be into thousands.

0:23:300:23:33

In a normal, typical year,

0:23:330:23:36

the Queen probably receives about 60,000 pieces of post.

0:23:360:23:39

However, in special years, like for the Diamond Jubilee, that

0:23:390:23:44

number significantly increases and it went up to over 120,000 in that year.

0:23:440:23:49

One function of the monarch in the UK is to serve as

0:23:500:23:53

a figurehead for the nation.

0:23:530:23:54

It has been a part of the job description

0:23:540:23:56

since Queen Victoria's day.

0:23:560:23:58

But each monarch interprets the role in their own way.

0:23:580:24:01

The Queen's role evolves a little bit with modern times so the Queen,

0:24:020:24:08

because she has been Queen for 60 years,

0:24:080:24:10

is always slightly adapting the way she performs her duties

0:24:100:24:13

and one of the big changes has been technology.

0:24:130:24:17

Our Queen has a channel on YouTube and she uses Twitter.

0:24:170:24:23

Well, the Palace uses Twitter to communicate the Queen's activities.

0:24:230:24:26

Technology has changed the Queen does her work

0:24:260:24:30

but actually many things about the Queen's role

0:24:300:24:32

and her duties haven't changed very much from Queen Victoria.

0:24:320:24:36

If you look at something like a garden party, for example,

0:24:360:24:39

it was a very similar scene and the Queen would go

0:24:390:24:43

and meet with 8,000 people

0:24:430:24:44

right here in the gardens of Buckingham Palace,

0:24:440:24:47

so things like that haven't changed very much at all.

0:24:470:24:50

Aleem is joining Saffron to attend a special garden party being held in

0:24:520:24:56

the grounds of the Palace to honour the service of the Grenadier Guards.

0:24:560:25:00

Usually hosted by the Queen,

0:25:000:25:01

garden parties are traditional summer events.

0:25:010:25:05

Saffron is meeting the person responsible for ensuring the party

0:25:050:25:08

goes without a hitch,

0:25:080:25:10

Sir David Walker, Master Of The Household.

0:25:100:25:13

Buckingham Palace's garden parties are very famous.

0:25:130:25:15

Now, what is, actually, their purpose?

0:25:150:25:18

Well, it depends on the nature of the garden party.

0:25:180:25:21

I mean, the Queen holds four garden parties a year.

0:25:210:25:23

She has three at Buckingham Palace and one up in Scotland

0:25:230:25:26

at the Palace of Holyrood House

0:25:260:25:27

and essentially those garden parties are to recognise

0:25:270:25:31

people who have made a considerable contribution to public life.

0:25:310:25:34

Who decides who comes in?

0:25:340:25:36

The Queen is the patron of over 620 charities

0:25:360:25:40

so each of those charities - things like the Red Cross -

0:25:400:25:42

she will go to and say,

0:25:420:25:44

"Please, tell us who should come from the Red Cross."

0:25:440:25:46

Well, all of those people have made a significant contribution to

0:25:460:25:50

national life and to local life so I think all of them feel honoured

0:25:500:25:53

and very special to be here and for many it will be the only time

0:25:530:25:56

they come to Buckingham Palace

0:25:560:25:58

so they really want to make a very nice day of it.

0:25:580:26:00

Honouring significant achievements

0:26:000:26:03

is an important part of the monarch's job

0:26:030:26:05

and it's something our Queen devotes much of her time to.

0:26:050:26:08

It's important that the Queen gives people prizes for good work

0:26:080:26:12

because the Queen needs to celebrate people in this country who

0:26:120:26:16

have done a very good job in whatever profession they happen to be in.

0:26:160:26:20

It's important to inspire young people like you who want to

0:26:200:26:24

go on and do great things with their lives so the Queen invites them

0:26:240:26:27

to Buckingham Palace to give them special awards.

0:26:270:26:30

And tonight, the Queen is holding a very special reception.

0:26:300:26:34

As the guests arrive, our royal reporters talk to Caroline Evans

0:26:340:26:37

from the Royal Academy of Engineers to find out what it's all about.

0:26:370:26:41

What special event is happening tonight?

0:26:410:26:43

Tonight, the winners of the Queen Elizabeth Prize For Engineering

0:26:430:26:46

are going to receive their award

0:26:460:26:48

from Her Majesty the Queen here at Buckingham Palace.

0:26:480:26:51

This award celebrates an engineer or group of engineers for an outstanding

0:26:510:26:55

contribution to engineering that's been of benefit to humanity,

0:26:550:26:58

so we are celebrating people whose work has changed the world.

0:26:580:27:01

For the people who are coming today,

0:27:010:27:03

do you think it's important that the Queen cares?

0:27:030:27:05

Absolutely, because it is a mark of the utmost authority on the prize.

0:27:050:27:10

It's a lovely way of endorsing the quality of the prize, if you like.

0:27:100:27:13

Inside the palace, the Queen is making her entrance.

0:27:130:27:16

Aleem and Saffron get their first real chance to see her close up

0:27:160:27:19

as she welcomes her guests.

0:27:190:27:21

Tonight, the Queen specifically asked for young engineers

0:27:230:27:25

to be invited as they represent the future.

0:27:250:27:28

When the Queen invites people to come to Buckingham Palace to

0:27:300:27:33

celebrate their achievement,

0:27:330:27:34

she usually meets every one of them individually,

0:27:340:27:37

and that's important for the Queen

0:27:370:27:39

because she likes to talk to people and she likes to hear about

0:27:390:27:42

their stories and how they came to achieve these very important things.

0:27:420:27:45

-ANNOUNCER:

-Mr Louis Pouzin, also for the internet.

0:27:470:27:49

The first ever Queen Elizabeth Prize For Engineering is being

0:27:490:27:53

awarded to the four people recognised

0:27:530:27:55

for their ground-breaking work that led to the creation of the internet.

0:27:550:27:59

I have every hope that this prize will be an aspiration

0:27:590:28:04

to the international engineering community

0:28:040:28:07

and an inspiration to young people everywhere.

0:28:070:28:11

Is that one of the Queen's official roles or

0:28:110:28:14

is that something she chooses to do?

0:28:140:28:16

The Queen doesn't have to do that

0:28:160:28:18

but she thinks it's very important to recognise people who've done

0:28:180:28:21

a good job or achieved something remarkable so the Queen has

0:28:210:28:25

just introduced this prize

0:28:250:28:27

and now it will continue on in the Queen's name

0:28:270:28:30

for future generations to enjoy.

0:28:300:28:32

Oh, it was really exciting when we were up there

0:28:350:28:37

because we were literally standing six steps away from the Queen.

0:28:370:28:40

People dream just to see her, give her a wave

0:28:420:28:44

and she actually went past us.

0:28:440:28:46

It was just amazing.

0:28:460:28:47

So, after their visit to Buckingham Palace,

0:28:470:28:49

have our reporters come to appreciate the duties

0:28:490:28:52

that the Queen performs?

0:28:520:28:54

So, I've got a better understanding of the Queen because you would think

0:28:540:28:58

she just sits on the throne and chillaxes and that but it's quite...

0:28:580:29:01

She does a lot of things. It's not her personal assistant.

0:29:010:29:03

She does most of the awards

0:29:030:29:05

and little things she's doing which really sure that she

0:29:050:29:08

cares about the UK and that's what I'm really proud of.

0:29:080:29:10

Today we're looking at a special aspect of the monarch's role

0:29:200:29:22

as head of the Commonwealth.

0:29:220:29:24

You've probably heard of the Commonwealth Games, one of

0:29:240:29:26

the biggest sporting events in the world, happens every four years.

0:29:260:29:29

-Have you ever seen it?

-Yeah, I love to watch the boxing.

-There you go.

0:29:290:29:32

The Commonwealth holds together two billion people across 54 nations.

0:29:320:29:36

It's one of the world's oldest associations of countries.

0:29:360:29:39

Can you name any Commonwealth countries?

0:29:390:29:42

Cyprus, Papua New Guinea.

0:29:420:29:43

Canada, Australia and Pakistan where my granddad was born.

0:29:430:29:47

You clearly know your stuff.

0:29:470:29:49

The Queen is the head of the Commonwealth.

0:29:490:29:50

It's a role she inherited from her father. In 1953,

0:29:500:29:53

when she was crowned, she swore an oath to the Commonwealth countries

0:29:530:29:56

and it's something she took very seriously.

0:29:560:29:59

In that same year, she embarked on her first tour of the Commonwealth,

0:29:590:30:03

travelling 43,000 miles, visiting 12 different countries,

0:30:030:30:06

most of which took place on a very special Royal craft.

0:30:060:30:10

Aleem is taking a trip to Leith in Edinburgh, home to the historic

0:30:110:30:16

Royal yacht Britannia. For 44 years, the Queen used this yacht to make

0:30:160:30:20

official overseas visits to every corner of the globe,

0:30:200:30:24

including the Commonwealth.

0:30:240:30:26

The Royal yacht Britannia was decommissioned in 1997 and began

0:30:270:30:32

a new life in Scotland as a tourist attraction. It's almost exactly as

0:30:320:30:37

the Queen left it.

0:30:370:30:38

It's weird because I thought it would be a lot bigger,

0:30:380:30:40

it's old-fashioned, but posh as well. But a lot different than I thought it would be.

0:30:400:30:45

When the Queen visited Commonwealth countries, she would invite their

0:30:480:30:51

heads of state and politicians on board, often holding

0:30:510:30:54

official dinners in the yacht's state dining room.

0:30:540:30:57

Brian Hoey is a royal biographer.

0:31:010:31:03

Before the Britannia ended her working life,

0:31:030:31:06

he spent a year sailing on board the yacht

0:31:060:31:09

to write a book about her history.

0:31:090:31:11

When the Queen was here and she had the heads of all the Commonwealth governments as guests here,

0:31:160:31:21

they'd have a big U-shaped table.

0:31:210:31:23

Do they have some sort of seating plan?

0:31:230:31:25

Of course they have a seating plan. And the Queen herself

0:31:250:31:28

supervises the seating plan. She has a wonderful system of doing it.

0:31:280:31:32

What the Queen does, she says the order of seniority, the person who

0:31:320:31:36

has been in office the longest, is the senior one. They get the best seats.

0:31:360:31:41

Why did she have a yacht? She could have had a private jet,

0:31:410:31:45

why did she travel by sea?

0:31:450:31:47

It's a floating palace. It was a place for her to have her

0:31:470:31:50

headquarters and she could invite people on board when they were there.

0:31:500:31:54

When the Queen was in residence, the Britannia had a crew of 220

0:31:580:32:02

yachtsmen. They lived below decks in far less luxurious accommodation

0:32:020:32:07

than the Royal family.

0:32:070:32:09

Chief Petty Officer Alistair Crozer worked on the yacht for four years

0:32:100:32:14

and travelled with the Queen on some of her Commonwealth visits.

0:32:140:32:18

-So, how is life different here to the Royals upstairs?

-The main difference

0:32:180:32:24

between the Royal household, etc, is space. In this area, we would have

0:32:240:32:30

in the region of 20 guys. We've got nine bunks here which you can see

0:32:300:32:35

goes into a little triangle here.

0:32:350:32:38

And once again they've got all their equipment. They have all their

0:32:380:32:42

uniforms, etc. And the locker, this locker here,

0:32:420:32:46

is one man's locker to carry all his gear.

0:32:460:32:50

So when you came across one of the people out of the royal families,

0:32:500:32:53

did you have to act in some way?

0:32:530:32:55

Protocol was that you stood still and bowed your head

0:32:550:32:58

and you didn't speak unless you're spoken to.

0:32:580:33:01

And that would be a very rare incident.

0:33:010:33:05

Did you ever get to meet the Queen?

0:33:050:33:07

Yes, I have. I mean, this is a highlight of my tour because

0:33:070:33:11

the Queen comes on the deck at the end of every tour, I was very

0:33:110:33:16

fortunate to have the honour of being asked a question by the Queen.

0:33:160:33:22

And it was absolutely...

0:33:220:33:26

-mind-boggling.

-It's a nice picture, that.

0:33:260:33:28

When the Queen came to the throne in 1953, the Commonwealth had only

0:33:300:33:35

officially been in existence for four years. Formed largely of

0:33:350:33:40

countries that were part of the British Empire. At its peak,

0:33:400:33:44

Britain had the largest empire in history. Over 450 million people,

0:33:440:33:49

covering a quarter of the globe.

0:33:490:33:51

Gradually, Britain began giving independence back to the countries

0:33:510:33:56

in its empire. But many of them still wanted to maintain strong links with the UK.

0:33:560:34:01

So, the Commonwealth was created

0:34:010:34:04

and former Empire countries could choose whether or not

0:34:040:34:08

they wanted to be members.

0:34:080:34:10

15 of these countries, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand,

0:34:100:34:14

still have the Queen as their head of state, just like we do in the UK.

0:34:140:34:19

The heads of government for all the Commonwealth nations come together

0:34:200:34:24

every two years. Aleem and Saffron are meeting one of them,

0:34:240:34:28

the Queen's 12th Prime Minister, David Cameron.

0:34:280:34:31

How important is the role of the Queen to the Commonwealth?

0:34:310:34:34

Oh, I think she's hugely important to the Commonwealth,

0:34:340:34:38

and she cares deeply about the organisation.

0:34:380:34:41

It's an organisation that grew out of the end of the British Empire.

0:34:410:34:45

And now, the Commonwealth, as a modern organisation,

0:34:450:34:49

it covers billions of people around the world,

0:34:490:34:53

it's a club of countries that have ties to each other,

0:34:530:34:57

that have great respect for the Queen and the Royal family,

0:34:570:35:01

and that sign up to certain things like human rights,

0:35:010:35:05

belief in democracy and those things, have some common values.

0:35:050:35:10

I think in this modern, interconnected world,

0:35:100:35:13

it's good to be members of different organisations, and the Commonwealth

0:35:130:35:18

is a way for us to stay in touch with countries that we are all

0:35:180:35:21

friends with, like Canada or New Zealand, but also a network of

0:35:210:35:25

countries across Africa that still feel they have a relationship

0:35:250:35:29

together and with us.

0:35:290:35:30

So that way, I think the Commonwealth still has meaning

0:35:300:35:33

and I think we should make the most of it.

0:35:330:35:35

When they send the Queen over to Commonwealth countries, how is it

0:35:360:35:40

-different to sending the Prime Minister?

-What we have to remember is

0:35:400:35:44

the Queen is not a politician.

0:35:440:35:45

All the politicians have a policy of their government or their particular party. The Queen isn't.

0:35:450:35:50

And every member of the Commonwealth has the right of immediate access to the Queen, direct access,

0:35:500:35:56

they don't have to go through anybody else,

0:35:560:35:58

they don't have to go through the British Prime Minister or anybody else.

0:35:580:36:02

They can go straight to the Queen and she cherishes that.

0:36:020:36:05

They know that they can ask her anything, they can tell her anything

0:36:080:36:12

at all and they know that she will not betray their confidences,

0:36:120:36:16

whereas you wouldn't get that with a politician.

0:36:160:36:20

One thing I love about the Commonwealth is that it brings all these countries together as friends,

0:36:200:36:25

and what better way to celebrate that and to have a sporting event,

0:36:250:36:29

like the Commonwealth Games. You've all seen the Olympics.

0:36:290:36:32

You saw what happened with the Olympic torch, it travelled around the UK with athletes involved.

0:36:320:36:36

This is just like that except this is the Commonwealth Games baton

0:36:360:36:39

from 2002 when the games were here in Manchester.

0:36:390:36:42

This goes around the world, a much bigger journey. For a specific

0:36:420:36:46

reason, because it actually carries something quite cool.

0:36:460:36:49

Just take the top off and have a look inside there. And pull out what you can find.

0:36:490:36:54

So that is a message. See if you can see who it is from.

0:36:570:37:01

-Elizabeth R.

-Who is?

-The Queen.

-Queen Elizabeth II.

0:37:040:37:08

Traditionally, the message within the baton begins life at Buckingham Palace

0:37:080:37:13

before finally arriving at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games,

0:37:130:37:17

having completed a journey through many of the Commonwealth countries.

0:37:170:37:21

The baton is then handed back to the Queen for her to read her personal message aloud.

0:37:210:37:25

You come from the world over - Africa, the Americas, Asia,

0:37:270:37:34

Australasia, Europe, all are represented tonight.

0:37:340:37:40

We can all draw inspiration from what the Commonwealth stands for -

0:37:400:37:46

our diversity as a source of strength,

0:37:460:37:50

our tradition of tolerance, requiring respect for others

0:37:500:37:55

and a readiness to learn from them.

0:37:550:37:58

Our focus on young people, for they are the future.

0:37:580:38:03

It is my pleasure, in this my Golden Jubilee year,

0:38:030:38:09

to declare the 17th Commonwealth Games open.

0:38:090:38:14

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:38:140:38:16

Today, we are finding out about the monarchy and the military. We are

0:38:200:38:24

used to seeing Prince William and Prince Harry in the uniforms, but

0:38:240:38:27

those uniforms aren't just for show, they are also part of their work.

0:38:270:38:31

-What jobs do the Princes have?

-They are both pilots.

0:38:310:38:34

Prince William is in the RAF, and Prince Harry is in the Army and he

0:38:340:38:37

-served in Afghanistan.

-They are both helicopter pilots. Prince William

0:38:370:38:41

flies with Search and Rescue in Anglesey in Wales. Prince Harry

0:38:410:38:44

flies an Apache helicopter,

0:38:440:38:46

but they could have picked any job in any industry.

0:38:460:38:49

We are now going to find out what makes the Armed Forces so special to the Royal family.

0:38:490:38:52

Saffron and Aleem are spending a day at the Royal Military Training Academy, Sandhurst.

0:38:520:38:57

To be an officer in the British Army, you have to graduate from here.

0:38:590:39:04

This is where both Prince Harry and Prince William began their military careers.

0:39:040:39:09

It's an intensive 44 weeks of training,

0:39:110:39:13

and Sandhurst is famous for being mentally and physically demanding,

0:39:130:39:18

including regular turns on the Academy's assault course.

0:39:180:39:23

I can't imagine Prince Harry and Prince William doing this.

0:39:230:39:26

It doesn't look like they go through that smelly water and just get up and out.

0:39:260:39:31

-Oh, no.

-And this is just one part of the tough army training regime

0:39:330:39:38

Prince Harry and Prince William experienced before graduating from

0:39:380:39:43

Sandhurst in 2006.

0:39:430:39:45

This is Capt Rupert Pye-Watson

0:39:450:39:48

and he attended Sandhurst at the same time as the Princes.

0:39:480:39:52

We're going to have massive difficulties if you can't get over a

0:39:550:39:59

-six-foot wall.

-Everyone gets shouted at. Say Prince William or Prince Harry,

0:39:590:40:03

-could they answer back because they are royalty?

-They could probably

0:40:030:40:06

have tried, but I doubt it would have got them very far

0:40:060:40:09

because at the end of the day, everyone's in it together.

0:40:090:40:12

SHOUTING

0:40:120:40:13

It's part of that whole character building, being shouted at

0:40:130:40:17

when you do something wrong. And therefore those people who don't

0:40:170:40:21

like being shouted at, obviously try not to do things wrong

0:40:210:40:25

so they don't get shouted out again.

0:40:250:40:28

SHOUTING

0:40:280:40:30

Prince William and Prince Harry underwent the same training as every

0:40:310:40:36

other officer cadet at Sandhurst.

0:40:360:40:39

Everyone at Sandhurst, cadet-wise,

0:40:390:40:41

goes through exactly the same treatment.

0:40:410:40:44

The first five weeks are hard. on all the cadets.

0:40:440:40:49

Maybe four, maybe five hours sleep, if you are lucky, at night.

0:40:490:40:54

On the go from about 5.30 in the morning through to about midnight.

0:40:540:40:58

Lots of learning, learning how to march,

0:40:580:41:01

but ultimately there is no special treatment given to anyone.

0:41:010:41:05

What would the Princes have come here to learn?

0:41:050:41:08

The Princes would very much have come here to have learned things

0:41:080:41:12

like selfless commitment, respect for others, discipline, integrity.

0:41:120:41:18

Some of the core values of the Army which are instilled in the way

0:41:180:41:22

officers are taught and how officers are expected to carry out their

0:41:220:41:27

duties within the British Army.

0:41:270:41:29

Left, right. Left, right.

0:41:290:41:33

During their training, the Princes lived in the same basic dormitory accommodation

0:41:330:41:38

as their fellow cadets.

0:41:380:41:40

Aleem and Saffron are looking at the room of a current cadet, Sophie Kilpatrick.

0:41:400:41:46

It's quite small.

0:41:460:41:48

Cadets' rooms are regularly inspected to make sure

0:41:480:41:51

they meet the strict standards at Sandhurst.

0:41:510:41:54

This is exactly how they have to have the room laid out every morning

0:41:540:41:59

for room inspections. The bed is immaculate, tightly pulled, ironed

0:41:590:42:04

flat, the shoes highly polished.

0:42:040:42:06

Brass buckles immaculately clean as well.

0:42:060:42:09

Gloves clean, pillows ironed. Everything in the wardrobes

0:42:090:42:13

are immaculately laid out.

0:42:130:42:15

And hangers measured so the distance is equal throughout. The cadets have

0:42:150:42:20

to make sure every single room amongst the platoon of about 30 people is identical.

0:42:200:42:25

So would the Royals get in trouble if their room wasn't as tidy as it was meant to be?

0:42:250:42:30

If one person had a hanger slightly out of alignment,

0:42:300:42:34

the entire platoon would start again. You are very much in it together

0:42:340:42:38

to build the camaraderie and team spirit and teamwork.

0:42:380:42:41

Thank you, guys. It takes a long time to make my bed in the morning.

0:42:410:42:45

It has to be absolutely perfect. Who makes your bed at home?

0:42:450:42:49

Um, I don't even make mine.

0:42:490:42:51

-D'you think you should have a go?

-No.

0:42:510:42:54

Go on, I'll pull that out a bit and you can have a go at tidying it up.

0:42:540:42:58

Guys, you need to make sure you get the sheets really really tight,

0:43:000:43:03

-so there are no creases in them whatsoever.

-Is that good?

0:43:030:43:07

You have to pull it tight and make sure it's tucked in tightly.

0:43:070:43:10

It's hard, this. Especially when you are my age. Where do these go again? In the middle?

0:43:100:43:15

-No, there was a sheet.

-Yes, and the belt was in the middle.

0:43:150:43:19

It has to be fastened, he said.

0:43:190:43:21

In the middle.

0:43:210:43:24

-What you think of that?

-I would make you do that again.

0:43:240:43:28

Oops!

0:43:300:43:32

I don't know why Prince William and Prince Harry choose to

0:43:320:43:35

come here rather than be at Buckingham Palace.

0:43:350:43:38

It's not the best of rooms, it's not a five-star hotel. But you need a

0:43:380:43:43

discipline to be in the Army and these people have a lot of discipline

0:43:430:43:47

and work hard and it's good because they work as a team,

0:43:470:43:50

because if one person does something wrong, we all have to do it again.

0:43:500:43:53

I like the idea, but I wouldn't like to sleep there. But it would probably change my personality in a way

0:43:530:43:59

and make me work harder for other stuff in life.

0:43:590:44:01

-Yeah.

-And make you appreciate stuff.

0:44:010:44:04

As part of their training,

0:44:060:44:07

both Prince William and Prince Harry studied military history.

0:44:070:44:11

Professor Lloyd Clark is a lecturer in war studies,

0:44:110:44:14

who taught both the princes during their time at the Academy.

0:44:140:44:18

So why did Prince William and Harry choose a military career?

0:44:180:44:22

The Royal Family have got a very long history of being

0:44:220:44:26

part of the military.

0:44:260:44:27

The Queen herself, in the Second World War, was the first female

0:44:290:44:33

member of the Royal Family to serve full-time in the Armed Services.

0:44:330:44:37

Her husband, Prince Philip,

0:44:370:44:39

served throughout the Second World War and after in the Royal Navy.

0:44:390:44:44

Her sons all served in the Army or the Navy.

0:44:440:44:47

So it was almost logical that both princes William

0:44:470:44:51

and Harry would have some sort of a military career.

0:44:510:44:54

And, of course, Prince William, himself,

0:44:540:44:56

has served in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

0:44:560:44:59

Why did the princes swap from a really lovely life to

0:45:010:45:05

a really tough, physical life?

0:45:050:45:08

The Royals, obviously, have perhaps more privileges,

0:45:080:45:11

but I don't think their lives are easy.

0:45:110:45:15

I think that part of living what you might call a normal life

0:45:150:45:18

would be to take a decision that anybody

0:45:180:45:21

else in the country might take and to join the Armed Forces.

0:45:210:45:24

When they come here, I think that most of the young men

0:45:240:45:28

and women are looking for a challenge.

0:45:280:45:30

So, in the military you're risking your life,

0:45:330:45:36

so why did the princes choose this option?

0:45:360:45:39

I don't think the princes choose to risk their lives.

0:45:390:45:42

Risking their lives is just part of the job.

0:45:420:45:46

What they want to do is to serve. They have a duty to serve.

0:45:460:45:49

But, most importantly, they want to lead.

0:45:490:45:52

Any officer is there to lead other men and women.

0:45:520:45:55

When the Queen came to see Prince Harry graduate from Sandhurst,

0:45:570:46:01

a ceremony known as passing out,

0:46:010:46:03

she came not only as his grandmother,

0:46:030:46:05

but also in her official role as head of the Armed Forces,

0:46:050:46:09

a title long held by the king or queen of Great Britain.

0:46:090:46:13

The Queen is a grandmother of the two princes

0:46:140:46:17

and she is the head of the Armed Forces.

0:46:170:46:20

What does that actually mean?

0:46:200:46:21

The head of the Armed Forces is a role which is largely

0:46:210:46:26

a figurehead role.

0:46:260:46:29

She's the Head of State and the people of Great Britain

0:46:290:46:33

and Northern Ireland look to her for leadership

0:46:330:46:36

and also for a sense of moral values, you might say.

0:46:360:46:41

Therefore, she's the ideal person to have as the head of the military.

0:46:410:46:45

She represents the country.

0:46:450:46:48

And as a result of that, when troops go to fight,

0:46:480:46:51

they need someone that doesn't have any political bias.

0:46:510:46:54

She's not a member of a political party, like the Prime Minister is.

0:46:540:46:58

She unifies those people that fight

0:46:580:47:02

and she provides that focus for them perhaps when they go into battle.

0:47:020:47:07

Historically, that's always been the case.

0:47:070:47:10

The monarch would be someone who would often lead

0:47:100:47:13

troops on the battlefield.

0:47:130:47:14

The king would be much more likely to actually

0:47:140:47:17

lead from the front perhaps with his sword out on the back of a horse.

0:47:170:47:21

You could also think about the Battle of Hastings

0:47:210:47:24

when King Harold was shot and killed.

0:47:240:47:26

And, of course, the king that was going to take his place,

0:47:260:47:29

William the Conqueror, actually leading his troops in that same battle.

0:47:290:47:34

Queen Elizabeth I, just before the Spanish Armada,

0:47:340:47:38

didn't actually go onto a ship and fight,

0:47:380:47:42

but she gave great motivational speeches to her troops.

0:47:420:47:45

All of the motivation,

0:47:450:47:46

all of this morale that the monarch gives is an absolutely

0:47:460:47:49

central role, not only for all military leaders, but also

0:47:490:47:53

for that monarch that unifies the Armed Forces around that family.

0:47:530:47:58

Today, we're finding out about the heir to the throne,

0:48:090:48:11

Prince Charles, and his role as the Prince of Wales.

0:48:110:48:14

-Callum, you are a fine upstanding Welshman.

-Ydw, I am.

0:48:140:48:17

-What does that mean?

-Yes, I am.

-Good to know.

0:48:170:48:20

-So what does the Prince of Wales mean to you?

-He means quite a lot

0:48:200:48:23

because he's one of the only figureheads which Wales has

0:48:230:48:25

and because he's known all across the world, I guess

0:48:250:48:28

he kind of puts Wales on the map.

0:48:280:48:29

Do you know why he's called the Prince of Wales?

0:48:290:48:32

-No, but I've always wanted to know.

-I can tell you.

0:48:320:48:35

Prince Charles is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II.

0:48:350:48:38

Traditionally, for around 800 years,

0:48:380:48:39

the eldest son of the monarch has been known as the Prince of Wales.

0:48:390:48:42

So, in 1969 when Prince Charles was just 20 years old, his mother,

0:48:420:48:46

the Queen, officially gave him this title in a very elaborate

0:48:460:48:49

ceremony at Caernarfon Castle in Wales.

0:48:490:48:51

But what is his role as the Prince of Wales? We're about to find out.

0:48:510:48:55

Aleem and Saffron are in London to experience some of the Prince's

0:48:580:49:02

duties there.

0:49:020:49:03

While Callum is spending the day as a royal correspondent following the Prince and his wife,

0:49:030:49:08

the Duchess of Cornwall, on an official tour of Wales.

0:49:080:49:10

First stop, the set of the popular Saturday night drama, Doctor Who.

0:49:100:49:15

As you can see, there is quite a lot of Press here already.

0:49:150:49:18

I've got my Press pass and I'm ready for the day.

0:49:180:49:22

His Royal Highness has just arrived

0:49:220:49:25

and I'm standing literally just a few metres from him.

0:49:250:49:28

This is one of over 500 engagements

0:49:280:49:31

the Prince will have in the UK this year.

0:49:310:49:34

One journalist Callum is rubbing shoulders with is BBC newsman,

0:49:340:49:37

Nicholas Witchell, a royal correspondent for 15 years.

0:49:370:49:41

Because of his title, does that mean he has to focus on Wales?

0:49:410:49:45

If you are the Prince of Wales, it seems only reasonable

0:49:450:49:47

and right that you should take a particular interest in that

0:49:470:49:51

part of the country whose name you bear.

0:49:510:49:54

Doctor Who is produced here in Wales, it produces a lot of jobs

0:49:540:49:58

and employment and wealth in Wales as a result of that.

0:49:580:50:02

And because it is 50 years now since Doctor Who started,

0:50:020:50:05

it's another way of the Prince of Wales coming along and showing

0:50:050:50:10

some recognition for what the BBC, through Doctor Who,

0:50:100:50:14

is doing for Wales.

0:50:140:50:15

Exterminate. Exterminate, exterminate.

0:50:150:50:20

That's very good.

0:50:200:50:22

LAUGHTER

0:50:220:50:23

After the Doctor Who set,

0:50:250:50:26

the tour moves onto a place close to the Prince's heart.

0:50:260:50:30

Like all the Royal Family,

0:50:300:50:31

the Prince is heavily involved in charity work

0:50:310:50:33

and today he's officially opening a new centre for one that

0:50:330:50:36

he personally founded - the Prince's Trust.

0:50:360:50:39

May I present Nathan?

0:50:430:50:45

Nathan Dicks who started his business in 2008, Learning-Thru-Music.

0:50:450:50:49

This is just one charity in a whole group that bear the Prince's name

0:50:490:50:53

and reflect the causes he feels most strongly about,

0:50:530:50:56

like disadvantaged youth, education, responsible business

0:50:560:50:59

and environmental sustainability.

0:50:590:51:01

Why does the Prince of Wales have to take on these duties,

0:51:020:51:05

why does he have to go and visit places

0:51:050:51:07

and organisations like the Prince's Trust?

0:51:070:51:10

He does it in part to raise the profile,

0:51:100:51:12

to raise these issues with a wider audience.

0:51:120:51:16

In some instances, he does it because part of the role of the Royal Family

0:51:160:51:20

is to show approval for organisations and for what voluntary groups do.

0:51:200:51:25

It's a way of giving people a bit of a pat on the back, which,

0:51:250:51:28

generally, people rather like.

0:51:280:51:30

Prince Charles cares deeply about doing something

0:51:300:51:33

positive for the country.

0:51:330:51:36

Although his title is Prince of Wales,

0:51:360:51:38

he travels the whole country fulfilling engagements.

0:51:380:51:42

Royal reporters Saffron and Aleem are in the capital to

0:51:420:51:45

experience another important day in the Prince's busy calendar.

0:51:450:51:49

Saffron is meeting Major Peter Flynn,

0:51:490:51:51

he's one of the Prince's personal attendants,

0:51:510:51:53

known as an equerry, but he is also an army officer

0:51:530:51:56

and can explain the purpose behind today's military ceremony.

0:51:560:51:59

Could you please tell us about the event that's happening today?

0:51:590:52:02

Today, the Prince of Wales is going to give some

0:52:020:52:05

operational service medals to members of the Royal Dragoon Guards.

0:52:050:52:08

The Royal Dragoon Guards are one of the Prince's regiments.

0:52:080:52:10

He has 22 regiments

0:52:100:52:12

and military organisations across the three services.

0:52:120:52:15

Whenever they've been on operations,

0:52:150:52:16

let's say for example at the moment it's Afghanistan,

0:52:160:52:19

he's very keen when they come back to try

0:52:190:52:21

and give them their medals, particularly to the new

0:52:210:52:23

and young soldiers who've probably been out there for the first time.

0:52:230:52:26

Is this a new ceremony or is it an old ceremony?

0:52:260:52:29

When I first joined the Army many, many years ago,

0:52:290:52:32

we used to be given our medals across the desk in the stores,

0:52:320:52:35

but in recent times,

0:52:350:52:36

it seems that members of the Royal Family have really wanted to

0:52:360:52:39

show their support and thanks to the troops by giving them the medals themselves.

0:52:390:52:43

You'll see him going down the line, presenting the medals and having a chat to the troops.

0:52:430:52:48

What he'll do afterwards is he'll go and meet the families.

0:52:500:52:52

He knows how important it is that we show support to

0:52:520:52:55

the families as well and he loves talking to them.

0:52:550:52:58

Today's events are happening in the grounds of the Prince's London home, Clarence House.

0:52:590:53:04

This Royal house is small in comparison to the Queen's palaces,

0:53:040:53:07

and has been home to the Prince and his family since 2002.

0:53:070:53:10

They don't normally open the door for me when I walk into a room!

0:53:100:53:14

Clarence House is not just a home, it's a workplace, and while

0:53:140:53:17

the Prince is busy outside with his guests,

0:53:170:53:19

Aleem and Saffron are meeting his house manager, Leslie Chappell,

0:53:190:53:23

for a quick tour of its rarely seen rooms.

0:53:230:53:25

The Prince will use this room this afternoon

0:53:250:53:28

when he receives the President of Belize.

0:53:280:53:30

He'll bring the President here.

0:53:300:53:32

There'll be an official photograph taken over there.

0:53:320:53:34

Then the Prince will take a seat on the corner of the sofa there, ask the President to sit next to him

0:53:340:53:38

and they'll have a private audience in here.

0:53:380:53:40

-Who else has been in this room?

-The Prince of Wales and Duchess have received the Dalai Lama in here,

0:53:400:53:45

Will.i.am. Will.i.am sat just there on the sofa there.

0:53:450:53:50

And you'll see over here, if you look at these

0:53:500:53:53

photographs on the piano, you've got the whole of the Royal Family here,

0:53:530:53:56

photographed in this room for the Queen

0:53:560:53:58

and the Duke of Edinburgh's diamond wedding anniversary in 2007.

0:53:580:54:02

There seems to be a lot of things going on in this building,

0:54:020:54:05

is it a busy place?

0:54:050:54:07

It is a busy place, yes.

0:54:070:54:08

The Prince and Duchess are here for about a third of the year,

0:54:080:54:11

so just over a hundred days of the year.

0:54:110:54:14

On those days, we have days like today with the medal presentation

0:54:140:54:17

going on outside in the garden for 350 people, we had a meeting

0:54:170:54:21

this morning for 22 people followed by a reception for 60.

0:54:210:54:24

As I said, the Prime Minister of Belize is coming in later on

0:54:240:54:27

and the Prince of Wales is then going next door

0:54:270:54:30

into St James's Palace to host another reception.

0:54:300:54:33

So, quite a normal day.

0:54:330:54:34

So how does the Prince of Wales's engagements differ to

0:54:380:54:42

those of the Queen?

0:54:420:54:43

A very important part of what Prince Charles does is to

0:54:430:54:46

deputise for his mother.

0:54:460:54:48

He is doing that increasingly,

0:54:480:54:50

he's presiding over investitures at Buckingham Palace,

0:54:500:54:53

he'll be standing in for his mother

0:54:530:54:55

at a big meeting of Commonwealth leaders later this year.

0:54:550:54:57

Is this all in preparation to be King?

0:54:570:55:00

Yes, his destiny is to be King, to take over the throne

0:55:000:55:04

when his mother's reign ends.

0:55:040:55:06

So, in a sense, everything that he's done or does is a preparation for that moment.

0:55:060:55:10

At Buckingham Palace, Aleem and Saffron have been invited to

0:55:140:55:17

attend a special ceremony the Queen usually performs.

0:55:170:55:20

But today, it's a job for the heir to the throne.

0:55:200:55:22

-What was the ceremony about today?

-Today, we saw an investiture.

0:55:220:55:27

That's when the Queen awards honours to people who've done good works

0:55:270:55:31

throughout the community and in society.

0:55:310:55:33

Sometimes the Queen will ask the Prince of Wales or

0:55:330:55:36

the Princess Royal to do it,

0:55:360:55:37

and so today we saw the Prince of Wales doing the investiture.

0:55:370:55:40

Is it compulsory for the Queen

0:55:400:55:42

and the Prince of Wales to give these honours out?

0:55:420:55:45

I wouldn't so much regard it as compulsory.

0:55:450:55:48

I think the word you might want to use is duty.

0:55:480:55:50

They very much feel that it's their duty to do this,

0:55:500:55:53

to support the nation and thank people for doing good works.

0:55:530:55:55

These award include knighthoods and damehoods, CBEs, OBEs and MBEs.

0:55:570:56:02

They're often given to ordinary people who do extraordinary things

0:56:020:56:05

for their communities,

0:56:050:56:07

but many famous faces regularly receive these honours as well.

0:56:070:56:10

Today the Prince is presenting one to Star Wars actor, Ewan McGregor.

0:56:100:56:15

I received an OBE, this one here, look,

0:56:150:56:17

for work that I do for drama and also I work with a charity called UNICEF.

0:56:170:56:21

And double Olympic gold medal-winning athlete, Mo Farah.

0:56:210:56:24

Do you think it's important the Royal Family gives awards like this?

0:56:240:56:27

It's really important for people who are working hard,

0:56:270:56:30

not just myself, in all kinds of fields like community services,

0:56:300:56:34

charity work, athletics, acting, pretty much everything.

0:56:340:56:38

It's a great reward.

0:56:380:56:41

Each year, around 2,600 people receive their awards

0:56:420:56:46

personally at one of the palaces.

0:56:460:56:48

It's a day out to remember for every one of them.

0:56:480:56:50

WELSH CHOIR SINGS

0:56:520:56:54

In Wales, Callum's day of engagements with the Prince

0:56:540:56:56

is ending at His Royal Highness's Welsh home with an evening

0:56:560:56:59

celebrating Welsh culture.

0:56:590:57:01

It's an informal gathering

0:57:020:57:04

and a chance to finally meet the Royal hosts.

0:57:040:57:07

The music here, is that what you enjoy,

0:57:070:57:11

the folk and the tradition, is it a huge tradition?

0:57:110:57:14

It's lovely because everybody can sing. Sadly I can't.

0:57:140:57:17

No, it's lovely. It's lovely hearing the voices.

0:57:190:57:22

What do you enjoy most about Wales?

0:57:220:57:24

Here, I love the peace and quiet.

0:57:240:57:27

You hear nothing except the odd sheep munching away outside

0:57:270:57:31

and the odd bird, it's very peaceful.

0:57:310:57:34

It's the beauty, I think.

0:57:340:57:35

Hello, your Royal Highness. It's nice to meet you.

0:57:390:57:41

He's working for the BBC doing a film about the monarchy, Sir.

0:57:410:57:45

-Oh, really?

-Yes, so I went to the Doctor Who set today

0:57:450:57:48

-and the Prince's Trust event in Cardiff.

-Were you there today?

0:57:480:57:52

Yeah, I was in the Doctor Who set and the Cardiff headquarters

0:57:520:57:55

and I saw you unveiling the plaque, as well. It was absolutely amazing.

0:57:550:57:58

-And tonight, the folk...

-This is rather marvellous, isn't it?

0:57:580:58:02

-Do you know a bit of Welsh?

-A little bit.

-Like bore da.

0:58:020:58:05

I never keep it up in practice.

0:58:050:58:07

I try. Anyway, I look forward to seeing how it goes.

0:58:070:58:10

-Thank you very much.

-A great pleasure to meet you. Well done.

0:58:100:58:14

Pleasure to meet you too.

0:58:140:58:16

That was absolutely amazing. This has topped off the whole experience.

0:58:160:58:21

It's basically put a lid on it.

0:58:210:58:23

After following Prince Charles on his engagements,

0:58:250:58:28

our reporters have really got a sense of his role and

0:58:280:58:30

the range of duties he performs as the Prince of Wales, heir to the throne.

0:58:300:58:34

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0:58:410:58:44

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