0:00:30 > 0:00:35Good evening and welcome back to St James' Park. You join us after a day
0:00:36 > 0:00:39of celebration to start the weekend of events to mark her
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Majesty'sofficial 90th birthday. The Queen is the first British monarch
0:00:45 > 0:00:47in history to celebrate a 90th birthday, and we started the weekend
0:00:48 > 0:00:50in fitting style for such a landmark occasion, with the National Service
0:00:51 > 0:00:55of things giving from St Paul's Cathedral. I am joined now by royal
0:00:56 > 0:01:01biographer Gyles Brandreth, biographer Katie Nicholl and
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Baroness Floella Benjamin. We enjoyed the day and the pictures.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11Katie, you were there with me for the service. We watched it all. What
0:01:12 > 0:01:16did you make of it? I thought it was an excellent start to an exciting
0:01:17 > 0:01:21weekend of celebrations. A little anxiety when the Queen was late, she
0:01:22 > 0:01:25was almost eight minutes late. Perhaps she was caught up in
0:01:26 > 0:01:30traffic. But when she arrived, she dazzled. She had chosen primrose
0:01:31 > 0:01:34yellow. The Queen always takes great care in what she wears. She wants to
0:01:35 > 0:01:38be seen and she looked vibrant and happy. The moment where she paused
0:01:39 > 0:01:42at the top of the steps and looked out at the crowds with the Duke at
0:01:43 > 0:01:45her side, I just thought, she is enjoying this as much as the rest of
0:01:46 > 0:01:51us. And that is the point about the weekend celebrations. Gyles, the
0:01:52 > 0:01:54crowds were six or seven people beat. And they were there for a
0:01:55 > 0:02:01reason. This was a historic day. Longest serving monarch, our oldest
0:02:02 > 0:02:04monarch, with, by her side, her consort, 95 today, the oldest male
0:02:05 > 0:02:10member of the British Royal Family ever. Both these people are the
0:02:11 > 0:02:14great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria. There they were, as a low
0:02:15 > 0:02:19bridge the people in their 90s, but also taking part in the service,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23people aged 19, a young musician of 19 who played the piano brilliantly,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27and a deputy footman from the king palace giving one of the readings.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32This was an inclusive service. There was every kind of person there. Lots
0:02:33 > 0:02:37of faiths were represented. The Commonwealth was represented, old
0:02:38 > 0:02:40people, young people. The 1920s, the decade in which Prince Philip and
0:02:41 > 0:02:44the Queen were born, were evoked by Michael Bond, the creator of
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Paddington bear, who gave a reading that was performed by Sir David
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Attenborough, also 90, that brought to life the spirit of people from
0:02:54 > 0:02:58that generation. Floella Benjamin, we know it was the Duke of
0:02:59 > 0:03:04Edinburgh's 95th birthday today. We had been told he doesn't want a
0:03:05 > 0:03:07fuss. That was not the case. He was mentioned throughout the service. It
0:03:08 > 0:03:12seemed as if people were determined to mark the fact that the Queen is
0:03:13 > 0:03:17celebrating her 90th, and he is celebrating his 95th. He is very
0:03:18 > 0:03:21much part of her story. Very much so. We always talk about the Queen
0:03:22 > 0:03:25having dedication to duty, but the Prince also has dedication to
0:03:26 > 0:03:29support his wife, to be there for her. He is the perfect role model
0:03:30 > 0:03:35for women who are strong whose husbands need to support them. I
0:03:36 > 0:03:40know he is shy and modest about promoting himself, but he would have
0:03:41 > 0:03:44loved it. And you know him. You have had dealings with him on many
0:03:45 > 0:03:47occasions. We were talking earlier today about the fact that some
0:03:48 > 0:03:52people think he is a spiky character, but that is not how you
0:03:53 > 0:03:56find him. I think he is a clever man . When he sees things, he speaks,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00and gets into trouble because he speaks before he has thought it
0:04:01 > 0:04:06through as to how people would perceive his statement. But when you
0:04:07 > 0:04:09get to know him, you realise he is a kind person. I know the person who
0:04:10 > 0:04:13has. With the Duke of Edinburgh awards, a black man from Jamaica. He
0:04:14 > 0:04:17wrote to the Duke and said, I think it could be done much better for the
0:04:18 > 0:04:22South American countries. And the Duke said, all right, you do it. And
0:04:23 > 0:04:26he has been in charge of since. The Duke is such a generous person. If
0:04:27 > 0:04:32he believes in you and if you show you have the ability to produce what
0:04:33 > 0:04:37is necessary, that is what I love about him. People get him wrong, but
0:04:38 > 0:04:41when you can give as good as you get with him and shared jokes with him,
0:04:42 > 0:04:47he is very funny and you realise what a great person he is. Gyles, it
0:04:48 > 0:04:50was interesting to see how the partnership was illustrated. They
0:04:51 > 0:04:56are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary next year. Can you
0:04:57 > 0:05:00imagine? I can, actually. It is a real partnership and has been from
0:05:01 > 0:05:05the beginning. If you regard the Queen's reign as a success, which we
0:05:06 > 0:05:08do, the co-author of that success is the Duke of Edinburgh. They have
0:05:09 > 0:05:13been together as a double act over all these years. Today, when they
0:05:14 > 0:05:16arrived, getting out of the car, I noticed that the Queen held the
0:05:17 > 0:05:21railing a couple of times, but not the Duke, always one step behind. He
0:05:22 > 0:05:25never puts a foot wrong. But when they got to the top of the stairs, I
0:05:26 > 0:05:30thought I saw him say, shall we do the wave? They waved and in they
0:05:31 > 0:05:34went. They are a unique double act and we are blessed. Before we remind
0:05:35 > 0:05:38ourselves of the highlights from this morning's service, it is worth
0:05:39 > 0:05:42reflecting on her Majesty's 90 years, over 64 of which have been
0:05:43 > 0:05:48spent as our monarch. It is easy to forget that when she came to the
0:05:49 > 0:05:51throne, she was only a young girl of just 25. So a life of service and
0:05:52 > 0:05:55duty to the nation and Commonwealth began. We spoke to some of the
0:05:56 > 0:05:56country's leading figures to hear what her role has meant both to them
0:05:57 > 0:06:01personally and to the nation. My first meeting with Her Majesty
0:06:02 > 0:06:04was in about the late 1980s. I'd been invited to come
0:06:05 > 0:06:07to the Palace and to be one Meeting the Queen is surprisingly
0:06:08 > 0:06:27informal. I mean, in terms of the weekly
0:06:28 > 0:06:33meetings that I had with the Queen as Prime Minister, there were just
0:06:34 > 0:06:35the two of us present Nobody made a record
0:06:36 > 0:06:44of the meetings. It was simply a meeting
0:06:45 > 0:06:46between two people and that was Sometimes I think cathartic as well
0:06:47 > 0:06:53at the most difficult of times, because here was someone
0:06:54 > 0:06:56to whom you could say absolutely anything and be
0:06:57 > 0:07:00absolutely confident that it The first time I met her
0:07:01 > 0:07:08was as a very, very young athlete. She would not have had any idea
0:07:09 > 0:07:17who I was and I was at the back of about 150 people that she had
0:07:18 > 0:07:20already spoken to, and she asked very specific questions
0:07:21 > 0:07:23about my sporting career. And at that moment,
0:07:24 > 0:07:24I remember thinking, Now, later on, she might
0:07:25 > 0:07:28have had a bit more idea And that has always stuck with me
0:07:29 > 0:07:32for the whole of my life. I saw her a few days ago
0:07:33 > 0:07:37and I realised my pulse was up. I was just holding
0:07:38 > 0:07:40myself a bit straighter. Apprehensive is the wrong word,
0:07:41 > 0:07:45but very acutely aware This is someone who you always feel
0:07:46 > 0:07:59it is a huge privilege to meet. The time that I most had to talk
0:08:00 > 0:08:02to her and required wisdom and advice and authority
0:08:03 > 0:08:05from her was when we were first thinking of deploying
0:08:06 > 0:08:06Prince Harry to Afghanistan. because he was in line
0:08:07 > 0:08:11to the throne, I had to talk through the possible deployment
0:08:12 > 0:08:14with her and she was very thoughtful that we'd weighed up the risks
0:08:15 > 0:08:20and gave us authority to proceed. But we would never have proceeded
0:08:21 > 0:08:22without her authority, without her knowing exactly
0:08:23 > 0:08:29what we were going to do. I think the sense of service
0:08:30 > 0:08:31to the British nation and the Commonwealth is absolutely
0:08:32 > 0:08:35central to the Queen's perception And perhaps to the Queen's
0:08:36 > 0:08:42perception herself. This is what you measure
0:08:43 > 0:08:48service against. Just going on year by year,
0:08:49 > 0:08:58doing the right thing, and I think any other head of state
0:08:59 > 0:09:04in the world would look at this and say that's the standard
0:09:05 > 0:09:11for genuine commitment and service. The Queen has earned her position
0:09:12 > 0:09:14and earned the love that is felt for her within the Commonwealth
0:09:15 > 0:09:20because, on any occasion, when the Commonwealth
0:09:21 > 0:09:24needed Her Majesty, And she stood up for the small,
0:09:25 > 0:09:31for the weak, for the disadvantaged and she hasn't hesitated to make
0:09:32 > 0:09:38sure that we all understand what she expects and
0:09:39 > 0:09:43she expects the best. It is absolutely clear
0:09:44 > 0:09:52that Christian faith It is those things as well,
0:09:53 > 0:09:58but it's not a habit. It is something that is so deeply
0:09:59 > 0:10:04within who she is that it guides and directs every
0:10:05 > 0:10:08aspect of her life. Where else in the world
0:10:09 > 0:10:13is there a couple who still undertake the service
0:10:14 > 0:10:16and duties of the Queen She has been around in public life
0:10:17 > 0:10:27longer than any of us. I don't think in this world,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31there is a better example of someone who serves her people in order
0:10:32 > 0:10:34to win and earn the right She could have gone and sat
0:10:35 > 0:10:40with her feet up and done something very different at this
0:10:41 > 0:10:43point in her life. It's quite extraordinary,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46all those years of service to her country and to her faith,
0:10:47 > 0:11:07she hasn't faltered. Just some reflections from some of
0:11:08 > 0:11:12the people who have known and met the Queen many times over the years.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16And so too did a's main event, a real family occasion, with over 50
0:11:17 > 0:11:20members of the Royal Family in attendance to celebrate the Queen's
0:11:21 > 0:11:27official 90th birthday. We join Huw Edwards at St Paul's Cathedral.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32HUW EDWARDS: welcome to St Paul's, the mother church of the diocese of
0:11:33 > 0:11:35London. There have of course been many notable services of
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Thanksgiving here over the years, but there has never been an occasion
0:11:40 > 0:11:43like today's, because as you were saying, Kirsty, no reigning British
0:11:44 > 0:11:47monarch has ever reached the age of 90, so this cathedral, not for the
0:11:48 > 0:11:51first time in its eventful life, is again making history. It is a
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Service of Thanksgiving. It is meant to be an uplifting service, and soon
0:11:56 > 0:11:58the cathedral will be filled with a congregation of 2000 people, all
0:11:59 > 0:12:01invited because they have some connection with the Queen or
0:12:02 > 0:12:07something special to contribute to the service. Her Majesty will not be
0:12:08 > 0:12:11the only 90-year-old present. Others will include the author Michael
0:12:12 > 0:12:17Bond, author of the books on Paddington. He has provided one of
0:12:18 > 0:12:21the readings which will be delivered by Sir David Attenborough today, who
0:12:22 > 0:12:25recently celebrated his 90th birthday. The service will also be
0:12:26 > 0:12:28notable for the massed presence of the Royal Family, as many as 53
0:12:29 > 0:12:32members will be here, the biggest gathering of recent years. I am
0:12:33 > 0:12:39delighted to say that next to me, looking forward to the service, is
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Robert Hardman, author, Daily Mail journalist and royal commentator.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47What are we in forward to? We are looking forward to something that is
0:12:48 > 0:12:52both very personal, obviously the grandeur of a state occasion. It is
0:12:53 > 0:12:56a birthday, but this is a queen who is modest. She doesn't want this to
0:12:57 > 0:13:01be about her. There is someone who has been busy recently. That is the
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Queen's eldest grandson, Peter Phillips, who was in charge of the
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Patron's Lunch. And Zara Phillips with Mike Tindall, taking their
0:13:11 > 0:13:17places at the front. If we look outside the cathedral, we will see,
0:13:18 > 0:13:24on Ludgate Hill, the fleet of cars arriving. A big cheer for Prince
0:13:25 > 0:13:33Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, arriving together. We
0:13:34 > 0:13:37will see them, of course, tomorrow on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41The Duke of Cambridge himself will be taking part on horseback as
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Colonel of the Irish Guards. Prince Harry will no doubt as got the
0:13:46 > 0:13:52Duchess in a carriage to proceedings -- he will escort the Duchess. The
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Duke and Duchess of Kent which are celebrated their fifth wedding
0:13:57 > 0:13:59anniversary this year. -- the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Prince
0:14:00 > 0:14:05of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall. Soon, we will have the
0:14:06 > 0:14:13signal to say that Her Majesty and the Duke are close to arriving at
0:14:14 > 0:14:18the cathedral at St Paul's. Now, we can see the Queen. She is wearing a
0:14:19 > 0:14:25primrose yellow dress by her dresser, Angela Kelly. Anti-state
0:14:26 > 0:14:37trumpeters tell us what we have been waiting for -- the state trumpeters.
0:14:38 > 0:14:45The state trumpeters of the Household Cavalry, indeed.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Announcing the Queen's arrival at St Paul's Cathedral for this service of
0:14:49 > 0:14:55Thanksgiving Day. # O worship the Lord
0:14:56 > 0:15:37in the beauty of holiness! # Bow down before him,
0:15:38 > 0:15:46his glory proclaim. # With gold of obedience,
0:15:47 > 0:15:54and incense of lowliness. # Kneel and adore him,
0:15:55 > 0:17:27the Lord is his name! # Low at his feet lay thy
0:17:28 > 0:17:30burden of carefulness. # High on his heart he will bear
0:17:31 > 0:17:34it for thee. # Comfort thy sorrows,
0:17:35 > 0:17:44and answer thy prayerfulness. # Guiding thy steps as may best
0:17:45 > 0:18:31for thee be. Dear friends, we come
0:18:32 > 0:18:33together to give thanks, For life in all its fullness,
0:18:34 > 0:18:39for love in all its power, Most especially today do we give
0:18:40 > 0:18:47thanks for the length of years that has been granted to our most
0:18:48 > 0:18:51gracious Sovereign Lady, For her faithful devotion,
0:18:52 > 0:18:57dutiful commitment, loving leadership, gentle constancy,
0:18:58 > 0:19:05royal dignity and kindly humanity. And as we give thanks
0:19:06 > 0:19:09for Her Majesty, so also do we give thanks for Philip, Duke of
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Edinburgh, and all the Royal Family, for mutual love and support
0:19:15 > 0:19:18and for service to this country Rejoicing at our good fortune,
0:19:19 > 0:19:24we nonetheless pray The lonely and the despairing,
0:19:25 > 0:19:34the sick and the fearful, the weak and the oppressed,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39that each precious life may be redeemed by love of God
0:19:40 > 0:19:46and love of neighbour, that together we may share
0:19:47 > 0:19:52in one another's joy. All these our thoughts
0:19:53 > 0:19:55and prayers let us offer up to the throne of God
0:19:56 > 0:20:02in the words our Saviour Jesus Christ commanded and taught us,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05praying: Our Father, who art in heaven,
0:20:06 > 0:20:07hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
0:20:08 > 0:20:13on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those
0:20:18 > 0:20:22who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom,
0:20:26 > 0:20:27the power, and the glory, Oh, Lord, you have searched and
0:20:28 > 0:21:16known me. You are acquainted with all my ways.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20For there is not a word on my tongu, for you, oh, Lord, know it together.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24You encompass plea behind and before, and laying your hand upon
0:21:25 > 0:21:30me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. So high that I cannot attain
0:21:31 > 0:21:36it. Where can I go then, from your
0:21:37 > 0:21:40spirit? Or where can I flee from your sprains? If I climb up to
0:21:41 > 0:21:44heaven, you are there. If I make the grave my bed, you are
0:21:45 > 0:21:52there, also. If I take the wings of the morning
0:21:53 > 0:21:57and dwell in the utter most parts of the sea, even there, your hand shall
0:21:58 > 0:22:03lead me, your right hand hold me fast.
0:22:04 > 0:22:12If I say "surely the darkness will cover me and the light around me
0:22:13 > 0:22:17turn to night. " Even darkness is no darkness with you. The light is as
0:22:18 > 0:22:24clear as the day. Darkness and light to you are both alike.
0:22:25 > 0:22:31For you, yourself, created my innermost parts.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37You knit me together in my mother's womb. I thank you, for I am
0:22:38 > 0:22:43fearfully and wonderfully made, marvellous, are your works, my soul
0:22:44 > 0:22:48knows well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret
0:22:49 > 0:23:00and wove no-one the depths of the Earth. Your eyes, be held my form as
0:23:01 > 0:23:08yet unfinished. Ne already in your book were all membe are, s written,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13as day by day fashioned, when as yet there were none of them. How deep
0:23:14 > 0:23:18are your counsels to me, oh, God, how great the sum of them. If I
0:23:19 > 0:23:22count them, they are more than number in the sand. And at the end I
0:23:23 > 0:23:50am still in your presence. # Guard us, guide us,
0:23:51 > 0:23:56keep us, feed us. # Saviour, breathe
0:23:57 > 0:24:23forgiveness o'er us. # Thou didst tread
0:24:24 > 0:24:36this earth before us. May I speak in the name of God,
0:24:37 > 0:25:42Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 90 years ago, Her Majesty the Queen
0:25:43 > 0:25:47was born. And she, like every human being is
0:25:48 > 0:25:53fearfully and wonderfully made. Before we ever come to light, God
0:25:54 > 0:26:00marks our journeys. No-one at the Queen's birth knew for
0:26:01 > 0:26:12what she was destined. Today, we recognise that God new.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17And Psalm 139 verse 4: You encompass me behind and before, and lay your
0:26:18 > 0:26:28hand upon me. 63 years ago at the Coronation,
0:26:29 > 0:26:34again in the words of the Psalmist: God uniquely laid his hand upon Her
0:26:35 > 0:26:39Majesty, anointing her as our Head of State, our monarch. We are here
0:26:40 > 0:26:46today to worship the God that made our Queen and to celebrate the way
0:26:47 > 0:27:07in which God's hand has been so uniquely evident in her life.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10How much more does God care and close each one of us?
0:27:11 > 0:27:12Your Majesty, today we rejoice for the
0:27:13 > 0:27:15way in which God's loving care has fearfully and wonderfully sustained
0:27:16 > 0:27:43And we see that God is before, behind and beyond it.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Over the 63 years an the 90 years, there has been much to fear.
0:27:49 > 0:27:56At times of personal challenge or
0:27:57 > 0:28:00national crisis but just as the Psalmist sees through to something
0:28:01 > 0:28:06more stirring and extraordinary, so we look back on Your Majesty's 90
0:28:07 > 0:28:11years in the life of our nation with deep wonder and profound gratitude.
0:28:12 > 0:28:18Through war and hardship, through turmoil and change, we have been
0:28:19 > 0:28:24fearfully and wonderfully sustained. Your Majesty, today we rejoice for
0:28:25 > 0:28:31the way in which God's loving care has fearfully and wonderfully
0:28:32 > 0:28:35sustained you. As well as Prince Philip marking his 95th birthday
0:28:36 > 0:28:41today. And weary Joyce, Your Majesty, for the way in which the
0:28:42 > 0:28:46life God has given you, in turn, you have given in service to this
0:28:47 > 0:28:47nation. You
0:28:48 > 0:28:56have beenen instrument of God's peace. Through you, God has often
0:28:57 > 0:29:05turned fear into wonder and joy. In the name of the Father, and of
0:29:06 > 0:29:42the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46# Shout unto God with a voice of triumph.
0:29:47 > 0:29:48# For the Lord most high is terrible.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51# He is a great King over all the earth.
0:29:52 > 0:29:57# The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
0:29:58 > 0:31:00# For God is the King of all the earth.
0:31:01 > 0:31:21# Sing ye praises everyone that hath understanding.
0:31:22 > 0:31:51# God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.
0:31:52 > 0:32:25With the Psalmist, let us call upon the name of the Lord,
0:32:26 > 0:32:29and give thanks for all that God has done, that the hearts of those
0:32:30 > 0:32:40God of Glory, we give you thanks for bringing us to birth.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45Let our mouths be filled with your praise that we may sing
0:32:46 > 0:32:56God our Light, we give you thanks for festivity and celebration.
0:32:57 > 0:33:03Refresh us as we rejoice together that we may know life
0:33:04 > 0:33:16God our King, we give you thanks for the 90th birthday
0:33:17 > 0:33:21Sustain and strengthen her that her reign may
0:33:22 > 0:33:34God our strength, we give you thanks for the support of others.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37Bless Philip, Duke of Edinburgh that this birthday
0:33:38 > 0:33:51God our saviour, we give you thanks for Jesus Christ, your Son.
0:33:52 > 0:33:59Enliven the Church, his body in the world,
0:34:00 > 0:34:24God our guide, we give you thanks for those who inspire us.
0:34:25 > 0:34:25Encourage all people of faith that together,
0:34:26 > 0:34:41God our maker, we give you thanks for the world in which we live.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45Help us to tend and care for it that all life may enjoy the fruits
0:34:46 > 0:34:55God our judge, we give you thanks for all who strive
0:34:56 > 0:35:03Give us your gift of peace that war and terror may be no more.
0:35:04 > 0:35:14God our deliverer, we give you thanks for those who rescue us.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19Save all who are in trouble that today they may be free.
0:35:20 > 0:35:30God our refuge, we give you thanks for our homes and families.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33Strengthen the communities from which we come
0:35:34 > 0:35:37that together we may care for each other.
0:35:38 > 0:35:49God our shepherd, we give you thanks for the hope of heaven.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55Receive into your care those who have gone before us
0:35:56 > 0:36:10God of glory, we give you thanks for bringing us to birth.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15Let our mouths be filled with your praise that we may sing
0:36:16 > 0:36:41Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the 90th birthday of Her Majesty
0:36:42 > 0:36:46the Queen, receive our heartfelt thanks for all that you have
0:36:47 > 0:36:50given her in these 90 years and for all that she has given
0:36:51 > 0:37:00Continue, we pray, your loving purposes in her, and as you gather
0:37:01 > 0:37:07us together in celebration, unite us also in love
0:37:08 > 0:40:45Like me, author Michael Bond, the creator of Paddington Bear among
0:40:46 > 0:40:52other characters, also celebrate his 90th birthday this year.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57Here are his reflections on the 1926 vintage
0:40:58 > 0:41:10My mother took one look at the
0:41:11 > 0:41:27So I was destined to be an only child at the outset.
0:41:28 > 0:41:34As a precaution, she stood me in a bowl
0:41:35 > 0:41:37of sea salt to stop me going bandy with the weight,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Apart from an entry in the local paper,
0:41:41 > 0:41:49The Times of London was more concerned with the fate
0:41:50 > 0:41:54of a bus conductor who was in court charged with allowing
0:41:55 > 0:42:03an excess of passengers to board an omnibus in East Ham.
0:42:04 > 0:42:05They swarmed on before I had a chance to count them,
0:42:06 > 0:42:10Things have moved at a different rate since those days.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15I was fortunate enough to be brought up in a house where books were part
0:42:16 > 0:42:28My mother was such an avid reader that she wrote
0:42:29 > 0:42:31to authors to thank them, and in the same letter ask
0:42:32 > 0:42:37if they would make the next book a little longer.
0:42:38 > 0:42:46the most precious gift you can bestow on a child is your time.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49He was a very polite man, and always wore a hat
0:42:50 > 0:42:50when he went outside in public
0:42:51 > 0:43:07Addressing people older than yourselves by their Christian name,
0:43:08 > 0:43:09if you were a child, could be a tricky
0:43:10 > 0:43:12which meant that most adults were either
0:43:13 > 0:43:16Owing to the horrendous casualties in the First World War, there were
0:43:17 > 0:43:23And because most of them led lonely lives,
0:43:24 > 0:43:26I was frequently invited to stay while I was growing up.
0:43:27 > 0:43:47Auntie Anne, who got up everyone to attention whenever the
0:43:48 > 0:43:49national anthem was played on the radio, and Auntie G,
0:43:50 > 0:43:58The latter loved going to the cinema, and as she was unable to
0:43:59 > 0:44:01lip-read from the picture on screen, Auntie Annie took a torch and shone
0:44:02 > 0:44:07the light on her own lips instead as she read the words out loud.
0:44:08 > 0:44:16Lovely ladies both, but confusion was being piled on confusion.
0:44:17 > 0:44:22It wasn't until I reached the age of 90
0:44:23 > 0:44:25that I began to realise the comfort of Louise Haskins' words
0:44:26 > 0:44:32suggesting that when you have a problem, your best bet
0:44:33 > 0:44:35is to consult the man who stands at the gate
0:44:36 > 0:44:47Truly, if you put your hand into the hand of God, that
0:44:48 > 0:45:00shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.
0:45:01 > 0:48:53MUSIC: 'Burlesque' by Sir Arnold Bax.
0:48:54 > 0:48:55For the faithful devotion of our Sovereign.
0:48:56 > 0:49:01For her dutiful commitment to her people.
0:49:02 > 0:49:09For her loving leadership of nation and family.
0:49:10 > 0:49:18For her gentle constancy amidst continuing change
0:49:19 > 0:49:24For her royal dignity in joy and in adversity.
0:49:25 > 0:49:33For her kindly humanity to one and all.
0:49:34 > 0:49:40We give thanks and praise for these divine gifts given
0:49:41 > 0:49:47to our gracious Queen yesterday, today, and in the years
0:49:48 > 0:50:42# Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided.
0:50:43 > 0:50:53# Urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way.
0:50:54 > 0:51:04# Sought us and saved us, pardoned and Provided.
0:51:05 > 0:51:27# Lord of the years, we bring our thanks today.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31# Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires Us.
0:51:32 > 0:51:37# Speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze.
0:51:38 > 0:51:45# Teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us.
0:51:46 > 0:51:56# Lord of the word, receive your people's praise.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00# Lord, for our land, in this our generation.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04# Spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care.
0:52:05 > 0:52:22# For young and old, for Commonwealth and Nation.
0:52:23 > 0:52:28Hold fast that which is good, render to no one evil for evil.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32Strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, help
0:52:33 > 0:52:38Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power
0:52:39 > 0:52:46And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son
0:52:47 > 0:52:48and the Holy Spirit, be amongst you and remain
0:52:49 > 0:55:13The Prime Minister, and Jeremy Corbyn there on the left.
0:55:14 > 0:55:19Chris Grayling. The prigs under its way under the great dome of St
0:55:20 > 0:55:24Paul's Cathedral. Heading to the Great West Door. Led by the Pearl
0:55:25 > 0:55:28Sword. One of six ancient swords. The
0:55:29 > 0:55:39possession of the City of London Corporation.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42Robert Hardman is still with me, the author, royal commentator. For you,
0:55:43 > 0:55:50what was the highlight of the service? Was it the playing of the
0:55:51 > 0:55:53young pianist? He was brilliant. So many little personal touches
0:55:54 > 0:55:59peppered throughout this carefully prepared service. For example, the
0:56:00 > 0:56:04lovely address by David Attenborough reading the words of Sir Michael
0:56:05 > 0:56:09Bond. The readings from people representing different strands of
0:56:10 > 0:56:16her life, Clare Balding, reflecting on the Queen's love of racing and
0:56:17 > 0:56:20the member of the Household, Oscar Matthews from the Buckingham Palace,
0:56:21 > 0:56:24reading as well. All these little strands. You could pick any moment
0:56:25 > 0:56:35from the service, and it would have meaning.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38Lots of smiles and words of thanks. Just a quick exchange with the
0:56:39 > 0:56:48Archbishop of Canterbury, the Queen seems pleased with the way that
0:56:49 > 0:56:54things have gone. St Paul's, the bell ringers, hard at
0:56:55 > 0:56:59work already. Signalling that the monarch is here,
0:57:00 > 0:57:04that the service is over. And this is the time for the crowds
0:57:05 > 0:57:11to start waving the flags and to start cheering, as they are.
0:57:12 > 0:57:18The Queen in primrose yellow by her dresser, Angela Kelly has been
0:57:19 > 0:57:23striked by the palace as a primrose yellow A-line coat.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27A wonderful sight, St Paul's Cathedral, on a lovely sunny day and
0:57:28 > 0:57:31we are looking forward to a weekend tomorrow with lots of music,
0:57:32 > 0:57:36marching precision and pageantry and then of course, a rather more fun
0:57:37 > 0:57:45time on Sunday with a rather informal party going on in The Mall.
0:57:46 > 0:57:50Thank you all, a wonderful start to a wonderful weekend.
0:57:51 > 0:57:59Celebrating a monarch, who in the words of Archbishop of Canterbury
0:58:00 > 0:58:05has given wonderfully to of service to a nation.
0:58:06 > 0:58:10And I'm back on Sunday at 1.15pm for the biggest street party, The Mall
0:58:11 > 0:58:15and indeed, the nation, has ever seen. Do join me for that. For now,
0:58:16 > 0:59:07thank you for watching and do have a good evening.
0:59:08 > 0:59:13as we head to Horse Guards Parade for Trooping the Colour.
0:59:14 > 0:59:18for Britain's biggest ever street party -
0:59:19 > 0:59:22of over 600 charitable organisations.