2014

:00:10. > :00:13.birthday is celebrated with the ceremony of Trooping the Colour. The

:00:14. > :00:19.parade route extends from Buckingham Palace along the Mall, to Horse

:00:20. > :00:27.Guards Parade and back again. Rousing music, immaculate drill and

:00:28. > :00:53.spend did colour, stand-by for the Queen's Birthday Parade.

:00:54. > :01:01.2014, a remember of notable events, we have commemorated the 70th

:01:02. > :01:06.anniversary of D-Day and we are preparing to mark the centenary of

:01:07. > :01:11.the outbreak of the Great War. A blend, if you like, of past,

:01:12. > :01:16.present, and indeed, future in the shape of today's escort found by

:01:17. > :01:22.Nijmegan Company Grenadier Guards. Many of the Guardsmen are new

:01:23. > :01:28.recruits. In fact, the officers and Guardsmen in the Escort today, it is

:01:29. > :01:31.their first time on Horse Guards for the Queen's Birthday Parade. Some

:01:32. > :01:35.8,000 people are watching the ceremony today. Many of them have

:01:36. > :01:39.applied successfully for tickets. It is a competitive process. They are

:01:40. > :01:44.joined by diplomats from Commonwealth States and beyond along

:01:45. > :01:48.with military leaders, and senior ministers, heads of the armed forces

:01:49. > :01:52.are here, not just from the UK, but from the USA and other countries

:01:53. > :01:58.too. The Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond and other Cabinet

:01:59. > :02:06.colleagues. Mag nificent sight along the Mall,

:02:07. > :02:12.decked with Union Flags to celebrate the Queen's birthday. The street

:02:13. > :02:16.liners were involved on Horse Guards last year when the 1st Battalion

:02:17. > :02:21.Welsh Guards trooped their colour with great style. A look at

:02:22. > :02:24.Buckingham Palace. The Mounted Bands, the Sovereign's Escort

:02:25. > :02:28.waiting there to accompany the Queen and other members of the Royal

:02:29. > :02:32.Family to Horse Guards. This year, once again, we are providing full

:02:33. > :02:38.coverage of today's parade on BBC One and we will be staying on air to

:02:39. > :02:43.see the balcony appearance and the big fly-past and there is continuous

:02:44. > :02:49.unedited coverage for you on the Red Button. I'm delighted to say we have

:02:50. > :02:54.a new member of the BBC team at Trooping the Colour, Suzi Perry is a

:02:55. > :02:57.the Royal Mews seeing how they put the finishing touches to the

:02:58. > :03:02.preparations. Well, it is calm down here. This is Philippa, she is the

:03:03. > :03:06.Coachman, the first female Coachman at Buckingham Palace. She is

:03:07. > :03:10.beavering away polishing the saddle and they have spent weeks preparing

:03:11. > :03:15.and they have to polish because the heat plays havoc with the brass.

:03:16. > :03:18.Sheer are the Cleveland bays that will be pulling the carriages later

:03:19. > :03:22.on. They are taking part in the parade. This is Perth, Stephen is

:03:23. > :03:26.putting the last touches to him. They have been out this morning for

:03:27. > :03:30.their ride, but it is very calm which is good because the horses

:03:31. > :03:34.pick up, of course, on the atmosphere, but they're certainly

:03:35. > :03:38.ready down here. Back with Suzi later. Someone who understands every

:03:39. > :03:43.twist and turn of today's ceremony is my special guest, Brigadier

:03:44. > :03:47.Roland Walker. There he is commanding the parade in 2010. That

:03:48. > :03:59.was the last time the Grenadier Guards trooped their colour on Horse

:04:00. > :04:06.Guards. Your Majesty's Guards are ready to march off now. That was

:04:07. > :04:09.four years ago. Today, he is with me in the commentary position high

:04:10. > :04:13.above the Parade Ground. Roland, welcome to you. What are you looking

:04:14. > :04:16.forward to? Well, thank you very much, Huw. I'm looking to watching

:04:17. > :04:20.this from the comfort of your commentary box and seeing it again.

:04:21. > :04:24.My memory was quite a blur because we had just come back from

:04:25. > :04:27.Afghanistan and as you will see, it generally all happens behind you

:04:28. > :04:30.when you are in charge. So I'm excited for the troops on parade and

:04:31. > :04:34.for their families watching. It is a big day for them. A chance to show

:04:35. > :04:39.their respect for the sovereign in front of such an impressive audience

:04:40. > :04:42.of We look forward to it. Let me say, all Guardsmen joining the

:04:43. > :04:47.Grenadiers begin their careers in Nijmegan Company. The majority of

:04:48. > :04:51.those in today's escorts are new recruits. We joined them a few

:04:52. > :04:53.months ago for their first parade rehearsal as they began to

:04:54. > :05:04.understand the demands of taking rehearsal as they began to

:05:05. > :05:09.finishing school. 17 and 18 years old, turning up and into a battalion

:05:10. > :05:12.of 600 men can be extremely difficult. Some of the

:05:13. > :05:15.of 600 men can be extremely two or three days ago, they

:05:16. > :05:17.of 600 men can be extremely taken down to the clothing

:05:18. > :05:24.of 600 men can be extremely they are pass add bearskin. --

:05:25. > :05:26.passed a bearskin. They have got me screaming and shouting at them. We

:05:27. > :05:35.are keeping it at today. I joined Nijmegan Company six

:05:36. > :05:37.weeks ago. It was a shock to the system going from a month to doing

:05:38. > :05:47.this. expect mistakes. I'm not going to

:05:48. > :05:48.shout at you. It is better to get it wrong now than get it wrong on the

:05:49. > :05:54.day. We're here and there wrong now than get it wrong on the

:05:55. > :05:58.point in crying about it. Let's get on with it. A five minute break.

:05:59. > :06:03.That's all we had and straightaway you forgot it. It is all about

:06:04. > :06:09.giving 100% and being keen at all times. It is hard work and

:06:10. > :06:13.determination. You must keep up with the front-line. You get the few

:06:14. > :06:18.arguments here and there. Someone stepped on my boot. Being the

:06:19. > :06:22.front-line it makes me nervous and you need to be switched on at all

:06:23. > :06:27.times. Everything has got to be pitch perfect. It has gone wrong at

:06:28. > :06:32.that end. There will be a bit of pressure on the day especially when

:06:33. > :06:40.Her Majesty is sat only a few meters away from you, but it is an honour.

:06:41. > :06:45.I always wanted to be part of the Queen's Birthday Parade and here I

:06:46. > :06:48.am. The first one they do, they will be the Escort. They will probably

:06:49. > :06:52.never be the Escort again in their Army career. That makes me extremely

:06:53. > :06:56.proud and it should make them extremely proud as well. Get away.

:06:57. > :07:10.Get away. And they're standing proudly with

:07:11. > :07:22.their men, is Colonel Sergeant Major Brooks. The Escort are provided by

:07:23. > :07:27.Nijmegan Company, Grenadier Guards. A very prominent Grenadier Guards on

:07:28. > :07:31.Horse Guards this year. No 7 Company, Coldstream Guards providing

:07:32. > :07:39.number six guard and next to them number five guard provided by F

:07:40. > :07:43.Company Scots Guards. The Irish Guards have musicians in the Massed

:07:44. > :07:46.Bands. Over 200 Irish Guards men deployed in Cyprus. They sent us

:07:47. > :07:51.this message. From all soldiers in the 1st

:07:52. > :07:54.Battalion Irish Guards, we would like to wish the soldiers on the

:07:55. > :08:02.Queen's Birthday Parade today all the best of luck. Have a gleaming

:08:03. > :08:12.parade. Three cheers for Her Majesty. Hip-hip. Hooray. Hip-hip.

:08:13. > :08:17.Hooray. Three cheers from Cyprus. The officer commanding today's

:08:18. > :08:20.parade is the Field Officer in brigade waiting, Charles Broughton.

:08:21. > :08:26.He has been talking to Suzi. 18 years of service and here you are on

:08:27. > :08:31.your first ever Birthday Parade and you are commanding it. Anything you

:08:32. > :08:36.feel anxious about? We are as well prepared as we can, I'm concerned my

:08:37. > :08:42.voice won't hold out. You are in good hands with Winston, all 6.1 one

:08:43. > :08:47.of them. He is a dab hand at this? He has done the parade eight times.

:08:48. > :08:54.Six as a regimental horse, he knows the parade better than I do. He can

:08:55. > :08:59.go up steps? He has done that numerous times. But it is his last

:09:00. > :09:03.one. This is his last parade and his last day in the Army. Well, let's

:09:04. > :09:06.hope it is a good one. How proud do you feel to be doing this today?

:09:07. > :09:10.Immensely. To be in front of 1300 troops and Her Majesty, the Queen,

:09:11. > :09:14.is a day in the life. I know your daughters are watching. Good luck

:09:15. > :09:17.and have a fantastic day. Thank you very much indeed.

:09:18. > :09:22.Thank you. Back on horse Guinness Book Horse Guards, the Colour Party

:09:23. > :09:30.is in place. A great honour to be selected for a central role in the

:09:31. > :09:38.parade. The sergeant of the escort is Sergeant Gregory Mann. The colour

:09:39. > :09:45.being trooped today is the Queen's colour, Nijmegan Company Grenadier

:09:46. > :09:53.Guards. One of those hard won honours for the Battle of Nijmegan.

:09:54. > :09:56.It is # 70 years ago that the Grenadiers fought to liberate the

:09:57. > :10:10.Dutch town. I was a regular soldier before the

:10:11. > :10:20.war. I joined in 1938. We didn't land until after D-Day and the first

:10:21. > :10:26.battle we had was near Cannes. We never had a bale before. -- battle

:10:27. > :10:31.before. None of us enjoyed it. I think we got better after that and

:10:32. > :10:36.we became really a good battalion. All the other bridges up to Nijmegan

:10:37. > :10:41.were taken easily by the airborne troops and it was a bit of a mess.

:10:42. > :10:47.We were supposed to go straight through and over the bridge to

:10:48. > :10:51.Arnhem, but when we arrived there, the bridge had not been taken and it

:10:52. > :10:55.was quite clear that they were prepared to blow it up rather than

:10:56. > :11:00.for us to come over, but the man who was really splendid was the Sergeant

:11:01. > :11:07.Robinson who went over in the first tank. He was a splendid man and over

:11:08. > :11:12.he went and I don't know, I was in the fourth tank or something. I felt

:11:13. > :11:15.I was near enough to Sergeant Robinson to get into trouble if the

:11:16. > :11:23.bridge did go up. So much of the war, you never saw the end product

:11:24. > :11:29.of what you did, but our end product was two bridges and really a

:11:30. > :11:34.successful battle. I think it was a good Grenadier occasion. The

:11:35. > :11:39.Nijmegan Company is called that and I think they are splendid. I really

:11:40. > :11:43.do. I think it is rather nice to think that you know, it is a very

:11:44. > :11:49.minor skirmish, but at least it is remembered after all these years.

:11:50. > :11:59.Lord Carrington, the former Foreign Secretary, sharing his memories of

:12:00. > :12:03.the Battle of Nijmegan and almost 6,000 mems of the household --

:12:04. > :12:07.members of the Household Division lost their lives. The memorial

:12:08. > :12:12.damaged during the Blitz and the war, much of the damage left

:12:13. > :12:18.unrepaired as a powerful reminder of the losses. Buckingham Palace, the

:12:19. > :12:52.first Royal Procession is about to leave for Horse Guards.

:12:53. > :13:19.The first carriage, the Duchess Duchess of Cornwall, the Duchess of

:13:20. > :13:29.Cambridge and Prince Harry too. Making their way around the Queen

:13:30. > :13:38.Victoria Memorial and past Canada Gate and St James' Park, the second

:13:39. > :13:43.carriage, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex and the Countess of

:13:44. > :13:53.Wessex too. In the third carriage, the Duke of Kent and

:13:54. > :13:56.Wessex too. In the third carriage, Princess Alexandra. The crowds are

:13:57. > :14:01.gathered already near Buckingham Palace. They are waiting for the

:14:02. > :14:05.fly-past later on, but obviously enjoying this first Royal

:14:06. > :14:10.Procession. Of course, as we see the first carriage here and the Duchess

:14:11. > :14:13.of Cambridge, we're thinking of this time last year, tremendous

:14:14. > :14:18.excitement at the prospect of a royal birth and just over a month

:14:19. > :14:21.after last year's parade, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcoming

:14:22. > :14:29.their first child, Prince George of Cambridge. He was born on 22nd July.

:14:30. > :14:38.Prince Harry, who turns 30, in a few months time on the 15th September.

:14:39. > :14:50.So the red surface of the Mall up to Admiralty Arch and a lovely green

:14:51. > :16:20.expanse of St James' Park there. Field officers trumpeter of the

:16:21. > :16:24.sovereign's escort. This is the 62nd year of the Queen's rain, it has

:16:25. > :16:25.been a busy time for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. In the past

:16:26. > :16:43.few weeks, --. The Royal Colonels the Duke of Edinburgh. In the past

:16:44. > :16:44.Salute in their way as well. The Duke of Cambridge, the Prince of

:16:45. > :16:57.Wales and the Princess Royal. In the past few weeks, the Queen has

:16:58. > :17:03.attended the State Opening of Parliament, there has been the

:17:04. > :17:07.attended the State Opening of visit to France, very successful,

:17:08. > :17:09.and the D-Day Commemorations, with the full schedule continuing into

:17:10. > :17:20.next week with the Garter ceremony on Monday. The Queen, who celebrated

:17:21. > :17:27.her 88th birthday on April the 21st, quietly at Windsor. Today's events

:17:28. > :17:34.on a much grander scale, and a celebration of her official

:17:35. > :17:46.birthday. Today, the Queen and the Duke, travelling in this cabbage,

:17:47. > :17:53.the first time we have seen it -- travelling in this carriage. They

:17:54. > :17:57.used the glass coach last year. The first three cabbages in the

:17:58. > :18:03.procession making good progress now along the Mall, past the cheering

:18:04. > :18:07.crowds as they prepare to turn onto the Approach Road and travel down to

:18:08. > :18:25.Horse Guards Parade itself. Lots of MPs yesterday cheering from

:18:26. > :18:33.the Youth Enclosure, which is just to the right of these images. We

:18:34. > :18:49.will see more of them in a short while.

:18:50. > :18:57.The Duchess of Cornwall was also commemorating the D-Day

:18:58. > :19:04.Commemorations last week, meeting the veterans of the Glider Pilot

:19:05. > :19:10.Regiment. We have more than 1100 young people in the Youth

:19:11. > :19:19.Enclosure. Some of them from Stirling, some from Pontypridd, this

:19:20. > :19:23.year. The formation has changed, No three Court has opened up, ready to

:19:24. > :19:33.welcome the first of the world guests.

:19:34. > :19:40.When the first of the cabbages passes on to the parade ground, the

:19:41. > :20:19.bands will play the National Anthem. Prince Harry saluting on Horse

:20:20. > :20:27.Guards Parade, he has retained the rank of captain in Household

:20:28. > :20:32.Calvary. Wearing his Diamond Jubilee and Afghanistan medals as well. The

:20:33. > :20:40.cabbages approaching the Horse Guards building, where the Royal

:20:41. > :20:52.party will watch the parade. They have the best vantage point to see

:20:53. > :20:57.what is going on. At this point in the preparations, looking ahead to

:20:58. > :21:03.the Queen's arrival, Roland, how did you feel at this point? There is no

:21:04. > :21:06.going back from this point. You know they are on their way, you can hear

:21:07. > :21:13.the cabbages and the horses clattering down the Mall. I was

:21:14. > :21:21.rehearsing all the lines over and over again.

:21:22. > :21:30.Such an impressive sight along the Mall. The sovereign 's escort

:21:31. > :21:38.leading her major e-commerce the Duke of Edinburgh, to the parade

:21:39. > :21:44.ground. The brigade major leading the way, Simon Soskin of the

:21:45. > :21:50.Grenadier Guards. Troopers of the blues and royals. They are leading

:21:51. > :21:52.the way. The brigade major is responsible for delivering state

:21:53. > :21:58.ceremonial and public duties in London. His second Queen's Birthday

:21:59. > :22:10.Parade, after becoming the parade major in 2012. He is riding Oscar.

:22:11. > :22:19.The Mounted Bands, the Household Calvary, one of the great from

:22:20. > :22:25.horses. They will be really performing later, they have a

:22:26. > :22:32.starring role today. Captain David Hammond, the director of music for

:22:33. > :22:42.The Mounted Bands. His first Queen's Birthday Parade. A great honour. But

:22:43. > :22:50.quite a challenge for him, too. We have four divisions of the sovereign

:22:51. > :22:57.'s escort. The 1st and 2nd divisions provided this year by the blues and

:22:58. > :23:01.royals. Their distinctive plumes and tunics, the state helmet gleaming,

:23:02. > :23:10.they are designed I Prince Albert, back in 1842.

:23:11. > :23:19.Then, the 3rd and 4th divisions of the sovereign 's escort. Provided by

:23:20. > :23:23.the Life Guards, a splendid sight in there eventually next and white

:23:24. > :23:30.plumes, the senior regiment of the British Army, the roots going back

:23:31. > :23:37.to 1660, Charles II, at the time of the monarchy.

:23:38. > :23:49.The Head Coachman, Mark Hargreaves. It is remarkable, to realise the

:23:50. > :23:53.Queen first took part in 1947, at 21, the first parade after the war,

:23:54. > :24:00.writing as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. She had a first reviewed

:24:01. > :24:11.detachments of all six battalions at Windsor Castle on her 16th birthday.

:24:12. > :24:19.The Duke of Edinburgh, he celebrated his 93rd birthday in the past week.

:24:20. > :24:26.The Grenadier Guards. That is a position he has held since March

:24:27. > :24:32.1975. The uniform of the Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. He was

:24:33. > :24:37.visiting the 1st Battalion at Aldershot, he presented long service

:24:38. > :24:41.and good conduct medals and posed for the odd photograph. He enjoyed

:24:42. > :25:56.his strong link with the regiment. The Mounted Bands of the Household

:25:57. > :26:00.Calvary, 50 men, 51 horses. The musicians wearing state dress, the

:26:01. > :26:29.embroidered gold tunic with the dark blue jockey cap.

:26:30. > :26:36.The Head Coachman making sure that the Queen is arriving in comfort and

:26:37. > :26:45.on time. the Queen is arriving in comfort and

:26:46. > :26:48.hand horse is Daniel. He is very experienced, his seventh birthday

:26:49. > :27:14.parade as Head Coachman. The cheers filling the air from the

:27:15. > :27:27.Youth Enclosure. The cheers filling the air from the

:27:28. > :27:33.participants enjoying the pageantry and colour and music. The boys

:27:34. > :28:01.Brigade, girls Brigade, guides and scouts.

:28:02. > :28:07.The Queen is wearing an outfit by Angela Kelly, first worn on the

:28:08. > :28:13.state visit to Australia three days ago, a powder blue satin silk

:28:14. > :28:22.outfit, wearing the approach of the big aid of guards. The Head Coachman

:28:23. > :28:31.leads the way on to Horse Guards Parade, towards the building for the

:28:32. > :28:37.birthday parade of 2014. Standing with dignity, the Chelsea

:28:38. > :28:45.Pensioners, their combined age, 832 years, the oldest being 92.

:28:46. > :28:53.Pensioners, their combined age, 832 are 11 of them. The coachman will

:28:54. > :29:00.salute the colour with the whip. One of several forms of salute we will

:29:01. > :29:05.see today, and then the three Royal Colonels Salute Inc as they pass.

:29:06. > :29:12.The Duke of Cambridge, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, followed

:29:13. > :29:34.by the two nonroyal kernels, Lord Guthrie and James Buchan.

:29:35. > :29:43.The Queen's birthday parade is about to begin at the stroke of 11am. She

:29:44. > :29:49.will step onto the saluting base, the Royal standard will be unfurled

:29:50. > :29:52.and the field officer will be his command -- give his command for the

:29:53. > :30:17.national anthem to be played. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Broughton

:30:18. > :32:05.preparing to order the Royal Salute. Well, the Queen's first duty is to

:32:06. > :32:13.inspect her troops and to do that, there is going to be some rousing

:32:14. > :32:28.music. A new Senior Director of Music this year, Wayne Hopler of the

:32:29. > :32:32.Irish Guards. The first piece he is going to conduct is composed by a

:32:33. > :35:15.former band member of the Coldstream Guards.

:35:16. > :35:34.The music changes to first finest -- the music changes to First Finest.

:35:35. > :35:57.The title First Finest reflecting the pride in the regiment.

:35:58. > :36:06.The sovereign standard of the Blues and Royals. The Queen presented new

:36:07. > :36:14.standards to the Household Cavalry at the end of May on Horse Guards.

:36:15. > :36:31.It only happens once a decade. The Coachman saluting the sovereign's

:36:32. > :36:42.standard. The Royal Colonels too. And the non-Royal Colonels. The

:36:43. > :36:46.King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery ready for their dramatic appearance

:36:47. > :36:55.on the Parade Ground later on. The lead gun

:36:56. > :36:57.on the Parade Ground later on. The Colour. Equal to the colour

:36:58. > :36:57.on the Parade Ground later on. The trooped today which is why it is

:36:58. > :37:05.saluted. Colour. Equal to the colour being

:37:06. > :37:14.trooped today which is why it Major General commanding the Household

:37:15. > :37:19.Division is Major General Smyth-Osbourne. Then Commanding

:37:20. > :37:23.Officer in the Household Cavalry and he commanded Prince William

:37:24. > :37:24.Officer in the Household Cavalry and Prince Harry when they joined the

:37:25. > :37:29.Household Division. It is a huge Prince Harry when they joined the

:37:30. > :37:32.honour to be involved in Prince Harry when they joined the

:37:33. > :37:41.Birthday Parade, not least because as a parade, it captures the essence

:37:42. > :37:47.for many of the Army. But it is also for me a personal

:37:48. > :37:53.for many of the Army. But it is also back to command an organisation that

:37:54. > :37:59.I joined over 30 years ago and it is perhaps old-fashioned, but

:38:00. > :38:08.interesting to say that the discipline and the precision that

:38:09. > :38:15.underpins a parade on Horse Guards encapsulates exactly the same values

:38:16. > :38:20.and standards that underpins an effective operational soldier.

:38:21. > :38:25.Edward Smyth-Osbourne, Major General. Roland a word on the

:38:26. > :38:28.importance of his role today? Yes, I worked for him when I

:38:29. > :38:32.importance of his role today? Yes, I He is every inch the operational

:38:33. > :38:35.soldier having commanded at every level and operations. So this is a

:38:36. > :38:41.new thing for him. His first Birthday Parade having just come

:38:42. > :38:49.back from the NATO head quarters in Afghanistan. So it is a big day for

:38:50. > :38:53.him. The Massed Bands are ready and the Senior Director of Music leading

:38:54. > :38:58.a band of 200 musicians, there are some ten ranks and 20 trombones, it

:38:59. > :39:08.is a magnificent sound and they are preparing to play a firm favourite

:39:09. > :39:12.of the Queen's Birthday Parade, one of the best loved military marches.

:39:13. > :39:17.It is an opportunity for the Massed Bands to take centre stage. The last

:39:18. > :43:51.time it wasn't played was back in 1936.

:43:52. > :44:11.Quick march. The quick march is Captain General composed by

:44:12. > :44:15.Lieutenant General Dunn. It marks the Duke of Edinburgh's association

:44:16. > :44:21.with the Royal Marines. It is about showing that today is about all

:44:22. > :44:36.three services and not just the household troops.

:44:37. > :44:43.The lone drummer leading the Massed Bands march to go a position to the

:44:44. > :44:46.right of the escort. He joined the Grenadiers back in 2011 and what he

:44:47. > :46:58.is doing now is signalling the next phase of the parade.

:46:59. > :47:01.the pace stick. That is him to draw his sword, ready to protect the

:47:02. > :47:32.colour later. This ball turn of the escort.

:47:33. > :48:48.Dash-mac the subaltern. The escort steps of crisply and

:48:49. > :48:57.smartly, marching to the June of The British Grenadiers. Quite a moment.

:48:58. > :48:58.Quite, this is where all eyes are on the escort, this is the essence of

:48:59. > :49:05.the parade. They go forward the escort, this is the essence of

:49:06. > :49:11.escort the colour with all of its implications, to a great rousing

:49:12. > :49:15.tune. They will be standing tall, ready to march off, moving forward

:49:16. > :49:16.with pride and conviction. Rather daunting if you were facing them

:49:17. > :50:21.down. The senior director of music making

:50:22. > :50:31.his way through to the new position close to the front.

:50:32. > :50:59.It is a splendid moment for Warrant Officer Darren Westlake, the

:51:00. > :51:05.regimental Sergeant Major. 20 years ago, he was also in the escort, of

:51:06. > :51:10.the second Battalion. He trooped their colour. Here he is again

:51:11. > :51:15.today, preparing to take possession of the colour, detecting it with his

:51:16. > :52:23.sword, ready to hand it to the ensign.

:52:24. > :52:29.The ensign joined the week before the training began. He has received

:52:30. > :53:08.the colour. The birthday parade enters a new

:53:09. > :53:14.phase. The Escort for the Colour has been changed into the Escort to the

:53:15. > :53:29.Colour, having taken possession of it.

:53:30. > :54:06.Escort to the Colour will advance. Slow march!

:54:07. > :54:12.The escort advances in slow time, the band plays Escort to the Colour

:54:13. > :54:24.by Richard Ridings. Here we have the most difficult

:54:25. > :54:31.challenge for the bands, they have to change direction with very little

:54:32. > :54:36.room for manoeuvre in this famously impenetrable move known as the spin

:54:37. > :54:45.wheel. 63 new members of the Massed Bands this year, so it is even more

:54:46. > :54:52.tricky. No written instructions. Prince Harry equally intrigued. One

:54:53. > :55:02.of the most experienced voices among the hundreds of members, Steve

:55:03. > :55:08.Staite, his 12th consecutive birthday parade, he is one of the

:55:09. > :55:13.experts on the spin wheel. While all of this is happening, I suppose it

:55:14. > :55:19.is easy to get distract it? Thank you for reminding me! This is where

:55:20. > :55:26.I nearly got it wrong. We are coming to a stage where the band will cut

:55:27. > :55:31.out, and that is the signal for the Brigade waiting to give the word of

:55:32. > :55:37.command to present arms. I started daydreaming, looking at the crowd,

:55:38. > :55:42.and I missed the cut out, and I had this awful feeling that something

:55:43. > :55:47.was wrong. I realised it was me, I just managed to get the word in in

:55:48. > :55:49.time. Nobody noticed, we will keep it between you and me! We did not

:55:50. > :56:15.notice! Present arms! The music changes to the

:56:16. > :56:20.Grenadiers Slow March, arranged by Fred Harris, and the moment has come

:56:21. > :56:26.for Oliver Wace, as all eyes are upon him.

:56:27. > :56:30.This is new for me, I'd joined on the 13th of December, when I was

:56:31. > :56:36.commissioned out of Sandhurst, and the drill there is similar but very

:56:37. > :56:44.different. It is a huge challenge for me. My grandfather fought for

:56:45. > :56:48.the good idea cards in World War II, through North Africa and Italy,

:56:49. > :56:52.where he was wounded. He was a large inspiration for me and the main

:56:53. > :56:56.reason why I joined the Grenadier Guards.

:56:57. > :57:06.A lovely story about his grandfather, who was wounded at an

:57:07. > :57:11.epic battle in Italy in 1944. It was whilst recovering that he befriended

:57:12. > :57:13.the man at the next-door bed, who became his father-in-law, having

:57:14. > :57:49.introduced him to his daughter after the war. A lovely end to the story.

:57:50. > :57:58.Such an important moment now. A good time for us to reflect on what the

:57:59. > :58:04.colour signifies and what the battle honours signify. Indeed, there is

:58:05. > :58:08.the obvious historical significance of the colours as a means to control

:58:09. > :58:13.troops in battle, they have always been treated and guarded with great

:58:14. > :58:18.reverence, and there are many tales of soldiers and officers protecting

:58:19. > :58:23.their colours and risking it all. That will be recorded in pictures.

:58:24. > :58:28.The last colour was carried in battle in 1881, so today they

:58:29. > :58:32.represent the soul of the regiment, by recording their battle honours,

:58:33. > :58:36.which are engraved on every officer's sword. It is a collective

:58:37. > :58:46.recognition of the regiment's bravery and success. Thoughts today

:58:47. > :58:55.as well for the family of Lance Corporal James Ashworth.

:58:56. > :58:57.as well for the family of Lance Afghanistan. He was awarded The

:58:58. > :59:30.Victoria Cross for his remarkable bravery. He was here back in 2007.

:59:31. > :59:46.Holt! Escort to the Colour will advance! Left turn! Escort to the

:59:47. > :59:57.Colour take arms! The tune is Hazlemere and composed

:59:58. > :02:04.by Major Tom Birkett. Numbers one to five, guards.

:02:05. > :02:55.Advance. Turn. Number six guard. March. Move to the

:02:56. > :03:13.right in threes. Form threes. Right. Guards, march past and slow. By the

:03:14. > :03:19.left. Slow march. So the Colour has been trooped and we move into the

:03:20. > :03:27.march past. All of these troops will march past Her Majesty. This neutral

:03:28. > :03:33.slow march is by Stuart Watson and John Lewis and written to

:03:34. > :03:43.commemorate Captain Robert Laurence, a Grenadier Guards Officer killed by

:03:44. > :04:32.the IRA back in May of 19 77 and awarded the George Cross.

:04:33. > :04:40.This is what so many people come to see and what so many people admire

:04:41. > :04:44.around the world, not just the colour, not just the music, but

:04:45. > :04:49.really, it is the precision and it is that great military attention to

:04:50. > :04:54.detail and of course, a great view there of the hallmarks of the

:04:55. > :04:58.Guardsmen, the bearskin with all of its practical challenges. Roland.

:04:59. > :05:01.Yes, this looks rather elegant and controlled, but I can assure you

:05:02. > :05:06.particularly when they get into the quick march there, is all very hot

:05:07. > :05:10.and noisy in the ranks with lots of Josling and cursing to keep everyone

:05:11. > :05:16.on the move. As you can see, they are tightly packed in. They're

:05:17. > :05:25.shoulder-to-shoulder, they're being pushed left to right. The hob nailed

:05:26. > :05:29.boots and the bearskin gives you a curtain to mask your vision. As they

:05:30. > :05:36.stand there, they will be relieved to get going and hopefully no one

:05:37. > :05:39.has strapped an alarm clock inside their vest timed to go off during

:05:40. > :05:44.the parade and there is nothing they can do about it. They have got a

:05:45. > :05:49.good physical workout as anyone who has been drilled by an enthusiastic

:05:50. > :05:53.drill sergeant will know and they will be straining to hear and react

:05:54. > :06:00.to their own officers. So they have got a lot to think about and a lot

:06:01. > :06:12.to concentrate on. Looking on with great interest, David Cameron, and

:06:13. > :06:26.Samantha Cameron. As the march past gets underway, the

:06:27. > :06:30.sun is creeping through the clouds. It looked rather grey and

:06:31. > :06:37.threatening earlier today, but it opened up a little bit. The Colour

:06:38. > :07:07.is being brought to the front of the escort ready for the march past.

:07:08. > :07:12.So the Grenadier Guards today's escort is almost ready it now move

:07:13. > :07:37.off and to march past in slow time. Led by the Field Officer Lieutenant

:07:38. > :07:52.Colonel Broughton and Major Richard Led by the Field Officer Lieutenant

:07:53. > :07:55.Green. The Queen acknowledging 98 and Company, they first trooped

:07:56. > :08:00.their Colour for the Queen back in 2001. It was a rather wet day then.

:08:01. > :08:08.It was just the second time they trooped their colour. The Grenadier

:08:09. > :08:20.Guards recognisable there with their single button. The Queen

:08:21. > :08:28.acknowledges again the first regiment. A single button. The white

:08:29. > :08:46.plumes and the grenade collar emblem.

:08:47. > :08:58.So the Ensign raises the Standard again having lowered it initially.

:08:59. > :09:08.The Duke of Edinburgh, Colonel of the Grenadier Guards closes that

:09:09. > :09:13.relationship, Roland. It is very close. He means a lot to the

:09:14. > :09:20.regiment, as much as those serving today as to the many veterans, many

:09:21. > :09:26.of whom, are his good friends. I found him very easy to host when he

:09:27. > :09:28.came to visit. He is always teasing us about our army ways. But it is

:09:29. > :09:33.great to see him on us about our army ways. But it is

:09:34. > :09:37.has had a very long association with us. He lent his support for

:09:38. > :09:42.fund-raising for those in need and he has been a very active colonel.

:09:43. > :09:48.He vfted the battalion and hosted two regimental council meetings and

:09:49. > :09:53.attended the first Cards Club dinner. The music is changing. The

:09:54. > :10:32.Scots Guards slow march. And another change. The Coldstream

:10:33. > :10:37.Guards slow march, Figaro by Mozart. The Adjutant of the parade, Captain

:10:38. > :10:43.Paddy Rice of the Grenadier Guards with the flourish of the sword will

:10:44. > :10:49.signal this march past in slow time is complete. Interesting story

:10:50. > :10:56.because back in October of 2009 he survived being shot in the neck by a

:10:57. > :11:03.Taliban sniper. After two weeks, at the Camp Bastion field hospital, he

:11:04. > :11:17.returned to his regiment and completed the remainder of the tour.

:11:18. > :11:19.That's Captain Paddy Rice. Field Officer rides out to salute the

:11:20. > :11:53.Queen. The slow march is complete. Well, the 1st Battalion Coldstream

:11:54. > :11:57.Guards are deployed on operations in Afghanistan providing force

:11:58. > :12:02.protection in Kabul for British and NATO head quarters and the Afghan

:12:03. > :12:07.military academy. Nearly 300 men left in February of this year. The

:12:08. > :12:09.battalion's third tour of the Afghan campaign, and they will return to

:12:10. > :12:13.their Windsor base in August and they will be the last of the

:12:14. > :12:18.Household Division to serve in Afghanistan before combat operations

:12:19. > :12:23.are brought to an end this year. They sent us this message. I know

:12:24. > :12:29.the Grenadiers will do a first class job today. I wishes Lieutenant

:12:30. > :12:32.Colonel Charles Broughton all the best of luck as well as those on

:12:33. > :12:38.parade. Have a cracking time. Enjoy it. Her Majesty will be watching and

:12:39. > :12:45.there is no standard, but perfection. I would like to wish my

:12:46. > :12:50.father Lieutenant General Sir James Bucknall and Geoffrey Bucknall the

:12:51. > :12:56.best of luck on today's parade. We are a long way from home and our

:12:57. > :13:01.thoughts are with everyone at home. We wish you a happy birthday today,

:13:02. > :13:14.Your Majesty. Happy birthday Your Majesty. Happy birthday Your

:13:15. > :13:20.Majesty. Birthday greetings for Her Majesty, the Queen from Afghanistan.

:13:21. > :13:25.And your experience, Roland, will underline what is going on there?

:13:26. > :13:30.That dual role and you returning in 2010? Very much so. We have all done

:13:31. > :13:35.our time in Afghanistan and as you say, this show cases that almost

:13:36. > :13:43.unique role as combat troops on the one hand and Household troops on the

:13:44. > :13:45.other. It also, I think, shows how complementary the roles are in

:13:46. > :13:52.representing the standards of the army in terms of commitment and

:13:53. > :13:58.loyalty and the clip from the Coldstream Guards shows what a

:13:59. > :14:02.strong bond exists between these Guards regiments. 90% common parts,

:14:03. > :14:14.but we're distinguished by our differences.

:14:15. > :14:23.Prince Harry is enjoying, as the neutral quick march gets underway.

:14:24. > :14:28.It is called Nijmegan and Company. The Guards are going to march past

:14:29. > :14:36.in quick time. A new sense of dynamicism. This march was composed

:14:37. > :14:41.by Lieutenant Sergeant Hills a former Grenadier Guards. Last played

:14:42. > :14:43.back in 2001 at the Birthday Parade when Nijmegan and Company were

:14:44. > :15:55.trooping. purpose with this March in

:15:56. > :16:14.QuickTime. Lots of enjoying the music. Some

:16:15. > :16:18.Commonwealth heads of government here today as well, they have been

:16:19. > :16:28.attending a conference at the Foreign Office. The Queens company

:16:29. > :16:32.have all recently returned from the Falkland Islands, they will deploy

:16:33. > :16:39.in Kenyan in November with the battalion. On the parade ground

:16:40. > :16:48.today, two guardsmen with No two Court who were injured while serving

:16:49. > :16:53.in Afghanistan in 2012. Benjamin Kumadey, they recently transferred

:16:54. > :16:59.from The Royal Welsh Regiment, and among them as well, Lee Scanlon, he

:17:00. > :17:05.served in the Grenadier Guards for 13 years, he was shot in Afghanistan

:17:06. > :17:06.and made a full recovery, recently deployed to Brunei on a training

:17:07. > :17:37.exercise. The Queen acknowledges the colour

:17:38. > :17:59.once again. The June, the tune is the quick march of the Grenadiers.

:18:00. > :18:05.No four Court, the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, the 160th

:18:06. > :18:14.anniversary of the Battle of Inkerman during the Crimean War, in

:18:15. > :18:16.1854. The music changes to the quick march of the Scots Guards, Hielan'

:18:17. > :18:31.Laddie. The Coldstream Guards quick march,

:18:32. > :18:53.Milanollo. The majority of the guardsmen quite

:18:54. > :18:57.junior, 66 guardsmen on their first birthday parade today. Jack O'Hara

:18:58. > :19:14.is the youngest, at 17. The field officer writes out a game,

:19:15. > :19:24.salutes the Queen, the march passed in quick time is done. The

:19:25. > :19:29.commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Broughton, a moment

:19:30. > :19:33.to pause before the next phase. He told us how he has been preparing

:19:34. > :19:37.himself. I started learning the words of

:19:38. > :19:42.command for the praise about three months ago. Since then, it has been

:19:43. > :19:49.about reverse, rehearse, brothers. Duke of Edinburgh is our regimental

:19:50. > :19:53.Colonel, so to have him there is a moment of immense pride for us

:19:54. > :19:59.Grenadiers to troop the colour in front of him. The key to the perfect

:20:00. > :20:03.parade is good weather, a great atmosphere amongst the men,

:20:04. > :20:09.immaculate drill and, having seen them rehearse so far, I am convinced

:20:10. > :20:15.that they will deliver on the day. Plenty of confidence from Lieutenant

:20:16. > :20:23.Colonel Charles Broughton. Let's have a verdict from you, Roland. The

:20:24. > :20:28.interesting thing is how inexperienced the maiden company are

:20:29. > :20:31.of the youngest of the guards on parade. They have done very well, it

:20:32. > :20:35.has been precise, parade. They have done very well, it

:20:36. > :20:40.are in good order. They are looking forward to catching their breath

:20:41. > :20:44.now. There arms will be aching, their feet will be sore, their chest

:20:45. > :22:08.will be heaving. They should be pleased with that.

:22:09. > :23:13.Left and right! Right turn! By the left, quick march!

:23:14. > :23:17.The foot guards have reformed, it will be the turn of the mounted

:23:18. > :23:22.troops soon to make their appearance and to pass the saluting base. The

:23:23. > :23:23.Massed Bands will clear a path for The Mounted Bands to make their

:23:24. > :25:01.entry. A great site, lots of excitement

:25:02. > :25:06.here. The King's Troop moving on to the parade ground. The rumble and

:25:07. > :25:14.the clatter telling us they are on their way. They have been on the

:25:15. > :25:20.parade since 1998. They kept the title of the King's Troop on orders

:25:21. > :25:48.of Her Majesty the Queen, in memory of her father, King George VI.

:25:49. > :26:13.The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery!

:26:14. > :26:24.Major Mark Edwards took command in August 2011, his fifth and final

:26:25. > :26:29.birthday parade. It is a great site. Very much so, it is always a

:26:30. > :26:35.pleasure to see the horses and guns. I have a soft spot for them, my

:26:36. > :26:39.great-great-grandfather started off in the horse Artillery, and my

:26:40. > :26:46.great-grandfather ran a rematch station in the First World War in

:26:47. > :26:53.France, they prepared the horses and mules for work. He did what he could

:26:54. > :27:01.and was good with the horses, by all accounts. The lead going treated as

:27:02. > :27:12.the colour of the troop. Given the same respect of the guards, -- the

:27:13. > :27:17.guards colour. Those guns are the real thing, they were used in action

:27:18. > :27:20.in the First World War. They were a revelation in portable Artillery.

:27:21. > :27:24.One of the guns here today rumoured to have fired the first round at the

:27:25. > :27:39.Battle of the Somme. The field officer of the

:27:40. > :27:44.sovereign's escort, Major Simon Lukas, of the blues and Wales, he

:27:45. > :27:48.recently returned to the regiment after a period with the operational

:27:49. > :28:24.regiment at Windsor. The Life Guards. The captain took

:28:25. > :28:33.over as adjutant in April last year. On birthday parade for the

:28:34. > :28:36.first time, recently commanding the staircase party at the House of

:28:37. > :28:50.Lords for the State Opening of Parliament. The Farriers, with their

:28:51. > :29:34.taxes. -- axes they would dispatch horses from battle.

:29:35. > :29:58.The Field Officer's trumpeter, Field Officer Winter. The horse is Nicos.

:29:59. > :30:06.So the King's Troop, the Household cavalry prepare for the trot past.

:30:07. > :30:13.75 King's Troop horses on parade today. The saddle being used,

:30:14. > :30:17.unchanged since 1904. It came into service before the First World War

:30:18. > :30:36.and it was designed to be ridden for days at a time.

:30:37. > :30:44.An interesting fact to watch here Huw, as the King's Troop come by,

:30:45. > :30:52.you will see their horses are ranked and graded according to colour. They

:30:53. > :30:55.will start with the light bays at the front until you get the dark

:30:56. > :31:42.bays at the back. The Standard this time not being

:31:43. > :31:49.lowered, the Queen acknowledges. The Blues and Royals followed by the

:31:50. > :31:55.Life Guards in their scarlet tunics. Preparation s for today, of course,

:31:56. > :32:00.going back many weeks, but just in practical terms today, all of it

:32:01. > :32:29.starting at 5.30am. Great care being taken down to the last detail.

:32:30. > :32:56.So led by Captain David Hammond, The Mounted Bands provide their own

:32:57. > :33:04.salute. The kettle drummers crossing their sticks as they pass the

:33:05. > :33:11.saluting base. That wonderful musician state coach which has been

:33:12. > :33:14.unchanged since 1965. The drummers changing the reigns with their feet.

:33:15. > :33:33.It is remarkable considering they have to ride and play!

:33:34. > :33:43.So the Mounted Band making its way back along the northern edge of the

:33:44. > :33:46.Parade Ground. Soon the Director of Music will be keeping an eye on

:33:47. > :33:53.things and making sure that everything is in place ready to

:33:54. > :33:57.signal to the Field Officer that he is handing back control. That all

:33:58. > :34:00.the Household Cavalry are in position and getting ready for a

:34:01. > :34:26.final birthday salute to the Queen. Royal is Salute. -- Royal Salute.

:34:27. > :34:37.Arms. PLAYS NATIONAL ANTHEM

:34:38. > :35:53.PLAYS NATIONAL ANTHEM Guards, left and right. The guards

:35:54. > :35:57.dress this time and all guards and one long line and it is remarkable

:35:58. > :35:59.to realise that this move, this precise move is accomplished with no

:36:00. > :36:34.word of command being given. Guards form two ranks. Guards will

:36:35. > :37:17.retire. Turn. Quick march! The Guards are ready to

:37:18. > :37:35.march off. The Adjutant composed by Major Tom Birkett.

:37:36. > :38:05.Divisions will advance. Turn! Guards on the Escort form. Quick march!

:38:06. > :38:18.So we have the reverse of what we saw earlier. We have the orderly

:38:19. > :39:04.returning the pace stick. Guards, left. The left guide of the

:39:05. > :39:09.escort, Colour Suggest James Bennett. He has been on six

:39:10. > :39:09.operational tours including Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq and

:39:10. > :39:31.Afghanistan. There is the Sergeant Major making

:39:32. > :39:37.his way down to the Approach Road giving the signal that all is clear

:39:38. > :39:44.for the royal Procession to leave. The Sergeant Major will have his own

:39:45. > :39:48.celebration, his getting married in the Guard's Chapel. We expect that

:39:49. > :40:04.will be arranged with his customary attention. Good luck to them.

:40:05. > :40:08.Field Officer returns and approaches the saluting base to seek Her

:40:09. > :40:26.Majesty's permission to march off. Your Majesty's guards are formed up

:40:27. > :41:08.and ready to march off, mam. So permission has been given and

:41:09. > :41:12.this means that we're in the concluding phase of the Birthday

:41:13. > :41:15.Parade. The Queen's carriage is being brought back to the saluting

:41:16. > :41:19.base and some of those guests who have been watching in the Horse

:41:20. > :41:23.Guards building including Prince Harry and others will be making

:41:24. > :41:30.their way back towards Buckingham Palace shortly. In that first

:41:31. > :41:35.carriage, the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and the Duchess of

:41:36. > :41:43.Cornwall and they will be looking forward to the much anticipated

:41:44. > :41:47.traditional birthday fly-past by the Royal Air Force and it is a

:41:48. > :41:48.traditional birthday fly-past by the impressive fly-past that's in store

:41:49. > :42:08.today. Back on Horse Guards, everyone is

:42:09. > :42:23.waiting the signal that all is ready for the Queen's Ascot Landu to leave

:42:24. > :42:28.the Parade Ground today. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will lead

:42:29. > :42:31.the troops along the Parade Ground back to the Mall and down to

:42:32. > :42:38.Buckingham Palace where there will be a second march past on a slightly

:42:39. > :42:40.more inmat scale there. The garrison Sergeant Major is ready to give the

:42:41. > :43:16.signal. There it is. The march off music is called Voice

:43:17. > :43:24.of The Guns. It is a tribute to the British artillery men serving in the

:43:25. > :43:31.First World War and later adopted as a march for the army. The Queen's

:43:32. > :43:39.carriage will follow behind the Massed Bands at the head of the

:43:40. > :43:44.troops. As the parade draws to a close, it

:43:45. > :43:57.is worth mentioning two members of the Massed Bands today. They are in

:43:58. > :44:09.their final troop Davis Buckles has his 24th Birthday Parade and Ralph

:44:10. > :44:13.retires. So it is worth asking you given your experience, is this the

:44:14. > :44:18.moment you start to relax or not? It is the first time I started to

:44:19. > :44:23.relax. I think for the Field Officer he will be thinking he made it

:44:24. > :44:31.through. And I hope he can enjoy that ride home. He is right there up

:44:32. > :44:35.with the sovereign on her carriage. He should be very pleased with

:44:36. > :44:42.today. He will be pleased I know that his complex reign back went

:44:43. > :44:47.without incident. We know that horse can move fast backwards and the

:44:48. > :44:50.guards were straight on the march past.

:44:51. > :44:55.APPLAUSE It has been said many times that

:44:56. > :44:59.this parade represents the best values and the best

:45:00. > :45:03.this parade represents the best Army, is that a fair comment? I

:45:04. > :45:07.think it's true. You have a long link with what you're seeing here

:45:08. > :45:13.today going back to the origins of the British Army and although many

:45:14. > :45:16.things change, some things don't and the underpinning ethos of selfless

:45:17. > :45:21.commitment, putting yourself in for the benefit of the team is what you

:45:22. > :45:26.see on a parade like this. Everyone is here to show their loyalty. The

:45:27. > :45:32.highest standards of discipline. So very much so. Of course, talking of

:45:33. > :45:36.continuity and stability, and discipline, there we have Her

:45:37. > :45:42.Majesty, the Queen, just celebrated her 88th birthday and really

:45:43. > :45:51.performing all her duties with great remarkable energy? Very much her

:45:52. > :45:57.parade, it is hers in name, as well as in practice. She is the most

:45:58. > :46:01.experienced observer of this parade. She has been involved with

:46:02. > :46:10.it throughout her reign. She deputised for her father when she

:46:11. > :46:16.was involved as a young teenager as a colonel Grenadier Guards. She

:46:17. > :46:21.knows more about this than anybody. She has seen and accommodated the

:46:22. > :46:27.changes that have been made. That is the stability, I am wondering when

:46:28. > :46:34.we look at the form of the parade and the importance of the household

:46:35. > :46:37.division, the division cannot be immune from change, what would it

:46:38. > :46:44.look like in years to come? The trick is to ensure any changes are

:46:45. > :46:48.as imperceptible as possible. What you have in the ranks are some

:46:49. > :46:53.extremely experienced young soldiers and leaders, which makes it very

:46:54. > :46:58.easy for us to prepare for the uncertainties of an unpredictable

:46:59. > :47:03.future. When not on parade here, they will concentrate on training,

:47:04. > :47:08.so we are ready, shut the country need us. That is not just for the

:47:09. > :47:15.guards, it is for the whole army. My brigade is part of that. Lots of

:47:16. > :47:20.smiles and waves. The Queen and the Duke making their way back to

:47:21. > :47:24.Buckingham Palace. This tradition of the monarchy leading the guards back

:47:25. > :47:32.to Buckingham Palace started a century ago. Established by George V

:47:33. > :47:39.in 1914. The parade at that time had become increasingly popular and the

:47:40. > :47:42.decision was taken to provide an even more impressive experience for

:47:43. > :47:53.the many thousands who turn up to enjoy the event. For all of the

:47:54. > :47:58.street liners, I am bound to mention the Welsh Guards, they were on Horse

:47:59. > :48:06.Guards Parade last year with 12 officers and 220 men today. They are

:48:07. > :48:13.Unsung Heroes today. Yes, they will have their moment in future. We have

:48:14. > :48:19.all taken our time on the street lining, you are the first out, last

:48:20. > :48:24.back, it is a long day and it is the least glamorous of all the roles.

:48:25. > :48:28.But in my experience, there is some good banter, listening to the

:48:29. > :48:34.crowd, and it is a good-natured day out. We do this for the State

:48:35. > :48:37.Opening of Parliament as well, I was doing my best to keep the guardsmen

:48:38. > :48:43.interested by feeding them means whilst attending to adjust their

:48:44. > :48:47.bearskins. I had to avoid a cheeky journalist and photographer catching

:48:48. > :48:53.me doing it, but I have to persevere. I do not know if Giles

:48:54. > :49:00.Harris has been doing that today, but he machined command in January,

:49:01. > :49:14.and they will commend the parade for the first time next year.

:49:15. > :49:23.The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh looking down towards Buckingham

:49:24. > :49:28.Palace, knowing full well that there is a great fly-past on the way.

:49:29. > :49:32.Involving the Battle of Britain Memorial flight and the red arrows,

:49:33. > :49:39.so it is something we will enjoy in a short while. It is a great side

:49:40. > :49:46.all the way down the Mall to the Palace. There are thousands of

:49:47. > :49:48.people who have gathered for the parade, it

:49:49. > :49:51.people who have gathered for the ceremonial event of the year. There

:49:52. > :49:58.is the approach to the Palace, dominated by the vast Queen Victoria

:49:59. > :50:07.Memorial. It was unveiled more than a century ago. By King George V and

:50:08. > :50:29.by Kaiser Wilhelm. Both of them grandchildren of Queen Victoria.

:50:30. > :50:37.In the procession as well, the regimental adjutant 's, including

:50:38. > :50:42.Harry Scott of the Life Guards, Grant Baker of the Grenadier Guards,

:50:43. > :50:46.Tom Bonas of the Welsh Guards and Timothy Purdon of The Irish Gurads,

:50:47. > :50:54.Simon Vandeleur of the Coldstream Guards. Solemn in the limelight.

:50:55. > :50:58.They are the wise men, the guardians of the knowledge, tradition of the

:50:59. > :51:06.regiments, a cohesive influence. They keep watch over us all. They

:51:07. > :51:12.are employed on civil service conditions. The most important thing

:51:13. > :51:16.they do this they oversee the distributions of regimental

:51:17. > :51:20.charitable funds to those in need, regimental welfare cases. They have

:51:21. > :51:27.an important role in officer recruitment. I am delighted to say

:51:28. > :51:34.we have been joined by Roger -- Robert Hardman, the Daily Mail

:51:35. > :51:39.columnist. Thank you for joining us again, your impressions so far? As

:51:40. > :51:45.ever, it is one of the great spectacles, you can see the size of

:51:46. > :51:53.the crowds. It is a scene that never fails to inspire, move and excite,

:51:54. > :51:55.and a lot of young people as well. The parade is not quite complete,

:51:56. > :51:59.they have already shown that they The parade is not quite complete,

:52:00. > :52:02.are not just good musicians, they are talented horse men. What does

:52:03. > :52:14.the saddle? take to play an

:52:15. > :52:18.Hello, chaps, working away very hard, who is this beauty? This is

:52:19. > :52:25.Achilles, 14 years old, he hard, who is this beauty? This is

:52:26. > :52:39.17, too. He looks camera shy. Inside, he is excited! I get to get

:52:40. > :52:46.the Drum Horse groomed. He washes his feathers, it takes 20 minutes.

:52:47. > :52:52.They come up nice and fluffy. They have got quite a following. They

:52:53. > :52:59.even have their own Facebook page! You are not doing it this year. I

:53:00. > :53:03.have done 23. I will miss it, I am very proud and honoured to have been

:53:04. > :53:08.able to do it, but I am now handing over to John Codd, it will be his

:53:09. > :53:18.first parade this year. Who is this? Mercury. Beautiful. How are

:53:19. > :53:24.you feeling? Very daunted to start with, but really looking forward to

:53:25. > :53:35.it. How has the musician -- how has the beach training been going? When

:53:36. > :53:40.you get on top, they are a bigger base, it is a different experience.

:53:41. > :53:44.The trickiest art is keeping your eye down to what you are doing at

:53:45. > :53:50.the time. You have got to ensure that you are telling your boss where

:53:51. > :53:59.he is, and that the rest of the band are happy. You have to concentrate

:54:00. > :54:08.on what you are doing. This looks very impressive. We have got ?12

:54:09. > :54:12.million worth of equipment here. These are the Life Guards Silver

:54:13. > :54:20.drums, the centre to us by William IV. They look heavy. They weigh 45

:54:21. > :54:26.kilograms each. It is naturally machined the drums will be different

:54:27. > :54:31.weights, but they weigh exactly the same. They are stars in their own

:54:32. > :54:37.right. Have you ever had any issues? Ten years ago, there is an

:54:38. > :54:43.iconic part for the Drum Horses as we give a salute to Her Majesty the

:54:44. > :54:47.Queen. I am not supposed to look into her eyes, but I could see she

:54:48. > :54:52.had a frown on her face and she was pointing at something. The front

:54:53. > :54:59.crest of the drum had fallen off and dropped to the floor. They had to

:55:00. > :55:04.get the police to close Horse Guards down so they could retrieve the

:55:05. > :55:14.peace and get it refitted. The Queen has a keen eye. This is your

:55:15. > :55:20.clarinet, that might be the only bit of kit that I recognise. Why did you

:55:21. > :55:27.want to be a part of the band? I joined as a musician, then we had to

:55:28. > :55:31.put in our preferences. I looked at the Household Calvary, I thought it

:55:32. > :55:41.looked interesting, and I ended up here. This holds the music in place.

:55:42. > :55:44.We have to tired on with cable ties and use key ring holders, so when we

:55:45. > :55:53.flipped the music, it does not fall off. You do not want bits flying

:55:54. > :55:57.off! You are looking at your music, playing the clarinet, controlling

:55:58. > :56:02.the horse. You have got to see the director of music, you have got to

:56:03. > :56:07.make sure that you keep in line with the people in your row, and you have

:56:08. > :56:11.to look at the side to make sure you are in line there as well, as well

:56:12. > :56:18.as looking at your music and playing, it is incredible! Two bands

:56:19. > :56:27.working together, is this normal? Yes, for this parade. Each year, one

:56:28. > :56:34.of us has the pleasure of taking the parade. Is this your first time?

:56:35. > :56:44.Absolutely, I am delighted to give it. What are the challenges? What

:56:45. > :56:48.should they be looking out for? You are holding the parade together, you

:56:49. > :57:00.have to know it inside out. Without music, it is pointless, it is the

:57:01. > :57:07.driver for everything. Your first time on Nintendo, how is she

:57:08. > :57:09.feeling? OK so far, we will see. Good luck today, thank you, and good

:57:10. > :57:25.luck for the birthday parade. A great insight into the hard work

:57:26. > :57:33.and preparation and techniques and expertise of the Mounted Bands. Suzi

:57:34. > :57:36.Perry talking to a lot of people, including Paul Wilman, and we can

:57:37. > :57:44.join him now. Yes, Major Paul Wilman, I have come

:57:45. > :57:50.down to the Queens Gardens, a glorious view of Buckingham Palace,

:57:51. > :57:56.and there are the band walking by. How has David Hammond done today? He

:57:57. > :58:03.has done a marvellous job, the timing was impeccable, his riding

:58:04. > :58:08.was bang on time, it cut off to the music in the right place, very

:58:09. > :58:12.successful. It must be strange for you to be standing on your feet and

:58:13. > :58:16.not on a horse. It is a bit strange, but having done it last year and

:58:17. > :58:22.enjoyed the pride of it, I am missing it today and I am feeling it

:58:23. > :58:27.now. But I am glad for the guys out there. I would like to talk to you

:58:28. > :58:34.about the Drum Horses, they are something else. When they first hit

:58:35. > :58:42.the germ -- hit the drum, it made me jump, but the horses do not react.

:58:43. > :58:47.It is about training, the drum is played in front of them, they play

:58:48. > :58:53.them quietly, they hit them, and eventually, it goes out of them. You

:58:54. > :58:58.not only have the weight of the drums on the horses, but the sound

:58:59. > :59:03.is next to their ears. But they get used to it, it is about training.

:59:04. > :59:08.Every other horse flinches, it is incredible! The musicians are not

:59:09. > :59:12.really horse men, they have to control the horse with their feet.

:59:13. > :59:19.They have done the riding school, but it is not 100% of the job. We

:59:20. > :59:25.only ride at specific periods, and this is the critical one, how they

:59:26. > :59:31.ride is most interesting, because they do not ride like the Household

:59:32. > :59:38.Calvary men. They wrap their reigns around their wrist, most of the

:59:39. > :59:42.riding is done with their legs. Then they have to play their music and

:59:43. > :59:47.keep their eye on the dressing from left to right, front to rear. It is

:59:48. > :59:53.incredible. You look at some instruments, you wonder how they do

:59:54. > :00:02.it. I still do not know! Good luck with your retirement. Thank you.

:00:03. > :00:09.Major Paul Wilman talking to Suzi Perry. Enjoying the music and the

:00:10. > :00:14.scene at Buckingham Palace. The march past has been taking place,

:00:15. > :00:18.this is the second one, because we already had the grand one of Horse

:00:19. > :00:23.Guards Parade. This is the second phase, before the Queen prepares to

:00:24. > :00:27.go into the palace and spend a bit of time in there before they come

:00:28. > :00:32.out onto the balcony to enjoy the fly-past. Around the gardens,

:00:33. > :00:38.towards Green Park, a pretty big crowd gathered. Most of the members

:00:39. > :00:44.of the Royal family have already congregated on the balcony. They

:00:45. > :00:48.will be waiting patiently for the march past, which will take place in

:00:49. > :00:55.half an hour. They will all go back in and come out again. Robert and

:00:56. > :00:59.Roland are still with me. It is worth reflecting that this parade

:01:00. > :01:05.today, a pretty ambitious event, is part of several ambitious events

:01:06. > :01:10.over the past ten days. Yes, Huw, this has been the busiest Royal

:01:11. > :01:16.month since the Diamond Jubilee of 2012. The Queen has, if you look

:01:17. > :01:23.back at recent days, the State Opening of Parliament, the visit to

:01:24. > :01:28.France, Normandy and there is a series of eng gaegments in Scotland

:01:29. > :01:35.and -- engagements in Scotland and Northern Ireland. This week I was at

:01:36. > :01:40.a garden party at the Palace and watched the Queen and the Duke

:01:41. > :01:45.spending two hours working their way through a crowd of 8,000 people. It

:01:46. > :01:51.was the Duke's 93rd birthday and he gave orders that the band wasn't to

:01:52. > :02:03.play happy birthday. They are in the middle of a very busy summer and

:02:04. > :02:06.relishing every moment. It is probably worth a little line as

:02:07. > :02:10.well, Roland, at this point for viewers watching who often don't see

:02:11. > :02:17.this part of the day because we're staying on air for the fly-past

:02:18. > :02:21.there, march-past, not using the word, "Intimate." But it is more

:02:22. > :02:26.intimate than Horse Guards? Yes, this is the last act and you will

:02:27. > :02:31.see standing there on the Queen's right-hand side is the Field Officer

:02:32. > :02:36.and brigade and you watch the troops march past and rank past for a final

:02:37. > :02:41.time as they all head back to barracks and there comes a stage

:02:42. > :02:47.when you are on your own. It is a very sort of memorable moment from

:02:48. > :02:54.my time in the parade and it's just you left to ask your leave, a quiet

:02:55. > :02:56.personal moment. I didn't notice the crowds that were watching when I did

:02:57. > :03:12.it. A word Huw here on how difficult

:03:13. > :03:17.this riding is as well. There are a lot of young horses and

:03:18. > :03:22.inexperienced troopers here and for those that don't know it, they are

:03:23. > :03:26.riding very long in their stirrups and they can feel almost nothing

:03:27. > :03:31.through the thick jack boots so they have got no control through their

:03:32. > :03:38.legs on those horses and they are only holding on with one hand. This

:03:39. > :04:10.is a tricky thing to do. This is hot and

:04:11. > :04:19.The Life Guards marching past after which we expect the Field Officer to

:04:20. > :04:25.salute Her Majesty, the Queen will then be back in that carriage and

:04:26. > :04:55.the Royal Salute will be sounded. A nice touch here, Huw, for the

:04:56. > :05:00.Field Officer and brigade waiting today. His father was The Adjutant

:05:01. > :05:05.of the Blues and Royals and his older brother was a squadron leader

:05:06. > :05:06.of the Blues and Royals and they will be looking at his horsemanship

:05:07. > :07:05.with a critical eye today. The Royal Family looking on from the

:07:06. > :07:08.balcony. The Queen making her way into the Palace. Very soon the

:07:09. > :07:13.fly-past will take place. We will see them all back out on the balcony

:07:14. > :07:23.again. Prince Harry has been working hard organising the Invictus Games,

:07:24. > :07:27.a new Paralympic-style sport. One of those hoping to take part is Nathan

:07:28. > :07:34.Cumberland. He served as a Grenadier Guards man. This is his story. I

:07:35. > :07:38.joined the Grenadiers in 2004. I wanted to see the world, meet new

:07:39. > :07:43.people kind of thing before you know it, I was getting shouted at

:07:44. > :07:47.marching up and down and the Queen's birthday and there you are in Horse

:07:48. > :07:54.Guards strutting your stuff really. I did two tours of Afghanistan with

:07:55. > :08:00.the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, the first tour was in 2007 and the

:08:01. > :08:05.second tour was in 2009, September. Within five weeks of being there on

:08:06. > :08:10.the second tour, that's when I got blown up and before you know it, I

:08:11. > :08:16.was getting picked up by the medical emergency response team on a Chinook

:08:17. > :08:21.and they airlifted me to Camp Bastion and the guys on the ground

:08:22. > :08:27.were returning fire and they mucked in and that's what it is all about

:08:28. > :08:31.when you are out there. It is down to them guys, really. They saved my

:08:32. > :08:37.life. You have got two paths you can either feel sorry for yourself or

:08:38. > :08:40.say, "I'm still here and I'm going to get on with it." I'm not saying

:08:41. > :08:44.it's going to be rainbows and sunshine every day, because it is

:08:45. > :08:49.not. Everyone is going to have bad days and it is just pulling through

:08:50. > :08:55.those bad days to make better days, it is as simple as that. The

:08:56. > :08:59.personality traits which Nathan has, he has grit. He has determination to

:09:00. > :09:05.dig in and get on with it. That's a good trait if life. Just accepting

:09:06. > :09:10.where you are, saying, "Right. This is it." No matter how he competes in

:09:11. > :09:21.the Invictus Games or any other challenges in life for that matter,

:09:22. > :09:26.it will stand him in good stead. He was always the one who would put a

:09:27. > :09:30.smail on your face -- smile on your face. I think he still is, to be

:09:31. > :09:36.honest, he will never change. He is very competitive and hopefully

:09:37. > :09:40.that will help him and push him on throughout the Invictus Games. The

:09:41. > :09:44.Invictus Games helps, it is that mentality of competitiveness against

:09:45. > :09:48.whether it is yourself or whether it is against other nations or other

:09:49. > :09:54.countries, it is that Army ethos, isn't it? I think it is massive for

:09:55. > :09:59.the guys who are struggling to find where they want to go next. They

:10:00. > :10:04.need a focus. I train at the gym a lot. I cycle Europe twice, I have

:10:05. > :10:10.done various other things, diving in Thailand, you name it, I kind of

:10:11. > :10:16.pretty stuff done it. I have done more stuff when I was injured when I

:10:17. > :10:20.was able-bodied. It has been good. It has been good. At the Invictus

:10:21. > :10:25.Games I'm hoping to compete in the powerlifting event and the field

:10:26. > :10:30.events such as shot putt and javelin and hopefully fingers crossed I will

:10:31. > :10:34.make it. In terms of encouragemed, the one thing I would say to Nathan

:10:35. > :10:42.is he needs to grow his beard further. We call it beard strong.

:10:43. > :10:47.There is a correlation between beard strength and length. We are to take

:10:48. > :10:51.a rest every now and again because he will do himself a heart attack

:10:52. > :10:58.one day. I'm sure the heritage of the Grenadiers will lift himself

:10:59. > :11:02.through the Invictus Games. The spirit of the regiment will be with

:11:03. > :11:06.him and lead him to be a winner. You can feel sorry for yourself and say,

:11:07. > :11:10."I can't do this." That's down to you then. That's your response and

:11:11. > :11:15.you've got to live with that. At the end of the day, I didn't want

:11:16. > :11:20.you've got to live with that. At the certain degree. I wanted to get

:11:21. > :11:24.you've got to live with that. At the know, I live a normalish life

:11:25. > :11:30.you've got to live with that. At the have got no complaints. I'm still

:11:31. > :11:34.here. I'm still here. A remarkable story of Nathan

:11:35. > :11:39.here. I'm still here. A remarkable about his recovery and his hopes for

:11:40. > :11:51.the Invictus Games. The chairman of the Invictus Games. The chairman of

:11:52. > :11:56.deputy chair of the London Olympics. Tell us how this evolved? Well,

:11:57. > :11:56.sadly for the last ten years or so, hundreds of

:11:57. > :12:03.sadly for the last ten years or so, and women around the world have been

:12:04. > :12:08.injured or taken sick or within wounded as part of the conflict and

:12:09. > :12:11.sport played a big part in the recuperation of these people. Last

:12:12. > :12:17.year, Prince Harry took a group of British servicemen to the US to

:12:18. > :12:20.compete in something called the Warrior Games and we created the

:12:21. > :12:23.Invictus Games. It is getting close to September. How many competitors

:12:24. > :12:27.and what kinds of sports will they and what kinds of sports will they

:12:28. > :12:32.be involved? Over 400 competitors from 14 different countries and nine

:12:33. > :12:33.different sports in the Olympic Park in East London and we

:12:34. > :12:36.different sports in the Olympic Park thousands of people

:12:37. > :12:37.different sports in the Olympic Park will come and support them. Tickets

:12:38. > :12:42.are on sale now. will come and support them. Tickets

:12:43. > :12:45.really important that the country gets behind this event

:12:46. > :12:48.really important that the country way as they did for the Paralympic

:12:49. > :12:52.Games. The aim is to raise awareness and to inspire? Yes, this will

:12:53. > :12:57.in#1350ir thousands around the -- inspire thousands around the world

:12:58. > :13:00.and certainly raise awareness and help the young men and women through

:13:01. > :13:06.sport back into employment and back into society. Sir Keith, thank you

:13:07. > :13:10.very much. You're welcome. Sir Keith Mills there the chairman

:13:11. > :13:16.of the Invictus Games talking to Suzi. Natan sum better land --

:13:17. > :13:24.Nathan Cumberland, what a remarkable man? I was with him on that tour. He

:13:25. > :13:28.was being humble there when he said that it was down to everyone else

:13:29. > :13:31.who got him out of there. The truth is that he was lying there,

:13:32. > :13:32.who got him out of there. The truth badly hurt. He kept his head and was

:13:33. > :13:43.controlling his section and badly hurt. He kept his head and was

:13:44. > :13:51.which was the security of the situation and so he embodies

:13:52. > :13:56.selfless commitment and he came to his concerns of the injuries and he

:13:57. > :14:00.has been an inspiration for the others, many of whom who found it a

:14:01. > :14:06.lot more difficult to come to terms of it. I couldn't think of a more

:14:07. > :14:10.appropriate phrase, it is not what happens to you, it is how you deal

:14:11. > :14:16.with it. Despite a couple of umbrellas, we have a few spots of

:14:17. > :14:19.rain. They are making their way down towards the Palace for the fly-past

:14:20. > :14:24.and the appearance on the balcony. Prince Harry will be there. It is a

:14:25. > :14:30.good moment to ask you about Harry's involvement with the Invictus Games?

:14:31. > :14:35.It has been a crusade for Prince Harry. He was inspired by his visit

:14:36. > :14:40.to the Warrior Games in the States. He spent the last few months

:14:41. > :14:43.focussing on this event. 400 athletes, nine sports which will

:14:44. > :14:45.take place in September in the Olympic Park of that was very

:14:46. > :14:50.important to him to bring it to the heart of the great Olympic triumphs.

:14:51. > :14:54.Over the last few weeks he has been make ago lot of visits in -- make

:14:55. > :14:57.ago lot of visits in private down to meet the competitors. He was

:14:58. > :15:01.visiting Royal Marines the other day to see how they're getting on and to

:15:02. > :15:04.encourage them. For him, I think, this is very much, he has done a lot

:15:05. > :15:09.this year. He has done amazing things. The first member of the

:15:10. > :15:14.Royal Family to reach the South Pole, but this event on the eve of

:15:15. > :15:26.his 30th birthday is the main focus at the moment. In Green Park, we

:15:27. > :15:34.have had the King's Troop making their dramatic and colourful entry.

:15:35. > :15:39.Their 41 gun salute, 21 guns for the birthday of the monarch and an

:15:40. > :15:49.additional 20 because they are in a Royal Park. As the crowds flood down

:15:50. > :15:53.towards the Palace, they are waiting to see the Queen and members of the

:15:54. > :15:59.Royal family on the balcony and to see the fly-past, because each year,

:16:00. > :16:05.the final salute is in the skies, a board can be heard, the mall is

:16:06. > :16:11.crowned with streams of red, white and blue as the RES offers birthday

:16:12. > :16:18.wishes. What goes into creating this display? We spoke to men of the

:16:19. > :16:27.Battle of Britain Memorial flight and the Red Arrows to find out.

:16:28. > :16:32.No matter how many times we have flown this, we need to make sure

:16:33. > :16:36.that when the Queen looks up, we are in the right piece of sky, so we

:16:37. > :16:41.present her aeroplanes as they should be presented. It is a

:16:42. > :16:46.tremendous honour for anybody to be involved in anything for the Royal

:16:47. > :16:52.family. Something as iconic as this is something I will never forget. I

:16:53. > :16:57.remember watching Trooping The Colour as a child, so to be part of

:16:58. > :17:02.that is experience, especially being in this aircraft, the Lancaster

:17:03. > :17:11.bomber. People enjoy the noise and vibration, they engender many

:17:12. > :17:18.feelings. It gets the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up, there

:17:19. > :17:24.is no sound like it. The start of the show is the Lancaster, I am the

:17:25. > :17:28.person that puts her in the right bit of sky. Nobody has come to see

:17:29. > :17:33.me, everybody has come to see the Lancaster. You do not usually get

:17:34. > :17:43.jets flying around in central London! The Red Arrows come to chase

:17:44. > :17:52.the better weather. The work is quite intense. The train -- the team

:17:53. > :17:57.wears a green suit, then they get a red suit when they are qualified to

:17:58. > :18:01.display in front of the public. That is our ticket to display in front of

:18:02. > :18:11.the public, a proud day for everybody. The Red Arrows Flybe

:18:12. > :18:20.classic jet trainer, it has been in service since the mid-70s. It is

:18:21. > :18:27.like a nifty sports car, it is simple and basic, but it is perfect

:18:28. > :18:34.for our needs. This Lancaster was built in 1945, this is a D-mark, one

:18:35. > :18:40.of only two remaining airworthy Lancaster is in the world. This is

:18:41. > :18:50.the mark nine Spitfire, it flew on D-Day. She is painted so they could

:18:51. > :18:59.be distinguished from enemy aircraft so our gunners shot at the enemy. We

:19:00. > :19:04.are just the final cog to get a group of 70-year-old aircraft flying

:19:05. > :19:11.in the air. It is quite an achievement, considering how old and

:19:12. > :19:15.fragile they are. The skills that we use are totally different from the

:19:16. > :19:21.modern aircraft. None of the parts are manufactured any more, so we

:19:22. > :19:28.rely on old. That sometimes becomes unavailable, or we have to go right

:19:29. > :19:31.back to the original manufacturer's drawings and have things many

:19:32. > :19:37.fractured from scratch, so we are back to grass-roots engineering. The

:19:38. > :19:41.controls linked to the control surfaces, so the best analogy I can

:19:42. > :19:47.give is driving a car without power steering. She is heavy to fly, very

:19:48. > :19:56.noisy, she vibrates, but I would not change anything. Flying a Spitfire

:19:57. > :19:59.is every boy's dream, it is the most fabulous plane to fly, it is light

:20:00. > :20:05.throughout its range, it is incredibly manoeuvrable, at the

:20:06. > :20:10.time, it was cutting edge, and it is a legendary aircraft, so you are

:20:11. > :20:15.always aware that the ghosts of pilots are watching you to make sure

:20:16. > :20:20.you do it right. The hawk that we fly has been modified to carry

:20:21. > :20:26.smoke. Dedicated engineers can fill up the tanks to create our Red

:20:27. > :20:32.Arrows show. The red and blue smoke is a liquid dye, and the white smoke

:20:33. > :20:39.is diesel on its own, which earns in the exhaust of its engine. The smoke

:20:40. > :20:42.is controlled inside the cockpit with three buttons, they are the

:20:43. > :20:46.weapons release buttons. The top button is the red one, the middle

:20:47. > :20:59.one is white, the bottom one is blue. The smoke pot is a modified

:21:00. > :21:04.gunpoint. The red and blue dye, they have to sit on the ground and listen

:21:05. > :21:10.to the pod filling up, they hear a chattering of the valves, and that

:21:11. > :21:20.is when it is full. We only have one minute of colour each, so we get a

:21:21. > :21:24.call, then the colours come. There is always a niggling feeling that

:21:25. > :21:30.they will come out with purple smoke, you have put the red in with

:21:31. > :21:34.the blue! The one thing that can get in our way is the weather.

:21:35. > :21:40.the blue! The one thing that can get do anything about that. The weather

:21:41. > :21:46.is a major limitation, the rain, cloud and wind are major factors in

:21:47. > :21:50.any operation that we do. We only take this out in almost perfect

:21:51. > :21:58.conditions. A couple of years ago, I had to cancel the part of the

:21:59. > :22:04.conditions. A couple of years ago, I look after her, she is 70 years old.

:22:05. > :22:07.Timing is crucial, certainly for a long train of aircraft, like in this

:22:08. > :22:14.fly-past. speed range, we have to take into

:22:15. > :22:29.account the wind to modify our speed range, we have to take into

:22:30. > :22:32.300 knots, the formation is going to close up. Once we are over

:22:33. > :22:37.Buckingham Palace, close up. Once we are over

:22:38. > :22:41.apart, but then the routing has to be done to allow the faster aircraft

:22:42. > :22:46.to pass the slower aircraft, which is done in the planning stages. The

:22:47. > :22:49.way is done in the planning stages. The

:22:50. > :22:55.is all down to the boss. is done in the planning stages. The

:22:56. > :23:00.the front of the Red Arrows formation is the easiest job in

:23:01. > :23:07.terms of formation, but I have to make sure we are on time and in the

:23:08. > :23:10.right position. It is down to him! From 40 miles away, you can see

:23:11. > :23:15.central London, and From 40 miles away, you can see

:23:16. > :23:17.of features that we use to get ourselves lined up.

:23:18. > :23:32.of features that we use to get final stages, you have

:23:33. > :23:34.of features that we use to get staged -- it is not stationary,

:23:35. > :23:40.because there are so many people there. To be in the Lancaster is

:23:41. > :23:49.something that will stay with you for life. We get very few seconds to

:23:50. > :23:54.appreciate what we are doing at the time. We are all working so hard to

:23:55. > :23:57.make sure it is in the right place at the right time, it is not until

:23:58. > :24:01.afterwards that we recollect what we have been doing. Last year,

:24:02. > :24:02.afterwards that we recollect what we Buckingham Palace for three or four

:24:03. > :24:11.seconds. The only Buckingham Palace for three or four

:24:12. > :24:15.concerned about is the landing at the end, the last two feet

:24:16. > :24:18.concerned about is the landing at probably the hardest hit. You are

:24:19. > :24:24.going to get a bit of a ribbing from the rest of the crew if you bounce.

:24:25. > :24:31.It is not until I hand the aircraft over to the engineers that I relax.

:24:32. > :24:35.The birthday fly-past for us is the commemorative highlight of the year,

:24:36. > :24:40.so to be flying along in a Spitfire next to a Lancaster over the Palace

:24:41. > :24:47.and over the Queen is incredibly special, and which are incredibly

:24:48. > :24:53.proud. Any fly-past people like to see, but the Red Arrows are very

:24:54. > :24:57.special. I can hear the cheering on the radio, it gets the British

:24:58. > :25:06.public feeling patriarch, it is lovely to be part of.

:25:07. > :25:14.Just a taste of what is to come. There is the gun salute, taking

:25:15. > :25:19.place in Green Park, the King's Troop are there, 41 gun salute.

:25:20. > :25:28.Marking the Queen's official birthday. Salutes fired in Hyde Park

:25:29. > :25:37.and the Tower of London. All of that happening in Green Park. Very close

:25:38. > :25:42.nearby, we have the crowds congregating around the Queen

:25:43. > :25:46.Victoria Memorial. The huge Royal standard at the gates fluttering in

:25:47. > :25:52.the breeze, signalling to the world that the Queen is in residence. The

:25:53. > :25:56.Queen and all members of the Royal family are preparing to make the

:25:57. > :25:59.appearance on the balcony. There is the scene, many thousands of people

:26:00. > :26:10.have come to enjoy the spectacle today. Thankfully, no really serious

:26:11. > :26:14.rain. In a few moments, the fly-past will happen, 28 aircraft, 13

:26:15. > :26:20.different types, from the famous Spitfire and Lancaster to modern

:26:21. > :26:26.fighter jets and the Red Arrows team. They will fly right over

:26:27. > :26:32.Buckingham Palace in a few moments. Robert, one of the key questions

:26:33. > :26:38.now, will we see Prince George? Many people would love to see him. The

:26:39. > :26:42.view has been taken that he is one month short of his first birthday,

:26:43. > :26:48.it is probably a bit too soon to bring him on parade. He might be in

:26:49. > :26:54.there, they are inside the centre of Buckingham Palace, having a sandwich

:26:55. > :26:59.and a cup of tea, so he might be in there, but every indication is that

:27:00. > :27:12.he will not be. The Queen has four great-grandchildren now, because of

:27:13. > :27:17.little near as well. -- little Mia. We will certainly see three

:27:18. > :27:21.generations. This event is the one moment where you see the whole Royal

:27:22. > :27:27.Family on parade, but this year in particular, a lot of team events

:27:28. > :27:30.still to come, we have got the Commonwealth Games next month in

:27:31. > :27:37.Glasgow, where all the members of the family will be there to see many

:27:38. > :27:43.of the events. The Queen will be opening that. There is a lot on the

:27:44. > :27:48.schedule to come. We have the World Cup at the moment, Prince William

:27:49. > :27:54.has a vested interest, as president of the FA, but Harry seems to be

:27:55. > :27:59.playing his part. A bit of sibling rivalry, Prince William is the

:28:00. > :28:03.president of the FA, but Prince Harry will see the first game,

:28:04. > :28:09.because he is off on a visit to Brazil and Chile. It has been

:28:10. > :28:14.organised by the government. Here comes the moment the crowds are

:28:15. > :28:15.waiting for. They will all come out now.

:28:16. > :28:27.comes the moment the crowds are waiting for. They Led by the Queen.

:28:28. > :28:33.Smiles from the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and some waves for the

:28:34. > :28:43.vast crowd below. They are now joined by other members of the Royal

:28:44. > :28:48.family. The crowd realising it is about to happen, because the

:28:49. > :28:52.fly-past is about to take place. Six elements, the first element already

:28:53. > :28:58.in sight, the support helicopter force, a Merlin, to Pumas and a

:28:59. > :29:23.Chinook. Here they come. The RAF's

:29:24. > :29:28.helicopters providing essential transport for troops and equipment

:29:29. > :29:36.and medical emergency aid to NATO forces, including in Afghanistan.

:29:37. > :29:42.There we see the Duchess of Cornwall, and Princess Eugenie, who

:29:43. > :29:51.was helping the Queen at her garden party earlier this week.

:29:52. > :30:03.The Merlin and the Pumas, they have seen service in Iraq and

:30:04. > :30:10.Afghanistan. The Pumas taking part in the fly-past for the first time

:30:11. > :30:12.this year. The Chinook often carrying emergency response teams,

:30:13. > :30:27.which give life-saving aid to the injured.

:30:28. > :30:36.RAF Memorial Flight based in Lincolnshire. Dakota, tactical,

:30:37. > :30:41.transport aircraft used during World War II and on D-Day to carry troops

:30:42. > :30:46.and freight and we saw it in Normandy last week. A great sight in

:30:47. > :30:50.the blue skies above Arromanches and what a lovely sight today, the

:30:51. > :30:57.Lancaster which suffered some problems while in France after

:30:58. > :31:03.D-Day, but the engineers worked tirelessly around the clock this

:31:04. > :31:08.week and that's the result - this great aircraft flying at the Queen's

:31:09. > :31:36.Birthday Parade. Plenty of wonderful things to take

:31:37. > :31:58.photographs of. The eyes and ears of the RAF filmed by Eight Squadron and

:31:59. > :32:03.Flapg flanking are the aircraft. This plane can carry troops, freight

:32:04. > :32:12.and other transport and then the vast voyager, also from Brize Norton

:32:13. > :32:26.is specially adapted for military role. We have three Typhoons.

:32:27. > :32:29.Stand-by for the Red Arrows! One of the world's premiere arrow battic

:32:30. > :32:33.display teams and that's the reason why.

:32:34. > :32:42.A stream of red, white and blue in the skies above Central London and

:32:43. > :32:46.Buckingham Palace and to the Queen's obvious delight.

:32:47. > :32:54.APPLAUSE 2014 is the 50th display season

:32:55. > :33:04.the Red Arrows. It is great to see them. The Queen thanking the crowd.

:33:05. > :33:20.The Duke of Edinburgh having a chat and sharing a joke with Prince

:33:21. > :33:27.So the Queen and three generations of the Royal Family making their way

:33:28. > :33:36.back into the Palace where the Birthday Parade of 2014, the 62nd on

:33:37. > :33:40.the Queen's reign is at an end. An impressive performance by the Royal

:33:41. > :33:48.Air Force to round off the day's events. You can enjoy it again. Our

:33:49. > :33:53.highlights programme is on BBC Two at 6.30pm. Now, from all of the BBC

:33:54. > :34:07.team, goodbye. Magnificent. The power base

:34:08. > :34:15.of medieval England. Charles' ceiling was a piece

:34:16. > :34:20.of breathtaking arrogance.