2016

:00:12. > :00:14.Every year on a Saturday morning in June, the sovereign's official

:00:15. > :00:16.birthday is celebrated in great style with the ceremony

:00:17. > :00:23.This year, there's an added dimension, because this is the year

:00:24. > :00:26.And the honour of Trooping the Colour in 2016 falls

:00:27. > :01:02.So, stand by for a thrilling display at the Queen's Birthday Parade.

:01:03. > :01:04.A very good morning, on this exceptional weekend of celebration.

:01:05. > :01:10.This is where we'll be following all the pageantry,

:01:11. > :01:12.the marching and the music of the Queen's Birthday

:01:13. > :01:15.Parade ? in this year of Her Majesty's 90th birthday.

:01:16. > :01:18.We are just a stone's throw from The Mall ? the grand

:01:19. > :01:21.processional route starts at Buckingham Palace ?

:01:22. > :01:25.where the Royal Standard is flying, signalling the Queen's presence -

:01:26. > :01:29.and then leads to the vast expanse of Horse Guards Parade,

:01:30. > :01:34.which is the world-famous stage for today's birthday parade.

:01:35. > :01:37.There will be as many as 1200 personnel involved

:01:38. > :01:42.Some of them, including the musicians, are already

:01:43. > :01:45.on their way after weeks of preparation for one

:01:46. > :01:48.of the finest military parades anywhere in the world,

:01:49. > :01:51.when the Sovereign's birthday will be honoured with the custom

:01:52. > :01:56.And the honour this year falls to the Coldstream Guards.

:01:57. > :02:00.We'll be keeping a close eye on everything that takes place

:02:01. > :02:02.on Horse Guards Parade, and if there's anyone working

:02:03. > :02:04.in the Foreign Office today on the south side

:02:05. > :02:07.of the Parade Ground, they'll have a great view,

:02:08. > :02:15.as will the residents of No 10 Downing Street.

:02:16. > :02:19.And talking of a great view, some of the best seats

:02:20. > :02:22.are on the roof of the Citadel building ? the fortress built

:02:23. > :02:28.Normally, we'd be following the parade from the commentary

:02:29. > :02:31.box in the stands, but this is no normal year.

:02:32. > :02:34.So, from our studio here in St James's Park,

:02:35. > :02:37.we'll be enjoying all the day's events, culminating in a spectacular

:02:38. > :02:44.birthday fly-past at 1 o'clock, watched by the Queen and members

:02:45. > :02:47.of the Royal Family from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

:02:48. > :02:50.This is a celebration of Her Majesty's official birthday.

:02:51. > :02:54.The Queen's actual birthday was on the 21st of April ? marked

:02:55. > :03:02.Yesterday, there was a national service of thanksgiving

:03:03. > :03:09.at St Paul's Cathedral, attended by dozens of members

:03:10. > :03:11.of the Royal Family, but it was a notable day

:03:12. > :03:14.for the Duke of Edinburgh, who was celebrating his 95th

:03:15. > :03:18.And tomorrow ? on the third day of this official birthday

:03:19. > :03:21.celebration ? there will be thousands of people on The Mall

:03:22. > :03:23.enjoying a giant street party, with picnics and entertainment,

:03:24. > :03:27.recognising the valuable work of the many charities which enjoy

:03:28. > :03:37.Our focus today is on the birthday tribute being presented

:03:38. > :03:41.The preparations began very early this morning, and Clare Balding

:03:42. > :03:45.is at Wellington Barracks with the King's Troop

:03:46. > :04:03.This is the hooking up process where they attach the teams of six horses.

:04:04. > :04:08.Lee Wheeler 's act as the breaks, strong and chunky animals. As you go

:04:09. > :04:20.forward the horses get more refined, all with the manes making them look

:04:21. > :04:29.sleek. In terms of that attitude, these are dependable horses. And you

:04:30. > :04:35.needed to. Six guns, all of them saw service in World War I. They are 13

:04:36. > :04:40.pounders, and they have been polished up to the nines. If I

:04:41. > :04:46.needed a mirror to check my make-up, I can see my reflection in them. The

:04:47. > :04:50.King's Troop celebrated its 300th anniversary this year and the Queen

:04:51. > :04:54.paid a visit to their base at Larkhill to honour that. This

:04:55. > :04:56.afternoon they will do their bit to pay tribute to the Queen's 90th

:04:57. > :05:04.birthday. Our very own tradition on the day

:05:05. > :05:07.of the Birthday Parade is to invite a guest to join us with direct

:05:08. > :05:10.experience of the parade. This year I'm delighted to welcome

:05:11. > :05:12.Brigadier Greville Bibby, who retired last year after 34 years

:05:13. > :05:15.in the army. He is ? among many other

:05:16. > :05:17.distinctions ? a former commanding officer of the 1st

:05:18. > :05:23.Battalion Coldstream Guards. A warm welcome, great to have you

:05:24. > :05:27.with us today. Delighted to be here, one of my favourite days of the

:05:28. > :05:31.year. Can't think of a better setting than the middle of St

:05:32. > :05:40.James's Park. It's very cool. I'm looking forward to a great parade.

:05:41. > :05:43.It's a massive day. The Queen's 64th parade, her 19thth year. The

:05:44. > :05:50.Coldstream Guards Trooping the Colour for her on one of the biggest

:05:51. > :05:54.days I can remember. You have direct experience of the parade, and here

:05:55. > :06:02.is the proof, 33 is ago, playing a central role in 1983. I'm clearly a

:06:03. > :06:11.bit slimmer. Standing alongside the regimental Sergeant Major and as he

:06:12. > :06:16.handed me the Colour he said, don't drop it, there are 10 million people

:06:17. > :06:20.watching. Just the encouragement I needed! I wanted to join the Army as

:06:21. > :06:27.long as I could remember. I had a bearskin and tunic from the age of

:06:28. > :06:31.four. I followed my father and grandfather into the regiment and

:06:32. > :06:38.here I was at 20, 21, Trooping the Colour in front of Her Majesty. Your

:06:39. > :06:41.pride is still evident today, 30 odd years later. Let's talk of the

:06:42. > :06:45.regimental pride for the Coldstream Guards. What does it mean for them

:06:46. > :06:51.today? A lots of men and women on parade today, but a lot from the

:06:52. > :06:59.Coldstream, probably the biggest guard I can remember. They were

:07:00. > :07:03.presented the Colour in 2012 and they now have the chance to show it

:07:04. > :07:07.off to her. What better birthday present could somebody want? I'm

:07:08. > :07:11.looking forward to chatting to you through the day and you can give

:07:12. > :07:16.your expert analysis as we go on. We can look at Horse Guards Parade now.

:07:17. > :07:19.So, a period of relative calm on Horse Guards,

:07:20. > :07:21.before the Parade Ground is filled with the sounds of marching

:07:22. > :07:23.and music, which really are the hallmarks of

:07:24. > :07:27.Some of the talented musicians of the Household Division

:07:28. > :07:31.We have the bands of the Welsh Guards and the Scots Guards.

:07:32. > :07:34.They are soon to be joined by their colleagues from the Irish,

:07:35. > :07:40.Looking on from the public stands, eagerly anticipating,

:07:41. > :07:42.Looking on from the public stands, eagerly anticipating

:07:43. > :07:45.the ceremony is a crowd of more than 7000 people ? including

:07:46. > :07:52.Not long to go before the Queen and other members of the Royal

:07:53. > :07:55.Family will leave Buckingham Palace, heading for Horse Guards Parade.

:07:56. > :07:58.And later, there will be the traditional balcony appearance ?

:07:59. > :08:02.one of the favourite moments of the day ? where we see different

:08:03. > :08:05.generations of the Royal Family greeting the crowd.

:08:06. > :08:08.All eyes will be focused on the skies above St James's Park

:08:09. > :08:11.for the first sighting of the magnificent 90th birthday

:08:12. > :08:18.fly-past being staged by the Royal Air Force.

:08:19. > :08:22.It will be one of the best for many years.

:08:23. > :08:25.On The Mall, proudly making their way from Wellington Barracks,

:08:26. > :08:28.this year's escort ? provided this year by No 7 Company,

:08:29. > :08:37.Coldstream Guards, the oldest regiment in continuous service

:08:38. > :08:39.in the British army, and one of seven regiments forming

:08:40. > :08:42.They are very much Her Majesty's personal troops.

:08:43. > :08:44.The motto of the Coldstream Guards is "Nulli Secundus"

:08:45. > :08:48.The guardsmen can be identified by the red plume in their bearskins

:08:49. > :08:51.- worn on the right side ? and their tunic buttons

:08:52. > :08:58.The last time No 7 Company trooped their Colour was in 2007.

:08:59. > :09:02.But 2012 was also a Coldstream year when the honour went to the 1st

:09:03. > :09:18.Just a time to say something about the transition between operational

:09:19. > :09:22.duty and ceremonial duty. 2012 was the last time the battalion was on

:09:23. > :09:28.ceremonial duty. They have been on operations for the last four years,

:09:29. > :09:36.going to Afghanistan, Romania, Kenya, Belize. It's only in the last

:09:37. > :09:41.few months that they have reenroll into ceremonial duty. It's not that

:09:42. > :09:45.big a challenge, every guardsmen going through training is taught his

:09:46. > :09:50.drill. Extra drill for guardsmen going through training. It's a case

:09:51. > :09:52.of the senior guardsmen, senior non-commissioned officers hanging on

:09:53. > :09:57.that experience and memory. This year the troops lining The Mall

:09:58. > :10:00.and adjoining routes are provided by the 1st Battalion Irish Guards,

:10:01. > :10:03.under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Alex Turner ?

:10:04. > :10:05.who was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for

:10:06. > :10:12.service in Afghanistan. They are lining the streets

:10:13. > :10:16.conscientiously today. We'll be staying on air until just

:10:17. > :10:19.after 1 o'clock to provide live coverage of the parade,

:10:20. > :10:21.the balcony appearance, And there's continuous, unedited

:10:22. > :10:26.coverage for you on the red button. And if you'd like to be involved,

:10:27. > :10:31.we'd love to hear from you. Send us your messages

:10:32. > :10:34.for the Armed Forces on this special day, or if you're holding

:10:35. > :10:36.a celebration to mark Simply get in touch with our BBC

:10:37. > :10:56.news feeds on Facebook and Twitter And if we have time after the

:10:57. > :10:59.parade, I will try to use some comments as part of the discussion.

:11:00. > :11:02.And as the Escort makes its way towards the Parade Ground,

:11:03. > :11:04.it's worth underlining that many of its members are new recruits.

:11:05. > :11:07.It really is a high-profile way to start life in the regiment.

:11:08. > :11:09.We joined them a few months ago as they arrived

:11:10. > :11:16.at Wellington Barracks for the start of their time in No 7 Company.

:11:17. > :11:19.The Guardsmen that have just arrived have just finished their phase two

:11:20. > :11:22.training in Catterick and today we'll get them kitted out

:11:23. > :11:28.I'm the senior master tailor for London district,

:11:29. > :11:30.so I'm the guy who measures them up for their tunic,

:11:31. > :11:34.their tweeds and their greycoat and then we'll send them off

:11:35. > :11:36.to the storeman to get them into the sizes that I've

:11:37. > :11:40.This'll probably last him for about a season.

:11:41. > :11:43.We change the greycoat in October and by the time he comes back

:11:44. > :11:46.for tunics, this probably won't fit him and they would have

:11:47. > :11:48.all changed body shape because they're all young lads.

:11:49. > :11:51.So, this is probably the only season he'll have with this tunic.

:11:52. > :12:07.Then I went through the Army Foundation College in Harrogate.

:12:08. > :12:10.It is tough but it builds you up to be the best,

:12:11. > :12:12.especially joining the Coldstream Guards.

:12:13. > :12:23.I've looked through them all and I can't seem to find

:12:24. > :12:31.Nothing really fits my head at the moment.

:12:32. > :12:32.How does that feel?

:12:33. > :12:43.Not too tight? No.

:12:44. > :12:45.It's important that it's not too tight because otherwise we'll be

:12:46. > :12:49.As you see here, it's looking a bit like ragtails because it's

:12:50. > :12:55.So, get into the shower, wash it like you would your hair.

:12:56. > :12:58.Wash some mild shampoo into it, which gives it a real clean

:12:59. > :13:02.I feel happy now. Now I've got one, finally.

:13:03. > :13:05.We're down at Pirbright to continue another day's troop training.

:13:06. > :13:08.Given that the Sergeant Major's here today, he'll be making sure

:13:09. > :13:11.that we've got our column distance between guards correct and we're

:13:12. > :13:25.There are five members of the escort that are still under 18.

:13:26. > :13:30.That's why it's on the back of your head.

:13:31. > :13:32.Coming straight from school was a bit of a shock.

:13:33. > :13:36.Training was definitely the hardest thing I've done.

:13:37. > :13:42.The hardest thing to master is probably the forms

:13:43. > :13:45.People are pushing down, pushing on you and people

:13:46. > :13:48.get popped out of line, which knocks the whole line out.

:13:49. > :13:50.And also if you go past the saluting line, Her Majesty

:13:51. > :13:54.Because I'm the far left marker, I'm marking time for absolutely ages.

:13:55. > :13:57.I'm standing on the front row, front left, so it's

:13:58. > :14:01.It's my job to make sure that they're picking up on all the finest

:14:02. > :14:04.of details so that by the time of the parade, there'll

:14:05. > :14:09.Trooping the Colour is probably the toughest thing I've done so far.

:14:10. > :14:14.Getting things right without being pointed out

:14:15. > :14:20.I don't think there's going to be many more monarchs that

:14:21. > :14:24.have a 90th Birthday Parade, so you've got grab it and it'll be

:14:25. > :14:38.So, a memorable few months for those new recruits.

:14:39. > :14:39.Some of them, including Guardsmen Orton, Brayley

:14:40. > :14:42.and Cunningham, have earned a place in today's Escort,

:14:43. > :14:45.taking centre stage today, as they prepare to face the crowds

:14:46. > :14:50.and march smartly onto the Parade Ground.

:14:51. > :14:53.And marching with the Escort is Number 2 Guard, found

:14:54. > :15:04.by Number 2 Company, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.

:15:05. > :15:07.A very heavy presence from the Coldstream Guards today.

:15:08. > :15:10.Number 3 Guard and Number 4 Guard are also found by Coldstream Guards.

:15:11. > :15:12.And they're being led onto the Parade Ground by the Band

:15:13. > :15:21.Already on the Parade Ground in position are Number 5 Guard.

:15:22. > :15:26.Found by Nijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards, created in 1994

:15:27. > :15:28.to carry the colours of the suspended 2nd Battalion,

:15:29. > :15:32.and to maintain its customs and traditions.

:15:33. > :15:41.Right at the far end, formed up at right angles near

:15:42. > :15:45.the Old Admiralty Building, we have Number 6 Guard,

:15:46. > :15:48.found today by F Company Scots Guards,

:15:49. > :15:50.an independent Company created in 1994, representing the suspended

:15:51. > :16:00.The Scots Guards last trooped their colour in 2011.

:16:01. > :16:04.So each of the six numbered guards on parade is made up of three

:16:05. > :16:06.officers and 70 men, apart from the Escort,

:16:07. > :16:25.All of which makes a total of 19 officers and 426 men.

:16:26. > :16:26.We mentioned the Irish Guards are represented

:16:27. > :16:28.in the Massed Bands, and they're

:16:29. > :16:31.The Welsh Guards, who trooped their Colour last year, are also

:16:32. > :16:34.represented by some of the musicians in the Massed Bands,

:16:35. > :16:45.Now one of the prime features of this parade

:16:46. > :16:47.is precision and exemplary collaboration.

:16:48. > :16:50.It's the kind of teamwork that becomes

:16:51. > :16:52.possible when everyone is determined to work together.

:16:53. > :16:55.Ask anyone who is involved and they will tell you it is one

:16:56. > :17:05.And the regiment's photo album was updated very recently.

:17:06. > :17:08.We decided that this year, as we have a number

:17:09. > :17:11.of key personalities who are Coldstream Guards on this

:17:12. > :17:13.year's Queen's Birthday Parade, that we'd set up and take

:17:14. > :17:17.I joined the Army in 1996 and was commissioned

:17:18. > :17:25.I joined the Coldstream Guards in 1988, so about 28 years ago.

:17:26. > :17:27.I joined the Coldstream Guards in 1994, so I'm now in my

:17:28. > :17:34.I joined the Coldstream Guards in 1993 and I'd always

:17:35. > :17:40.I joined the Army in 2007 and passed up from Sandhurst in 2008,

:17:41. > :17:44.commissioning into the Coldstream Guards.

:17:45. > :17:46.I joined the Coldstream Guards in August last year

:17:47. > :17:53.We're a very special Regiment with a long and deep

:17:54. > :17:58.There is a great and very powerful feeling of family

:17:59. > :18:02.There's a phrase we have in the division, if you cut

:18:03. > :18:04.someone they'll bleed blue, red, blue, which are our

:18:05. > :18:09.I've known a lot of them in battle situations as well as clearly

:18:10. > :18:16.Many of us have served together on operations in Iraq,

:18:17. > :18:19.Afghanistan and further back in Northern Ireland.

:18:20. > :18:24.We're primarily front-line infantry troops.

:18:25. > :18:27.When you're on tour, you're living in each other's pockets.

:18:28. > :18:29.You get to know your comrades extremely well.

:18:30. > :18:31.There's lots of humour and lots of banter that goes on,

:18:32. > :18:35.Of course, if you get into contact and the adrenaline starts flowing,

:18:36. > :18:39.you know you can rely on the person left and right and you know

:18:40. > :18:42.that the person next you would probably give

:18:43. > :18:49.What makes the Coldstream Guards special is just how

:18:50. > :19:05.Today is sort of a family day and the idea is to get the soldiers

:19:06. > :19:08.and their families to come so they get to see more

:19:09. > :19:11.about what we do, they get to ask questions and it's an opportunity

:19:12. > :19:22.They are desperate to get me to take them shooting at the wall.

:19:23. > :19:24.This year we've kind of got the past, present and future

:19:25. > :19:29.So, we have a number of recruits from Caterrick who are in various

:19:30. > :19:37.We've got past members who've formed th evarious associations around

:19:38. > :19:40.the country and also the serving members of the battalion,

:19:41. > :19:46.so the three generations of Coldstream Guards are here today.

:19:47. > :19:49.Just a step slightly over towards Senior John Major, please.

:19:50. > :19:51.As the Regiment historians of the future look back on these

:19:52. > :19:56.days, hopefully they'll have an understanding of some

:19:57. > :19:59.of the people that served in the Regiment in our time,

:20:00. > :20:02.so that those who are serving in the future can look back

:20:03. > :20:04.and learn and ensure they understand what makes this Regiment proud

:20:05. > :20:06.and some of the history that goes before them.

:20:07. > :20:12.The photograph will be hanging in the respective officers'

:20:13. > :20:15.and sergeants' mess and then quite possibly a copy to Her Majesty

:20:16. > :20:17.as a birthday present from the Coldstream Guards

:20:18. > :20:33.Here he is the man who will be Field Officer in Brigade Waiting.

:20:34. > :20:46.Did you sleep well last night? Not too badly. Grey Fond is a late

:20:47. > :20:59.draft? Yes, unfortunately the horse I was due to ride two weeks ago went

:21:00. > :21:03.lame and I rode Grey Falcon for the first time and he is the super sub

:21:04. > :21:10.and I'm sure he will deliver the goods. How much do you worry about

:21:11. > :21:17.your riding or is it about commends and what's going on the parade

:21:18. > :21:21.square? I try to remain calm and not transmit any nerves to the horse of

:21:22. > :21:26.the Household Cavalry really looked after me well in the build-up to the

:21:27. > :21:29.parade. There has been a lot of teamwork across the Household

:21:30. > :21:34.division. If I asked you whether you're looking forward to, what's

:21:35. > :21:39.the answer? I am looking forward to, it is nervous anticipation. It is an

:21:40. > :21:42.honour and the boys and girls are all really looking forward to the

:21:43. > :21:49.parade today and I hope we can deliver the goods. OK, well I hope

:21:50. > :21:55.you put your best foot forward and Grey Falcon does his stuff!

:21:56. > :21:59.Best of luck. We will be talking more about the

:22:00. > :22:10.Commanding Officer later. The Colour Party is in place

:22:11. > :22:18.and it's the Colour of the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards that's

:22:19. > :22:19.being trooped today. The colour carries 44 of

:22:20. > :22:22.the regiment's 113 battle honours - the oldest being Tangier in 1680,

:22:23. > :22:24.and the most recent being The Colour was presented

:22:25. > :22:28.by The Queen in 2012, but this is the first

:22:29. > :22:32.occasion it's been trooped. So it's a notable honour

:22:33. > :22:36.for the members of the Colour Party. The Sergeant of the Escort

:22:37. > :22:39.is Sergeant Sam McAuley, it's his fith birthday parade,

:22:40. > :22:42.and he's marched with He's flanked by the two

:22:43. > :22:50.Sentries to the Colour. Guardsman Mark Bazeley,

:22:51. > :22:51.the Right Sentry. And Guardsman Jack Bazeley,

:22:52. > :22:59.the Left Sentry. Yes, they look identical in their

:23:00. > :23:04.uniform, but they are in fact, eye Kentical twins! We think this is the

:23:05. > :23:07.first for the Colour Party at the Birthday Parade. Their parents and

:23:08. > :23:14.younger brother are in the stands today. Clare has been talking to

:23:15. > :23:19.their proud mum. You had an early start this morning.

:23:20. > :23:23.I was up at 4.30am organising everything and making sure we got

:23:24. > :23:26.everything, tickets, all the clothes ready, dogs organised. So yeah, it

:23:27. > :23:30.was a heckic morning. What was your reaction when the boys rang you to

:23:31. > :23:38.tell you they were both going to be in the Colour Party? Initially

:23:39. > :23:42.shock, very proud of them obviously. So for them to be doing this

:23:43. > :23:47.initially in their first year is brilliant. It is fantastic. How old

:23:48. > :23:51.were they when they decided they wanted to join the army? They were

:23:52. > :23:55.18. They were, you know, a few dead end jobs and didn't really know what

:23:56. > :23:59.they wanted to do and they came home from town one day and, "Mum, we've

:24:00. > :24:03.joined the Army." That was a shock. I don't think I spoke to them for

:24:04. > :24:06.three or four days and I was in denial, here we are today and I

:24:07. > :24:10.couldn't be prouder. Having seen the effect it has had on them, would you

:24:11. > :24:12.say it changed them as people? Yes, very much so. They are very

:24:13. > :24:17.independent people now. They are proud people. Very tidy, very tidy,

:24:18. > :24:21.when they come home, leave the ironing until they come home. Yeah,

:24:22. > :24:25.they're very proud, very, very proud of what they're doing and

:24:26. > :24:28.everything. They are identical twins and they will be wearing identical

:24:29. > :24:35.uniform. You know which side they will be on, can you tell them apart?

:24:36. > :24:38.I can, yes. I can, yes. Mark has got different features. They have got

:24:39. > :24:41.different features. They were standing here, you would know by

:24:42. > :24:45.their personalities, their personalities are different. There

:24:46. > :24:50.are a few different features, very slight, but yeah, they are there.

:24:51. > :24:57.Well, you have done them proud and wish them well today.

:24:58. > :25:02.They were 21 this week, the twins. Greville, an important thing that

:25:03. > :25:05.the mum said about this opportunity, the Army, having given them an

:25:06. > :25:09.opportunity to refocus their lives? Isn't that lovely. I like the idea

:25:10. > :25:14.of them going home and doing the ironing. They will have the mickey

:25:15. > :25:18.taken out of them forever on that one. Isn't that fantastic. They are

:25:19. > :25:22.delightful young men. You and I met them last week. Weren't quite sure

:25:23. > :25:26.where they were going in life and they walked into a recruiting office

:25:27. > :25:31.and the recruiting sergeant there encouraged them to join the

:25:32. > :25:37.Coldstream Guards. I think because they were particularly good looking.

:25:38. > :25:43.What about Sergeant McCauley? He is one of the youngest sergeants in the

:25:44. > :25:46.renlg: He served in Afghanistan twice and his wife and two girls

:25:47. > :25:50.will be enjoying this moment. Look at him there, centre stage. Well, we

:25:51. > :25:59.wish them well because they are really getting a lot of attention at

:26:00. > :26:07.this moment and they have part to play.

:26:08. > :26:09.The officer commanding today's parade, the Field Officer

:26:10. > :26:11.in Brigade Waiting, is Lieutenant Colonel James

:26:12. > :26:13.Thurstan, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.

:26:14. > :26:15.As he was telling us earlier, he was commissioned

:26:16. > :26:17.into the regiment in 1997, and assumed command of the 1st

:26:18. > :26:21.His younger brother Charlie, also a Coldstream officer, was

:26:22. > :26:30.So, let's take a closer look at the Escort.

:26:31. > :26:32.And the Ensign is 2nd Lieutenant James Potter

:26:33. > :26:37.is already in position on the Parade Ground.

:26:38. > :26:39.Greville, as the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel, you helped

:26:40. > :26:53.You saw me doing what he is doing today. One of my responsibilities

:26:54. > :26:58.last year was the selection of young officers to join our regiment. So

:26:59. > :27:03.James commissioned out of Sandhurst last year, completed his

:27:04. > :27:07.professional training and is now thrust into the limelight as the

:27:08. > :27:15.Ensign of the day. Enjoyable? Yes, I think so. I think it is excitement,

:27:16. > :27:20.a few nerves. He will be worrying about a number of things which I

:27:21. > :27:25.won't, I won't expose because people will pick up on them, but there are

:27:26. > :27:29.a few areas in the parade where he is thinking he has no control over.

:27:30. > :27:34.He will be hoping it goes well. A word about the major of the parade.

:27:35. > :27:37.Of the Welsh Guards, we have a Welsh Guardsman Second in Command of the

:27:38. > :27:41.Coldstream Guards, how does that work? Well, that's become more and

:27:42. > :27:46.more normal. With the reducing size of the Army, we find that officers

:27:47. > :27:49.swap regiments and it explains why I started life as a Grenadier and

:27:50. > :27:55.ended up commanding the Coldstream Guards.

:27:56. > :27:59.Well, there is a wonderful look down the Mall with the Union Flags and at

:28:00. > :28:00.Buckingham Palace, the first carriage procession is about to

:28:01. > :29:22.leave. We have Prince Harry and the Duchess

:29:23. > :29:25.of Cornwall, Duchess of Cambridge. They were at the Service of

:29:26. > :29:32.Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral yesterday. We have The Duke of York

:29:33. > :29:40.and his daughters. And then in the third carriage, we have the early a

:29:41. > :29:52.Earl and Countess Earl and Countess of Wessex.

:29:53. > :30:00.At Canada Gate, facing the Palace, a very big crowd for what everyone

:30:01. > :30:10.knows is a very special Birthday Parade to mark the Queen's official

:30:11. > :30:15.90th birthday. The Duchess of Cambridge there.

:30:16. > :30:18.Having celebrated her fifth wedding anniversary earlier this year and

:30:19. > :30:25.Prince Harry, who has been very busy this year with his second Invictus

:30:26. > :30:29.Games. They took place in Florida back in May. Took a lot of work and

:30:30. > :30:34.a lot of preparation. It has become a success. Over 110 athletes from

:30:35. > :30:43.the UK competed in those Invictus Games.

:30:44. > :30:46.The Duchess of Cornwall has seen her individual profile grow

:30:47. > :30:49.She attended the State Opening of Parliament with the Prince

:30:50. > :32:19.The Royal Salute is sounded by Trooper Peter Chivers

:32:20. > :32:21.of the Blues and Royals ? the Field Officer's trumpeter

:32:22. > :32:51.Some people have brought manageable and modestly side union flags,

:32:52. > :33:02.others have brought much larger ones to wave as the Queen passes. The

:33:03. > :33:07.crowds this year numbering many thousands, we will have the official

:33:08. > :33:14.number later. The crowd this year is much bigger than they usually are at

:33:15. > :33:24.this point in the parade, indicator of the significance of the day.

:33:25. > :33:27.The Duke of Cambridge, in his sixth year riding as Colonel

:33:28. > :33:29.of the Irish Guards, and he is the regiment's first Royal

:33:30. > :33:33.The Prince of Wales, riding as Colonel of the Welsh Guards ?

:33:34. > :33:35.a role he has fulfilled for the past 41 years.

:33:36. > :33:42.And we saw the Duke of Kent earlier, Colonel of the Scots Guards.

:33:43. > :33:45.The Princess Royal, Colonel of The Blues and Royals ? a position

:33:46. > :33:53.In September last year, Her Majesty overtook the remarkable

:33:54. > :33:56.record set by Queen Victoria, as the longest-reigning

:33:57. > :33:59.monarch in British history, and went on to celebrate 64 years

:34:00. > :34:33.The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, both great, great grandchildren of

:34:34. > :34:37.Queen Vic Tory. Let's remember, when we think of the Queen's remarkable

:34:38. > :35:04.record of attending this parade, Queen Victoria only managed to

:35:05. > :35:10.attend one Birthday Parade, when she was in her 70s.

:35:11. > :35:17.The Earl and Countess of Wessex, and their children, we saw them

:35:18. > :35:32.yesterday in St Paul's Cathedral. Lady Louise Windsor. Lady Louise is

:35:33. > :35:45.12 and the Viscount is eight years old. They turned the corner from The

:35:46. > :35:46.Mall and into the approach road. It means the first carriage is almost

:35:47. > :35:56.at the parade ground. Captain Harry Wales is also

:35:57. > :36:01.an officer in the Household Cavalry which is why his uniform today

:36:02. > :36:16.is that of a Blues and Royals As the first carriage is approached

:36:17. > :36:20.the parade ground, we will see the formation has changed.

:36:21. > :36:23.Number 3 Guard has opened up to make way for the first Royal guests,

:36:24. > :36:29.as the band prepares to play the National Anthem.

:36:30. > :36:32.That will signal the arrival of the first of the royal guests at Horse

:36:33. > :36:52.Guards Parade today. The carriages approach

:36:53. > :37:18.the Horse Guards building, where the Royal party will watch

:37:19. > :37:26.the parade from the room once occupied by the Duke

:37:27. > :37:32.of Wellington, and now the office of Major-General Ed

:37:33. > :37:46.Smyth-Osbourne, Commanding You know this room, Greville, and it

:37:47. > :37:52.has a strong link to the Coldstream. It does, back in 1650, the

:37:53. > :37:55.Coldstream Guards were raised by Oliver Cromwell as part of his new

:37:56. > :38:03.model Army. He then Colonel George Monck was the resident first

:38:04. > :38:08.colonel, who marched his regiment, known as the George Monck's regiment

:38:09. > :38:13.of foot, from Coldstream down to London, and it then became loyal to

:38:14. > :38:17.King Charles II in 1661. General George Monck sits down at the

:38:18. > :38:26.Major-General as he sits at Wellington's desk doing his e-mails!

:38:27. > :38:28.The Sovereign's Escort ? one of the most impressive sights

:38:29. > :38:30.of the day ? seven officers and 111 Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned

:38:31. > :38:33.Officers and Troopers ? from the Household Cavalry Mounted

:38:34. > :38:40.Leading the procession along The Mall is the Brigade Major ?

:38:41. > :38:43.Lieutenant Colonel David Hannah of the Irish Guards.

:38:44. > :38:47.It's his first parade in this role ? and to think that as a 9 year-old

:38:48. > :38:51.he visited Waterloo with his father, and that's what inspired him

:38:52. > :39:02.Vixen is the charger I have been given for the Birthday Parade,

:39:03. > :39:04.and indeed the various parades beforehand which serve

:39:05. > :39:11.It's my first as Brigade Major, but I have been on parade

:39:12. > :39:17.I have the task of leading the royal procession on to the parade,

:39:18. > :39:22.and then around the parade during the inspection phase.

:39:23. > :39:26.Much of my work has to be done well before the parade,

:39:27. > :39:29.in terms of the planning, preparation, coordination

:39:30. > :39:32.and helping to stitch it all together into what I hope

:39:33. > :39:42.will be a memorable and successful Birthday Parade.

:39:43. > :39:47.And by the way, one of his teenage daughters

:39:48. > :39:54.Let's see if the rules change and make that happen.

:39:55. > :40:05.As Brigade Major comedy role is important. Let's define it. Working

:40:06. > :40:08.closely with the garrison major, the Brigade Major is responsible for all

:40:09. > :40:14.military ceremony in London. Between them they have prepared for this

:40:15. > :40:18.parade, prepared initially for the Major-General, they're in media to

:40:19. > :40:23.boss, and made sure it's ready for Her Majesty today. A big and

:40:24. > :40:26.challenging task for David. A lot of hard work by him and his backroom

:40:27. > :40:31.team as well, from London headquarters district. A lot of hard

:40:32. > :40:36.work goes into putting this together.

:40:37. > :40:38.And the uplifting sight of the Mounted Band

:40:39. > :40:40.of the Household Cavalry, led by the Director of Music,

:40:41. > :40:42.Major Craig Hallatt of the Life Guards, who's

:40:43. > :40:46.composed two pieces of music for today's parade.

:40:47. > :40:49.The 1st and 2nd divisions of the Sovereign's Escort,

:40:50. > :40:51.provided this year by the Blues and Royals with their distinctive

:40:52. > :41:00.The Field Officer of the Escort is Major Alex Owen.

:41:01. > :41:03.This, his last Birthday Parade, as he's leaving the army at the end

:41:04. > :41:08.Today he's riding George, named after the Queen's father

:41:09. > :41:15.Then the 3rd and 4th divisions of the Sovereign's Escort

:41:16. > :41:18.are provided by the Life Guards, with their red tunics

:41:19. > :41:22.The tradition of using the Household Cavalry to escort

:41:23. > :41:24.the Sovereign to the Parade was introduced by King George

:41:25. > :41:46.The Duke of Edinburgh first rode in the Parade in 1953 in the full

:41:47. > :41:51.Since then he has always attended in the uniform of a Colonel,

:41:52. > :41:56.as he became Colonel of the Welsh Guards in 1954,

:41:57. > :42:06.and later, Colonel of the Grenadier Guards in 1975.

:42:07. > :42:09.The great processional route along the Mall is lined with the union

:42:10. > :42:18.flags. The great processional

:42:19. > :42:20.route along The Mall, lined with Union Flags,

:42:21. > :42:22.but not quite as ornately decorated as it was for that first

:42:23. > :42:25.Birthday Parade of the Queen's reign in 1953, when the coronation arches

:42:26. > :42:27.were still in place. The Union Flag flies on all main

:42:28. > :42:29.government buildings from 8:00am until sunset

:42:30. > :42:32.on the day of the Parade, and for the Queen's actual

:42:33. > :42:57.birthday on April 21st. The mounted cavalry will be making a

:42:58. > :43:02.dramatic entrance later. Always good to see one of the high points of the

:43:03. > :43:13.parade, such a magnificent and exciting presents.

:43:14. > :43:24.We can hear lots of energetic shouting and cries of support and

:43:25. > :43:27.waving in the youth enclosure. The Boys' Brigade and Girls' Brigade

:43:28. > :43:34.represented. They contrast in terms of age with the very dignified site

:43:35. > :43:42.of the Chelsea Pensioners, around a dozen of them today, led by the

:43:43. > :43:47.Captain of the invalids number one company. Their combined ages, as

:43:48. > :43:54.they stand to salute, their combined age is 785. It's great to see them.

:43:55. > :44:00.The Household Cavalry taking up their position on the eastern fringe

:44:01. > :44:18.of St James's Park. As the Queen arrives to enjoy this

:44:19. > :44:27.summer tradition of the official birthday, firmly established by

:44:28. > :44:33.Edward VII. Her Majesty's carriage turning onto the parade ground. The

:44:34. > :44:36.head coachman, Jack Hargreaves, getting ready to salute the Colour

:44:37. > :45:06.in his unique way, with his whip. Very experienced head coachman, Jack

:45:07. > :45:10.Hargreaves saluting the colour. The formal start of the Queen's Birthday

:45:11. > :45:50.Khan parade of 2016. PLAYS NATIONAL

:45:51. > :47:01.The Queen's first task is to inspect the line of guards. It is also an

:47:02. > :47:11.opportunity for the Massed Bands to entertain. The man in charge, Senior

:47:12. > :47:19.Director of Music, this is his second Birthday Parade in the role.

:47:20. > :47:54.MUSIC: The Banks of the Green Willow.

:47:55. > :49:11.MUSIC: The Banks of the Green Willow by George Butterworth.

:49:12. > :49:14.The music changes to Northumbrian Airs, a favourite of No

:49:15. > :49:34.The Queen's colonel of chief. Chief of all 7 regiments of the Household

:49:35. > :49:41.Division. Today she's wearing the brooch

:49:42. > :49:43.of the Brigade of Guards in Uno, five joined in one featuring

:49:44. > :49:47.the badges of the five-foot The procession passes

:49:48. > :50:12.the Sovereign's Standard The Household Cavalry is the only

:50:13. > :50:17.regiments allowed to present a Sovereign's Standard

:50:18. > :50:19.on today's parade. Inscribed on the Standard

:50:20. > :50:21.are the regiment's Battle Honours The standard bearer is Squadron

:50:22. > :50:57.Corporal Major George Sampson. The Queen is preparing to look at

:50:58. > :51:06.the King's Troop. The last parade for Major General Ed Smith as burn.

:51:07. > :51:08.He's riding Jutland, named after the First World War

:51:09. > :51:10.battle, the 100th anniversary was commemorated last week

:51:11. > :51:19.and the General's great-uncle was killed at Jutland on HMS Invincible.

:51:20. > :51:22.Very soon it will be turn of the Massed Bands

:51:23. > :51:24.of the Household Division to introduce the next phase

:51:25. > :51:29.of the parade and the musicians will be following the steps

:51:30. > :51:31.of the Senior Drum Major, Scott Fitzgerald of

:51:32. > :51:37.his third year in this important role.

:51:38. > :51:41.The mace these days is used for drill movements.

:51:42. > :51:46.I would signal a spinning wheel with the mace, mark time, halt,

:51:47. > :51:50.Historically, it was used to clear the streets.

:51:51. > :51:52.When the drums and flutes were going through the streets,

:51:53. > :51:54.the drum major would clear population out the way.

:51:55. > :51:57.Nowadays it holds all the regimental battle honours.

:51:58. > :52:01.I really hope Her Majesty enjoys the music for the Quick Troop.

:52:02. > :52:03.It's a special arrangement of Happy Birthday, so hopefully

:52:04. > :52:06.she will be tapping her foot and hopefully she'll pick

:52:07. > :52:08.up the Happy Birthday within the arrangement

:52:09. > :52:17.Scott Fitzgerald sharing his views on today's parade.

:52:18. > :52:30.What will he be thinking? He is a professional man. Scott was the Drum

:52:31. > :52:33.Major in the battalion when I was Commanding Officer ten years ago and

:52:34. > :52:37.I will never forget the day I woke up on the morning of my 40th

:52:38. > :52:40.birthday to hear the tones of Happy Birthday being played and looked out

:52:41. > :52:45.of the window and there was the corp of drums playing me happy birthday.

:52:46. > :52:54.If I could point out also, the extreme left, as we look at it,

:52:55. > :53:01.Steve State this is his 25th parade. He is another old friend, we went to

:53:02. > :53:23.Gulf War I together and he was on my Guard of Honour when I got married.

:53:24. > :56:15.Massed Bands by the centre. Slow March.

:56:16. > :56:19.Sur centre Hancock will be giving a signal. Has final parade after 30

:56:20. > :58:30.years of service. Massed Bands by the centre. Quick

:58:31. > :58:38.march. The quick march is Royal Birthday composed by Major Alf

:58:39. > :58:46.Young. Listen carefully for the Happy Birthday theme!

:58:47. > :58:54.There we see the lone drummer, Jason Pitman. He is acknowledged to be the

:58:55. > :59:02.best drummer in the division. He is carrying a Coldstream bugle used in

:59:03. > :59:06.the First World War by Drummer Aitken whose descendants are

:59:07. > :59:10.watching the parade today. Greville, the best drummer? Yes, this is a

:59:11. > :59:16.lovely moment for this young soldier. Jason's father plays the

:59:17. > :59:22.drums. Jason played the drums as a boy and he is what we call the lead

:59:23. > :59:26.tip, the best drummer and he is the silver bugle, which is the best

:59:27. > :01:33.bugler in the battalion. He'll never forget today.

:01:34. > :01:43.The drummer plays eight bars of a field signal. Orderly Guardsmen Mark

:01:44. > :02:10.Preston comes forward to take the pace stick.

:02:11. > :02:21.The subaltern of the Escort, Captain Freddie Russell,

:02:22. > :02:25.gives the order for the Escort to take up their dressing in close

:02:26. > :02:27.order ? a tighter formation for the march forward

:02:28. > :03:09.The Escort steps off with great energy and purpose to the rousing

:03:10. > :03:12.march of the British Grenadiers, on their way to escort the Colour,

:03:13. > :03:17.showing the results of weeks of hard work.

:03:18. > :03:29.It's a great moment? All eyes on No 7 Company. The Sergeant Major will

:03:30. > :03:34.come forward in a minute. This is the moment they have trained for for

:03:35. > :03:38.the last six months, among the other duties they have. They are centre

:03:39. > :03:44.stage, nowhere to hide, and everybody will be giving 100%,

:03:45. > :03:48.desperate for it to go well. They know all the Coldstream Guards out

:03:49. > :03:52.there will be checking their dressing and drill. It's a matter of

:03:53. > :04:01.impressing all the people watching, but a lot of expert eyes watching,

:04:02. > :04:05.and one really expert pair, Her Majesty's. The 64th time she has

:04:06. > :04:13.watched this. She will know whether it is good or not. I'm really proud

:04:14. > :04:18.watching this, they look fabulous. 16 paces in front of the Colour,

:04:19. > :04:27.ready for the collection to take place, the kernel.

:04:28. > :05:28.-- the Colonel. Escort for the Colour in open order.

:05:29. > :05:42.Such a proud moment. A career that started in 1993, having served in

:05:43. > :06:53.Iraq, presenting over to the Ensign, Second Lieutenant James Potter.

:06:54. > :06:55.The transfer is made ? as the Ensign, 2nd

:06:56. > :06:59.receives the Colour from Regimental Sergeant Major ?

:07:00. > :07:06.and places it securely in his white Colour belt.

:07:07. > :07:39.So we enter the central phase of this Birthday Parade

:07:40. > :07:43.as the Escort prepares to troop the Colour through the ranks,

:07:44. > :07:48.It's no longer the Escort for the Colour.

:07:49. > :08:25.The Escort advances in slow time, to the tune Escort to the Colour,

:08:26. > :08:28.which has been played at this point in the Parade since 1978,

:08:29. > :08:30.and very soon the bands will have to negotiate

:08:31. > :08:39.It's the military equivalent of a 3-point turn and it's

:08:40. > :08:45.200 musicians ? supported by 40 members of the corps of drums

:08:46. > :08:48.and pipers ? having to change direction without

:08:49. > :09:01.And to put it mildly, it's a challenge. It's always intrigued me,

:09:02. > :09:05.I've never understood how they have done it. I had the privilege of

:09:06. > :09:11.watching the Massed Bands rehearse this a few weeks ago. I was told

:09:12. > :09:18.that the instructions are not written down anywhere. I think the

:09:19. > :09:21.mystique is part of the thrill, but they successfully achieve it every

:09:22. > :09:30.year. The garrison Sergeant Major, the senior band major and senior

:09:31. > :10:42.drum major art all Coldstream Guards.

:10:43. > :11:07.The music changes to the familiar Grenadiers Slow March,

:11:08. > :11:09.arranged by Fred Harris, as the Escort prepares

:11:10. > :11:17.to Troop the Colour through the ranks.

:11:18. > :11:27.We approach a deeply symbolic part of this parade where the Colour is

:11:28. > :11:32.trooped. What's the significance? It's the spiritual heart of the

:11:33. > :11:36.parade. All the Coldstreamers past and present watching will be feeling

:11:37. > :11:43.the emotion. There is no question, I am! The significance is that before

:11:44. > :11:46.the days of radio and modern communications, the only way

:11:47. > :11:52.soldiers on a battlefield knew where they needed to be was the following

:11:53. > :11:57.of the Colour. It was the rallying point. So many soldiers were killed

:11:58. > :12:01.every day, the new recruits were shown the Colour every morning so

:12:02. > :12:05.they knew exactly which their Colour was and where their rally was.

:12:06. > :12:07.It is such a big moment for the Ensign, 2nd

:12:08. > :12:09.Lieutenant James Potter, who's 25 and from Salisbury, joined

:12:10. > :12:12.the Army less than two years ago, and was commissioned

:12:13. > :12:16.He's been telling us about the honour of being chosen.

:12:17. > :12:19.When I heard I was Ensign, I was obviously ecstatic.

:12:20. > :12:28.Quartermaster Sergeant, he produced a heavier practice colour.

:12:29. > :12:31.So when I'm flourishing, I can get used to the actual feel of it.

:12:32. > :12:34.To prepare, I think lots of it is just conditioning,

:12:35. > :12:37.so definitely some extra time in the gym, working on the shoulders

:12:38. > :12:40.to try and make sure they are up to the task on the day.

:12:41. > :12:43.I do love being the centre of attention, I must admit.

:12:44. > :12:47.And going over to collect the Colour in the middle of the parade,

:12:48. > :12:50.I know that there is a slight pause and that's the moment

:12:51. > :12:52.everyone's just watching me when everyone else is stood still.

:12:53. > :12:54.So it's a good moment and I'm very much looking

:12:55. > :13:08.James Potter with his thoughts. Greville, you have been there, what

:13:09. > :13:18.are your thoughts? To be honest, I'm welling up. I have gone fizzy all

:13:19. > :13:23.over. I know it was 33 years ago, but I remember it so well. This will

:13:24. > :13:25.possibly always be the biggest day of James Potter's life. I'm certain

:13:26. > :16:27.he will be enjoying it. This is an opportunity for them to

:16:28. > :16:34.show off their musical skills. We have the Corp of Drums led by Drum

:16:35. > :16:39.Major Maurice Brown and we have got the Drums and Pipes, led by John

:16:40. > :16:44.Smylie. All the guys are soldiers first. They've got a lot of medals

:16:45. > :16:50.between them. And it is just amazing how they can be soldiers and

:16:51. > :17:05.musicians, immaculate really. Right. March past in slow and quick

:17:06. > :17:55.time. By the left. Slow March. So the trooping phase

:17:56. > :18:04.is complete and the march The neutral slow march

:18:05. > :18:09.is Old Coldstream Marches, arranged by Lieutenant

:18:10. > :18:11.Colonel Trevor Sharpe, for the Coldstream Guards

:18:12. > :18:19.in the 1960s and 1970s. It has been used on numerous

:18:20. > :19:39.Birthday Parades. Such a good view of the march men. A

:19:40. > :19:43.good moment for us to reflect. People watching from the good

:19:44. > :19:46.vantage point of the Major General's office. Lady Louise and her father,

:19:47. > :19:49.the Earl of Wessex. It's the perfect moment

:19:50. > :19:51.in the Parade to appreciate the quality of teamwork

:19:52. > :19:54.and collaboration that's vital on parade but also

:19:55. > :20:07.on the battlefield. I have to say at this stage other

:20:08. > :20:12.parts of the Army tend to take the mick out of the Household Division

:20:13. > :20:17.for our ceremonial role. But it is not easy and to get everything right

:20:18. > :20:21.relies on an extraordinary level of teamwork. We might see a bit of it

:20:22. > :20:26.now, the Guardsmen in the middle of the ranks, keeping the officer in

:20:27. > :20:29.line, the ranks working really hard to try and keep a straight line

:20:30. > :20:33.which they are achieving really well. We have the Company Sergeant

:20:34. > :20:40.Major who will tell the officer when he is ready to do a left turn and,

:20:41. > :20:44."Right, sir." Here he goes, yeah, teamwork, all the way throughout the

:20:45. > :20:48.parade and clearly, directly transferable on to the field of

:20:49. > :20:52.battle. What does it take to get to this level of performance? This

:20:53. > :20:56.level of precision? I think it is a combination clearly of practise, but

:20:57. > :21:02.confidence. Confidence in your own skills and ability to do it and

:21:03. > :21:07.these guys work together on a daily basis and they know the whole Army

:21:08. > :21:11.ethos is based on teamwork. We are no good as individuals. A big lesson

:21:12. > :21:17.in life for me and that's what it is about. It is about the teamworking

:21:18. > :22:25.and nailing it together. The Escort moves off,

:22:26. > :22:27.led by the Field Officer in Brigade Waiting,

:22:28. > :22:29.Lieutenant Colonel James Thurstan The Coldstream Guards Trooped

:22:30. > :22:46.their Colour for Her Majesty the Queen for the first time 62

:22:47. > :22:49.years ago in 1954 and today marks the 16th occasion they have been

:22:50. > :23:28.granted this honour. The Ensign raises the Standard known

:23:29. > :24:43.as the Recover after they pass the salute.

:24:44. > :24:56.Very soon the music will change. The Grenadier Guards Slow March.

:24:57. > :25:45.The number 5 Guard. We have the Slow March of the Scots

:25:46. > :25:49.Guards Figaro for the F Company company Scots Guards.

:25:50. > :25:51.The Adjutant of the Parade is Captain Olly Morley

:25:52. > :25:52.of the Coldstream Guards, originally from Oxford,

:25:53. > :25:55.commissioned from Sandhurst seven years ago and has served twice

:25:56. > :26:08.in Afghanistan and is a former assistant equerry to The Queen.

:26:09. > :26:21.The music changes to Long Live Elizabeth.

:26:22. > :26:57.The Field Officer in Brigade Waiting,

:26:58. > :27:05.Lieutenant Colonel James Thurstan rides out to salute

:27:06. > :27:12.the Queen, now that the slow march is complete.

:27:13. > :27:20.All the stands family members, including the Potter family. A proud

:27:21. > :27:25.day with them with Second Lieutenant James Potter closen as the Ensign

:27:26. > :27:28.and Clare has been speaking to James' family. Sally, a hugely

:27:29. > :27:34.special day for you? It is such a special day. We are very, very

:27:35. > :27:40.excited about the whole thing. When James rang us and said that he was

:27:41. > :27:45.going to be doing this, I think the three of us whoop, whoop, it was

:27:46. > :27:50.just so wonderful. Justin, I know there is a fair bit of military

:27:51. > :27:53.history. Did you expect James to go and follow various footsteps? Oddly

:27:54. > :27:57.enough, no. Although he is the fourth generation and we have a

:27:58. > :28:01.large family sort of history as you say, it wasn't until the second year

:28:02. > :28:05.at university that he expressed an interest, but he has always made up

:28:06. > :28:09.his own mind, but once he made up his mind to do it, that's what he

:28:10. > :28:13.wanted to do. How are you feeling today? I'm incredibly proud and I'm

:28:14. > :28:17.very excited. As I suppose, every parent would be. Gemma, are you

:28:18. > :28:21.nervous for your brother? I'm terrified. I was unable to sleep

:28:22. > :28:26.last night. It didn't make it any better the fact that he said he done

:28:27. > :28:30.it 44 times. For him, he is just marching in his sleep. For us, it is

:28:31. > :28:36.terrifying, he seems to be at peace with it all. For the family, it is

:28:37. > :28:40.not so much fun. I know his grandmother is watching at home? She

:28:41. > :28:46.is, a hugely, hugely proud moment for her. She is 95. She was in the

:28:47. > :28:50.MTC during the war and for her, it is just, just so important. So

:28:51. > :28:55.wonderful. She is watching it with friends and she is going to have a

:28:56. > :29:07.wonderful, wonderful day. I hope he does too and enjoy it yourselves.

:29:08. > :29:12.Thank you very much, Clare. The importance of the support of

:29:13. > :29:17.family and friends and today's parade is a constant reminder of

:29:18. > :29:22.that, Greville. I can safely speak for every soldier, sailor and airmen

:29:23. > :29:25.when I say support from our family and friends is the single most

:29:26. > :29:33.important thing for us when we're deployed on operations. I will never

:29:34. > :29:38.forget the time when my wife who is a serving soldier, she went to Gulf

:29:39. > :29:44.War. That sense of being left behind is agony. At this point, I despair

:29:45. > :29:47.at the thought for those families and friends living with the

:29:48. > :29:51.consequences of a loved one being killed or injured and I mean it,

:29:52. > :29:52.Huw, when I say, it is those families and friends that deserve

:29:53. > :30:21.the medals. The guards have now re-formed

:30:22. > :30:24.and they're now ready to march past The style changes,

:30:25. > :30:28.the tempo quickens, there's The neutral quick march

:30:29. > :30:31.is Great Little Army, composed by Kenneth J Alford,

:30:32. > :30:34.considered to be one of the finest The change of tempo is led

:30:35. > :30:38.by Lance Sergeant Neil Brocklehurst of the Scots Guards,

:30:39. > :30:51.the Senior Time Beater. A moment to reflect on the style of

:30:52. > :30:53.the parade so far. There might be other opinions in the

:30:54. > :31:04.Major-General's office, but let's hear yours, it Greville. Together we

:31:05. > :31:09.did see a couple of mistakes on parade. That's what rehearsals are

:31:10. > :31:14.for. But so far today, I think we are witnessing a fantastic parade.

:31:15. > :31:19.The Massed Bands, the core of drums, as ever they are absolutely on the

:31:20. > :31:25.money, magnificent. We are about to see the Household Cavalry, the

:31:26. > :31:27.King's Troop, and they are mind blowing Lee Smart, the amount of

:31:28. > :31:38.preparation they have put in. The line I was talking about at the

:31:39. > :31:43.Arms Jill has looked really sharp. Let's not forget the Colour points.

:31:44. > :31:47.At the bottom of the screen you can see them marking out the square and

:31:48. > :32:29.they stand there all day steady. It's a thankless but critical task.

:32:30. > :32:32.No 2 Guard is found by 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.

:32:33. > :32:34.The Captain of No 2 Guard is Major Oliver Biggs,

:32:35. > :32:36.whose father Andrew was the Ensign in 1972

:32:37. > :33:17.Number 5 Guard is provided by Nijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards.

:33:18. > :33:19.It had the honour of providing the Escort

:33:20. > :33:33.The unmistakable quick march of the Scots Guards.

:33:34. > :33:36.F Company is an incremental company of Scots Guards,

:33:37. > :33:38.based in Wellington Barracks and they've been involved

:33:39. > :33:43.in all the major ceremonial state occasions over the past year.

:33:44. > :33:50.A word about the incremental notion, what does that mean? In the early

:33:51. > :33:56.90s when the Berlin Wall went down there was a reduction in the size of

:33:57. > :34:00.the army, so to ensure they could cover public or ceremonial duty,

:34:01. > :34:08.they created three incremental companies out of the regiments that

:34:09. > :34:15.had second battalions. They are on perfect ceremonial duty. But they

:34:16. > :34:17.can swap the soldiers and officers around between the operational and

:34:18. > :34:28.ceremonial patella -- battalions. MUSIC: The Bond of Friendship

:34:29. > :34:31.composed by Rogan. The march past in

:34:32. > :34:33.quick time is done. The Field Office in Brigade Waiting

:34:34. > :34:36.rides out and salutes The Queen The Massed Bands play

:34:37. > :34:39.the neutral quick march ? The Commanding Officer Lieutenant

:34:40. > :34:43.Colonel James Thurstan has a moment to pause before the next

:34:44. > :34:45.stage of the Parade. He's been sharing his thoughts

:34:46. > :34:48.with us about the special honour that today represents for him

:34:49. > :34:49.and his men. My message to the guardsmen

:34:50. > :34:52.on the day would be to understand the great thing that they're part

:34:53. > :34:55.of, and take the opportunity to really be proud of that

:34:56. > :34:58.and show themselves off to, most importantly, Her Majesty, for

:34:59. > :35:00.this her 90th birthday year. And I hope that as I move forward

:35:01. > :35:04.to address Her Majesty and inform her that her guards

:35:05. > :35:07.are ready to march off, she will be happy with it,

:35:08. > :35:13.and hopefully even a smile. And we can head on back up The Mall

:35:14. > :35:28.to Buckingham Palace so she can James Thurstan there. The big

:35:29. > :35:32.challenge, he is not a natural horseman. That's what he said

:35:33. > :35:37.earlier, but I can't possibly comment. I know James really well.

:35:38. > :35:43.We served together, when I was commanding officer, he was a

:35:44. > :35:46.principal officer of mine. We served together in Helmand Province ten

:35:47. > :35:51.years later when he was a major commanding his soldiers in probably

:35:52. > :35:55.one of the most dangerous parts of the world in Helmand Province,

:35:56. > :35:58.clearly a far cry from what he's doing today. I would think you

:35:59. > :36:04.probably finds it equally challenging. -- think he probably

:36:05. > :37:09.finds it. Guards, in open order

:37:10. > :38:33.left and right, dress. The pipe is always had a great sense

:38:34. > :38:35.of excitement to the Birthday Parade.

:38:36. > :38:38.We are greatly looking forward to the next phase of the Parade ?

:38:39. > :38:40.with the thrilling sights of the Household Cavalry

:38:41. > :38:42.and the King's Troop and the Mounted Band ?

:38:43. > :38:59.The Massed Bands marching to one side. The Mounted Bands are

:39:00. > :39:06.prepared. Both horses, Clydesdale crosses, and both carrying solid

:39:07. > :39:10.Silver kettledrums. They wait in normal amounts, and they are big,

:39:11. > :39:43.strong, enormous horses. They know this is their moment.

:39:44. > :39:51.Here come the King's Troop. Having seen them get ready this morning I

:39:52. > :39:58.really appreciate the horsemanship. The 19th year they have been on the

:39:59. > :40:03.ceremony at Horse Guards. The first time on request of the Royal family

:40:04. > :40:07.in 1998. Their duties include the firing of royal gun salutes on

:40:08. > :40:12.anniversaries and state occasions. Yesterday they fired the gun is to

:40:13. > :40:26.mark the Duke of Edinburgh's 95th birthday. The motto of the Royal

:40:27. > :40:27.Artillery means everywhere. They marked their 300th anniversary at

:40:28. > :40:36.Larkhill. As we mentioned earlier,

:40:37. > :40:38.The Royal Artillery marked their 300th anniversary at Larkhill

:40:39. > :40:41.where The King's Troop did a ride and drive past The Queen,

:40:42. > :40:59.who is the Captain General The weight is specifically designed

:41:00. > :41:10.to keep the weight of the loins of the horses. -- off the loins.

:41:11. > :41:13.Major Robert Skeggs is in command of the King's Troop

:41:14. > :41:21.He has served in Iraq and took command of the King's Troop

:41:22. > :41:32.This will be his fifth Birthday Parade and his second

:41:33. > :41:44.The Duke of Edinburgh was 95 yesterday. Making the salute

:41:45. > :41:48.alongside Her Majesty. Acknowledging the lead gun.

:41:49. > :41:51.The lead gun, prominently on display, is in effect the Colour

:41:52. > :41:53.of the Troop, so it's accorded the same reverence

:41:54. > :42:06.These 13 lb quick-fire guns entered service in 1904 and all six

:42:07. > :42:27.on parade today were used in the Great War.

:42:28. > :42:29.The Field Officer of the Sovereign's Escort

:42:30. > :42:31.is Major Alex Owen of the Blues and Royals.

:42:32. > :42:51.As field officer he commands the Household Cavalry troops on parade.

:42:52. > :42:53.The Household Cavalry consists of two regiments,

:42:54. > :42:59.The Blues and Royals and The Life Guards.

:43:00. > :43:14.They are the two senior regiments of the British Army.

:43:15. > :43:17.The Serrefile Captain is Major Ben Woolf of the Life

:43:18. > :43:20.It's his job to control the speed during the rides

:43:21. > :43:25.And at the rear, the Farriers, dressed in their dark blue tunics

:43:26. > :43:30.They're the ones in times gone by who would despatch horses

:43:31. > :43:55.The Field Officer's Trumpeter is Trooper Peter Chivers

:43:56. > :44:00.His horse Otto is a grey, as in the past it helped

:44:01. > :44:05.the trumpeters stand out on the battle field.

:44:06. > :44:11.Peter, only 19, but recently got engaged to Chloe.

:44:12. > :44:14.Peter's family has made the long trip from County Durham to London

:44:15. > :44:33.The Household Cavalry break-in to trot now. That's quite difficult,

:44:34. > :44:43.the horses have been sitting around, impatient. It's easier when they get

:44:44. > :44:47.into it. I think Otto went off quicker than anticipated. These guns

:44:48. > :44:52.are heavy, and the horses have to be strong. Most of all, the temperament

:44:53. > :44:57.is important in the King's Troop. They have to be used to big bangs,

:44:58. > :45:07.crowds, and they have to be fit, not get tired during this process. The

:45:08. > :45:16.commanding officer, riding a real old pro, she has done the last six

:45:17. > :45:19.Queen's Birthday Parades. In charge of the health of over 250 horses at

:45:20. > :45:42.Hyde Park barracks. There is a high percentage of women

:45:43. > :45:49.in the King's Troop. Many of the men and women on parade today have seen

:45:50. > :45:58.act of service. They have served in operations in Afghanistan, and Iraq.

:45:59. > :46:03.It almost makes the Parade Ground shudder when they come through in

:46:04. > :46:08.trot. But very, very skilled horsemanship. Good riding. They ride

:46:09. > :46:18.regularly. They joined because they want to work with horses and they

:46:19. > :46:23.get that opportunity. There is a line of the masters of

:46:24. > :46:37.the troop formed up of the Regimental Sergeant Major and the

:46:38. > :46:44.instructor and the three masters. In trot the first and Second Divisions

:46:45. > :46:48.of the Blues and Royals. That kit that they wear is incredibly heavy.

:46:49. > :46:53.When you take into account everything that they're wearing, but

:46:54. > :46:59.also carrying. Again, the horses have to be strong. There is not too

:47:00. > :47:03.much wind today which helps. If the wind gets under their tails, it can

:47:04. > :47:09.make them more excitable, but you just want a bit of a breeze to keep

:47:10. > :47:15.the flies away. The last time that horses of the Household Cavalry were

:47:16. > :47:41.used was in 1940, deployed to Palestine.

:47:42. > :47:50.The band of the Household Cavalry saluting. They are crossing their

:47:51. > :47:59.sticks as they pass the saluting base. Major Hallett joined 32 years

:48:00. > :48:03.ago and composed two pieces. Among the musicians today is the

:48:04. > :48:08.trombonist, Richard Jones, the magician who won this year's

:48:09. > :48:19.Britain's Got Talent. So a rather different challenge for him today!

:48:20. > :48:24.I think we've spotted Richard Jones. He is looking very solemn. Taking

:48:25. > :48:32.his duty there in the massed band very seriously.

:48:33. > :48:41.Musicians wearing the State Coat with its crim zopb velvet and gold

:48:42. > :48:51.braid. The oldest ceremonial army. It unchanged since 1835.

:48:52. > :49:02.So the band will come to a halt. The Director of Music will turn just

:49:03. > :49:08.slightly, signalling that he is handing back control to the Field

:49:09. > :49:18.Officer for the final Birthday Salute.

:49:19. > :49:48.PLAYS NATIONAL ANTHEM

:49:49. > :50:27.In close order, left and right, dress.

:50:28. > :50:31.So the Guards Dress, this time, all the guards, in one long line

:50:32. > :50:34.and it's remarkable to think, once again, that this precise move

:50:35. > :51:08.is accomplished with no word of command being given.

:51:09. > :51:34.At the halt, by divisions.

:51:35. > :51:56.MUSIC: The Adjutant Composed by Drum Major Tom Birkett.

:51:57. > :52:12.The guards are closing up ready for the procession along the Mall.

:52:13. > :52:56.MUSIC: The Corps of Drums Play Prussia's Glory by Gottfried Piefke.

:52:57. > :53:29.MUSIC: The Corps of Drums Play Prussia's Glory by Gottfried Piefke.

:53:30. > :54:05.The Colour Sergeant Paul Martin, the Company Quartermaster Sergeant.

:54:06. > :54:09.Making his way to the Approach Road as we approach the end of the parade

:54:10. > :54:11.is Garrison Sergeant Major, London District, Warrant Officer

:54:12. > :54:13.Class One, Andrew Stokes of the Coldstream Guards.

:54:14. > :54:15.This is his first birthday parade in this very important role.

:54:16. > :54:18.He joined the Army in 1988 and he has served around the world

:54:19. > :54:24.in the meantime, including the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan.

:54:25. > :54:26.I have to say he has impressed everyone with his

:54:27. > :54:35.meticulous preparation for today's parade.

:54:36. > :54:43.Greville some thoughts on the job he is doing? I know him well. He served

:54:44. > :54:46.with me. I'm proud to say that I described he was the best sergeant

:54:47. > :54:51.in the battalion. So I clearly had an eye for talent. But he made a

:54:52. > :54:55.real impact since he arrived as garrison Sergeant Major. He is a

:54:56. > :54:59.truly great man. Field Officer will ask Her Majesty's

:55:00. > :55:30.permission to march off to conclude the Birthday Parade.

:55:31. > :55:40.Your Majesty, this year on behalf of all ranks of the House Hold division

:55:41. > :55:48.may I wish you and His Royal Highness the happiest of birthdays.

:55:49. > :55:56.Your Royal Guards are ready to march off ma'am.

:55:57. > :56:02.Not just asking permission to march off, but a birthday greeting on

:56:03. > :56:04.behalf of all the ground troops for the Commanding Officer and for the

:56:05. > :56:27.Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. So as the Commanding Officer takes

:56:28. > :56:29.his position, first carriages are leaving Horse Guards for the return

:56:30. > :56:54.to Buckingham Palace. The first carriage the Duchess of

:56:55. > :57:10.Cornwall and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The Mounted Bands

:57:11. > :57:20.are making their way too. In the second carriage we have The Duke of

:57:21. > :57:30.York and his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Lots

:57:31. > :57:35.of people have been waiting patiently along the Mall for this

:57:36. > :57:40.because they have taken position waiting for the fly-past which will

:57:41. > :57:45.happen in around 45, 50 minutes time. This is their first proper

:57:46. > :57:48.glimpse of the procession as it returns from the Birthday Parade.

:57:49. > :57:51.They could hear the music and they have seen the King's Troop and now

:57:52. > :58:11.they get the entertainment from The Mounted Bands as well.

:58:12. > :59:14.So some rousing and energetic music, Mauritania. This is the moment,

:59:15. > :59:17.Greville, where the Queen will be reflecting on what the parade has

:59:18. > :59:21.been like. The Duke of Edinburgh no doubt has his views too. The Field

:59:22. > :59:25.Officer, as we can see, joining this procession. And to what extent do

:59:26. > :59:31.you think the verdict is clear at this point? I think Her Majesty will

:59:32. > :59:36.have reached a pretty sound conclusion. I mean there have been a

:59:37. > :59:39.few challenges along the way. The more eagle eye observers would have

:59:40. > :59:43.spotted a few challenges and Her Majesty won't have missed them, you

:59:44. > :59:49.know, we are all human and horses aren't human! But I think she is

:59:50. > :59:53.going to have loved it. From my prospective, I thought it looked

:59:54. > :59:57.terrific. Well, this tradition of the monarch

:59:58. > :59:59.leading the Guards back to Buckingham Palace was established by

:00:00. > :00:06.George V back in 1914. The Parade had become

:00:07. > :00:07.increasingly popular so it was decided to provide an even

:00:08. > :00:20.more impressive experience There are thousands here for this

:00:21. > :00:23.90th Birthday Parade. The Prime Minister, David Cameron,

:00:24. > :00:30.taking a break from the referendum campaigning. And there on his left,

:00:31. > :00:35.we have Roy Blackbeard the High Commissioner for the Republic of

:00:36. > :00:39.Botswana who is attending the parade today and Baroness Scotland there on

:00:40. > :00:43.the left who is the first ever female Secretary-General of the

:00:44. > :00:58.Commonwealth and a former Attorney-General. The Queen and the

:00:59. > :01:04.Duke passing the Youth Enclosure and acknowledging the cheers and all the

:01:05. > :01:06.support from the boys and the girls brigade and the Boy Scouts and Girl

:01:07. > :01:20.Guides. As they prepare to leave the

:01:21. > :01:24.approach and onto The Mall for that great procession back to Buckingham

:01:25. > :01:35.Palace, everybody looking forward to the fly past when it happens.

:01:36. > :01:38.We're staying on air here on BBC One to see the procession back

:01:39. > :01:43.to Buckingham Palace ? and to see the 90th birthday fly-past

:01:44. > :01:45.by the Royal Air Force, which the Queen and members

:01:46. > :01:47.of the Royal Family will enjoy from the balcony

:01:48. > :01:56.And I should also mention that if you want to get a very

:01:57. > :02:00.different view of the Parade, you can see highlights

:02:01. > :02:09.from the Major-General's Review in 360 degrees,

:02:10. > :02:20.To get The Queen's eye view of proceedings go

:02:21. > :02:22.to bbc.co.uk/trooping for a 360 degree experience of this

:02:23. > :02:53.The Queen and Duke enjoying the day. Nice weather, enjoying the fact lots

:02:54. > :02:56.of crowds out there today. A good moment, gravel, to underline the

:02:57. > :03:00.very solid relationship between the Queen and the troops of the

:03:01. > :03:10.Household Division. When I mentioned earlier that the Coldstream had

:03:11. > :03:14.performed in 1650 and 1661, when we became loyal to the crown under King

:03:15. > :03:20.Charles II, that's how far back it goes. The clue is in the title, we

:03:21. > :03:26.are the Household Division, Her Majesty's on troops, the Monica's on

:03:27. > :03:31.troops. That's borne out today when we get the opportunity to parade in

:03:32. > :03:41.front of her. -- the monarch's on troops.

:03:42. > :03:56.We haven't mentioned Lieutenant General Sir James Buckley and, the

:03:57. > :04:04.kernel of the regiment. Today he will be carrying his grandfather's

:04:05. > :04:09.sword, who carried the same sort in the battle of the Somme 100 years

:04:10. > :04:18.ago. Indeed, he was shot in the hand when carrying it. Interestingly,

:04:19. > :04:20.General James's son Humphrey is in number four guard, and his fourth

:04:21. > :04:28.generation with his brother, who is also in need regiment.

:04:29. > :04:36.They play an incredibly important role in looking after the regiments,

:04:37. > :04:41.particularly the veterans and associations who form a huge part of

:04:42. > :04:48.the regimental family. The Regimental Adjutant is the link

:04:49. > :04:51.between the serving and retired. As we see the procession closing in on

:04:52. > :04:56.Buckingham Palace at a gentle pace as they take in the crowds and view,

:04:57. > :05:02.we can see some of the Street liners like the Irish Guards. We expect

:05:03. > :05:09.them to have a more prominent role next year. Who knows. It's quite a

:05:10. > :05:15.thought. If they do, we wish them well. Street lining, you are not

:05:16. > :05:21.centrestage, and it's a long day for them. But they look absolutely

:05:22. > :05:29.fantastic, doesn't it make you proud to be British? Absolutely fantastic.

:05:30. > :05:32.So as we look forward to the events leading to the balcony appearance ?

:05:33. > :05:34.and the birthday fly-past ? let me welcome the journalist,

:05:35. > :05:36.author and commentator Robert Hardman ?

:05:37. > :05:39.who writes for the Daily Mail.

:05:40. > :05:46.Thank you for joining us, your thoughts on the parade today. It's

:05:47. > :05:50.wonderful as ever. I'm struck by the size of the crowds, probably the

:05:51. > :05:55.biggest we have seen on the Mall since the diamond jubilee four years

:05:56. > :06:01.ago. Magnificent. The Queen is the really enjoying it. Many people will

:06:02. > :06:09.have been struck by her wonderful outfit today. The palace are calling

:06:10. > :06:17.it the vibrant green outfit. It's wonderful. The Queen has often said

:06:18. > :06:23.herself, I have to be seen to be believed. And today, she has.

:06:24. > :06:28.Vibrant is the right word. A very royal word. Let's underline the

:06:29. > :06:33.significance of the events of the weekend. We were at the thanksgiving

:06:34. > :06:36.service yesterday. Today is the official Birthday Parade. Tomorrow

:06:37. > :06:44.will be slightly more informal at the patron's lunch. But today's

:06:45. > :06:48.parading context. It's the great birthday tradition, the Trooping the

:06:49. > :06:54.Colour. This is the fixture in the calendar, the birthday Honours list,

:06:55. > :06:57.it comes with this. All over the world, British embassies and high

:06:58. > :07:01.commissions are marking today as a national day. We do not have a

:07:02. > :07:04.formal national day like some nations at over the world this will

:07:05. > :07:09.be seen as that day. This is a day that underlines the crucial link

:07:10. > :07:16.between the monarchy and the Armed Forces. That's the major point. It

:07:17. > :07:23.forms a delightful contrast to yesterday, which was all about... It

:07:24. > :07:29.had the solemnity in St Paul's Cathedral. It was a strong religious

:07:30. > :07:32.occasion. Tomorrow will be a wonderfully informal and almost

:07:33. > :07:37.carnival like atmosphere. We will have a parade coming up this

:07:38. > :07:44.stretch. Today is the pomp and pageantry, all be great stuff. It

:07:45. > :07:49.does make you proud to be British. It's what people expect. If you ask

:07:50. > :07:51.anyone from around the world to define, what is Britain? This is

:07:52. > :08:03.exactly what they had in mind. The Duke offering a running

:08:04. > :08:10.commentary. He is loving this as well. He is still a general, and he

:08:11. > :08:24.takes that role extremely seriously. At this point of the day of the

:08:25. > :08:28.Birthday Parade, there is a real sense, that although the parade is

:08:29. > :08:34.still in everyone's mind and people are proud of their part in it, you

:08:35. > :08:38.can feel people relaxing a little. That moment where they are

:08:39. > :08:42.approaching the events of the palace and the fly past. There is a sense

:08:43. > :08:48.people can relax slightly and take things easy. We never relax, always

:08:49. > :08:52.on duty and ready for action. We can't see him at the moment, but

:08:53. > :08:59.when I was Ensign, he's at the front of the guards now, right at the

:09:00. > :09:02.front of the guards behind the commanding officer's horse. I

:09:03. > :09:11.remember that moment with Her Majesty -- just in front of me, it

:09:12. > :09:27.was a magnificent moment. They will now be guarding Buckingham Palace

:09:28. > :09:32.and Saint James's Palace. We had down towards the Queen Victoria

:09:33. > :09:42.monument. We can see the balcony is ready for the fly past. The Royal

:09:43. > :09:55.Standard flying proudly above the Palace.

:09:56. > :09:59.We can see to the top right, the Ensign right at the front, that's

:10:00. > :10:17.the moment I remember well. We mentioned the social media

:10:18. > :10:23.exercise earlier. Welcome comments from all of the viewers, those

:10:24. > :10:27.enjoying today's events. I will take a couple at this point as the Queen

:10:28. > :10:35.and Duke of Edinburgh approach the Palace. Lewis Sanderson, thanks for

:10:36. > :10:40.getting in touch. Lewis is keeping an eagle eye out for his uncle,

:10:41. > :10:45.serving in the Coldstream Guards on parade today. We hope you have

:10:46. > :10:50.spotted him along the way. Fiona Thomson, thanks for telling us you

:10:51. > :10:58.are watching at home. First attended the parade that in 1983 at the age

:10:59. > :11:03.of seven. Greville knows all about 1983, having been Ensign at that

:11:04. > :11:08.point. Her father was in the Blues and Royals. A nice 1983 link for

:11:09. > :11:16.you. I rather hope it was Fiona's favourite parade. Taking nothing

:11:17. > :11:20.from today, obviously. Paul Davies, thank you for wishing good luck to

:11:21. > :11:26.the Air Cadets flying with the RAF in the Queen's birthday fly-past. I

:11:27. > :11:30.don't want to spoil as a prize, but I think you find it's more extensive

:11:31. > :11:37.than any we have seen for many years. The fly-past will be very

:11:38. > :11:40.impressive. Appropriately for the 90th Birthday Parade. Caroline,

:11:41. > :11:44.thank you for telling us it's a proud day for you as your father

:11:45. > :11:49.served at one time in the Coldstream Guards. You would hope given me very

:11:50. > :12:00.strong Coldstream presents today, providing the as -- providing the

:12:01. > :12:08.Escort, and Trooping the Colour. We hope you have enjoyed the day. This

:12:09. > :12:14.is where we get a good sense of what Robert was saying a short time ago.

:12:15. > :12:18.The Queen left the palace before the parade with the crowds building up,

:12:19. > :12:23.but Robert was right, these crowds are much bigger than you would

:12:24. > :12:28.normally expect. It underlines what this year is all about. A birthday

:12:29. > :12:33.such as this is always going to bring extra crowds out. The weather

:12:34. > :12:39.has obviously helped. I think there is a real sense that this has been

:12:40. > :12:43.an historic year. It's the year Her Majesty has become the longest

:12:44. > :12:47.reigning monarch in history and I think a lot of people want to come

:12:48. > :12:51.and celebrate, not just her birthday, but the fact she has been

:12:52. > :12:55.a remarkable figure, and for many this is the first opportunity to do

:12:56. > :13:00.that, it's a weekend, it's sunny, and they know they will see the

:13:01. > :13:06.Royal family from the balcony. It's a combination of all sorts of

:13:07. > :13:10.things. We already have a balcony presents, there to greet the Queen

:13:11. > :13:17.and Duke back to the Palace. Then they will all go inside, and

:13:18. > :13:20.re-appear just before 1pm. It will be interesting to spot who is there

:13:21. > :13:27.at that point, including young members of the balcony party. Then

:13:28. > :13:28.we will have the fly itself. The Queen is back home. Buckingham

:13:29. > :13:36.Palace. One of her homes! members of the Royal Family --

:13:37. > :13:58.onto the famous balcony -- It's a very strong turnout. This is

:13:59. > :14:02.the one day of the year when we traditionally see a lot of members

:14:03. > :14:06.of the Royal family who we do not always easy. A lot of the younger

:14:07. > :14:10.members, and for them it's a very big day. They have been in a

:14:11. > :14:15.carriage procession, that's a big moment. You have cousins here who

:14:16. > :14:21.are not normally part of the Royal pageant. But on this one day, they

:14:22. > :14:26.are. For them, it's nice for the Queen to have the whole family here.

:14:27. > :14:34.It underlines the sense that this isn't just a military parade, it's a

:14:35. > :14:38.family birthday. We have the guards, many of them Coldstream Guards,

:14:39. > :14:41.underlining once again the close relationship the Queen has with

:14:42. > :14:46.service men and women, and has had throughout her reign. Plenty of

:14:47. > :14:50.people wanting to enjoy the spectacle today. The relationship

:14:51. > :14:56.between the Queen and Armed Forces has been a feature of the rain.

:14:57. > :15:06.As Princess Elizabeth, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service

:15:07. > :15:09.in 1945, and members of her own family have gone

:15:10. > :15:11.on to experience life in the Armed Services.

:15:12. > :15:12.We've been looking back at the bond between

:15:13. > :15:22.Wearing the gold grenade badge of the Grenadiers in her hat,

:15:23. > :15:29.Princess Elizabeth makes her first military inspection.

:15:30. > :15:32.And the final poseed picture, taken at the end of the review,

:15:33. > :15:34.may be regarded as a record of the first official

:15:35. > :15:40.occasion in the life of England's future Queen.

:15:41. > :15:42.His Majesty was accompanied by Princess Elizabeth

:15:43. > :15:50.for the birthday ceremony of Trooping the Colour.

:15:51. > :15:51.Before the age-old Tower, the guns speak.

:15:52. > :16:08.At Spithead, the Royal Yacht Britannia steamed proudly

:16:09. > :16:35.The Ensign for the Queen's colour is Lieutenant Philip Whitehead.

:16:36. > :16:45.May God bless her and all who sail in her.

:16:46. > :16:51.I know I speak for all those who have the privilege

:16:52. > :16:53.to wear your uniform and hold your commission

:16:54. > :17:07.when I thank you for your dedication to our service and to our country.

:17:08. > :17:13.Three cheers for Her Majesty The Queen!

:17:14. > :17:35.Some rousing muse UK and just some images which enforce the very, very

:17:36. > :17:38.solid bond between the monarch and the military over 64 years of the

:17:39. > :17:44.Queen's reign. What is happening now at Buckingham Palace is that we have

:17:45. > :17:48.a Changing of the Guard because as Greville mentioned earlier, today's

:17:49. > :18:00.Escort, has some more work to do and they are going to be mounting guard

:18:01. > :18:04.at Buckingham Palace. Robert Hardman is still with me. There has been a

:18:05. > :18:07.change of the arrangements in recent years, hasn't there, Robert, because

:18:08. > :18:11.the Queen in past years would have taken salute at this point, again,

:18:12. > :18:15.but she has gone in now to join the rest of the Royal Family. And that's

:18:16. > :18:19.the point at which traditionally, they exchange a view views about the

:18:20. > :18:26.parade and how it has gone over a little drink! Yes, that's always the

:18:27. > :18:31.first draft of the report and I'm sure she will have been very happy

:18:32. > :18:35.with it, but as you said earlier, she would have spotted any slight

:18:36. > :18:40.errors and if anything didn't go according to plan. There is in the

:18:41. > :18:43.Chinese drawing room there, there is a plate covered in sandwiches,

:18:44. > :18:48.people will be having a drink. There will be a lot of meeting up, seeing

:18:49. > :18:53.cousins who they may have seen yesterday, but they haven't seen for

:18:54. > :18:58.ages, and it is a family reunion right now. A word from Greville on

:18:59. > :19:04.the Changing of the Guard and what that entails. Number 7 Company mount

:19:05. > :19:08.guard. They go on duty and guard Buckingham Palace and St James's

:19:09. > :19:12.Palace and Clarence House and this happens every day. They don't

:19:13. > :19:16.necessarily change guard every day, some guards will do 24, 48 hours and

:19:17. > :19:20.extend the period that they are on guard, but this is happening in

:19:21. > :19:24.Windsor Castle and the Tower of London and at Buckingham Palace. As

:19:25. > :19:26.we know, Christopher Robin went to see them changing guard at

:19:27. > :19:31.Buckingham Palace and that's what is going on. The soldiers who have been

:19:32. > :19:37.on guard will now be relieved by Number 7 Company.

:19:38. > :19:45.So the Changing of the Guard is happening. We are waiting for the

:19:46. > :19:46.Queen and members of the Royal Family to re-emerge.

:19:47. > :19:48.Let's join Clare Balding who's with Captain James Harbord

:19:49. > :19:57.Yes, James is not on parade this year, but he was last year, you were

:19:58. > :20:01.a Field Officer of the escort. So you know what the men are thinking

:20:02. > :20:05.and feeling? At the moment, aside from the feeling of pride, there is

:20:06. > :20:07.a growing sensation of relief from a parade well done as they look

:20:08. > :20:11.forward to getting back into camp and checking the horses over for any

:20:12. > :20:15.injuries they might have picked up. Generally, speaking the horses seem

:20:16. > :20:19.to enjoy it. They are very good at it? Many of the horses are

:20:20. > :20:25.well-versed than some of the soldiers. A lot of soldiers today

:20:26. > :20:29.would have been riding for the first time, having endured 16 weeks of the

:20:30. > :20:33.riding training so the horses are old hands. And you will be involved

:20:34. > :20:37.next year? Yes, I take over in August as the Life Guards squadron

:20:38. > :20:41.leader and the role will entitle me to the Field Officer command of the

:20:42. > :20:44.escort next year. If somebody said what is it like being part of the

:20:45. > :20:50.Household Cavalry, what would you say? It is extraordinary and like no

:20:51. > :20:54.other job. Enormous sense of pride at the ceremonial side, hard work,

:20:55. > :20:59.it is early starts back in Windsor as well. Our soldiers rotates

:21:00. > :21:02.through both sites, it is varied. You seem to have a special

:21:03. > :21:09.relationship with Her Majesty the Queen? That's right, as soldiers in

:21:10. > :21:14.London, we have our commitment at Horse Guards and we are involved in

:21:15. > :21:17.escorting Her Majesty. Your day is not finished? No, I'm going on

:21:18. > :21:21.parade at 4pm this afternoon. Thank you very much for talking to us and

:21:22. > :21:24.giving us an insight as to what the Household Cavalry will be feeling

:21:25. > :21:38.right now. They can let themselves relax. Job well done.

:21:39. > :21:45.The Coldstream Guards served in every major conflict since 1650. A

:21:46. > :21:51.few months ago, we grouped of today's Coldstreamers as they

:21:52. > :21:55.visited France to visit the site where their processors showed

:21:56. > :21:56.exceptional courage during the Battle of the Somme which started

:21:57. > :22:06.100 years ago. Welcome to the Somme, where we will

:22:07. > :22:09.start our study for the day. We're up on Bazentin

:22:10. > :22:16.Ridge now, so I'm going to set the context and go back

:22:17. > :22:19.to the 1st July and cover some of And then we'll look at two guards'

:22:20. > :22:23.actions there, particularly the VC action of Colonel Campbell,

:22:24. > :22:25.the CO of 3rd Battalion the It's important that the

:22:26. > :22:29.soldiers of today learn about what happened,

:22:30. > :22:34.so they can understand the stories behind

:22:35. > :22:36.the battle honours that Specifically, for the regiment

:22:37. > :22:44.in the First World War. There were 36 battle honours,

:22:45. > :22:46.seven Victoria Crosses and one Being at the Somme means a great

:22:47. > :22:55.deal to me because my great great uncle Jack, a chap called

:22:56. > :22:58.Gerald Siordet, fought very close to where we are now and won a

:22:59. > :23:02.Military Cross. Before the war, he was

:23:03. > :23:04.at Oxford University and was a poet, and an

:23:05. > :23:06.artist. So throughout his time in

:23:07. > :23:10.the trenches, he sketched a lot of the scenes, many of which have been

:23:11. > :23:15.passed down in the family. There's a great story,

:23:16. > :23:17.one of his soldiers wrote that he was the coolest

:23:18. > :23:20.officer in France. He described a situation

:23:21. > :23:25.where the trench that he and my great great uncle were in was

:23:26. > :23:28.being bombarded, and my uncle Jack was apparently standing

:23:29. > :23:33.up, cool as you like, sketching his soldiers crouching

:23:34. > :23:35.down because he thought So, you know, a pretty

:23:36. > :23:40.cool customer. On the day he led his

:23:41. > :23:42.platoon over the top, So he took command of the company,

:23:43. > :23:47.continued with the attack, made it all the way to the enemy positions,

:23:48. > :23:50.consolidated there and then So he successfully

:23:51. > :23:58.and safely led his company back to their lines,

:23:59. > :24:02.in the process getting injured. And he was awarded his

:24:03. > :24:04.Military Cross for that What's fascinating with a lot

:24:05. > :24:10.of these acts of bravery in the First World War, that it was just

:24:11. > :24:13.ordinary people doing extraordinary He did it because it was his duty

:24:14. > :24:19.and he thought that that was And I think that is

:24:20. > :24:22.just something that is absolutely awe-inspiring to us,

:24:23. > :24:27.you know, 100 years later. On 3rd June 1913,

:24:28. > :24:29.the then Captain John Campbell DSO, a keen

:24:30. > :24:33.huntsman, was presented a silver hunting horn by the men

:24:34. > :24:36.of Number One Company, Unbeknown to anyone at the time,

:24:37. > :24:44.the significance of that presentation would have

:24:45. > :24:50.in the future battle. Morning of 15th September 1916,

:24:51. > :24:52.where the first Guards They came under withering machine

:24:53. > :25:01.gun fire down on the sunken road. Pinned down by that machine gun

:25:02. > :25:04.fire, Colonel Campbell took his hunting horn, sounded

:25:05. > :25:10.the warning to rally the men. A wounded guardsman a few days later

:25:11. > :25:18.appeared in the press. "I was sheltering in a shell hole

:25:19. > :25:21.and wondering where my mates were, and whether they had

:25:22. > :25:23.gone any further or gone back when I heard

:25:24. > :25:25.the Colonel's horn. It made me jump for joy,

:25:26. > :25:28.and I never thought of sheltering Colonel Campbell's citation

:25:29. > :25:31.that led to him being awarded the Victoria Cross

:25:32. > :25:38.by His Majesty King The most conspicuous bravery,

:25:39. > :25:43.and able leading in an attack, his personal gallantry

:25:44. > :25:46.and initiative in a critical moment turned the fortunes

:25:47. > :25:49.of the day, and enabled the division to press on and capture

:25:50. > :25:52.objectives of the highest As infantry soldiers,

:25:53. > :26:03.we are always looking for that bit of cover

:26:04. > :26:05.that we can use to get Hearing the whistle,

:26:06. > :26:09.and going over the top and walking towards the enemy is

:26:10. > :26:30.unimaginable to us today. Well, look at that. That's quite a

:26:31. > :26:37.sight, isn't it? The Mall is packed with people. Thronging around that

:26:38. > :26:40.Queen Victoria Memorial and down to the Palace itself because they are

:26:41. > :26:44.all looking forward to the balcony appearance which will take place in

:26:45. > :26:49.a short while and of course, everyone then wanting to enjoy the

:26:50. > :26:54.fly-past as it happens. So to wait for that and to maybe just underline

:26:55. > :26:57.a couple of other extraordinary achievements along the way, I'm

:26:58. > :27:04.delighted to say that I've got a special guest who is Paul Baines and

:27:05. > :27:07.Greville is with me. You have a book, a very impressive book,

:27:08. > :27:12.Greville is holding the book there. This is the link and I want you to

:27:13. > :27:21.explain who Paul is in the context of the book. This is Warrant Officer

:27:22. > :27:26.Paul Baines, you are not warn officer anymore. He left the Army a

:27:27. > :27:30.few months ago and I will let Paul explain what he is up to. I believe

:27:31. > :27:36.you are highly skilled, highly trained plumber is that right? , Not

:27:37. > :27:41.quite, I'm doing an apprenticeship in plumbing in my hometown. Tell us

:27:42. > :27:47.what your work on the book has been? It started as a recruitment tool,

:27:48. > :27:51.that's all it was and to give us exposure, after I approached

:27:52. > :27:54.Greville about the story, it grew into something quite book. If you

:27:55. > :27:58.just pass the book over, I will pass it to viewers at home. It is

:27:59. > :28:03.Coldstream Guards, ten years in Afghanistan. So basically, in lots

:28:04. > :28:07.of images and stories, some of them pretty forceful in the way they're

:28:08. > :28:12.told, you've related a decade of service in Afghanistan. What give

:28:13. > :28:16.you the idea for the book? As I said, it was just, it was for

:28:17. > :28:19.recruiting because a lot of my friends had not been recognised for

:28:20. > :28:23.the actions they have done. I was lucky enough to be awarded a

:28:24. > :28:28.Military Cross, but there were so many stories untold. Greville, you

:28:29. > :28:31.had work to do in terms of allowing the book to proceed and your

:28:32. > :28:35.thoughts about the notion of the book, why it might be attractive to

:28:36. > :28:40.people, what were your thoughts at that point? Unusually, Paul has been

:28:41. > :28:45.very modest. This was a brilliant concept that he and what he has been

:28:46. > :28:51.here, he produced a coffee table book, but it is also represented by

:28:52. > :28:58.42 stories, written by the people who served in Afghanistan. So the

:28:59. > :29:02.cold streamers who served and Guardsmen through to Lieutenant

:29:03. > :29:05.General Sir James Bucknall and Paul, it was Paul's idea, I think, he will

:29:06. > :29:09.try and credit other people. He ambushed me. I was working newspaper

:29:10. > :29:14.York at the time and asked me to meet him and we met in Costa Coffee

:29:15. > :29:22.in Wetherby Services, do you remember? He presented me with lots

:29:23. > :29:29.of pictures of me looking wary. He knew which boxes to tick. Happily

:29:30. > :29:32.lots of those photos were included! So viewers can understand, what's

:29:33. > :29:37.the most powerful story in the book? There is just so many. I only put in

:29:38. > :29:41.two, my old Commanding Officer put in three. Two of my friends, two

:29:42. > :29:45.each. There is just so many. I can't choose one. And the response so far

:29:46. > :29:50.has been... It has been great. It has been great. The publicity we

:29:51. > :29:56.have been getting. It has been great and it is still available for sale.

:29:57. > :30:00.All funds are for regimental charity. Are you instrumental are

:30:01. > :30:05.these books in recruiting? Very effective. It brings the battlefield

:30:06. > :30:08.into people's homes and you'll see when you flick through it. We would

:30:09. > :30:12.like to present you with this Huw. Thank you very much. You will see

:30:13. > :30:18.the pictures and you will see the stories and they're real and they

:30:19. > :30:22.are told in soldiers' language. Paul, thank you for joining us.

:30:23. > :30:30.Greville, stay with us. The crowds are gathering on the Mall. As Robert

:30:31. > :30:34.Hardman was telling us a short while ago, these are remarkable crowds and

:30:35. > :30:38.we expected for the 90th birthday, the official birthday in June, on a

:30:39. > :30:42.lovely, sunny day really. The sun is trying to come out. It is a warm

:30:43. > :30:46.day. That there would be great crowds, but this underlines for you

:30:47. > :30:49.what the extent of the activity is and what people's expectations are.

:30:50. > :30:55.It is a good moment to hand to Clare to catch up with her.

:30:56. > :31:03.The crowds this year are absolutely massive. I grabbed a super fan,

:31:04. > :31:10.Linda from Manchester. What you are wearing, I know you are a patriot

:31:11. > :31:14.enthusiast of the Royal family. It's wonderful to be here today. I've

:31:15. > :31:19.never been to the Trooping of the Colour before. The atmosphere and

:31:20. > :31:25.crowds are amazing. Why did you come this year? It's because it's the

:31:26. > :31:29.Queen's 90th year, and I wanted to pay my respects and join in with

:31:30. > :31:34.everyone else. I have met the Queen before in Salford at Media City it

:31:35. > :31:38.was the Diamond Jubilee. I presented her with flowers. Did you say to

:31:39. > :31:43.yourself then that you would make sure you were there for Trooping the

:31:44. > :31:46.Colour? I said we would try to make it one year, and this year was

:31:47. > :31:51.special so we decided to come down. I've enjoyed it, it's been

:31:52. > :31:54.absolutely wonderful. Thank you for speaking to us. You are in a perfect

:31:55. > :32:00.position to see the balcony as well. Enjoy that.

:32:01. > :32:05.A sense of the enjoyment today. Let's have a look at Green Park.

:32:06. > :32:10.That's one of the important elements of the official birthday. The King's

:32:11. > :32:14.Troop ready to fire their salute in one of the royal Parks. It's one of

:32:15. > :32:20.the traditions of the Queen's official birthday. We can stay with

:32:21. > :32:25.these images for a moment. Always dramatic and enjoyed by people.

:32:26. > :32:27.My next guest has come straight from Horse Guards

:32:28. > :32:36.Here to tell us how he's taken inspiration from his grandmother's

:32:37. > :32:46.dedication and commitment to her charities and patronages

:32:47. > :32:48.for an exciting event tomorrow, is the Queen's eldest grandson

:32:49. > :33:02.Welcome and thank you very much. Lots of tradition today and we are

:33:03. > :33:07.enjoying these images now. The King's Troop preparing to fire their

:33:08. > :33:13.salute. Tell us about the idea you had for the patrons' lunch tomorrow

:33:14. > :33:17.and how it formed. The Queen has had many celebrations in her honour over

:33:18. > :33:21.the years, but there has never really been an appreciation or

:33:22. > :33:24.recognition of the number of organisations that she has

:33:25. > :33:30.personally attached herself to through patron edge. We did some

:33:31. > :33:33.research around it, and there are around 600 of them. They have never

:33:34. > :33:40.been brought together and recognised as one entity, all joined together

:33:41. > :33:46.under one patron. I really felt it was something that needed to be

:33:47. > :33:50.rectified. You see the Queen out and about, and the majority of the time

:33:51. > :33:56.she is representing a lot of these organisations that she is patron to.

:33:57. > :34:00.It was an area of her service to not only this country, but the

:34:01. > :34:04.Commonwealth, that I felt hadn't been truly celebrated. We came up

:34:05. > :34:09.with the idea of doing a street party, then we were looking for a

:34:10. > :34:13.venue. In research we found out the mall had never hosted a street

:34:14. > :34:17.party, which fall the most famous streets in the world was unusual.

:34:18. > :34:22.The pieces fell together, we looked for a time, and this weekend was

:34:23. > :34:28.deemed the perfect time to do it. What about getting approval from the

:34:29. > :34:34.main person? Fortunately we ran the idea passed a number of her staff

:34:35. > :34:39.beforehand. And it wasn't until I saw her shortly after that that she

:34:40. > :34:43.said, I hear you are up to something. I had to confess about

:34:44. > :34:47.what we were looking to do. She thought it was a fantastic idea, to

:34:48. > :34:52.be able to bring all these organisations together in one go.

:34:53. > :34:57.Unlike a Royal warrant, where if you are a warrant holder, Nou Camp at

:34:58. > :35:01.the coat of arms on your product, if you are a charity organisation of

:35:02. > :35:07.which she is a patron, you don't have that recognition, that stamp.

:35:08. > :35:11.-- you can put the coat of arms. It's good to give something back to

:35:12. > :35:17.all those organisations who give them a platform to associate with

:35:18. > :35:22.her. There we have the mall today, it will look rather different

:35:23. > :35:26.tomorrow. You would have difficulty serving that many people. Give us a

:35:27. > :35:32.sense of what tomorrow will look like. On that very street there will

:35:33. > :35:39.be 10,000 people seated having a picnic. The tables will line both

:35:40. > :35:44.sides of the street. Obviously the idea is that today is the pomp and

:35:45. > :35:49.ceremony of the celebrations, and tomorrow is exactly as it's meant to

:35:50. > :35:55.be, a street party, more relaxed and informal, a celebration part of the

:35:56. > :35:58.weekend, a nice way to draw a line under the birthday celebrations this

:35:59. > :36:06.year. There will be lots of colour and noise and movement. Hopefully it

:36:07. > :36:10.will be a fantastic day. Normally, something like this on that scale,

:36:11. > :36:15.it's a huge management job to put it all together. Management jobs

:36:16. > :36:21.sometimes present challenges. What has been the main challenge with

:36:22. > :36:25.this? If I'm honest, today. The trooping, we always knew we would

:36:26. > :36:27.follow the trooping, but the logistical exercise of getting

:36:28. > :36:32.everything we knew we needed in after the trooping has finished

:36:33. > :36:37.today, has been a real challenge. But we have a fantastic team. We

:36:38. > :36:39.have to get more than 160 vehicles in overnight to put out all the

:36:40. > :36:49.tables and ensure everything is ready for when the doors open

:36:50. > :36:51.tomorrow morning. That has been the largest challenge, the changeover

:36:52. > :36:55.between today and tomorrow. But we have a fantastic team on this.

:36:56. > :37:01.Everyone is ready to go. Good to talk to you, and thank you for

:37:02. > :37:04.coming in, Peter Phillips. What a challenge to pull all that together

:37:05. > :37:11.tomorrow. Good luck to them for that. Clare Balding is with one of

:37:12. > :37:16.the volunteers of the Royal British Legion.

:37:17. > :37:25.A volunteer for the Royal British Legion, one of the longest

:37:26. > :37:32.associations with the Queen as patron. When did she become patron?

:37:33. > :37:39.She became patron in 1952 after taking over patronage from her

:37:40. > :37:46.father, King George V. -- King George VI. When did you get

:37:47. > :37:51.involved? That was in 2007. That was Armed Forces Day. I saw a liaison

:37:52. > :37:57.officer. I didn't know about anything be British Legion did. He

:37:58. > :38:01.persuaded me to join as a volunteer. How have you found it, what have you

:38:02. > :38:07.learned from it? It has been inspirational. It was a noble thing

:38:08. > :38:11.to do. I'm in the military, I can serve my own people and I can't ask

:38:12. > :38:16.for anything better than that. You will be at the patrons' lunch

:38:17. > :38:20.tomorrow. What can we expect? There will be more than 65 members from

:38:21. > :38:29.the Royal British Legion, and members from the Armed Forces and

:38:30. > :38:34.over 100 other volunteers. It will be a learning experience, we will

:38:35. > :38:39.learn from each other and use it as a learning curve. You can mix and

:38:40. > :38:44.meet and chat with other charities and organisation of which the Queen

:38:45. > :38:50.is patron. Yes, over 600 charities that the Queen is a patron of. It

:38:51. > :38:55.would be nice to know what they do, so I can learn from them as well. I

:38:56. > :38:59.will be looking out for you tomorrow. It will be an amazing day.

:39:00. > :39:02.We are all looking rather nervously at the weather forecast, it is

:39:03. > :39:04.getting better. Hopefully the rain doesn't come in the hours we need it

:39:05. > :39:20.not to come. We can see the scenes in Green Park.

:39:21. > :39:37.The impressive salute being fired by the King's Troop Royal Horse

:39:38. > :39:42.Artillery as they do every year for the Queen's Birthday Parade. This

:39:43. > :39:46.year, special interest given a 90th birthday, and there are very big

:39:47. > :39:50.crowds in Green Park and St James's Park here, and as we look around on

:39:51. > :39:58.the mall itself. Robert Hardman of the Daily Mail and Greville with me.

:39:59. > :40:02.We should say at this point, when I introduced Robert earlier, I think

:40:03. > :40:06.he promoted you too general. He called me general twice. I'm

:40:07. > :40:11.extremely comfortable with that because I should have been a

:40:12. > :40:16.general! To be fair, the American army and many armies call their

:40:17. > :40:19.Brigadiers general. I'm very comfortable with that. There are

:40:20. > :40:24.lots of other elements of the weekend. One of those elements is on

:40:25. > :40:28.the River Thames. Why don't we have a look at the events on the River

:40:29. > :40:36.Thames to underline what's going on on this birthday weekend? We have a

:40:37. > :40:45.special flotilla arranged for the Queen's 90th birthday. We saw one of

:40:46. > :40:56.the boats in the diamond jubilee celebrations of 2012. The Royal ship

:40:57. > :41:04.Jubilant, and also a fire boat, taking part. The flotilla on the

:41:05. > :41:10.Thames, nice to see that, and also nice to see this enormous crowd on

:41:11. > :41:14.The Mall. A good moment for me to ask Robert about today's event in

:41:15. > :41:21.the context of this year's Royal diary. It's a very busy diary.

:41:22. > :41:25.Clearly this is a massive milestone, the 90th birthday. When we think

:41:26. > :41:28.ahead over the coming weeks and months, we have other big events

:41:29. > :41:33.coming up, not least the centenary of the Battle of the Somme. That

:41:34. > :41:37.will involve all members of the Royal family in different places.

:41:38. > :41:44.The Queen will keep vigil in London. Prince Charles, Princes Harry and

:41:45. > :41:50.William, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, they will be out on the

:41:51. > :41:57.battlefield. That will be a royal family team event, if you like. For

:41:58. > :42:00.a lot of people, they will be thinking the Queen might put her

:42:01. > :42:05.feet up on her birthday, but absolutely not. She has a full set

:42:06. > :42:10.of engagements coming up. She's off to Scotland very shortly to go to

:42:11. > :42:14.Holyrood and open up the Scottish parliament. She has a trip to

:42:15. > :42:18.Liverpool coming up. It will be a tour of Scotland, I think it will be

:42:19. > :42:22.held longest number of engagements for many years. A full summer

:42:23. > :42:27.programme. And starting next Monday with the Garter service at Windsor.

:42:28. > :42:35.The centenary of the First World War which we marked a couple of years

:42:36. > :42:39.ago. Very important events for many of the regiments, including the

:42:40. > :42:43.Coldstream Guards. It is, the history is so important to us. It's

:42:44. > :42:48.important we remember what's gone before and where we have come from.

:42:49. > :42:53.I refer back to the 17th century from time to time. That's what makes

:42:54. > :42:59.us what we are, it's that tradition. Trooping the Colour today, with the

:43:00. > :43:02.Colour, that's the piece that has been the continuity through the

:43:03. > :43:11.ages, the soul of the regiment. Therefore, looking back at history

:43:12. > :43:13.and understanding it is crucial. The Queen leading the Royal family out

:43:14. > :43:17.onto the balcony for this wonderful scene. And I think we will see a

:43:18. > :43:23.first public appearance from Princess Charlotte, waiting in the

:43:24. > :43:27.wings. The Queen acknowledging the applause of this enormous crowd. The

:43:28. > :43:34.Duchess of Cambridge being Princess Charlotte forward. The Queen and

:43:35. > :43:38.Duke smiling, greeting the crowds. A first appearance on the balcony for

:43:39. > :43:43.Princess Charlotte with the Duchess of Cambridge. Prince George also on

:43:44. > :43:50.the balcony with his father, the Duke of Cambridge. He's standing and

:43:51. > :43:53.waving, I think he's picked it up. Princess Charlotte, just 13 months

:43:54. > :43:56.old, I don't think she's quite mastered the Royal wave yet, but

:43:57. > :44:03.she's looking fascinated by this extraordinary scene. Everybody

:44:04. > :44:08.waiting patiently, Prince Harry included, and the Earl and Countess

:44:09. > :44:12.of Wessex. The Duchess of Cornwall, the Prince of Wales. Everybody

:44:13. > :44:17.waiting patiently for the fly past. I can tell you that there are at

:44:18. > :44:25.least eight elements to the fly past. Those of recent years have

:44:26. > :44:30.been much more modest. This time I can tell you it will be a much

:44:31. > :44:36.bigger fly past. We can already feel the presence of some helicopters

:44:37. > :44:45.heading towards St James's Park. The first element on its way. Four

:44:46. > :44:58.helicopters, led by the Chinook, a Griffin, a puma and an Augusta 109

:44:59. > :45:03.SP. The great Chinook, continuously deployed in operations around the

:45:04. > :45:09.world for more than 30 years. And that's just the start. Princess

:45:10. > :45:14.Charlotte having a look to the sky to see what all the noise is about.

:45:15. > :45:19.We await the second element. Lots of affection and support. There will be

:45:20. > :45:25.a big round of applause and delight when I'm sure people see the

:45:26. > :45:43.Spitfire and Hurricane. The iconic Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

:45:44. > :45:51.The Spitfire and Hurricane. Smiles there from the Queen and the Duke of

:45:52. > :46:00.Edinburgh followed by the third element, rapidly closing in, the

:46:01. > :46:03.C-130 Hercules and two pilot trainers.

:46:04. > :46:13.Thundering through the sky above Buckingham Palace.

:46:14. > :46:19.The fourth element and that is a mighty presence, isn't it, the

:46:20. > :46:20.Hercules, it is the 50th anniversary of the Hercules being operated by

:46:21. > :46:43.the RAF and the Atlas. The four-profellor Atlas coming in

:46:44. > :46:55.for a replacement for one of the older Hercules C-130 models. And the

:46:56. > :47:06.fifth element. We have a C-17. And a BAe 146.

:47:07. > :47:13.C-17 providing reemployment support from Afghanistan while in March last

:47:14. > :47:21.year delivering shelter after a cyclone.

:47:22. > :47:46.Stand-by for the sixth element of this fly-past. Two tornadoes.

:47:47. > :47:55.Two tornadoes accompanying the Air scoop seeker. We have the great big

:47:56. > :48:10.Voyager, it is 200-feet long. And that really is a very big

:48:11. > :48:18.presence in the skies above St St James' Park and Buckingham Palace.

:48:19. > :48:25.The Voyager is the largest aircraft in the RAF's fleet. Here we go, the

:48:26. > :48:34.Red Arrows on the way. Red, white and blue. The Royal Air Force aero

:48:35. > :48:50.aerobatic team. My word, that was quite a sight and

:48:51. > :48:54.lots of applause in the parks and in among the crowd. I think it is safe

:48:55. > :48:59.to say that the Queen and other members of the Royal Family

:49:00. > :49:04.thoroughly enjoyed one of the biggest fly-pasts we have seen for a

:49:05. > :49:06.number of years on the Queen's Birthday Parade. Three cheers from

:49:07. > :49:21.the crowd. APPLAUSE

:49:22. > :49:26.The Queen just taking in the scernings taking in the sight.

:49:27. > :49:32.-- scene, taking in the sight. PLAYS NATIONAL

:49:33. > :49:55.ANTHEM A special rendition of the National

:49:56. > :50:01.Anthem to celebrate the Queen's 90th birth day. As Her Majesty happily

:50:02. > :50:05.acknowledges the cheers of the vast crowds here outside Buckingham

:50:06. > :50:18.Palace and right up along the Mall towards Admiralty Arch. A first

:50:19. > :50:23.public appearance on that balcony for Princess Charlotte with her

:50:24. > :50:25.brother, George, who is a veteran by now because it is his second

:50:26. > :50:32.appearance. No doubt they have enjoyed it all. So the Queen and

:50:33. > :50:37.three generations of the Royal Family make their way back into the

:50:38. > :50:43.Palace and the Birthday Parade 2016 in the Queen's 90th year is at an

:50:44. > :50:50.end. Another superb display by everyone. An equally impressive

:50:51. > :50:52.performance by the Royal Air Force with a fly-past to enjoy the day's

:50:53. > :50:59.vents. Don't forget you can

:51:00. > :51:01.enjoy it all again. Our highlights programme is

:51:02. > :51:04.on BBC Two this evening at 6.10pm. But for now, from my special guests,

:51:05. > :51:06.Brigadier Greville Bibby and Robert Hardman,

:51:07. > :51:08.and every one on the BBC team at the Queen's Birthday

:51:09. > :51:44.Parade, goodbye. Captain, it's d'Artagnan.

:51:45. > :51:49.There's a riot in Saint-Antoine.