0:00:02 > 0:00:0490 years ago, our longest-serving monarch,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Queen Elizabeth II, was born.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Since then, millions of us have met her
0:00:10 > 0:00:11and many have got close.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13You are having a good old stare at the Queen, aren't you?
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Oh, yes, we are. I had a good view of her.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17But how well do we know her?
0:00:17 > 0:00:21She is on our stamps and she's on our coins
0:00:21 > 0:00:22and she's in our hearts.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25And how well does she know us?
0:00:25 > 0:00:27- She gave me a puppy, which was very nice.- Oh, right.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30'This is Her Majesty as you have never seen her before.'
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Good Queen hair you've got going on there.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37I was completely paralysed as this amazing icon walked over my gangway.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40A people's portrait of the Queen.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42She wasn't there doing her job.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45She was there because she was genuinely concerned.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47This is the main workshop now, then, is it, here?
0:00:47 > 0:00:51In this series, it's handbags at dawn for John Craven.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55- What's...? It's obviously leather... - Ah-ah-ah.- Oop! Can I not touch it?
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Aw! Look at them!
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Carol Kirkwood meets a pint-sized pony who munched on Her Majesty.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04No, bless him. Did the Queen think it was funny?
0:01:04 > 0:01:05She thought it was hilarious.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08She knows Shetlands, so she knows they've got a mind of their own.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10As for me, well, I'm going to be talking to people
0:01:10 > 0:01:13with amazing tales of meeting Her Majesty the Queen
0:01:13 > 0:01:15in a place that's very dear to my heart.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29So where am I?
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Well, it's a beautiful part of the world,
0:01:32 > 0:01:36stunning views, spectacular castles, and...
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Dare I say it? HE CLEARS HIS THROAT
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Fabulous singers. It is, of course, my homeland - Wales.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45What do you think about this - good way to travel?
0:01:45 > 0:01:47I'd say so.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50It's how the Queen arrived here in Caernarfon 45 years ago
0:01:50 > 0:01:52for a very special occasion,
0:01:52 > 0:01:53but more on that later.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02This is a genuine landau carriage.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Basically, for you and me, it means a convertible.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Wherever she goes, crowds, of course, gather,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10and it's important for her to be seen by the crowds.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Let me tell you now, there's no way of being incognito
0:02:13 > 0:02:16when you're in this thing. Everyone stares at you.
0:02:18 > 0:02:19- Hi!- Hello!
0:02:19 > 0:02:22It's not quite the turnout the Queen gets,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25but, you know, I could get used to this.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28That lady just said, "There's a Queen in the carriage."
0:02:28 > 0:02:30I don't know what she means(!)
0:02:33 > 0:02:35The Welsh people got their very first glimpse
0:02:35 > 0:02:38of the newly-appointed Queen in 1952
0:02:38 > 0:02:41when she opened a dam in Claerwen, South Wales.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Now then, I've been very fortunate
0:02:50 > 0:02:52to sing for the Queen on many occasions,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55but I'm hoping that by talking to other Welsh people who have met her
0:02:55 > 0:02:59I'll get a more rounded idea of what she's actually like as a person.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01I'm also dying to find out why she's got this special relationship
0:03:01 > 0:03:04with my country.
0:03:04 > 0:03:05I think the Queen's doing amazing
0:03:05 > 0:03:07to be still doing what she's done at 90.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Yeah, she looks really good for her age.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11I certainly think she's saved the monarchy.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15I think she looks fantastic. She's always decked out really well.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16She looks really polished.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19It's something to look up to and inspire people.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22I think she's done marvellous, really.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Happy 90th birthday, Your Majesty.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Very, very happy birthday, Your Majesty.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31I think you're absolutely wonderful. She's kept herself fit.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Keep going as long as you can,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36you've still got a few more years to go.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41As Britain's longest-serving monarch,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44the Queen has clocked up countless visits to Wales.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48- REPORTER:- 'Among the hills and valleys of Wales,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50'the Royal travellers were to find many welcomes.'
0:03:50 > 0:03:55Over the years, she's joined us for our famous Eisteddfod festivals.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00We've sung to her, obviously.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03We've even shouted for her.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- CHANTING:- We want the Queen, yeah! We want the Queen, yeah!
0:04:08 > 0:04:12From Barry to Bangor, whether by royal train, plane or yacht,
0:04:12 > 0:04:18Her Majesty has always enjoyed a very warm "Croeso y Cymru".
0:04:18 > 0:04:21'And now a great moment for a small girl -
0:04:21 > 0:04:24'four-and-a-half year old Margaret Ellis presented a bouquet.'
0:04:34 > 0:04:37But the Queen's not just there for the good times.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42She also supports our nation during its darkest moments.
0:04:44 > 0:04:45Well, mountains all over Wales,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48but these are the mountains of South Wales.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49We're down in the Valleys.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51It's a really great part of the world.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Absolutely amazing. Lots of choirs.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Lots of really close-knit communities as well -
0:04:57 > 0:04:59people really look out for one another.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Nowhere more so than one village here in the Taff Valley.
0:05:08 > 0:05:1150 years ago, its name became known to the world.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17It would gain a very special place in the Queen's heart.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20She returned here again and again.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37Disaster struck here in Aberfan on 21st October, 1966...
0:05:39 > 0:05:43..when a huge pile of coal waste slid down from the hills,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45engulfing the junior school.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50'Parents and teachers join police, firemen,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54'civil defence workers and mine rescue teams at the school.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57'Some of the helpers tore at the rubble with bare hands
0:05:57 > 0:06:00'in their desperate efforts to get at the children.'
0:06:17 > 0:06:20And this is where Pantglas Junior School was -
0:06:20 > 0:06:22here one minute, gone the next -
0:06:22 > 0:06:26as half a million tonnes of slurry demolished it.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29It was a terrible, terrible tragedy.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33116 children, aged 7 and 8, lost their lives.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Bless their hearts.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41'Jeff Edwards remembers it vividly.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43'He was just eight years old when he arrived for school
0:06:43 > 0:06:45'on that dreadful day.'
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Where was your classroom?
0:06:47 > 0:06:49- This was my classroom here.- Right.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51We went in into the classroom.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55The teacher then was starting a mathematics lesson,
0:06:55 > 0:06:57and there was this roaring sound.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02The lights started to shake and the teacher said to us,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05reassuring us, really, "Don't worry, it's only thunder."
0:07:05 > 0:07:10That noise got noisier and noisier, and then, next thing I remember
0:07:10 > 0:07:13was waking up with all this tip material all over me.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21It took just five minutes for the deadly landslide
0:07:21 > 0:07:24to sweep down from the hills and bury the school.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The roof had collapsed on top of me.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34I was fortunate, because that actually saved me.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38It provided me with a pocket of air that enabled me to breathe.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42I tried to get out, there was all these screams and shouts,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45but those screams and shouts got less and less as time went on,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49because obviously people were dying because of the lack of air.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55In the end, I heard the fireman shout to me,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58basically saying, "There's a boy with white hair down here."
0:07:58 > 0:08:00They started to dig around me.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02I was the last one to come out alive.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11It took a week to recover all the bodies.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21How hard has it been for you to cope with the fact
0:08:21 > 0:08:24that you survived and so many didn't?
0:08:24 > 0:08:27It's been very difficult. Guilt is the main issue, really.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31You feel guilty that you've survived and others hadn't.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36That's a huge thing that is difficult to come to terms with.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38- Even now?- Even now.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41One minute we were all happy kids going to school,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45and...we then had no friends.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48All my friends were destroyed in the disaster.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Out of my class, only four of us survived,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53so it was a huge impact, really.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56We had to grow up very, very quickly.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59- 50 years have gone on, but we don't forget.- No.
0:08:59 > 0:09:05I can't forget, and what happened to us will be with me until I die.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Wow, what an honour to meet Jeff. What a brave man he is.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21You can tell that, 50 years on, the events of Aberfan
0:09:21 > 0:09:22still haunt him greatly,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25but, my goodness me, who can blame him for showing emotion?
0:09:25 > 0:09:27I would. I know that.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30I can't think of anything worse as a parent than losing your kids.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33You think they are going to be safe when they go to school, don't you?
0:09:39 > 0:09:42One week later, the Queen visited the stricken village.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Mary, how are you? Lovely to see you.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51'Mary Morris, whose daughter survived the disaster
0:09:51 > 0:09:53'by climbing out of one of the school windows,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55'was among the hundreds of villagers
0:09:55 > 0:09:58'who lined the street for the Queen's visit.'
0:09:59 > 0:10:02I definitely recognise the Queen in this photo,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04but I think I recognise somebody else.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Yes, that's myself, yes, that's myself.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10You're having a good old stare at the Queen, aren't you?
0:10:10 > 0:10:11Yes, we are. I had a good view of her.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- She did speak to us. - What did she say?
0:10:14 > 0:10:17She said, you know, "I'm sorry,
0:10:17 > 0:10:22"it's a terrible thing that's happened. How do you all feel?"
0:10:22 > 0:10:24- We were numbed, weren't we? - Of course.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27I don't think it sunk in, really, what had really happened,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29because when I relate it today,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32people can't believe that, you know, that happened, you see?
0:10:32 > 0:10:34She seems to care a lot about what happened here...
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Oh, she does. She's very... Yes, she does.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41She just seemed an ordinary... A mother and an ordinary woman.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44- Yeah.- You know? We didn't think of her as royalty.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Many of the children who died
0:10:48 > 0:10:52were the same age as the Queen's son, Prince Andrew.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57Aberfan left her deeply moved as a Queen and a mother.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00She returned to the village four times.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05And in 1973, she opened a new community centre.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10- QUEEN:- This centre looks to the future.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14It stands as a symbol of the determination
0:11:14 > 0:11:19that out of the disaster should come a richer and a fuller life.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23This was also when Jeff Edwards met the Queen for the first time -
0:11:23 > 0:11:27the first of many meetings.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Obviously, I was still a youngster then. 12, 13 years of age.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34We were fascinated by the big Rolls-Royce that turned up...
0:11:34 > 0:11:35Of course you were.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37..with George and the dragon on the front, really.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41On her third visit in 1997,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43she planted a tree in the memorial garden,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45which stands to this day.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51On that same visit, Jeff met the Queen again,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53which led to a special gift.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56She said, "Well, what are you doing now?"
0:11:56 > 0:12:02I'd come back from London and opened a community project for young people
0:12:02 > 0:12:05who would have traditionally gone into the mining industry,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08but with the colliery closing, were basically unemployed,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12and consequently turned to alcohol and crime
0:12:12 > 0:12:14to alleviate their boredom, really.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18A couple of weeks later, I had a call from Buckingham Palace.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22He said, "Her Majesty would like to make a personal donation
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- "to your project."- Goodness me. How did you feel?
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Well, we were absolutely over the moon, really.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Why do you think she cares so much about this place?
0:12:30 > 0:12:33I think probably because she's a parent herself,
0:12:33 > 0:12:38because it was early in her reign that this happened,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41and it was probably one of the most tragic incidents that happened
0:12:41 > 0:12:43- during her reign...- Yeah.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46And, obviously, like many people who come from all over the world
0:12:46 > 0:12:49still to Aberfan these days, is that they want to pay their respects.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57In 2012, the Queen made perhaps her most poignant return,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59to open a new primary school.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Alongside Jeff,
0:13:01 > 0:13:05head teacher Simone Roden was also there to greet Her Majesty.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08It was an exciting day.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Exciting for staff, pupils, governors, parents,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13the whole community. It was fantastic.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17She made a promise to the people of Aberfan,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21and she said, "Build your new school and I will come back and open it,"
0:13:21 > 0:13:25and clearly she did that. She is a lady of her word.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28And as soon as the school was open, in no time at all,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30she was invited down, she accepted the invitation
0:13:30 > 0:13:32and she arrived in all her glory.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Capturing some of that Queenly glory...
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Hi, guys, how are you?
0:13:40 > 0:13:42All right? Nice to see you, Mr Burns.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47'..some budding Michelangelos from Mr Burns' class.'
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Good Queen hair you've got going on there!
0:13:50 > 0:13:53- Did any of you meet the Queen when she came?- Yes.- Yes.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55What was she like?
0:13:55 > 0:13:58- She was really nice.- Really nice?
0:13:58 > 0:14:03- Were you scared about meeting her? - Yes.- Were you? Were you nervous?
0:14:03 > 0:14:07I was nervous the first time I met her. My legs were shaking like that.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10She came in a big car and she left in a red helicopter.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Yeah, that's the way to travel! Are you jealous?
0:14:13 > 0:14:15You're quick.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Are you done as well? Good work.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Yours looks like your teacher!
0:14:20 > 0:14:23ALED LAUGHS
0:14:23 > 0:14:25It does look a little bit like your teacher!
0:14:27 > 0:14:29If Mr Burns was King of England,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31then that would be a brilliant, brilliant drawing.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34ALL LAUGH
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- Would you like to meet her again in the future?- Maybe.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Since I was born on her birthday.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45- Oh, were you? April the...- 21st.- 21st.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- But you're not 89.- No!- No!
0:14:48 > 0:14:52But she's going to be 90, and do you know how many things she does
0:14:52 > 0:14:56- every week, how many engagements, like coming to this school?- No.
0:14:56 > 0:14:57Five every week.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00At the age of 90. That's amazing, isn't it?
0:15:00 > 0:15:02She should be at home watching EastEnders with her feet up
0:15:02 > 0:15:04eating chocolates.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Before I leave in my helicopter...
0:15:06 > 0:15:08I haven't got a helicopter, have I? No.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10..what would you like to say to the Queen? Go on.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Happy 90th birthday, Your Majesty!
0:15:21 > 0:15:23What a happy and vibrant place that is.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26And how brilliant that something so positive as this school
0:15:26 > 0:15:29has been born out of something so dark and tragic.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32I reckon with this building at the heart of this community,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Aberfan's future is a very, very bright one.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46We Welsh have plenty of tales of special moments shared with
0:15:46 > 0:15:50the Queen, as rugby fan Lyn Evans fondly remembers.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54I actually met the Queen the first time in November 1980.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58It was the centenary of the Welsh Rugby union.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01I grabbed my old Polaroid camera, took it with me
0:16:01 > 0:16:05and stood against a barrier just outside the City Hall.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09The Queen's car pulled up and I took a photograph of her arrival.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12And as she came towards me, I offered her the photograph
0:16:12 > 0:16:15I had taken and she said, "Would you like to keep it?" and I said,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18"No, ma'am, I'd like you to have it," and I remembered the "ma'am".
0:16:18 > 0:16:20I said, "No, I'd like you to have it,
0:16:20 > 0:16:24"but if you stand still long enough, I will take another one."
0:16:24 > 0:16:26And she stood still for me to take a picture.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Unfortunately, the picture was very blurred
0:16:29 > 0:16:33and the only picture I could get was of her and Prince Philip
0:16:33 > 0:16:35leaving City Hall in the car and that was blurred as well.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37But it left me with a nice memory!
0:16:40 > 0:16:41Now, talking of memories,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45I've a cracking tale to tell about the first time I met the Queen.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49But first, we have to go back 36 years.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55I tell you what, I really love this place. It's Bangor Cathedral.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57It's where I learned my craft.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01I was here as a chorister from the age of nine to 11.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04That means services on a Tuesday, on a Thursday,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07rehearsals on a Friday and Saturday, two services on a Sunday.
0:17:07 > 0:17:08I was really, really happy here
0:17:08 > 0:17:13but I have no idea the old warbling would lead to royal meetings.
0:17:13 > 0:17:14Who'd have thought?
0:17:18 > 0:17:20CHORAL SINGING
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Well, this takes me back. Hasn't changed a bit.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34I remember when I first walked in here as a young kid, I thought
0:17:34 > 0:17:37this was the biggest building in the whole world.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39I had never seen anything like it. And the smell...
0:17:39 > 0:17:41It's still the same.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Back then I thought it was history in the walls of the place
0:17:44 > 0:17:47making it smell like this and I remember being really disappointed
0:17:47 > 0:17:51when someone said it was the oil radiator heating up the cathedral!
0:17:51 > 0:17:55It's still there. My goodness me, it takes me back.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14This was my spot as a chorister for four years in Bangor cathedral.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16I was probably about this tall, truth be known.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21But without the hours of practice and singing I put in here,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23I think the first meeting with the Queen I had
0:18:23 > 0:18:25would have been a complete nightmare.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27It was a bit of a nightmare anyway.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31I had been asked by Andrew Lloyd Webber to close the first half
0:18:31 > 0:18:34of a Royal Gala performance in Edinburgh.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37But my performance in front of Her Majesty
0:18:37 > 0:18:39didn't quite go according to plan.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44It was the biggest concert I had ever done in my life.
0:18:44 > 0:18:45Mum and Dad were excited as well.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49On the bill were people like Shirley Bassey, Linda Evans from Dynasty,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51it was huge, about 200 acts.
0:18:51 > 0:18:52Aled Jones.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57My job was to sing that Lloyd Webber classic,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Memory, only I had to sing it from memory
0:18:59 > 0:19:03because on the night, I wasn't allowed to use the score.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06# Midnight
0:19:06 > 0:19:10# Not a sound from the pavement
0:19:10 > 0:19:13# Has the moon lost her memory?
0:19:13 > 0:19:17# She is smiling alone... #
0:19:17 > 0:19:20And then, in between the first verse and the second verse, it goes,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22"Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding."
0:19:22 > 0:19:27On the second, "ding, ding, ding" - I looked down the whole hall
0:19:27 > 0:19:31and I saw an exit sign in red with the "E" flickering a little bit
0:19:31 > 0:19:35and I thought to myself, "I haven't got a clue what's coming next."
0:19:35 > 0:19:37I'd forgotten the words.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40And I had two-and-a-half seconds to think of something.
0:19:40 > 0:19:46# Memory all alone in the moonlight...
0:19:46 > 0:19:49# I can hear the... # HE AD-LIBS
0:19:49 > 0:19:52'Thankfully, I came up with some words of my own.'
0:19:52 > 0:19:55I said something like, "Memory, I can hear the choir singing,
0:19:55 > 0:19:56"they are singing alone."
0:19:56 > 0:20:00"I can hear them singing beautiful songs and the memory lingers on."
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Finally, legs shaking, dry mouth, looking terrified,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07I went back to the normal words for verses three, four and five.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10I feel sick telling the story now.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15# I can hear them, the choir singing beautiful songs... #
0:20:16 > 0:20:20'As you can imagine, I finished the performance, everyone was lovely,'
0:20:20 > 0:20:23everyone bar Rory Bremner. He came bounding up to me
0:20:23 > 0:20:26at the side of the stage and went, "You were singing Memory -
0:20:26 > 0:20:28"you don't have one!"
0:20:28 > 0:20:31As you can imagine, that went down really, really well.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36And my recurring nightmare throughout my childhood
0:20:36 > 0:20:39and no word of a lie, bolt upright in the dark of night,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42would be, what would have happened if I hadn't made the words up?
0:20:42 > 0:20:45And in my nightmare, what I do is look up at the Queen
0:20:45 > 0:20:48and Prince Philip who are just there in the Royal Box and I go,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51"I'm really sorry, Your Majesty!" and run off stage crying
0:20:51 > 0:20:54never to be heard of again as she shouts, "To the tower with him!"
0:20:54 > 0:20:58# Daylight I must wait for... #
0:20:58 > 0:21:01'At the end of those Royal Variety-type concerts,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04'there is always a line-up where you meet the Queen.'
0:21:04 > 0:21:07She put her arm out and shook my hand, I was so scared.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10I was so nervous, shaking like mad and she said,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12"You have a beautiful voice. Well done.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16"I really enjoyed your interpretation, and good luck in the future."
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Phew! Thank God.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25After that, if ever I saw her on television
0:21:25 > 0:21:28until I met her again, I always thought of her as like my gran or something,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31because she put me instantly at ease.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35I have sung for her now loads of times and she is always charming,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38always interested in what you do and you think to yourself,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41"How many people must she meet a day?" It is just phenomenal.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Amazing, amazing woman.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52Her Majesty has a gift for putting us all at ease on big occasions.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55A gift she extends to her own family.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Here at Caernarvon Castle, 45 years ago,
0:22:03 > 0:22:08the Queen helped her young son Charles through a very grand event.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12The day she formally made him the Prince of Wales.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Right then, here's a bit of history for you.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Edward II was the first English prince to hold the title
0:22:20 > 0:22:24the Prince of Wales. That was way back in 1301.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27I got thinking, maybe it is that link with ancient royal history
0:22:27 > 0:22:29that makes Wales such a special place for the Queen.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34HORNS PLAY FANFARE
0:22:34 > 0:22:36The Prince of Wales' investiture,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40the ancient ritual dating back to the 14th century,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43was conducted with full pomp and ceremony.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45It was watched by millions on TV,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49with 4,000 lucky people inside the castle.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51- COMMENTATOR: - The symbol of sovereignty.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57'Ann Bond had one of the best seats in the house.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59'but she had to sing for it.'
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Lovely to see you, thanks so much for meeting me. How are you?
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- I'm fine.- Freezing cold. - Freezing cold!
0:23:05 > 0:23:08- This is the scene of your performing triumph.- Absolutely, yes.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11It is just absolutely incredible.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15I used some of the memorabilia that I've got to place the chair
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- exactly where I was. - This is where you were.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20This is actually where I was sitting.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23So, tell me, what was your involvement in the whole thing?
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Well, as part of the choir, we had been rehearsing
0:23:26 > 0:23:29from the February through to the July.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34So what we have got here is some of the footage of the choir itself.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Look at that!
0:23:36 > 0:23:39- There I am.- With the specs? That's you?
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- With the specs.- No way. You haven't changed a bit!
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Oh, I love you!
0:23:48 > 0:23:5116-year-old Ann Bond was one of 200 choristers
0:23:51 > 0:23:56lending an enthusiastic Welsh voice to the momentous occasion.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Set the scene for me now. You're sitting here. Where was the Queen?
0:24:01 > 0:24:03There. On the dais there.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08So, the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and obviously Prince Charles were there.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11You were dead close, weren't you? Touching distance.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15When we saw how close we were, we actually couldn't believe it.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17We thought we would be tucked away somewhere.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19How do you feel looking at that?
0:24:19 > 0:24:24- God! You look across, it doesn't seem real.- It's amazing!
0:24:24 > 0:24:29- It doesn't get bigger than that, does it?- No, honestly, it doesn't.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32- COMMENTATOR:- The gold ring, symbol of unity.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Because the family themselves were there,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41- you could see that there were little glances of encouragement.- Really?!
0:24:41 > 0:24:46- We were close enough to be able to see that sort of thing.- Amazing!
0:24:46 > 0:24:50You just got the feeling all the time that she was...
0:24:50 > 0:24:54trying to give him strength and confidence to reassure him
0:24:54 > 0:24:57that everything was fine and it was going well.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59And you could see these looks,
0:24:59 > 0:25:03the sort of looks that a mum gives a child to say,
0:25:03 > 0:25:05"You're doing OK," you know.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09- "So far, so good."- And it was just the way, it was mother...
0:25:09 > 0:25:13It was very much mother and son in that moment.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17It was as if everything went completely quiet.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21It was very moving at the time, actually.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30It was an emotional moment for the young prince and his mum.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36Meanwhile, the choir were doing their bit for Queen and country too.
0:25:36 > 0:25:41This is the folder that they gave us with the music.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43- All handwritten. - It was all handwritten.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45That's amazing.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48I'm impressed because you are not like the typical chorister
0:25:48 > 0:25:51that would doodle and write messages to their mates and stuff on it.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53You have kept it, it's pristine.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- I suppose it was quite a big event. - It was a bit, yes!
0:25:56 > 0:26:01- What part were you, soprano? - I sang alto.- Alto, OK.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Back in those years, I could sing anything from soprano down to tenor.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08- You're just showing off now! - I haven't got the range any more.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Not any more!
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Shall we go back 46 years and have a go? You were about here.
0:26:14 > 0:26:15Go on, then.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17I was going to say I'll play Her Majesty
0:26:17 > 0:26:20but I will just hold this massive score before you get blown off.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Go on, then. You start.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26TOGETHER: # Among our ancient mountains
0:26:26 > 0:26:30# And from our lovely vales
0:26:30 > 0:26:35# Oh! Let the prayer be echoed
0:26:35 > 0:26:39# God bless the Prince of Wales! #
0:26:39 > 0:26:44Now I know why you got the job. What a great singer you are.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48- I enjoyed that.- That was great! I can say I sang with Aled Jones.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50I can say I sang with you!
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Unfortunately, Her Majesty wasn't here...
0:26:52 > 0:26:55or maybe fortunate Her Majesty wasn't here to listen to us!
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Yes, absolutely!
0:26:57 > 0:27:02# Among our ancient mountains... #
0:27:02 > 0:27:05What great memories from Ann.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09She was clearly moved by seeing Her Majesty being every bit a mum
0:27:09 > 0:27:11as much as a Head of State.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14And that footage of the young prince having to perform
0:27:14 > 0:27:18with the eyes of the world on him really takes me back.
0:27:25 > 0:27:3030 years ago, I was a young boy soprano growing up on Anglesey
0:27:30 > 0:27:32just ten miles from Caernarvon.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38And there it is in all its glory.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41My old school, David Hughes comprehensive.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45About 1,000 pupils or something like that.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49None of them really knowing what I got up to at weekends.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51That's the way I liked it.
0:27:52 > 0:27:57But in 1985, my cover was blown by a documentary crew.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01YOUNG ALED: I keep my schooling and singing very separate
0:28:01 > 0:28:04because I get teased quite a lot at school,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08and when you wear a cassock and frill and sing in a high voice,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11it's just something you keep from your other mates!
0:28:13 > 0:28:17'By the time Walking In The Air came about, I was about 14-and-a-half,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21'so, as you can imagine, every 11, 12 and 13-year-old,'
0:28:21 > 0:28:24every break time, would go, "It's Aled Jones!"
0:28:24 > 0:28:25# Walking in the air! #
0:28:25 > 0:28:28It's really funny for the first 500 times,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30but after about 5,000 times,
0:28:30 > 0:28:34you just want to run out of that school and never go back.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39# I'm finding I can fly so high above with you... #
0:28:46 > 0:28:49YOUNG ALED: If my voice would have broken when I was 12, 13 years old
0:28:49 > 0:28:54when other boys' voices break, none of this would have happened to me.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58I would just be a normal, plain ordinary boy.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01'And of course, I would never have met the Queen.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03'Let alone sung for her.'
0:29:03 > 0:29:05As a family,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08we would sit down and listen to the Queen's message at Christmas
0:29:08 > 0:29:11but other than that, being in this part of the world,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14you didn't really know much about the royal family.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18Um, except what you maybe saw on television.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22I remember going to Caernarvon as a youngster
0:29:22 > 0:29:24because I think Prince Charles was making a visit,
0:29:24 > 0:29:28and I remember standing on a lamppost, on my friend's shoulders
0:29:28 > 0:29:31just so we could see a glimpse of his car as it drove past.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35But unfortunately about 10,000 other people had the same idea
0:29:35 > 0:29:38so all I saw was an exhaust or something like that!
0:29:43 > 0:29:46There are some folk who have made it their life's ambition to meet
0:29:46 > 0:29:50the Queen not just once but hundreds of times.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54Yes, the Queen has her groupies -
0:29:54 > 0:29:58superfans who follow her across the country.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00And here in Ruthin, Denbighshire,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03I think I've tracked down Wales's number one fan.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07My goodness me.
0:30:07 > 0:30:08Welcome to my home.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11- Thank you. You like the Queen, don't you?- My Royal Museum.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14My goodness me, so much stuff here.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18Amateur photographer Colin Edwards
0:30:18 > 0:30:20has been an avid Queen-spotter
0:30:20 > 0:30:22since watching her coronation as a small boy
0:30:22 > 0:30:24on the family's first telly.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Over 30 years, he's travelled thousands of miles,
0:30:29 > 0:30:34tracking Royal visits and snapping over 6,000 photos of Her Majesty.
0:30:37 > 0:30:38A lot of the photos I see,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41the Queen is looking like I don't normally see her, you know?
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Well, she's a monarch in lots of the photos,
0:30:43 > 0:30:46whereas you've got more of a sort of personal side to her.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49I think, people like myself, we're called Royal-watchers,
0:30:49 > 0:30:53and we stand for ages waiting to see her and we get our photographs,
0:30:53 > 0:30:55- and they're a bit more candid and informal.- Yeah.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57We capture her informality
0:30:57 > 0:31:01- more than the official press photographers.- It's lovely.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05She always comes and speaks to us, she's very relaxed.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Has she ever said, "Colin, not today, I'm having a bad hair day!"?
0:31:08 > 0:31:10No, she hasn't said that yet.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12She never has a bad hair day, that's why!
0:31:12 > 0:31:15- But she doesn't call me Colin. - Right.- It's protocol.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19Diana always called me Colin, she was very informal,
0:31:19 > 0:31:23but the Queen never, ever gives people their name.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25- Have you got any photos that I can see?- Yes, of course.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27- There's one - that's a great one. - Well...
0:31:27 > 0:31:30I tell you what, that's got to be the closest photo of the Queen
0:31:30 > 0:31:33I've ever seen in my life, look at that!
0:31:33 > 0:31:35It's practically this close.
0:31:37 > 0:31:38That's brilliant. Any more?
0:31:38 > 0:31:39Yes, of course.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43I ask him, "Any more?" He's got 6,000 to get through.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45Sit down, we could be some time.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47You'll be here all day if you want to see them all!
0:31:47 > 0:31:50- This is just a small selection. - Right.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54That was the Queen outside Westminster Abbey in 1997.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57I love these. This is a side of her we never see in the papers.
0:31:57 > 0:31:58This wonderful smile again.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00She's got a wonderful smile, very infectious.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03And very spontaneous, too.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05You know, she's...
0:32:05 > 0:32:08The Queen isn't an actress. She's her own true self.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10This is brilliant, this one! Look at that!
0:32:10 > 0:32:13That was in 1992, taken in Wakefield, in Yorkshire.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16The character she's got in all these photos is really great.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18She's got beautiful blue eyes.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21- She looks very animated.- I was about to say, she looks so alive.- Yes.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23There was an occasion in the late 1980s
0:32:23 > 0:32:25when she was just getting to know me...
0:32:25 > 0:32:29It was in Burnley in Lancashire, and I do remember this well.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32I'd waited quite a long time with a friend to see her.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36She came along, did her walkabout, and she was about to walk away,
0:32:36 > 0:32:37and I said, "Your Majesty,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40"could I take another photograph of you, please,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43"because I may not see you again for some time?"
0:32:43 > 0:32:46And she said, "Oh, I'm not so sure about that,
0:32:46 > 0:32:47"because you turn up everywhere!"
0:32:47 > 0:32:49THEY LAUGH
0:32:49 > 0:32:53I sang on the Commonwealth Day in Westminster Abbey.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55At the end of it, we were all in a room
0:32:55 > 0:32:57waiting to meet Her Majesty the Queen.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00She went, "By the way, my husband loves your radio show."
0:33:00 > 0:33:03I was like, "OK." So up he came and I said to him,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06"Oh, your wife tells me you listen to my radio show."
0:33:06 > 0:33:08He said, "Rubbish! Rubbish!"
0:33:08 > 0:33:10"The only person I listen to is that cheeky little Welsh chappie."
0:33:10 > 0:33:13- And I went, "That's me! That's me." - What a wonderful story.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16So the next Sunday, I said, "If you're listening, ma'am,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19"this is for you," and I played her a nice bit of Elgar.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22MUSIC: Nimrod from Enigma Variations by Elgar
0:33:29 > 0:33:31I love Colin - isn't he such a great guy?
0:33:31 > 0:33:34And what commitment he's shown Her Majesty over the years.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Incredible! 6,000 photos of the royal family,
0:33:37 > 0:33:38and you see a side in his photos
0:33:38 > 0:33:42that you don't normally see in the press. Look at that!
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Every person in Britain should see Her Majesty like that.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48Full of life, full of love, absolutely brilliant.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50And also I'm so pleased that he reaffirmed
0:33:50 > 0:33:51what I...thought I knew, anyway,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54the fact that she likes having a laugh,
0:33:54 > 0:33:56just like the rest of us. Good on Her Majesty.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01And Her Majesty's sense of humour
0:34:01 > 0:34:03hasn't gone unnoticed by the Welsh.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Hwyel Roberts met her in 2010.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10One of the people I introduced was a man called Will Williams
0:34:10 > 0:34:14from Caernarfon, and he's a Ricky Tomlinson lookalike.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16So I introduced him to the Queen,
0:34:16 > 0:34:21I explained that he was a lookalike for a famous TV actor,
0:34:21 > 0:34:24and I said, "He appears in a programme called The Royle Family."
0:34:24 > 0:34:28And she said, "Oh, is it about a man in a vest sitting on a settee?"
0:34:29 > 0:34:34And then Will said, "Oh, you watch it, Your Majesty?"
0:34:34 > 0:34:39And she very quickly said, "I've seen it...once."
0:34:39 > 0:34:41THEY LAUGH
0:34:41 > 0:34:43If she watches The Royle Family, she's obviously watching this.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46So have you got a message for Her Majesty?
0:34:46 > 0:34:48Well, I wish Your Majesty a very happy birthday -
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Penblwydd hapus iawn! -
0:34:50 > 0:34:54- from the Royal town of Caernarfon. - In Welsh and English!
0:34:59 > 0:35:02Well, if there's one thing I'm hearing, it's that Her Majesty
0:35:02 > 0:35:06is happy to chew the fat with people from all walks of life.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11The Queen is so familiar to us, isn't she?
0:35:11 > 0:35:15We all carry a picture of her in our pockets everywhere we go.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17But do you know where every single one of these coins is made?
0:35:17 > 0:35:19Right here in Wales.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23The Land of my Fathers has been home to the Royal Mint since 1968,
0:35:23 > 0:35:28and we Welsh are dead proud that we look after the Queen's cash.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35The Queen opened the new Royal Mint near Cardiff.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38It was built to carry out the huge task of replacing our currency
0:35:38 > 0:35:41from old money to the new decimal coinage.
0:35:41 > 0:35:452,000 million new coins had to be made.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51Nearly 50 years on, and there's a new coin hot off the press.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Royal Mint Museum curator Graham Dyer
0:35:55 > 0:35:57is giving us a sneaky peek.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01We've just issued a new coin
0:36:01 > 0:36:06to commemorate the 90th birthday of the Queen.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10And here it is - showing the royal cypher
0:36:10 > 0:36:15and those magic figures "90" within a rather nice wreath.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20As Britain's longest-serving monarch,
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Her Majesty's portrait on our coins
0:36:22 > 0:36:25has changed over her 64-year reign.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31What we have on the table are the five basic portraits
0:36:31 > 0:36:35of the Queen, as we've travelled on this journey
0:36:35 > 0:36:37from 1952 until today.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42A competition is held each time the Queen's portrait is updated.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44Entries in the form of plaster models
0:36:44 > 0:36:46are judged by a special panel.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53Our understanding is that the Queen is very relaxed
0:36:53 > 0:36:55about the way the portraits have shown her
0:36:55 > 0:36:58gently ageing with the years.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01We were perhaps a little concerned
0:37:01 > 0:37:04when the Rank-Broadley portrait was done,
0:37:04 > 0:37:08that she might think it was... unduly realistic,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10but she had no problem with it at all.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14It's interesting when you look at the last of the portraits,
0:37:14 > 0:37:19the fifth portrait, where there's the hint of a smile
0:37:19 > 0:37:23and you can almost sense the Queen's satisfaction
0:37:23 > 0:37:26at a job well done.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30We've now had five portraits of the Queen.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33She looks in remarkably good health.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37Whether it will stretch to a sixth portrait, I don't know.
0:37:37 > 0:37:43Whether I will stretch and be around for a sixth portrait, I don't know!
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Well, if we do get portrait number six,
0:37:46 > 0:37:48I know who I'd get to design it -
0:37:48 > 0:37:51are you watching, Mr Burns' class in Abervan?
0:38:09 > 0:38:11So far on my travels, I've heard a lot about
0:38:11 > 0:38:15how much the Queen has done for Wales as a country,
0:38:15 > 0:38:18and the people of Wales. But I'm on my way to meet
0:38:18 > 0:38:21a very special person who's done quite a bit for the Queen, actually.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25Corgis - as Welsh as leeks, lovespoons
0:38:25 > 0:38:28and Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerych- wyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch,
0:38:28 > 0:38:30the town with the really long name.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34They've been the Queen's constant companion for over 70 years.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38Here, come on.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41And one woman in South Wales has played a big part
0:38:41 > 0:38:43in keeping that tradition alive.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47- Mary, how lovely to see you. How are you?- Very well, thank you.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50'Mary Davies has been breeding corgis for over 30 years,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53'even winning Best of Breed at Crufts.'
0:38:54 > 0:38:57How come the Queen came into your life, then?
0:38:57 > 0:38:59How did that all come about?
0:38:59 > 0:39:03Well, in 1992, so it's quite a long time ago,
0:39:03 > 0:39:07she used one of my stud dogs and had a litter.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11OK. How did you feel, though? What an honour!
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Oh, yeah, we were very proud.
0:39:13 > 0:39:19My husband was, too, and my mother, she thought it was wonderful.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21I think it's wonderful! I really do.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24So what was it like when you first met her?
0:39:24 > 0:39:27- A bit daunting.- Was it? - Oh, yes, but at the same time,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30she made you feel very much at ease,
0:39:30 > 0:39:32she was very easy to talk to,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35once you'd got over the first few nerves.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39So do you get any perks by being breeder to the Queen?
0:39:39 > 0:39:43- She gave me a puppy, which was very nice.- How gorgeous!- Yes!
0:39:43 > 0:39:44She was called Quiz.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46- Right.- She was a lovely dog.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50And here's Her Majesty catching up with Mary and Quiz
0:39:50 > 0:39:53at her Golden Jubilee in 2002.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57She just asked me who the dogs were,
0:39:57 > 0:40:01and she was very interested to know that this was Quiz,
0:40:01 > 0:40:03she made a great fuss of her.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05How hands-on is she with her corgis?
0:40:05 > 0:40:09Oh, very much so. I mean, one time when I saw her,
0:40:09 > 0:40:13she was just wearing a mac and boots and headscarf
0:40:13 > 0:40:15and she bundled them all in the back of her car.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Or even the back of her plane.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23Her Majesty has owned over 30 corgis during her reign.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27Her husband, Prince Philip, calls them her "dog mechanism" -
0:40:27 > 0:40:30her way of relaxing.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32It's obvious you love your dogs - they're immaculate.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35- The Queen really loves her animals, doesn't she?- Oh, she does.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38She even took one on honeymoon with her.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41- One what? A corgi?- A corgi, yes! - No!- Yes, a corgi called Susan.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43So Susan went on honeymoon with Her Majesty the Queen
0:40:43 > 0:40:45- and the Duke of Edinburgh? - That's right.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47Wonder how he felt about that?!
0:40:48 > 0:40:49Probably jealous.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52Shall we carry on? They're itching to go, aren't they?
0:40:52 > 0:40:54Come on!
0:40:54 > 0:40:58'I never knew the Queen's corgis came from Pembrokeshire in Wales.
0:40:58 > 0:40:59'I shouldn't be surprised.'
0:40:59 > 0:41:01All the best things come from Wales, after all!
0:41:01 > 0:41:04And in the few moments that I spent with Mary's corgis,
0:41:04 > 0:41:05I can see why she loves them.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08They're charming, playful. I want one for myself now.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Her Majesty has reigned for 64 years,
0:41:17 > 0:41:19hosted garden parties for over a million people
0:41:19 > 0:41:23and awarded 150,000 honours.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27With her tenth decade fast approaching,
0:41:27 > 0:41:29there are few signs of her slowing down.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36I'm nearly at the end of our People's Portrait
0:41:36 > 0:41:38of Her Majesty in Wales,
0:41:38 > 0:41:42but there's one special lady you still have to meet.
0:41:43 > 0:41:4990-year-old Hilda Price was born on 21st April 1926 -
0:41:49 > 0:41:51the same day as the Queen.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55Oh, I've loved her to death.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59She's absolutely wonderful.
0:41:59 > 0:42:04I'll sit here often and see where she is and what she's doing
0:42:04 > 0:42:06and I think, "I don't think I could do that!"
0:42:06 > 0:42:09But she always looks as if she's enjoying everything,
0:42:09 > 0:42:11so I really admire her.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Every year, she sends the Queen a birthday card.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20"Wishing you many happy returns of the day.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23"From your twin, Hilda A Price."
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Hilda's met Her Majesty several times.
0:42:27 > 0:42:32Each time I've felt that... she's so normal, can I say?
0:42:32 > 0:42:36Like one of us when she speaks to us.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39And I think that's a real gift,
0:42:39 > 0:42:43because she's far away from us, really.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49In 2006, Hilda was invited to celebrate her 80th birthday
0:42:49 > 0:42:52alongside Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56It was such a wonderful feeling to be sitting there,
0:42:56 > 0:43:00seeing the Duke of Edinburgh sitting by her,
0:43:00 > 0:43:03and we were on almost the next table to them.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08I was lucky enough to have a photo taken with her
0:43:08 > 0:43:10and it went into the Hello! magazine.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Oh, we had a beautiful time there.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15She spoke to us very well,
0:43:15 > 0:43:17and we got to know people there
0:43:17 > 0:43:19and we were allowed to go round the palace.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26Wishing you a very happy 90th birthday, ma'am.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30And wishing us both good health.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53You know, in the few encounters I've had with Her Majesty the Queen
0:43:53 > 0:43:55I've definitely witnessed her personal side,
0:43:55 > 0:43:58but what's made a massive impact on me
0:43:58 > 0:44:00on my trip around the whole of Wales
0:44:00 > 0:44:03is just how caring she has been to the Welsh people.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06Whether it's recognising hard-working individuals,
0:44:06 > 0:44:08or showing parental love and support
0:44:08 > 0:44:11to a whole community who lost so much,
0:44:11 > 0:44:13she's got that magic touch, I suppose,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16that makes everyone who comes into contact with her
0:44:16 > 0:44:17feel really, really special.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21And it's made me realise how lucky we are to have her.