0:00:03 > 0:00:0690 years ago, our longest-serving monarch,
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Queen Elizabeth II, was born.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Since then, millions of us have met her and many have got close.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15You're having a good old stare at the Queen, aren't you?
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Oh, yes, we are. Had a good view of her.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19But how well do we know her
0:00:19 > 0:00:21and how well does she know us?
0:00:21 > 0:00:22She said to me
0:00:22 > 0:00:25that she doesn't feel properly dressed without a handbag.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28This is Her Majesty as you've never seen her before.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Good Queen hair you've got going on there.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35I was completely paralysed as this amazing icon walked over my gangway.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38A people's portrait of the Queen.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42She is on our stamps and she's on our coins, and she's in our hearts.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44How you doing?
0:00:44 > 0:00:48In this series, Ainsley Harriott cooks up a coronation treat in London.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Come on, let's wave together, then.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Ohhh! Look at them!
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Carol Kirkwood meets the pint-size pony who munched on Her Majesty.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01No, bless him! Did the Queen think it was funny? She thought it was hilarious.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04She knows Shetlands, so she knows they've got a mind of their own.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07And as for me, well, I'm going to be out and about
0:01:07 > 0:01:10in a part of the world that takes me back to my roots.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14And I'll be talking to people about a day that will live
0:01:14 > 0:01:15for ever in their memories.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26Where am I?
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Well, I'll be navigating my way round a large chunk of Britain
0:01:30 > 0:01:33that's famous for being our industrial heartland.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Yes, I'm on a grand tour of the Midlands and the North of England.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47The Queen gets a big welcome here,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50from Gateshead Stadium in 2012...
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Her Majesty the Queen, make some noise for the Queen!
0:01:54 > 0:01:57..to a duck bus in Liverpool...
0:01:59 > 0:02:02..and on the canals of Burnley.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07I'm lucky enough to have met quite a few members of the royal family.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11I've interviewed Prince Philip and Princess Anne and Prince Charles...
0:02:11 > 0:02:13who was the guest editor on Countryfile
0:02:13 > 0:02:16when it celebrated its 25th birthday.
0:02:16 > 0:02:17We had a nice chat.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Do you ever get the time to sit down and watch Countryfile?
0:02:22 > 0:02:25You might very well think so, John. I couldn't possibly comment.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28But the Queen, of course, never gives interviews
0:02:28 > 0:02:32and I've only really met her up close once,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35and today I'm going to be talking to lots of people
0:02:35 > 0:02:38who've met her in different circumstances
0:02:38 > 0:02:43to try to build up a picture of what the Queen is really like
0:02:43 > 0:02:45in the eyes of her subjects.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51For starters, what do the people of my hometown, Leeds,
0:02:51 > 0:02:52think of our Queen?
0:02:54 > 0:02:57She's doing really well for herself considering her age.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59She's done well to get to 90, really, hasn't she?
0:02:59 > 0:03:03But I suppose she gets the full service, she's like the Bentley of human beings, so...
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Yes, well, my nana's the same age and my nana shares the same birthday as the Queen,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and her famous saying is - well, my nana's -
0:03:09 > 0:03:11is, "If the Queen can do it, I can do it!"
0:03:11 > 0:03:14I think the...Queen Elizabeth should come here, to Leeds,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18and we would organise her a big party, a special party for her.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21We wish you a happy birthday, Your Majesty.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Happy birthday!
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Happy birthday, Queen Elizabeth!
0:03:29 > 0:03:32During her lifetime, Her Majesty has seen the North of England
0:03:32 > 0:03:35and the Midlands in good times and bad.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40In 1949, before becoming our Queen, she visited the Potteries.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47And in 1975, she donned a hard hat to meet the miners
0:03:47 > 0:03:49at Silverstone Colliery.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
0:03:57 > 0:04:00But when the Queen came to Bradford in 1997
0:04:00 > 0:04:04to open a new stand at the football stadium,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07she was visiting a city that was still recovering
0:04:07 > 0:04:10from a disaster that stunned the whole world.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25Saturday 11th May 1985 is a date that the people of Bradford
0:04:25 > 0:04:27will never forget.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30A horrific fire, the worst in football history,
0:04:30 > 0:04:32broke out here, at Bradford City's home ground.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38On that day, the stands were crammed with a record
0:04:38 > 0:04:42number of supporters, who'd come to see their team, Bradford City,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45crowned Division 3 champions.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48But the victory celebrations soon turned to tragedy
0:04:48 > 0:04:50as the fire broke out.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53NEWSREEL: And that looks very nasty indeed.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Now, the police have gone over there to try and quell the fire
0:04:56 > 0:04:59and they're frantically getting some of the supporters out.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02One hopes the stand doesn't burn down.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Although some fans could escape onto the pitch,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09those that went to the back of the stand
0:05:09 > 0:05:12found the turnstiles locked.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13They were trapped.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19I can see the orange of the flames.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21The game is actually stopped here at Valley Parade.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24It looks like there could be a situation of panic,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26but all the time people are spilling onto the pitch
0:05:26 > 0:05:28and we can see the flames going up into the air there.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Some people are saying, "Get onto that pitch!"
0:05:33 > 0:05:37265 people were injured that day
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and 56 football fans lost their lives.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46The list of those who perished includes grandfathers
0:05:46 > 0:05:48and parents with their children.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Four of those who died were just 11 years old.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Like everyone, the Queen was shocked,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02but so moved by individual acts of bravery
0:06:02 > 0:06:06that she recognised 22 people with awards.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Pictured here outside Buckingham Palace after meeting the Queen
0:06:11 > 0:06:13is Inspector Terry Slocombe.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16He was on duty at the ground on the day of the fire.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Well, the fire was so hot... I mean, looking at the pitch,
0:06:22 > 0:06:27the grass was burnt a third of the way across the pitch -
0:06:27 > 0:06:29that's how hot it was.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32And with it being a pitched roof, and timber,
0:06:32 > 0:06:37the heat had risen, gathered and then it was a flash across.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42So what could you do? How many police were here, how many...?
0:06:42 > 0:06:46In the ground, probably, at that time, there'd be about...
0:06:47 > 0:06:50..perhaps about 20 police officers at that time.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52But once people realised what was happening,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56a lot of people were running up to the wall, getting people out.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58People weren't moving, to start off with,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01cos they didn't realise just what it was.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08I mean, did you actually personally rescue people?
0:07:08 > 0:07:13Yeah. We got...three or four people out of here.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Er, we had to... We had to give up when
0:07:17 > 0:07:21the policeman at the side of me, his hair caught fire. David Britton.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24We couldn't do anything else then.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28And then, down at the bottom corner, there used to be some gents' toilets
0:07:28 > 0:07:32and Charlie Mawson, my fellow inspector...
0:07:32 > 0:07:36We saw some people trapped in the toilets
0:07:36 > 0:07:39and so we went and got them out.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43There was a groundsman there and he'd been getting water
0:07:43 > 0:07:46out of the urinals to pour on people, just to...
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Just to cool them down. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02You got the Queen's Medal for Gallantry
0:08:02 > 0:08:03from Her Majesty herself.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I did, yes. But it was an honour to go down.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08I mean, she's so gracious. She's so...
0:08:10 > 0:08:11Puts you at ease.
0:08:11 > 0:08:17I mean, here you are, in the company of the person leading the country,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19and yet...just talks to you normally,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21and she knows what's happened.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23I know it's a funny connotation,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26but it's like bumping into a friend, in a way,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29because straightaway you can... you can talk.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31And she's so familiar anyway, you know. Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34And she knows what you're there for,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36you know, she's done her research, she knows.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41And did she mention anything to you about the fire?
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Yes, she said that she'd seen the films of it
0:08:45 > 0:08:47and she said it was such a tragedy.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50She also said that she cared for the people of Bradford.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56But this tragedy led to a massive step forward
0:08:56 > 0:08:59in the treatment of burns.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02David Sharpe was a young surgeon who found himself dealing with
0:09:02 > 0:09:06people who'd suffered burn injuries while escaping the fire.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09At that stage it was pandemonium and chaos,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12with hundreds of victims.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15258 people actually suffered burns,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18but we had a wonderful team at Bradford Royal Infirmary...
0:09:18 > 0:09:22nurses and people who were used to dealing with hand burns,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26and so they sort of had a production line, almost.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Remarkably, Professor Sharpe had just invented a revolutionary
0:09:30 > 0:09:34new device, which played a huge role that day, the Bradford Sling.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Well, it's an arm-supporting device.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41It's a sling, basically, but it is adjustable,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43so you can get the angle of the elbow...
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Shall I...try it? Er, yeah, let's try it on you, yeah.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49And then it has the advantage of being adjustable
0:09:49 > 0:09:50and it's also very comfortable.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54If you want a different angle then you can adjust
0:09:54 > 0:09:56the Velcro at the back. Oh, I see, yeah.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59And then this goes on to a... a stand.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03So your arm is elevated, so fluid, swelling will gradually go down.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05And when you go out of the hospital,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08you can just put it across your head, like this,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11and so it's like an...what you'd imagine any sling is. Yeah, yeah.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15So this Bradford Sling must have come in very handy on that big day.
0:10:15 > 0:10:16I know, it did,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and it's remarkable that that's how it worked out.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21So we had a stack of them
0:10:21 > 0:10:24and I think...some of the photographs now of the ward,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27you can see patients all with both hands in the air.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Mostly, we found the injuries were on the hands and forearms and scalp.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Yeah. Shall I relieve you of this for a minute? Yes, thank you.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Not that it shouldn't be comfortable!
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Professor Sharpe didn't stop there.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42He used the profits from selling the Bradford Sling
0:10:42 > 0:10:46to set up a burns research unit at the university.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Bradford has become one of the leading centres in the UK
0:10:50 > 0:10:54for developing new ways to help burn victims.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57For what you did in Bradford on that day
0:10:57 > 0:11:00the Queen awarded you the OBE, so congratulations for that.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Well, thank you. Did you actually meet the Queen?
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Was it the Queen who handed it to you? Yes.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07It was indeed and I'd been sort of warned beforehand
0:11:07 > 0:11:11that she will shake your hand and then gradually push you away,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15and I was caught out because, as I stepped up to receive the gong,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18I just wasn't expecting that sort of...social intercourse, really.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20Easy to become overcome by the moment, isn't it?
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Absolutely, it's an emotional thing.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26And, for me, I'd managed to survive the first ten days
0:11:26 > 0:11:28looking after burns victims,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31and then suddenly the whole thing overwhelms you...
0:11:31 > 0:11:36and I suffer from what my daughter calls emotional incontinence
0:11:36 > 0:11:39and so, when you go to something like that,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41it does bring it home. Yeah.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Within a few minutes on that terrible day, life ended or changed
0:11:50 > 0:11:54for so many people who'd just come to enjoy a football match.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01Well, anybody who wasn't actually here at this stadium on that day
0:12:01 > 0:12:05will find it hard to imagine just how horrific it all was.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07And obviously, from what I've just heard,
0:12:07 > 0:12:12memories are still vivid 30-odd years on from that disaster.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Of course, the stadium here is nothing like it was in those days.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21But thanks to - in a way, in an awful way - to what happened,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23things have changed so much.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25This stadium is a very safe place now.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33While the disaster will never be forgotten,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36I'm sure that when the Queen visited to open
0:12:36 > 0:12:38a section of the new stadium,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41and pay her respects,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44it must have played a part in helping the city to heal.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Returning to this area has brought back lots of memories
0:12:55 > 0:12:59because I was born just down the road at Headingley in Leeds.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08Well, there's the Headingley cricket ground, rugby league ground.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10When I was a kid, I used to make a bit of money on the side
0:13:10 > 0:13:14by going collecting all the empty beer bottles and pop bottles,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17and taking them back to the off-licence
0:13:17 > 0:13:19and getting the money on them.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26And this is Ash Road, one of my old stomping grounds.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Here's the newsagent's shop coming up
0:13:28 > 0:13:31where I used to do a paper round from.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33It's now a student housing centre
0:13:33 > 0:13:36cos I think this area has now become very much student digs.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40And...this is Grimthorpe Street,
0:13:40 > 0:13:45where...I actually lived with my sister and mum and dad.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Not changed at all, by the look of it.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Very much the same as it used to be.
0:13:51 > 0:13:52Yeah.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57My first memory of the Queen dates back to
0:13:57 > 0:14:00when I was living here as a child.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03We didn't have a TV back then and I remember going to a friend's house
0:14:03 > 0:14:06to watch the coronation in 1953.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11It was a long time ago, so I've arranged to meet up
0:14:11 > 0:14:15with my sister, Jean, who shared the momentous moment with me.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Hello! Hello! About time! I've been here ages!
0:14:20 > 0:14:22I'm sorry! How are you?
0:14:22 > 0:14:24I'm fine, thanks. How are you?
0:14:24 > 0:14:28We're going for a trip - a royal trip - down memory lane.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Oh, wow! Look! That's it. That's a television, isn't it?
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Bush nine-inch telly. It's wonderful. Yes, absolutely!
0:14:38 > 0:14:40We watched the coronation on that.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43We did, we did, we went to a neighbour's
0:14:43 > 0:14:46and we all huddled round the TV.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51I don't know how many there was. Can you remember? I was so young. The room was packed with people, yeah.
0:14:51 > 0:14:52Black and white, of course.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55The first time we'd ever seen television.
0:14:55 > 0:14:56Yes, because the only news
0:14:56 > 0:15:00I had ever seen was on at the cinema, the Pathe news.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Yeah. That was quite special.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05So we all gathered round and we were watching television,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08and we couldn't believe that, in this room... It was live.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11..we were seeing Her Majesty the Queen being crowned.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Yes, absolutely wonderful. Fantastic.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16And every little girl wants to be a princess
0:15:16 > 0:15:21and here we were watching a princess being made into a Queen.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23It was just amazing.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30'And less of an event for the nation, but still big for me,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34'it was on this Pye 14-inch, our very first TV set,
0:15:34 > 0:15:38'that my family would have watched my first ever broadcast.'
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Used to do a youth club programme on ITV called The Sunday Break.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43Was that with Sam Wanamaker?
0:15:43 > 0:15:46That's right, Sam Wanamaker, he was there.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Yeah, I was about 17 at the time.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50It was very special to see you on television as well.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51It was very special to see the Queen
0:15:51 > 0:15:54and it was very special to see you, too.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Well, thank you.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00'According to my sister, I was destined to be a broadcaster.'
0:16:00 > 0:16:03He always liked to present and...
0:16:03 > 0:16:04SHE LAUGHS
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Do you remember Dad had...?
0:16:06 > 0:16:10He rigged up the radio and we had a microphone,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12and John used to go upstairs into his bedroom
0:16:12 > 0:16:16and we all used to have to sit huddled round the radio
0:16:16 > 0:16:20listening to him reading the news. "Now, this is John Craven..."
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Yeah. Reading it from the Yorkshire Evening Post.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Er, and the microphone,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29I think I asked for it as my 11th birthday present or something.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33I don't know why I wanted a microphone, but I did. Well, obviously...why!
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Little did we know that you would actually meet her,
0:16:37 > 0:16:41when we saw her so many years before, when you got your OBE.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43I know.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Mr John Craven, for services to rural and children's broadcasting.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49What did you feel then?
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Well, it was amazing. I never even dreamed I would get one.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Were you nervous when you met the Queen?
0:16:54 > 0:16:56I would have been extremely nervous.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Oh, I was, too. I thought I wouldn't be because, you know,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04I'm supposed to be...have everything under control as a TV presenter,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06but I was shaking like mad.
0:17:06 > 0:17:07I would have been, too.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Norman Wisdom was there. Was he?
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Yeah, Norman Wisdom got his knighthood. Oh, really?
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Yeah. Giggling. Was he giggling? He was...
0:17:16 > 0:17:18We were having a laugh beforehand
0:17:18 > 0:17:21and he said, "I've got a little plan. I've got a little plan."
0:17:21 > 0:17:25And when she'd put the sword on his shoulders and he'd stepped back
0:17:25 > 0:17:29and he was walking away, he did his famous little trip. Oh, did he?!
0:17:33 > 0:17:35And the Queen thought it very funny.
0:17:35 > 0:17:36She smiled a lot at that, yeah.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40You fancy being on telly, doing my job?
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Oh, not... Talking to camera? Not really.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46'They also have a mock TV studio here
0:17:46 > 0:17:49'and I'm wondering if Jean's got what it takes.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51'What does she think of our Queen?'
0:17:51 > 0:17:53I think she's wonderful.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55I think she's been the perfect Queen.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00I think she's amazing doing the work she does, still, at her age,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04and I just hope that when I'm 90 I look as good
0:18:04 > 0:18:08and can do as much as she does - it would be wonderful.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Well, I'll tell you something, you're pretty good on television.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12I'd better watch out! THEY LAUGH
0:18:17 > 0:18:22Her Majesty receives 300 letters every day from people across her kingdom,
0:18:22 > 0:18:26many inviting her to their special events.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31But of course no-one expects the Queen to actually turn up,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35so, when Frances and John got married in 2012,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38they were in for a big surprise.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41I'm popping into their Manchester salon...
0:18:41 > 0:18:42Hello!
0:18:42 > 0:18:46..to get the lowdown. I may as well get a trim at the same time.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49What really happened, we booked the town hall
0:18:49 > 0:18:51to get married in Manchester and...
0:18:53 > 0:18:55..about three weeks before the wedding,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59we got told that there was going to be a very special person come there.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02When we found out, obviously, it was going to be the Queen... Yeah, yeah.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05..we were, like, "Gosh." She was going to be there, at...?
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Where we were going to get married,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10she was going to be in the room next to us. Wow.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12So, obviously, it was very exciting.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16So John decided to write a letter and I said to him, "God..."
0:19:16 > 0:19:19This is John here. How you doing, sir? All right?
0:19:19 > 0:19:20So what did you say in your letter?
0:19:20 > 0:19:23I asked, if she'd got a couple of minutes spare,
0:19:23 > 0:19:25to knock on and bob in, and we'll get her a couple of stools.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29Because she was next door. Because she was only next door.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33After the ceremony, the couple were ushered into a small room
0:19:33 > 0:19:36and given the big news - the Queen had, in John's words,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38decided to bob in.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42It was quite a shock, really, because obviously we didn't expect it and...
0:19:42 > 0:19:45thought it was lovely gesture. Yeah.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47At that point, Frances had a panic attack
0:19:47 > 0:19:51because she didn't realise that she'd have to curtsey and she'd never done one.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55We had about five minutes to get ourselves together, didn't we? It was quite strange.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59And then eventually the Queen and Prince Philip came out of this door,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02and that was...they came over and they were lovely.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Most married couples are proud of their wedding album,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09but this one really is something special.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12These are all beautiful photographs,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16what you might call "standard wedding photographs", you know,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19with all the family in and everybody enjoying themselves.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22But I'm waiting to come to the picture that makes all this very...
0:20:22 > 0:20:25There! There you go. There is Her Majesty.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27You curtsied very nicely.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30I did, considering I didn't know how to!
0:20:30 > 0:20:32The Queen about to shake your hand.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Yeah, I didn't know whether I was going to pass out there! Yeah?
0:20:37 > 0:20:40To the guests' amazement, they were allowed to use
0:20:40 > 0:20:44their camera phones, which soon made John and Frances headline news.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48I was so nervous at the fact I was going to meet her...
0:20:48 > 0:20:50I spoke to her first.
0:20:50 > 0:20:51What did you say?
0:20:51 > 0:20:54I just said, "It's an honour to meet you, Your Majesty."
0:20:54 > 0:20:57She just took my hand and held it really tight.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59I think she knew I was very nervous.
0:20:59 > 0:21:00What did you make of her?
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Oh, I love the royal family.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04I'm a big fan, always have been, always will be.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07The Queen, you know, she is the queen of Queens.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09She is what she is.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Around the world, I think in every royal family,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15anybody would say that she is the cream of the crop.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20What a wedding album to have, eh?
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Nobody else has got anything like this!
0:21:28 > 0:21:29What a lovely story.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31And I'm pretty sure the Queen knew
0:21:31 > 0:21:33that her surprise visit to that wedding
0:21:33 > 0:21:35would mean so much to the happy couple.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38And did you happen to notice her handbag in those wedding pictures?
0:21:38 > 0:21:40The Queen is never without one
0:21:40 > 0:21:44and I'm on my way now to meet the people who made that very one.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55Over the years, the Queen has become renowned for wearing bright colours,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57pearl necklaces
0:21:57 > 0:21:59and pristine white gloves.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04She's worn over 10,000 outfits to official engagements
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and she always has a handbag to match.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18In 1991, the Queen visited the factory that makes
0:22:18 > 0:22:20her favourite handbags.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Back then, they were based in London.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25They've kept their sign, but have moved to the Midlands.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Kevin Morris is at the heart of it all.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37He's responsible for cutting and shaping all the expensive
0:22:37 > 0:22:42Italian leather and he met the Queen when she visited.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Were you surprised that she was so interested?
0:22:45 > 0:22:50Yeah, I was because, at the end of the day, I thought a bag's a bag,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54and she probably has so many of them from some other places,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58but I find out that she only uses ours, virtually.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00So what does it feel like?
0:23:00 > 0:23:03It's a great feeling to say that I've made a bag for the Queen.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Managing director Gerald Bodner has met the Queen several times.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12He and his wife design the handbags.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16I'm hoping he'll spill the beans about what she keeps in them!
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Has she got a favourite one, do you know?
0:23:18 > 0:23:21I think the favourite one is the Traviata,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24which is the one on the front - that's the one she carries.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28If I wanted to buy that handbag, how much would it cost?
0:23:28 > 0:23:29?1,500. ?1,500, wow!
0:23:29 > 0:23:32That's a lot for a handbag. There's a lot of work in it.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34It takes us eight hours to make that bag.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Right. It's obviously leather, but... Ah, ah!
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Oh, can I not touch it?
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Yes, you can, but you must push the fitting.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Oh, right, sorry!
0:23:43 > 0:23:45What kind of leather is this?
0:23:45 > 0:23:47This is patent leather.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51She carries a patent. She carries calf as well.
0:23:51 > 0:23:52And what's inside?
0:23:52 > 0:23:55It has a place to put your mobile phone
0:23:55 > 0:23:58and it has zip pockets, and it has a mirror.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01The Queen takes a mobile with her then?
0:24:01 > 0:24:04I don't know, but I'm told she uses one.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05Is there a purse in there?
0:24:05 > 0:24:08There would be for her. We would make a purse for her.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Does she have money in it?
0:24:10 > 0:24:11I've not the faintest idea.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14The rumour is that she doesn't carry money.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17I wouldn't think she does, but you don't know what she has in there.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21On photos I've seen of her with a bag, she has a much longer handle.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23She does. She has a longer handle,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25probably easier to get her hand through it.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29The Queen's handbags are specially made.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31As well as a longer strap,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35hers are lined with silk, rather than suede, to make them lighter.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38She needs lighter because now she is a bit older,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42and the last few bags, we've also made some with frames,
0:24:42 > 0:24:43but I don't have any here.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Also, she seems to be never without it...in public.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49She believes she is not properly dressed.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51I don't know about your wife, but my wife is the same.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53They go out with a handbag.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57She said to me that she doesn't feel properly dressed without a handbag.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01And she is not above getting her favourites repaired.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04It's the women here, at the factory,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06that not only make them, but mend them.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12You put everything into the bag
0:25:12 > 0:25:15because you know it's for Her Majesty.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21They also make wallets for the Prince of Wales.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Barbara is a fan of all the royals, especially the Queen.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30I mean, I'm just mad about her.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33She's phenomenal, isn't she?
0:25:33 > 0:25:35She is just super, I think.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36A wonderful lady.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40It's handbag heaven
0:25:40 > 0:25:44and, as you might expect, everyone has their favourite.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47I like the ostrich handbags that they make
0:25:47 > 0:25:50and the exotic leathers, they're really nice.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Barbara ain't having this one - it's mine.
0:25:53 > 0:25:54There might be a fight!
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Very expensive. I'll never have one, but I'd like one.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Leaving present!
0:26:02 > 0:26:04When I leave, in June, this is what I want.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Yeah, that's mine as well.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14And the ladies have one rumour they're willing to share.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19We think that she uses different codes of how she holds her handbag
0:26:19 > 0:26:24to indicate when she wants to move on or speak to someone different.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28We don't know for definite, but that's what we've heard.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32Wishing you a very happy 90th birthday, Your Majesty.
0:26:32 > 0:26:33You're a wonderful person.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40The Queen made just as big an impression
0:26:40 > 0:26:43when she travelled north to Halifax in 2004.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49It's a day that this local shop keeper will never forget.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55I didn't want to miss the chance of seeing the Queen
0:26:55 > 0:26:56and the Duke,
0:26:56 > 0:27:01and I got my two daughters out of school for the day.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04They didn't get a holiday for that particular day,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08but I didn't want them to miss the opportunity as well.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11We made our way to the hall,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14managed to get in front of the crowd, get a bird's eye view
0:27:14 > 0:27:18and, lucky me, she actually stopped and had a chat with me.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23She started asking me, "Do you live local?"
0:27:23 > 0:27:26I said, "Yeah, just around the corner. I've got a newsagents."
0:27:26 > 0:27:30She said, "Who's running the shop at the moment?"
0:27:30 > 0:27:31I said, "The missus!"
0:27:33 > 0:27:36We all had a little giggle when I said "the missus".
0:27:36 > 0:27:40But, no, she is really nice to talk to, down to earth.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45Not snobby and...really good.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48I mean, the kids, the daughters,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51they loved it, actually seeing the Queen. Awesome.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00There are few things more stirring for me
0:28:00 > 0:28:03than the sight of a steam locomotive charging through
0:28:03 > 0:28:05the stunning countryside, here in the North.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11It's industry, agriculture and ingenuity all rolled into one.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14And I have it on good authority
0:28:14 > 0:28:18the Queen's rather fond of steam trains as well -
0:28:18 > 0:28:20she's even got one named after her.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26And this is it, the Princess Elizabeth, named in honour
0:28:26 > 0:28:31of Her Majesty when she was seven years old in 1933.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36This magnificent engine, built in the North of England,
0:28:36 > 0:28:39had a big year in 2012.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44She was chosen to play a key role
0:28:44 > 0:28:46in the spectacular pageant on the Thames,
0:28:46 > 0:28:49which kicked off the Queen's Diamond Jubilee tour.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54A blast on the horn from the Princess Elizabeth...
0:28:56 > 0:29:01.was the signal for 1,000 boats to parade past Her Majesty.
0:29:08 > 0:29:09Hip, hip!
0:29:09 > 0:29:10CROWD: Hooray!
0:29:10 > 0:29:11Hip, hip!
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Hooray!
0:29:15 > 0:29:17Better still, two months later,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Lizzie the engine got to actually pull the royal train
0:29:20 > 0:29:24for the first time ever, as the Queen travelled north.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34And it's all down to this 11-year-old lad, Josh,
0:29:34 > 0:29:38an enthusiastic member of the Princess Elizabeth Society,
0:29:38 > 0:29:40who sent a daring letter to the Queen.
0:29:42 > 0:29:47I've come to Tyesley near Birmingham to meet up with Josh, who is now 16.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54Joining us is Bob Meanley,
0:29:54 > 0:29:56who was the chief engineer on the Princess Elizabeth
0:29:56 > 0:29:58when they had the Queen on board.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02It's not easy, is it? No!
0:30:04 > 0:30:07You wrote a letter to Buckingham Palace.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09Yes, I wrote a letter to Buckingham Palace,
0:30:09 > 0:30:14asking if the locomotive could do anything during the Diamond Jubilee.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17You added something at the bottom of your letter, didn't you?
0:30:17 > 0:30:19What did you say? Yes.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23I added, "Please make sure Her Majesty sees this".
0:30:23 > 0:30:26The confidence of an 11-year-old. It obviously worked. Yeah!
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Somebody saw it because it all happened, didn't it?
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Had you ever dreamed that one day the Princess Elizabeth
0:30:31 > 0:30:35might be towing a train with Queen Elizabeth on board?
0:30:35 > 0:30:38Well, I joined the society way back in 1967
0:30:38 > 0:30:43and it was really a wild dream to expect that we were ever
0:30:43 > 0:30:45going to get it out on the royal train, so...
0:30:45 > 0:30:49It was, I suppose, the combination of a pretty wild dream
0:30:49 > 0:30:52and a very great privilege to be able to do it.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Josh, did you get to meet the Queen as well?
0:30:55 > 0:30:58Yes, I got to meet her as well. What do you remember of that day?
0:30:58 > 0:31:01I was both amazed and terrified
0:31:01 > 0:31:04to have such a privilege to meet the Queen.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08Anyone would be terrified and truly amazed to do that.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10What did you make of her?
0:31:10 > 0:31:12She seemed really nice and kind.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16It seemed like I didn't need to be scared. She seemed more normal.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20The thing that struck me most of all was, yes, she was approachable,
0:31:20 > 0:31:24but I left, really, with the feeling that you had just met someone
0:31:24 > 0:31:28who had met probably everybody that was anybody anywhere in the world
0:31:28 > 0:31:30in the last 60 years,
0:31:30 > 0:31:34and it's quite a spooky thought when you think about it.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36There she was, having a chat with you. Yes!
0:31:36 > 0:31:40On this occasion, the Queen wasn't wearing gloves,
0:31:40 > 0:31:42something a young Josh noticed,
0:31:42 > 0:31:46and he remembers exactly what he said at the time.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50I said I that I will never wash my hands again.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52But you did.
0:31:52 > 0:31:53Yes, I did.
0:31:53 > 0:31:54I think it's great
0:31:54 > 0:31:58that the Queen took notice of an 11-year-old's letter
0:31:58 > 0:32:00and made his dream come true.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07Over the years, the Queen's train journeys
0:32:07 > 0:32:10have taken her all over the Midlands and the North.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13'Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by Prince Philip,
0:32:13 > 0:32:16'is welcomed by the Lord Lieutenant of Humberside.'
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Her visits are organised locally by the Lord Lieutenant
0:32:20 > 0:32:21and every region has one.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25You can easily spot the men with the title
0:32:25 > 0:32:28because they're kitted out in military-style uniform.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35The women Lord Lieutenants make do with a simple badge of office.
0:32:35 > 0:32:41Here in West Yorkshire, Dr Ingrid Roscoe has had the job since 2004.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45The top priority, when the Queen comes to Yorkshire,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48is to pick venues that she is going to find interesting,
0:32:48 > 0:32:52and that will obviously profit from her visit to them,
0:32:52 > 0:32:55and then we take our programme down to Buckingham Palace
0:32:55 > 0:32:59and they rubbish it, or implement it, as it stands.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07When the Queen visited Leeds in 2012, Ingrid arranged for her
0:33:07 > 0:33:10to visit the newly restored City Varieties Theatre.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Oh, well, yes, she loves variety performances.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19You know how she always goes to them each year in London.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24The Lord Lieutenants are chosen by the Queen
0:33:24 > 0:33:26on the advice of the Prime Minister.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29A big part of the job is representing the Queen
0:33:29 > 0:33:33at different functions, so Ingrid is often in the spotlight herself.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39I'm sure I'm not as busy as the Queen,
0:33:39 > 0:33:44but I do do about 160 engagements a year and they all need preparation.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52When the Queen came out of the theatre,
0:33:52 > 0:33:56she came into Brigate, which is the major shopping street of Leeds.
0:33:56 > 0:34:02Here, there were 26,000 people waiting to greet her.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11She zigzagged her way right down Brigate
0:34:11 > 0:34:14so that she could see as many people as possible.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18On occasions like this,
0:34:18 > 0:34:22the Queen has 30 plain clothes police officers hidden in the crowd,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25keeping a close eye when things go a little off plan.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31Prince Philip got his equerries to lift children over the barriers
0:34:31 > 0:34:35at each side so that they could come and present flowers to the Queen,
0:34:35 > 0:34:39and she had so many that they filled the boots of three Rolls Royces!
0:34:42 > 0:34:45They were distributed to hospices and other good causes.
0:34:47 > 0:34:48While the Queen is here,
0:34:48 > 0:34:52I'm very anxious that she should try and keep to her time schedule
0:34:52 > 0:34:53because she is kind to people,
0:34:53 > 0:34:57so she could easily lose the time thread.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00The Queen is extremely tactful.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05She smiles very easily and she enjoys meeting people.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Ma'am, I'd just like to take this opportunity
0:35:08 > 0:35:10to wish you a very happy birthday
0:35:10 > 0:35:13on behalf of all the people of West Yorkshire.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19It's often said the Queen must think the world smells of fresh paint
0:35:19 > 0:35:24because someone is usually applying a lick of paint before she arrives.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29In Darwen, East Lancashire, there's some truth in that.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35Back in 1968, Philip Calvey remembers being involved in a scheme
0:35:35 > 0:35:37to tidy up the North -
0:35:37 > 0:35:39it was called Operation Spring Clean.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Well, I met the Queen due partly to this house behind me here.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50It was suggested to us that, as part of Operation Spring Clean,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53we might like to redecorate part of the house.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57The lady who lived here was a widow and had been a widow for a while,
0:35:57 > 0:36:01so we had nine unruly teenagers turn up to help decorate her house
0:36:01 > 0:36:05and I think she was a little bit bewildered when we arrived.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08As nine amateurs, I think we did a reasonably good job.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11A few months later, our headmaster mentioned the fact
0:36:11 > 0:36:15that the Queen would be visiting the town to view the work
0:36:15 > 0:36:18that had been done through Operation Spring Clean
0:36:18 > 0:36:23and...we had been selected for our small contribution
0:36:23 > 0:36:24to meet the Queen.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29I was absolutely terrified.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32As I shook her hand, I heard my mother's voice in my ear
0:36:32 > 0:36:35say, "Don't squeeze her hand too hard.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40"She has 1,000 people to shake hands with this afternoon."
0:36:42 > 0:36:44I survived the experience and, I must admit,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46it was one of the highlights of my life.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48And from a personal, selfish point of view,
0:36:48 > 0:36:50it looked good on the CV later in life!
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Meeting the Queen is a big deal for anyone.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02I'm heading to Sheffield now to meet a rather special person,
0:37:02 > 0:37:07who got the jitters collecting her MBE at Buckingham Palace itself.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Quite a place you've got here, isn't it? It is!
0:37:11 > 0:37:15Karen Hague set up this special school, Paces,
0:37:15 > 0:37:17which is all about helping to improve life
0:37:17 > 0:37:20for disabled children and their families.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Nice...steps.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32Can you tell me exactly what happens here?
0:37:32 > 0:37:35Yes. We have a school for children with cerebral palsy
0:37:35 > 0:37:40and similar conditions, so they have physical and learning difficulties.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43..six, seven, eight, nine, ten!
0:37:43 > 0:37:46We help them get the skills they need...
0:37:46 > 0:37:49..stretch up, try to reach the ceiling!
0:37:49 > 0:37:51..in order to be as independent as possible.
0:37:51 > 0:37:57I stand up. I stand up.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59That's the point of it, is it, independence?
0:37:59 > 0:38:01It is, yes. They might go on to mainstream school
0:38:01 > 0:38:04or learn to live independently as well,
0:38:04 > 0:38:06that is what we would consider a success.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Why do you call it Paces?
0:38:08 > 0:38:11You might associate the word "pace" with walking
0:38:11 > 0:38:13and that's what try to help them achieve.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15The steps forward you can take. Yes.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Push...
0:38:18 > 0:38:22As well as normal school lessons, like maths and English,
0:38:22 > 0:38:24the children practice their mobility...
0:38:24 > 0:38:27..with my right hand...
0:38:27 > 0:38:29..and independence skills...
0:38:29 > 0:38:31Very good!
0:38:31 > 0:38:34..through a series of set exercises every day.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Tell me about the day you met the Queen. Were you nervous?
0:38:40 > 0:38:43I was very nervous. Yes, I was very nervous
0:38:43 > 0:38:46and even more so because, as you cross the forecourt
0:38:46 > 0:38:50to Buckingham Palace, you finally appreciate how vast it is.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52A very grand place. Very grand, yeah.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54And what about the Queen herself?
0:38:54 > 0:38:57She was very charming and quite radiant.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01I was quite surprised how radiant she looked.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03I'm not supposed to speak until I'm spoken to,
0:39:03 > 0:39:07but I found myself mouthing "hello" to her.
0:39:07 > 0:39:12Karen Hague, for services to children and families
0:39:12 > 0:39:15requiring specialist care in Sheffield.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18I didn't vocalise it, I just mouthed it,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20and it took her back a little bit,
0:39:20 > 0:39:24but she soon regained her composure.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31The person who was perhaps most proud of her mum that day,
0:39:31 > 0:39:36and the inspiration behind Paces, is Karen's own daughter Kirsten.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38Hello. Hi! Which is Kirsten?
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Kirsten is here. Hello, Kirsten.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44And who else have we got? We've got Sarah. Hello, Sarah.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47And we've got Martin, with Jackie helping out today.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Kirsten is unable to speak,
0:39:51 > 0:39:56but manages to communicate with her mum and the people who know her.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59For the last four years, she's been living independently
0:39:59 > 0:40:02in a bungalow that she shares with Sarah.
0:40:02 > 0:40:03What about going out?
0:40:03 > 0:40:06Do you go out with friends and things like that?
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Are you out tonight? Yes!
0:40:08 > 0:40:12Were you out last night? Were you out last night? Yes!
0:40:12 > 0:40:15You're going to a nightclub tonight with your friends, aren't you?
0:40:15 > 0:40:18In Sheffield. Are you looking forward to that? Yeah.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22You must be very proud of your mum, Kirsten, are you?
0:40:22 > 0:40:24Are you proud of me at all, Kirsten? Yes. Thank you.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28I must say, I can't help but notice what's over here.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30My eye has caught this -
0:40:30 > 0:40:34obviously some of the handy work that has been done here
0:40:34 > 0:40:36with all that wool and felt.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Look what it is.
0:40:39 > 0:40:40It's a corgi!
0:40:40 > 0:40:42Is that for the Queen?
0:40:42 > 0:40:45Is it specially made for the Queen, everybody?
0:40:45 > 0:40:48Is it? For her birthday, her 90th birthday.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51We're asking everybody if they'll say "happy birthday" to the Queen
0:40:51 > 0:40:53because she is 90.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Happy Birthday, Queen!
0:40:57 > 0:41:00I think the Queen would love this picture
0:41:00 > 0:41:06and I like the fact that her awards go to some of our unsung heroes -
0:41:06 > 0:41:07people like Karen.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15The Queen, of course, has seen many changes over her 90 years,
0:41:15 > 0:41:17not just in her country and the Commonwealth,
0:41:17 > 0:41:19but even in her own family,
0:41:19 > 0:41:22which has grown to include eight grandchildren.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28And he just pulled a big flower out of the big vase
0:41:28 > 0:41:31and gave it to me. Ahh!
0:41:31 > 0:41:36Nora Collins in St Helens has lived through just as many changes
0:41:36 > 0:41:40because she was born on 21st April 1926,
0:41:40 > 0:41:42the same day as the Queen.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Nora was raised on a farm in Northern Ireland,
0:41:46 > 0:41:48where she looked after the animals.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50It's a story her family,
0:41:50 > 0:41:54and especially her seven-year-old grand-daughter Daisy,
0:41:54 > 0:41:55love to hear about.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58We had hens and dogs,
0:41:58 > 0:42:00not geese.
0:42:00 > 0:42:01I don't think we had any geese,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04but we had turkeys at Christmas time.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06Did you have to look after them?
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Yeah, I did look after them.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11How many horses did you have? We only ever had two, I think.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Maybe three.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16That is one thing you've got in common, the horses.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20The Queen married Prince Philip in 1947,
0:42:20 > 0:42:24while Nora married Henry in 1956.
0:42:24 > 0:42:29Like the Queen, Nora will celebrate her 90th birthday with her husband,
0:42:29 > 0:42:33who reckons that she and the Queen have another thing in common.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38They're both very stoic, aren't they?
0:42:38 > 0:42:40They keep their nose to the grindstone.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42It gets to you when you get old.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Nora met the Queen when she went to Buckingham Palace
0:42:47 > 0:42:50to celebrate their 80th birthdays.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53What was it like to meet the Queen?
0:42:53 > 0:42:57Oh, she was very nice. Just relaxed with you?
0:42:57 > 0:42:59Yes, with everybody.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03Would you like to meet the Queen? Yes.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06And if you did, what would you ask her?
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Do you know my grandma?
0:43:14 > 0:43:17Wishing you a very happy 90th birthday.
0:43:20 > 0:43:21Slainte!
0:43:30 > 0:43:32Well, I've come to the end now
0:43:32 > 0:43:34of my journey through the North and the Midlands,
0:43:34 > 0:43:36meeting people who have met the Queen.
0:43:36 > 0:43:41What have I learnt from them, then, about the Queen as a person?
0:43:41 > 0:43:45Well, they all think that she is incredibly real,
0:43:45 > 0:43:47that there is no edge to her,
0:43:47 > 0:43:50that she makes them feel really comfortable in her presence,
0:43:50 > 0:43:52no matter how nervous they might feel,
0:43:52 > 0:43:56that she makes them think that they are as important to her
0:43:56 > 0:43:59as the great leaders of the world that she meets.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02I think she is a kind of catalyst, you know,
0:44:02 > 0:44:06and, because of her, I've heard some amazing stories
0:44:06 > 0:44:09about the people who have met her,
0:44:09 > 0:44:12who've been lucky enough to shake her hand.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14So, happy birthday, Ma'am.
0:44:46 > 0:44:47Join me, Patrick Kielty,
0:44:47 > 0:44:51in a brand-new BBC Two quiz show, Debatable,
0:44:51 > 0:44:55where a team of celebrities put their debating skills to the test
0:44:55 > 0:44:57to try to win their contestants pots of cash.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01Will they help, or will they hinder? That's Debatable.