0:00:02 > 0:00:0590 years ago, our longest serving monarch,
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Queen Elizabeth II, was born.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Since then, millions of us have met her
0:00:10 > 0:00:12and many have got close.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14You're having a good, old stare at the Queen, aren't you?
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Oh, yes, we are. I had a good view of her.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18But how well do we know her?
0:00:18 > 0:00:21She is on our stamps and she's on our coins,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23and she's in our hearts.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25And how well does she know us?
0:00:25 > 0:00:28She gave me a puppy... Oh, right. ..which was very nice.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31This is Her Majesty as you've never seen her before.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Good Queen hair you've got going on there.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35I was completely paralysed
0:00:35 > 0:00:38as this amazing icon walked over my gangway.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41A people's portrait of the Queen.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43She wasn't there doing her job,
0:00:43 > 0:00:45she was there because she was genuinely concerned.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48This is your main workshop now, then, is it, here?
0:00:48 > 0:00:51In this series, it's handbags at dawn for John Craven...
0:00:51 > 0:00:54And what's...? It's obviously leather. Ah, ah, ah.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55Oh, can I not touch it?
0:00:55 > 0:00:57You like the Queen, don't you?
0:00:57 > 0:01:01..Aled Jones gets super close with a super-fan in Wales...
0:01:01 > 0:01:02Look at that.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04It's practically this close.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08..and today I'm in a part of Britain that's undeniably
0:01:08 > 0:01:11special to the Queen, and it's very dear to me too.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13It's where I started my broadcasting career.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17It's also where the Queen comes every summer for her holidays.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30I'm somewhere that's world-famous for its majestic 3,000 castles...
0:01:31 > 0:01:34..and over 800 stunning mountains.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Yes, you've guessed it - I'm in Scotland.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43Not quite an open-top carriage,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46but it's the closest I could get to how the Queen arrived
0:01:46 > 0:01:51in Edinburgh when she came to take up her Scottish Crown in 1953.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Huge crowds lined the streets to welcome her.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05The Queen's been attached to this part of Britain her whole life.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Her mother was Scottish, her sister was born in Scotland
0:02:07 > 0:02:10and they were both very close to their Scottish nanny.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12And the Queen's fondness for Scotland
0:02:12 > 0:02:16and us Scots has continued right the way through her reign.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23From opening the Scottish Parliament and the new Borders Railway,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27to throwing a tea party for some 8,000 locals,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29she's very much at home here.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39And I hear she takes the sound of Scotland with her wherever she goes.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Forget the alarm clock - every weekday morning at nine,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45the Queen's own piper plays the bagpipes under her window
0:02:45 > 0:02:46for 15 minutes.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47PIPER PLAYS
0:02:47 > 0:02:50And there's no snooze button on these bagpipes.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58I think it's the Queen's hard work and dedication to duty
0:02:58 > 0:03:01that has earned her the respect of us Scots,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04and we can be a hard bunch to please, so...
0:03:04 > 0:03:08I'm looking forward to talking to lots of people north of the border,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10just to find out what she's really like.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15But first, what do Scots think of their longest reigning monarch?
0:03:15 > 0:03:17She's a lovely woman.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20She's got a gorgeous smile and I'm sure that all her grandchildren,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22great-grandchildren and the family love her.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24She certainly seems a very warm individual.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28I think the Queen is a remarkable woman and she's a beautiful lady.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31I have to say, she's got the most amazing skin.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33I'd love to know her secrets.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36I suspect it's all in the genes.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40She's guided and given advice to the country in, you know, many ways,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43and, as a matter of fact, actually, I do keep Her Majesty with me
0:03:43 > 0:03:45sometimes, when it was her birthday
0:03:45 > 0:03:48so I've got a lovely, wee picture of her to celebrate her birthday.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51So there we are there. Big fan from Scotland.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54If she ever wants to come up to Glasgow and get a hug from myself
0:03:54 > 0:03:55and all these wonderful citizens
0:03:55 > 0:03:58then I'm sure she'll have a great time.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15But the Queen isn't just with us for the good times.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20On the 13th of March, 1996,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23a man entered Dunblane Primary School
0:04:23 > 0:04:26and shot dead 16 children and their teacher.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29At this most difficult time,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33when the unimaginable had happened in this quiet town,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37the Queen made sure she was there to mourn with her people.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41It's hard to comprehend what happened here 20 years ago.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45I can hardly believe, myself, that it happened.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47And I do remember where I was on that day.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49I was on my way home from work,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52listening to the news on my car radio.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54And you listen in disbelief.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58So as soon as I got into the house, I switched on the television news
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and watched in horror what happened,
0:05:01 > 0:05:09that one lone man with a gun could wipe out so many innocent lives.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12It's still actually hard to comprehend.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17On Mothering Sunday,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20the Queen arrived with her own daughter, Princess Anne,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24who brought a posy of snowdrops from her garden to lay at the school.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35They also visited Stirling Royal Infirmary
0:05:35 > 0:05:38to meet the injured children who had survived
0:05:38 > 0:05:42and the medical teams who dealt with the aftermath.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46I'm in Dunblane to meet Martyn Dunn.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50He lost his five-year-old daughter, Charlotte, on that dreadful day.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58This is Charlotte's last picture.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00This was taken up in Callander.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03And this is Charlotte at five. Yes, this is Charlotte at five.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06We went for a walk along the river there,
0:06:06 > 0:06:07with grandparents,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11and, yes, that is our last picture ever taken of Charlotte,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14eight weeks before we actually lost her. So...
0:06:14 > 0:06:17So, Martyn, tell me what happened on that day.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19The day was going normal
0:06:19 > 0:06:21and then, all of a sudden, I got a phone call.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24It was one of my colleagues and he said,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26"Have you got a radio on in the office there?"
0:06:26 > 0:06:28I said, "No. Why?" And he says,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32"There's something on the news about an incident happening in Dunblane."
0:06:32 > 0:06:33I telephoned Barbara and said,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36"Look, can you get to the school, pick up Charlotte?
0:06:36 > 0:06:37"There's been an incident."
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Coming up the motorway, there was police cars and ambulances
0:06:40 > 0:06:43and all sorts of things going towards Dunblane.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45It was like, "Oh, what has happened?"
0:06:45 > 0:06:49We then were taken into the school and put into the staffroom.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54No-one was coming into tell us, no-one updated us.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55Just sitting in a room, waiting.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Then all of a sudden, the door opened, three people came in,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04introduced themselves to us, sat us down and...
0:07:04 > 0:07:08said, "There's no easy way to tell you this.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11"Unfortunately, there's been an incident here at the school today.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14"There have been some shootings and, unfortunately, your daughter
0:07:14 > 0:07:18"was one of the victims and, unfortunately, she's dead."
0:07:19 > 0:07:23I can't even begin to imagine how it must feel to be told
0:07:23 > 0:07:25your child's been shot.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27It was obviously...
0:07:27 > 0:07:30We thought we were just going to collect our daughter,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33not to be told that our daughter's gone.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37And that's when our life fell apart, really.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41We just hugged each other, screamed out loud.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47Obviously we wanted to... They all had been taken to the mortuary
0:07:47 > 0:07:48at the hospital, so...
0:07:48 > 0:07:51a social worker and a policeman came back that evening
0:07:51 > 0:07:53and escorted us to the hospital,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56and then Charlotte was...
0:07:56 > 0:07:57presented to us on a table.
0:07:58 > 0:08:03Fortunately, there were no marks on her face.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06We later found out that she'd been shot three times...
0:08:09 > 0:08:13..which, again, was hard to come to terms with, but...
0:08:13 > 0:08:16So we just saw her there and...
0:08:18 > 0:08:21..cuddled her, relaxed, talked to her.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Unfortunately, we then had to leave her.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35For the families that lost children,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37it was their worst nightmare,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40but the whole community was traumatised.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48The Queen attended an emotional memorial service
0:08:48 > 0:08:49in Dunblane Cathedral,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53but she wanted to share her deep-felt sympathy
0:08:53 > 0:08:54away from the eyes of the media...
0:08:56 > 0:08:59..so she invited the bereaved families to meet her
0:08:59 > 0:09:01in the Chapter House of the Cathedral.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07This room has some special meaning for us.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09This is where we met the Queen
0:09:09 > 0:09:12when she eventually came in here and came and had a chat with us.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15And, of course, the Queen is a mother and a grandmother herself.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16The Queen is a mother herself.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20I mean, most of the times I think the Queen obviously attends events
0:09:20 > 0:09:23as the head of state
0:09:23 > 0:09:26and she has to be prim and proper.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30I think on this day, when she came here, she came as a mum.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34And she just came up and you could see a tear in her eye
0:09:34 > 0:09:39and, once we started speaking to her, the atmosphere sort of changed.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41She was very...
0:09:41 > 0:09:46very upset and you got the sort of feeling and the view that she was
0:09:46 > 0:09:50not the Queen, she was a mum and she was coming to pass on her thoughts.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54What did it mean personally to you, Martyn, that the Queen came here?
0:09:54 > 0:09:57There wasn't that feeling of, oh, you've got to stand straight
0:09:57 > 0:10:01and you've got to be all posh and, "Yes, Your Majesty."
0:10:01 > 0:10:04She was just the Queen, and Princess Anne was standing
0:10:04 > 0:10:08there behind her and she was exactly the same, just normal people,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12and that meant such a lot to us.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15It gave us a lot of hope for the future.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19So, you know, it gave us a lot of confidence
0:10:19 > 0:10:23and also made us realise that people in a high position
0:10:23 > 0:10:25are just human beings, like the rest of us.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34In the months after the tragedy,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Martyn and other members of the community
0:10:37 > 0:10:42set up the Snowdrop Campaign to ban private ownership of handguns,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45a campaign they won in 1997.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51It's so shocking to think that something like that happened here.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56And the raw emotion that the Queen showed, I mean, gosh,
0:10:56 > 0:10:57I can completely relate to that
0:10:57 > 0:11:04because you can't help but be moved and horrified by what happened.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09But the way the community have pulled together,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11well, that's just amazing.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26Even if you've never met her,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29I'll bet the Queen has made an impression on you.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34When I was growing up in the wee coastal village of Morar,
0:11:34 > 0:11:35in north-west Scotland...
0:11:37 > 0:11:39..she was a big deal for us kids.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47My mother is an ardent fan of the Queen - she always has been.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50You know, when we were growing up and the six o'clock news was on,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53she'd be in the kitchen making our dinner and we'd be shouting,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55"Mum, the Queen's on," on the news,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57so she'd come running through.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00And she was always interested in what the Queen was wearing
0:12:00 > 0:12:04and where she was in the world, and how her hair was.
0:12:04 > 0:12:05It was the same on Christmas Day.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09On Christmas Day, everything stopped for the Queen's Speech.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13So I've always been a bit of a Queen fan myself.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16'And when I met the Queen, Mum was so proud.'
0:12:19 > 0:12:20It's funny how things work out.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25Who would have thought me joining the BBC and the Met Office would
0:12:25 > 0:12:31ever have led to me actually meeting and giving a talk to the Queen?
0:12:32 > 0:12:36And do you know what? I've never asked why they picked me to do it,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38but I'm going to find out now
0:12:38 > 0:12:41because I'm meeting the lady that gave me the gig.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Yvonne Brown is the chair of the Sandringham Women's Institute,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49a position with a special royal perk.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Every year, the Queen, in her role as president,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56attends their general meeting.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00It's Yvonne's job to find a guest speaker to amuse Her Majesty...
0:13:01 > 0:13:05..and I'm joining her at the Scottish WI for a collage class.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Yvonne. Hello! Hello!
0:13:09 > 0:13:12It's lovely to see you... And you. ..after all this time.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14It must be, what, four years? It is four years since you came.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18And look at you, here in Edinburgh. How time flies. Time does fly.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Do you know, Yvonne, something I've always wanted to ask you is
0:13:21 > 0:13:22why did you choose me?
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Because it just came from nowhere. It was so surreal.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Well, we have a committee meeting in October
0:13:28 > 0:13:30and we sit around and we sort of say,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34"Well, who are we going to have as our guest speaker this year?"
0:13:34 > 0:13:35Nobody came up with any ideas
0:13:35 > 0:13:38and then, the next morning, I put on breakfast television
0:13:38 > 0:13:42and I thought, "That's the woman we're going to invite."
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Were you hoping for a good weather forecast that day?
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Oh, absolutely, yes. How did you feel when I got in touch with you?
0:13:48 > 0:13:50It came in the form of an e-mail, of course,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53and I thought, "Is this a joke?" Then when I followed it up
0:13:53 > 0:13:55and thought, "Gosh, it's not a joke, it's for real,"
0:13:55 > 0:13:56I couldn't believe it.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59It was all really hush-hush and, you know, you were saying,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01"You can't tell anyone." Well, this is the thing.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03We like to keep it as quiet as possible.
0:14:03 > 0:14:04I have to confess, I did tell my mum.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08I remember, when I went in, I felt so nervous.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09When we started,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12literally, I was standing six feet away from the Queen
0:14:12 > 0:14:13and I had a wee story.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18One of our older weather gentleman, who's now sadly passed away,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22and it was in the days of the magnetic symbols, when we had,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25you know, letters for "fog", the F, the O and the G.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27And so they were all stuck onto the magnetic board
0:14:27 > 0:14:29and, when he was presenting the weather live, he walked in
0:14:29 > 0:14:32and he said, "Oh, I'm sorry about the F in fog,"
0:14:32 > 0:14:35because the F had slipped off. She laughed!
0:14:35 > 0:14:37I remember at the end, in the questions and answers, I said,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41"Does anybody know where the coldest part of the UK has been,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43"the lowest temperature ever recorded?"
0:14:43 > 0:14:45And the Queen knew - Balmoral.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48January was -27. I was so impressed.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53When it all finished, Yvonne, I got back in the car going home
0:14:53 > 0:14:54and it was just...
0:14:54 > 0:14:56SHE GASPS "Oh, my goodness!"
0:14:56 > 0:14:59I phoned my mother, "I've just met the Queen!"
0:14:59 > 0:15:01I think they really did enjoy having you
0:15:01 > 0:15:04because you're such a fun person. Thank you.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Well, it is, of course, the Queen's 90th birthday this year,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10so I think there's something we ought to say to her,
0:15:10 > 0:15:11ladies, don't you? Yes.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14ALL: Happy birthday, Your Majesty.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18The Queen clearly feels relaxed at those WI meetings,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21as she does when she takes her annual summer holiday
0:15:21 > 0:15:24at one of her favourite places in the world,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26and it's right here in Scotland.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Since her childhood, the Queen has spent her summer holidays
0:15:37 > 0:15:40in the Highlands at her Balmoral estate.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47bought Balmoral Castle in 1852.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50So, unlike the state-owned Buckingham Palace,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Balmoral is hers.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Balmoral is said to be where the Queen is happiest.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01It's where Prince Philip proposed to her
0:16:01 > 0:16:05and where they spent part of their honeymoon, and it's so peaceful.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09She has over 50,000 acres of Highland scenery,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11hidden away from the eyes of the world...
0:16:12 > 0:16:15..and what neighbours she has respect her privacy.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20And none more so than retired church elder and neighbour
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Ed Bushnell, who used to welcome the Queen every Sunday.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29This is where the Queen sits,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31when she comes to church,
0:16:31 > 0:16:36and she comes every Sunday when she's in residence at Balmoral.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38She sits in the middle here.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40The Duke of Edinburgh sits on the end.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43And she enters through the royal porch
0:16:43 > 0:16:45and comes in that door and in here.
0:16:47 > 0:16:5028 minutes past 11 she arrives.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52She's very, very punctual.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Local people are also very protective of the royal family.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01They give them their space, they give them...
0:17:01 > 0:17:05freedom to be themselves on the estate.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10And if any press come along and ask questions,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14they're sometimes politely told where to go.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18I think that's why she enjoys it up here so much.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21ANNOUNCER: Here we have the royal party coming in now.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26When the Queen's at Balmoral,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29she never misses the annual Braemar Gathering,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31which can be traced back over 900 years.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35In her role as Chieftain of the Gathering,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38she really gets into the spirit of the games.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43One of the Queen's neighbours is Willie Meston.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45When he was Secretary of the Gatherings,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49he found himself in a sticky situation with Her Majesty.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56There's a very relaxed, comfortable atmosphere in the Royal Box,
0:17:56 > 0:17:57a lot of laughter.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01We've had some very funny presentations over the years.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03One of the occasions was when
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Geoff Capes was being presented with his trophy for being
0:18:06 > 0:18:09the best overall heavyweight at the Gathering.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Geoff was taken up to the Royal Box,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15introduced to Her Majesty by myself,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17the trophy handed over.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Unfortunately, I hadn't listened to Geoff.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22He still had resin on his hands.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Her glove stuck
0:18:25 > 0:18:27and she just roared with laughter.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29It was a great occasion.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34The other thing that Her Majesty loves every year
0:18:34 > 0:18:36is the children's sack race.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38It gives them tremendous pleasure.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45But her true passion lies in all things equine...
0:18:47 > 0:18:49..and this passion started in miniature.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54She was given her first pony, a wee Shetland called Peggy,
0:18:54 > 0:18:59by her grandfather, King George V, when she was only four years old.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03The Queen's equestrian passion is shared by a member of
0:19:03 > 0:19:06the Royal Regiment, who guards her when she's in Balmoral,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10and he goes by the rather wonderful name of the Pony Major
0:19:10 > 0:19:12and I think I'll find him in here.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Oh! Look at them!
0:19:17 > 0:19:20It's very nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, too. How do you do?
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Oh, they're gorgeous, wee ponies.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23What are their names?
0:19:23 > 0:19:25This is Lance Cpl Cruachan IV,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28who is the regimental mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31And this Lance Cpl Cruachan III, retired. Lance Cpl? Lance Cpl.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34They've even got titles? They've got titles, yes.
0:19:34 > 0:19:40And Lance Cpl Cruachan IV welcomes the Queen to Balmoral every year.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Any time that Her Majesty's in Scotland, she likes to see them.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45She likes to spend a wee bit of time with them,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48especially Cruachan III, who's her wee special friend.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50What's so special about him, then?
0:19:50 > 0:19:53When she visited here in '96 in Redford Barracks,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Cruachan had a wee nip at her.
0:19:56 > 0:19:57It wasn't predominantly at her.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59She had a posy of flowers in her hand
0:19:59 > 0:20:01that she had received from the families
0:20:01 > 0:20:03and he thought it was breakfast.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Oh... So he took Her Majesty's glove off,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08so he got into a wee bit of trouble for that. Oh, no. Bless him.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Did the Queen think it was funny? She thought it was hilarious.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13She knows Shetlands.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15She learnt to ride on a Shetland,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17so she knows they've got a mind of their own.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20So, does the Queen still come and see them a lot?
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Every morning, she'll come down.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26She'll have a small, brown sack of carrots...
0:20:27 > 0:20:31..and, in these, the chefs have battened them... Oh...
0:20:31 > 0:20:34..and then she'll say good morning to him, spend that time with him.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38So the Queen comes to the stables everyday, Mark.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40What kind of things does she say to you?
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Ask me about him, ask me about his health,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44ask me about Cruachan IV's health,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46spend a bit of time just chatting about them.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49There was one morning we stood there for 20 minutes
0:20:49 > 0:20:51and I didn't even notice the time had gone.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55She can go to the stables and see this Highland pony that me and you
0:20:55 > 0:20:57would never remember its name in a month of Sundays,
0:20:57 > 0:21:02but Her Majesty knows the name, the age, what he enjoys, or she enjoys,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04and she'll give them a carrot... That's amazing.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05..and she'll move onto the next one.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09You must have met the Queen millions of times, then. We have.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12We first presented Cruachan IV to Her Majesty
0:21:12 > 0:21:18and it was also the same day that I first met her down in Canterbury.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Straight away, she makes you relax,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24she talks to you like a person.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26If you were walking through the courtyard, for example,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28would she be, "Oh, hi, Mark, how are you doing?"
0:21:28 > 0:21:31She'd be like, "Good morning, Pony Major." Oh, sorry!
0:21:31 > 0:21:32CAROL LAUGHS
0:21:32 > 0:21:36You said there that she immediately puts you at ease. Ow!
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Did he get you? Oh! You little rascal! He just bit me.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41You little scallywag.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46It'll sting for a bit. For about two years.
0:21:46 > 0:21:47THEY LAUGH
0:21:47 > 0:21:50But what we were saying, she makes you feel at ease.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54I think she loves meeting people as she's moving round the estate
0:21:54 > 0:21:56and, if some of the soldiers are walking around,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58she'll stop and speak to them
0:21:58 > 0:22:02and she'll remember their names and it makes the soldier feel,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05"I'm doing my duty but Her Majesty is talking to me."
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Makes you feel... "I'm a person." It makes you... Feel special.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10It gives you that lift for the day. Yes. You know?
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Does the Queen ever comment on how magnificent they look? Always.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17She knows her equine, she knows her horses.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19If something's not right on his tack,
0:22:19 > 0:22:21she'll pick it up straightaway.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Her Majesty is always out riding in the mornings when she's in Balmoral.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28She'll go away with her groom. So how long does she go out for?
0:22:28 > 0:22:31She can be out for roughly an hour every morning,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35still looking fresh as a daisy out riding round the estate.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39It's amazing when you think it's her 90th birthday this year... Yes.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41..and she's still out riding for an hour.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44It's great to see and I hope I'm like that when I'm 90.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48On behalf of Lance Cpl Cruachan III, Lance Cpl Cruachan IV,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50the Royal Regiment of Scotland,
0:22:50 > 0:22:51happy birthday, Your Majesty.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53INDISTINCT
0:22:53 > 0:22:55So, the Pony Major and the Queen
0:22:55 > 0:22:58share a love of spirited Shetland ponies...
0:22:59 > 0:23:02..but I have to say that's the last time I'm going
0:23:02 > 0:23:05anywhere near one without a pair of steel-lined jeans.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Meeting people is a huge part of the Queen's job.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19I was lucky enough to meet the Queen a second time
0:23:19 > 0:23:22when she opened New Broadcasting House in London.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24I didn't know whether to curtsy or bow,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27so I went for a good, old British handshake.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33Over her 64-year reign, the Queen has shaken hands with millions...
0:23:35 > 0:23:38..wearing out some of her gloves in the process.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45But in 2012, there was one handshake
0:23:45 > 0:23:48that was one of the most symbolic of her reign.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Less than 50 miles separate Scotland from Northern Ireland...
0:23:58 > 0:24:00..and it was here in Northern Ireland
0:24:00 > 0:24:03where that historic handshake took place.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08The Queen is Great Britain and Northern Ireland's head of state
0:24:08 > 0:24:10and head of the Armed Forces,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14and she shook hands with former IRA commander Martin McGuinness.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20This was one of many visits, over 20 of them, in fact,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23that the Queen has made to Northern Ireland.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27She's met and chatted with folks from all walks of Irish life,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29from market stall holders...
0:24:31 > 0:24:35..to the cast and crew of the hit series Game Of Thrones.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Between handshakes, Her Majesty took a moment to admire the furniture...
0:24:41 > 0:24:44..and maybe put in an order for a new throne?
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Back on my home turf, I'm heading to a place where the Queen
0:24:58 > 0:25:02really left her mark when she visited almost 50 years ago.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08She was here to get the royal seal of approval to a namesake
0:25:08 > 0:25:12that weighed over 65,000 tonnes.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17The Queen has launched 23 of the world's finest ships,
0:25:17 > 0:25:21smashing bottles of champagne, Scotch whisky - what a waste -
0:25:21 > 0:25:22across their bows.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Many of them were built on the River Clyde, here in Glasgow,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29of course, once the home to shipbuilding.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32And when the Queen came back here in 1967,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34to launch what turned out to be
0:25:34 > 0:25:37the last of the iconic Clyde-built ships,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40she attracted headlines from around the world.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50I'm scaling the heights of the Titan Crane,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53used to build those incredible ships.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56From here, there's a bird's-eye view
0:25:56 > 0:25:59of where the mighty Queen Elizabeth II was built.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Peter Kemp, a young apprentice who worked on the QE2,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05made sure he was on shift on launch day.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09The atmosphere was absolutely electric.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Huge crowds, they reckon there was between 30 and 40,000 people
0:26:13 > 0:26:15between here and across the other side of the river.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18And I came down here with my mother.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21I'd no girlfriend at the time, so I took my mother.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Just across there, the big stand was all set up.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28I could see the Queen on the deck.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Even though Peter worked on the ship every day,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33he had no idea what she'd be named.
0:26:33 > 0:26:34It was a well-kept secret
0:26:34 > 0:26:38and caused great debate in the shipyard at the time.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40I think they'll call it Queen Mary, myself.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41It'll need to be a she anyway.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44It couldn't be Prince Charles, that's one thing.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46I think it'll be a royal name.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50The odds were 3-1 that it would be Princess Margaret,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53but the ship's name wasn't revealed until the very last minute.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58I name this ship Queen Elizabeth II.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00APPLAUSE
0:27:00 > 0:27:02And it didn't move.
0:27:02 > 0:27:0455 seconds it sat there.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08And there was somebody shouted from the bow, "Gonnae gie us a shove?!"
0:27:08 > 0:27:12And one of the foremen jumped up on the box and he was doing that.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15And I think, to be honest with you, I think the ship heard the name
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Queen Elizabeth II and went,
0:27:18 > 0:27:19"Aye, that'll do me."
0:27:19 > 0:27:23And then slowly off she went down there, gathering speed,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26and she got to about 20mph as it hit the water.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28All I could hear was bang, bang, bang.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Clouds of dust and rust was coming up,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36and that was all the drag chains.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39And as the ship just went in there, it hit the river,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43and she sort of curtsied back up again. How lovely.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47To see a ship that size go into the water is just
0:27:47 > 0:27:49a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Yes, it must be.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52How did it make you feel that the Queen had actually
0:27:52 > 0:27:53come to Clydebank for this?
0:27:53 > 0:27:56Personally, I think it was icing on the cake on the day
0:27:56 > 0:27:59because it just uplifted the whole town.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01It was a high point for Clydebank.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05On the day, I was impressed with the kind of affection that was
0:28:05 > 0:28:06shown by the crowds here.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Yeah, I felt really, really uplifted and proud,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11and I still do to this day.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18It was lovely to hear all Peter's memories of the QE2.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21It's amazing to think the Queen was here and brought
0:28:21 > 0:28:26so much to Clydebank, and really put shipbuilding here on the world map.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40It's not just ships that are named after HRH,
0:28:40 > 0:28:44there's many things, like theatres and conference halls.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47The latest to be added is the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
0:28:47 > 0:28:50and I'm on my way to meet one of its bravest patients.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55When the Queen came to Glasgow
0:28:55 > 0:28:57to open Scotland's brand-new super hospital,
0:28:57 > 0:29:0111-year-old Amy Carmichael was chosen to present her with a posy.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11This special little girl has gone through a very difficult journey.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15You were in the hospital. Why were you there?
0:29:15 > 0:29:21Well, in 2012, I got diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
0:29:21 > 0:29:25and then I went through lots of chemotherapy,
0:29:25 > 0:29:30and I got steroids that gave me diabetes
0:29:30 > 0:29:33and then, at the end of my treatment,
0:29:33 > 0:29:35when everything was going well,
0:29:35 > 0:29:38I got chemically-induced meningitis.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42Oh! So, yeah. Gosh, you've been through the mill.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45So, did you meet lots of friends in the hospital, Amy? Yeah.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50I met lots of friends, but some weren't so lucky and did pass away,
0:29:50 > 0:29:56and some of them had the same as me and I thought, "Would I pass away?"
0:29:56 > 0:29:59And it was an extra pressure to my mum as well.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01I didn't really know what was happening at first
0:30:01 > 0:30:03cos I was quite young,
0:30:03 > 0:30:08but it went on for two and a half years and now I'm back to normal.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10That is brilliant news.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Amy, that is a beautiful picture of you
0:30:12 > 0:30:15with the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Have you any more pictures? Yeah.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Oh, look at you!
0:30:21 > 0:30:23Look at the Queen smiling at you.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Look at her smiling at you in that one.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28You're almost as tall as the Queen. Yeah, she was quite small.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30In fact, I think you're probably be bit taller
0:30:30 > 0:30:32cos she's got a big hat on.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34What was she like?
0:30:34 > 0:30:40She was very posh and she asked if I liked the new hospital,
0:30:40 > 0:30:45and he asked if I was discharged from the hospital now,
0:30:45 > 0:30:49and it was amazing just being so up close to them.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51So how did you know she was moving on?
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Did she say, "Thank you very much, Amy. Goodbye," and did she curtsy?
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Well, she didn't curtsy. She just went, "Thank you."
0:30:57 > 0:30:59CAROL LAUGHS
0:30:59 > 0:31:03So you are one brave, gorgeous young lady and I have to say,
0:31:03 > 0:31:04give me five.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06Yeah.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Amy has been through so much.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15She's back to good health but her mum, Heather,
0:31:15 > 0:31:17can never completely relax.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22So what the prognosis for Amy now?
0:31:22 > 0:31:25Yeah...it's quite good. It's good.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27She's...
0:31:27 > 0:31:31She'll go to the hospital every two months, still, to have checkups.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34There's a 15% chance, I think it is,
0:31:34 > 0:31:39of relapse, but usually the cure rate for this type of leukaemia
0:31:39 > 0:31:42is between 85 and 90%.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46But obviously it's just not 100% and that's like... It's not...
0:31:46 > 0:31:48That's what we'd like. Yes.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52It's always that feeling, you know, but, yeah,
0:31:52 > 0:31:55it's good and we need to try to be normal now... Yes.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58..which is quite hard sometimes, to be normal,
0:31:58 > 0:31:59because still, when she gets ill,
0:31:59 > 0:32:01I'll maybe still get anxious about that
0:32:01 > 0:32:02and I think that'll probably...
0:32:02 > 0:32:05When she was talking about meeting the Queen here,
0:32:05 > 0:32:07the sparkle and twinkle came into her eyes.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09That must have been special for her.
0:32:09 > 0:32:10To see her, on the day,
0:32:10 > 0:32:14it was just the most amazing feeling to see her going up there.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18She was so smiley and it was a really special moment,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21and really special for Amy, and it was lovely for her to do
0:32:21 > 0:32:24something nice in the new hospital and have this wonderful memory.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27Every time we go back, there's the plaque there
0:32:27 > 0:32:29and she can remember that day.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31Amy is amazing.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34Even though she isn't 100% clear of hospital visits,
0:32:34 > 0:32:36she's putting all her energy
0:32:36 > 0:32:39into raising money for leukaemia research -
0:32:39 > 0:32:43a whopping ?13,000 so far.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47She's asked me to join her latest fundraiser.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55'Meeting the Queen has inspired Amy to keep fundraising...'
0:32:55 > 0:32:58This is like Strictly, only much harder.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01'..but I don't know how much my dancing will help!'
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Oh, no, there's more!
0:33:12 > 0:33:13Is it nearly at the end?
0:33:20 > 0:33:21Well done, everyone.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24I mean, I need a seat. I'm exhausted.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29It's inspiring to see Amy come through such a struggle.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32She's such a gorgeous, bright, bubbly, wee button and she's
0:33:32 > 0:33:35so intent on helping other people.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38I'm not surprised she was nominated to meet the Queen.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42She may be in her tenth decade,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46but the Queen is still in tune with the younger generations,
0:33:46 > 0:33:49even dabbling in a bit of photo-bombing.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53And I've heard of another young photographer who took
0:33:53 > 0:33:55a rather wonderful picture of the Queen,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58although his was rather more than a snapshot.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Shaun Murawski is the youngest photographer ever to take
0:34:03 > 0:34:05a formal portrait of the Queen.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09He won the commission as part of a competition
0:34:09 > 0:34:12to mark the tenth anniversary of the Scottish Parliament.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17It's a formal portrait but I wanted it to be as informal as possible.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19I think I probably said my idea of a joke.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22It can't have been very good because I can't remember what it was,
0:34:22 > 0:34:23but, you know, it got a smile.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27When I look at the photograph, I like to think that I see what
0:34:27 > 0:34:31a moment in her company feels like and what she's like as a person.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34There is a moment, where you look at the back of the camera
0:34:34 > 0:34:36and you think, "Wow, that's the Queen,"
0:34:36 > 0:34:40but then it's back to, you know, f/1.8 at a 500th of a second.
0:34:42 > 0:34:43SHUTTER CLICK
0:34:48 > 0:34:49I reckon the Queen must be one of
0:34:49 > 0:34:52the most photographed ladies in the world, but one place
0:34:52 > 0:34:56she could always guarantee getting away from those photographers
0:34:56 > 0:34:59also just so happened to be her favourite form of transport.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06The Royal Yacht Britannia.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11From the minute Britannia was built in Scotland,
0:35:11 > 0:35:14to the day it was decommissioned and returned there,
0:35:14 > 0:35:19the Queen treasured her time aboard her home on the high seas.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22And just as well, as she was on board for months at a time.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28In the Queen's service, Britannia travelled over a million miles
0:35:28 > 0:35:30and visited over 135 countries
0:35:30 > 0:35:33and, on those long royal trips abroad,
0:35:33 > 0:35:36the Queen looked forward to getting home at night,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39not to fancy palaces, but to her own ship,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42with familiar faces. Come on.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Familiar faces like Britannia's longest serving Royal Yachtsmen...
0:35:51 > 0:35:52..Ellis Norrell and Albert Dean.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57These gents, Norrie and Dixie to their friends,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00have promised me an insider's view of the Queen's bedroom.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04Gentlemen, hello. It's lovely to meet you. Hello, Carol.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08Hello. Dixie? Yes. Dixie. I got that right. So, Norrie.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Norrie. Yes, indeed. Thank you for this. What a fabulous yacht.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16So this must be familiar territory to you.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20I was on board for 35 years and Dixie was 27, so...
0:36:20 > 0:36:23So man and boy, basically. That's right.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28So this is the State Dining Room. Yes, it certainly is.
0:36:28 > 0:36:29It looks magnificent.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32How many people would have been sitting down at this table, then?
0:36:32 > 0:36:36Seats 56 for a state banquet and...
0:36:36 > 0:36:39besides the dining room,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42it also converted into a cinema
0:36:42 > 0:36:44and also for church on a Sunday.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46So how did that work, then? So you've got...
0:36:46 > 0:36:50Well, for the church and the cinema, chairs would be laid out,
0:36:50 > 0:36:54a cinema screen up there, or a lectern here for the church,
0:36:54 > 0:36:58and all the staff were allowed to come in,
0:36:58 > 0:37:01the Queen would come in, either side, and sit down.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05So were you invited in to watch these films with the royal family?
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Oh, yes, yes. Can you remember any of the films that you actually saw?
0:37:08 > 0:37:10I think it was Carry On Up The Khyber,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13with Sid James was the local governor or something,
0:37:13 > 0:37:18and they were watching a polo match, and he said to...
0:37:18 > 0:37:20Joan Sims, I think was his wife,
0:37:20 > 0:37:21"That Philip's a good lad.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24"He'll go a long way if he marries the right girl."
0:37:24 > 0:37:28And he did! That's very good.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31So how did the Queen like to relax when she was on the yacht?
0:37:31 > 0:37:35The Queen would dress relaxed, trousers and blouse and...
0:37:35 > 0:37:37Jacket, head scarf. ..tropical gear.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39You know, once we were out of sight of land,
0:37:39 > 0:37:43there was no paparazzi and then she could completely relax.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Well, I would like to see some more of her rooms, if I may, gents.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49Would you show me, please? Yes. Come on, Carol. Let's go. This way.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51So where are we heading now?
0:37:57 > 0:37:59So where was the Queen's favourite place to come
0:37:59 > 0:38:00when she was on the yacht?
0:38:00 > 0:38:03I suppose here, on the Verandah Deck.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05What a view.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08This is the...Verandah Deck.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11This is where they would normally breakfast.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14And her most favourite place... Yes. ..without a doubt.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17You'd have deckchairs out there for them, where they wanted,
0:38:17 > 0:38:19in the sun. How beautiful. And when the children were on board,
0:38:19 > 0:38:24out there, there was a big canvas splash pool for them.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26And this rattan furniture here,
0:38:26 > 0:38:28which the Duke of Edinburgh
0:38:28 > 0:38:33bought himself in 1959 when we were on a visit to Hong Kong.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36They were very trendy in those days, weren't they?
0:38:38 > 0:38:41This is the Queen's bedroom here, on the right. This one.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45As you can see, it's quite small in comparison to most bedrooms.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Do you know? I can't help but notice how small the bed is.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53It's a single bed. And look at the bedspread on it as well.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56That's something like, you know, my granny would have had.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59She is a granny. She is a granny, of course she is.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02A very glamorous granny at that, too, Dixie.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05But there's an adjoining door through there
0:39:05 > 0:39:09and that would be the Duke's bedroom...a bit further forward.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11This is fascinating.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13This way? Yes.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16But the real fun took place at the front of the ship.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21We'd have concert parties here.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24There'd be a big canvas backdrop,
0:39:24 > 0:39:26which the chief painter would have done,
0:39:26 > 0:39:31pertaining to where we were - either the South Seas or a city skyline.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34You know, there's a tropical background
0:39:34 > 0:39:35and that's the Queen's there
0:39:35 > 0:39:38and that's the Duke of Edinburgh's head there. So it is.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41And were you gents in that picture? That's me, there. That's you.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44What a fine-looking man you are, Dixie.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48And there's Norrie at the back, there. And you too, Norrie.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51So, who wrote these plays, then? Dixie. I wrote all the sketches.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54Gosh. Did you have much notice, Dixie? Well, yeah.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57You know, a few weeks in advance. Quite a lot. Yeah.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59So you'd get your costume sorted and everything.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02Wives used to give us clothes they didn't want, or dresses,
0:40:02 > 0:40:06wigs and things, and we had a big store back aft and I've seen...
0:40:06 > 0:40:08My late wife, I've seen one of her long dresses
0:40:08 > 0:40:10in three different shows.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13So how did the Queen react to the plays that she was watching?
0:40:13 > 0:40:14Did she enjoy them? Yes.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17On one occasion, she did, in fact, take part.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20The private secretary was waiting to greet her,
0:40:20 > 0:40:22grass skirt on and a blazer,
0:40:22 > 0:40:26and he bowed to the Queen as he came onto the stage.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28He bowed and he had a bald pate,
0:40:28 > 0:40:33and he had a big "EIIR" on his head, and he'd greet her in this
0:40:33 > 0:40:36pidgin English, which he'd practised on the flight on the way out.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38And Princess Anne was actually in a grass skirt
0:40:38 > 0:40:41and all the royal household were taking part,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43and the Queen and the Duke came in
0:40:43 > 0:40:49and the Queen actually went to shake hands with the people one way,
0:40:49 > 0:40:50the Duke went round the other,
0:40:50 > 0:40:53and the Queen and the Duke shook hands and said,
0:40:53 > 0:40:54"Have we met before?"
0:40:54 > 0:40:57It brought the house down, and then they took their seats
0:40:57 > 0:40:59and the rest of the concert party went on.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05Britannia was in service for over 40 years
0:41:05 > 0:41:09and carried out 696 overseas trips.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13But even though she travelled the globe,
0:41:13 > 0:41:15it was the Scottish coast
0:41:15 > 0:41:17the Queen chose for her own family sailing trips.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23In 1997, the Queen was visibly upset
0:41:23 > 0:41:26when she was forced to bid farewell to her beloved Britannia
0:41:26 > 0:41:30when the yacht was decommissioned by the government at the time.
0:41:40 > 0:41:41The Queen walked around those decks,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44she was in the rooms we were in as well,
0:41:44 > 0:41:46and she was free as a bird here.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50There was no pomp and ceremony surrounding her private time.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53She could do as she liked, wear what she wanted
0:41:53 > 0:41:55and she was at home here as well.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57And the other lovely thought is that, you know,
0:41:57 > 0:41:59the yacht was made in Scotland
0:41:59 > 0:42:02and I think perhaps, when she was travelling abroad,
0:42:02 > 0:42:04she was taking a bit of Scotland with her.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07Even as she celebrates her 90th birthday,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10the Queen is still travelling,
0:42:10 > 0:42:13still meeting people in every corner of her country.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21And there is one more special person I'd like you to meet,
0:42:21 > 0:42:24retired schoolteacher Phyllis Box,
0:42:24 > 0:42:27who was born on the very same day as our Queen.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29On my 80th birthday,
0:42:29 > 0:42:33I went to the palace for lunch
0:42:33 > 0:42:35with Her Majesty the Queen,
0:42:35 > 0:42:39and I turned round and there was the Queen.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43Not being one of those people who kowtows to everybody,
0:42:43 > 0:42:45I just said, "Oh, hello."
0:42:47 > 0:42:49And she responded beautifully.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52"Hello," she said, "What a lovely party this is."
0:42:52 > 0:42:54And she said,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57"Do you think we should have another one when we're 90?"
0:42:57 > 0:42:59And I said, "What a good idea."
0:43:02 > 0:43:04If there is a 90th reunion,
0:43:04 > 0:43:05I'm ready to go.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11Wishing you a very happy birthday, Your Majesty,
0:43:11 > 0:43:14on your 90th birthday.
0:43:14 > 0:43:15SHE GIGGLES
0:43:17 > 0:43:19ALL: Happy birthday, Your Majesty.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23Happy birthday to you, ma'am.
0:43:23 > 0:43:24BOTH: Happy birthday, Queen.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Happy birthday, ma'am.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29Wonderful for 90.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31Happy birthday, ma'am. Hope you have a good one.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33Happy birthday, ma'am.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36I hope you have a lovely birthday and I think you're amazing.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50I have loved speaking to so many people, whose lives
0:43:50 > 0:43:53have been touched by the Queen in so many different ways,
0:43:53 > 0:43:57and I really feel I've got a better understanding now
0:43:57 > 0:43:58of our enigmatic monarch.
0:43:58 > 0:44:02She really understands and appreciates us Scots,
0:44:02 > 0:44:04and we love her for it...
0:44:04 > 0:44:07in a no-fuss, reserved kind of Scottish way.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10The very fact that she spends so much time here in Scotland
0:44:10 > 0:44:14speaks volumes and long may it continue.
0:44:14 > 0:44:15Happy birthday, ma'am.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49I have some sense that there is some kind of malice at work here.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52They do not see that the workhouse is for their own safety.