Compilation The Day I Met the Queen

90 years ago, our longest-serving monarch,

Queen Elizabeth II, was born.

Since then, millions of us have met her. And many have got close.

You're having a good stare at the Queen, aren't you?

Oh, yes, we are. We had a good view of her.

But how well do we know her?

And how well does she know us?

She said to me that she

doesn't feel properly dressed without her handbag.

This is Her Majesty as you've never seen her before.

Good Queen hair you've got going on there!

I was completely paralysed as this amazing icon walked over my gangway.

A people's portrait of the Queen.

She's on our stamps,

and she's on our coins, and she's in our hearts.

To celebrate the Queen's birthday,

I'm going to be travelling all over Britain

in search of your memorable meetings with Her Majesty.

And I'm not alone. With a team of familiar faces, we're going

to be lifting the lid on what happened when we all met the Queen.

And I tell you what, it didn't always go to plan.

John Craven sneaks a peek in Her Majesty's favourite handbag.

-Ah-ah-ah!

-Ooh, can I not touch it?

Jennie Bond pops into the pub

where the Queen grabbed a carry-out for Prince Philip.

Carol Kirkwood meets the pint-sized pony

that misbehaved with Her Majesty.

Look at them!

And Ainsley Harriott discovers how the Queen's Coronation

changed this couple's life forever.

Making me cry!

You're making me get emotional!

So here I am, outside Buckingham Palace.

It's the Queen's official London residence.

Not bad, eh?

775 rooms, apparently.

But, of course, it's more than just a posh place to crash.

It's Her Majesty's head office.

A royal HQ, where ceremonies, state visits

and the likes of you and I go if we're lucky enough to be honoured.

I got my MBE in there. Just saying.

The Palace attracts nearly half a million royal fans every year.

And even if you haven't been here,

it seems that we all have something to say about the Queen.

She's lovely. I like the hat. I like the way she dresses.

Yeah, good handbags.

She's done well to get to 90, hasn't she? But I suppose she gets the full service.

She's like the Bentley of human beings, so...

She's a lovely woman. She's got a gorgeous smile.

And I'm sure that all her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her family love her.

She certainly seems a very warm individual.

Wonderful for 90.

-Happy birthday, ma'am, hope you have a good one.

-Happy birthday, ma'am.

We're going to kick off with a very special story about an excited

young lad who, 63 years ago, was watching the Queen's coronation -

which was happening here in London - live on a telly, up north.

That little boy grew up into, well, a big boy

who would one day meet the Queen.

This is Grimthorpe Street,

where I actually lived with my sister and mum and dad.

Not changed at all, by the look of it.

Very much the same as it used to be. Yeah.

My first memory of the Queen dates back to

when I was living here as a child.

We didn't have a TV back then.

And I remember going to a friend's house

to watch the Coronation in 1953.

It was a long time ago, so I've arranged to meet up

with my sister Jean, who shared the momentous moment with me.

-Hello!

-Hello!

-About time, I've been here ages!

-Sorry!

-How are you?

-I'm fine, thanks, how are you?

We're going for a trip - a royal trip - down memory lane.

-Oh, wow! Look!

-That's it.

That's television, isn't it?

-Bush 9" telly.

-Yes! Absolutely.

-We watched the Coronation on that, didn't we?

-We did.

First time we'd ever seen television.

Yes, because the only news I had ever seen was on at the cinema.

-The Pathe news.

-And we couldn't believe that, in this room...

-It was live.

-..we were seeing Her Majesty the Queen being crowned.

-Yes, absolutely wonderful.

-It was fantastic.

And every little girl wants to be a princess.

And here we were, watching a princess being made into a queen.

It was just amazing.

And, less of an event for the nation, but still big for me -

it was on this Pye 14" - our very first TV set -

that my family would have watched my first-ever broadcast.

Used to do a youth club programme on ITV, called The Sunday Break.

-With Sam Wanamaker?

-That's right, Sam Wanamaker, he was there, yeah.

I was about 17 at the time.

It was very special to see you on television as well.

It was very special to see the Queen,

-and it was very special to see you too.

-Thank you.

Little did we know that you would actually meet her,

when we saw her so many years before,

-when you got your OBE.

-I know.

Mr John Craven, for services to rural and children's broadcasting.

What did you feel then?

'It was amazing, I mean, never even dreamed I would get one.'

Were you nervous when you met the Queen,

-because I would have been extremely nervous?

-I was too.

I thought I wouldn't be, you know,

I'm supposed to have everything under control as a TV presenter,

-but I was shaking like mad.

-I would have been too.

-Norman Wisdom was there.

-Was he?

-Norman Wisdom got his knighthood.

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

-Was he giggling?

-We were having a laugh beforehand.

And he said, "I've got a little plan. I've got a little plan."

And when she, you know, put the sword on his shoulders

and you step back, and he was walking away,

-he did his famous little trip!

-Oh, did he?!

The Queen thought it very funny. She smiled a lot at that.

Over the years the Queen has become renowned

for wearing bright colours...

..pearl necklaces...

and pristine white gloves.

She's worn over 10,000 outfits to official engagements,

and she always has a handbag to match.

In 1991, the Queen visited the factory

that makes her favourite handbags.

Back then they were based in London.

They've kept the sign, but have moved to the Midlands.

'Managing director Gerald Bodmer has met the Queen several times,

'and he and his wife designed the handbags.

'I'm hoping he'll spill the beans about what she keeps in them.'

Has she got a favourite one, do you know?

I think the favourite one is the Traviata, which is

-the one on the front.

-Uh-huh.

-That's the one she carries.

And how much, if I wanted to buy that handbag, how much is that one?

-£1,500.

-£1,500? Wow! That's a lot for a handbag.

-There's a lot of work in it.

-All right.

-And what... It's obviously leather...

-Ah-ah-ah-ah!

-Oh! Can I not touch it?

-Yes, you can, but you must push the fitting.

-Sorry.

-Oh, sorry.

What kind of leather is this?

This is patent leather,

which was originally shellac-type leather,

and she carries a patent, she carries calf as well.

-And what's inside?

-It has a place to put your mobile phone,

and it has zip pockets and it has a mirror.

-The Queen takes a mobile with her, then?

-I don't know!

-I'm told she uses one.

-All right. Is there a purse in there?

-There would be for her, yes, we'd make a purse for her.

-Does she have

-any money in it, do you know?

-I've not the faintest idea.

Cos the rumour is that she doesn't carry money.

I wouldn't think she carries money,

but you don't know what she has in there.

On the photos I've seen of her with a bag,

she seems to have a much longer handle.

She does, she has a longer handle.

Probably easier to get her hand through it.

The Queen's handbags are specially made.

As well as a longer strap, hers are lined with silk,

rather than suede, to make them lighter.

She needs lighter because now she is a bit older,

and the last few bags, we've also made some with frames that can open,

but I haven't got one here.

Also, she seems to be never without it.

She believes she is not properly dressed without a handbag.

And she's not above getting her favourites repaired.

It's the women here at the factory that not only make them

but mend them.

You put everything into the bag because it's for Her Majesty.

They also make wallets for the Prince of Wales.

Barbara is a fan of all the Royals, especially the Queen.

I mean, I'm just mad about her. Just phenomenal, isn't she?

She's just super, I think. A wonderful lady.

It's handbag heaven, and as you might expect,

everyone has their favourite.

I like the ostrich handbags, what they make in the exotic leathers,

they're really nice.

Barbara ain't having this one, it's mine.

There might be a fight.

Very expensive.

I'll never have one, but I'd like one!

A leaving present.

When I leave, this is what I want.

Yes, that's mine as well.

LAUGHTER

And the ladies have one rumour they're willing to share.

We think she uses different codes of how she holds her handbag, as

to indicate when she wants to move on or speak to someone different.

We don't know for definite, but that's what we've heard.

After John's trip down memory lane,

-it's time for some

-memories

-of my own.

-To share my cracking tale of when

-I

-met the Queen, I'm going back

to my own childhood, growing up as a young boy soprano in North Wales.

I tell you what, I really love this place.

It's Bangor Cathedral, it's where I learned my craft.

I was here as a chorister from the age of 9 to 11,

that means services on a Tuesday, on a Thursday,

rehearsals on a Friday and Saturday, two services on Sunday.

I was really happy here, but I had no idea that the old warbling

would lead to Royal meetings.

Who would have thought?

MALE CHORAL SINGING

Wow, this takes me back. Hasn't changed a bit.

I remember when I first walked in here as a young kid,

I thought this was the biggest building in the whole world,

I'd never seen anything like it.

This was my spot as a chorister for four years in Bangor Cathedral.

I was actually probably about this tall.

But without the hours of practice and singing I put in here,

I think the first meeting with the Queen I had would have been

a complete nightmare -

well, actually it was a bit of a nightmare anyway.

I'd been asked by Andrew Lloyd Webber to close

the first half of a Royal gala performance in Edinburgh.

But my performance in front of Her Majesty didn't quite go

according to plan.

It was the biggest concert I'd ever done in my life.

Mum and Dad were excited as well.

On the bill were people like Shirley Bassey, Linda Evans from Dynasty,

it was huge, about 200 acts.

-Aled Jones.

-APPLAUSE

'My job was to sing that Lloyd Webber classic Memory,

'only I had to sing it FROM memory

'because, on the night, I wasn't allowed to use the score.'

# Midnight Not a sound from the pavement

# Has the moon lost her memory?

# She is smiling alone... #

'Then, in between the first verse and the second verse, it goes...'

HE HUMS THE MELODY

On the second one, I looked down the whole hall, and I saw

an exit sign in red, with the "E" flickering a little bit,

and I thought to myself,

"I haven't got a clue what's coming next. I've forgotten the words."

'And I had 2½ seconds to think of something.'

# Memory All alone in the moonlight

# I can hear a choir singing... #

Thankfully I came up with some words of my own, I said something like,

"Memory, I can hear the choir singing, they are singing alone.

"I can hear them singing beautiful songs and the memory lingers on."

Finally, legs shaking, dry mouth, looking terrified,

I went back to the normal words for verse three, four and five.

Honestly, I feel sick telling this story now.

# I can hear them, the choir singing beautiful songs... #

'So, if you can imagine, I finished the performance...'

Everyone was lovely - well, everyone bar Rory Bremner.

He came bounding up to me at the side of stage and went,

"You were singing Memory - you don't have one!"

As you can imagine, that went down really well.

# Someone mutters... #

'And my recurring nightmare throughout my childhood,'

no word of a lie, bolt upright in the dark of night,

would be, "What would have happened if I hadn't made the words up?"

And in my nightmare, I look up at the Queen and Prince Philip,

who are just there in the Royal box, and I go,

"I'm really sorry, Your Majesty," and run off stage crying,

never to be heard of again.

And she's shouting, "To the tower with him!"

# Daylight I must wait for the sunrise... #

At the end of those Royal Variety-type concerts,

there's always a line-up where you meet the Queen.

She put her arm out and shook my hand.

I was so scared, I was so nervous, shaking like mad,

and she said, "Oh, you've got a beautiful voice, well done, I really

"enjoyed your interpretation, and good luck in the future."

Phew! Thank God!

# And a new day will begin. #

There are some folk who have made it their life's ambition to meet

the Queen not just once, but hundreds of times.

FANFARE PLAYS

Yes, the Queen has her groupies.

Superfans who follow her across the country.

And here in Ruthin, Denbighshire, I think

I've tracked down Wales's number-one fan.

-My goodness me!

-Welcome to my home.

-You like the Queen, don't you!

My Royal museum.

Amateur photographer Colin Edwards has been an avid Queen spotter since

watching her Coronation as a small boy on the family's first telly.

Over 30 years he's travelled thousands of miles,

tracking Royal visits and snapping over 6,000 photos of Her Majesty.

A lot of the photos I see,

the Queen is looking like I don't normally see her - she's a monarch

in lots of the photos, whereas you've got more of a personal side

-to her.

-I think people like myself, we're called "royal watchers",

and we stand for ages waiting to see her,

and we get our photographs, and they are a bit more candid and informal,

we capture her informality more than the official press photographers.

She always comes and speaks to us, she's very relaxed.

Has she ever said, "Colin, not today, I'm having a bad hair day"?

She hasn't said that yet, no!

-She never has a bad hair day, that's why!

-She doesn't call me Colin.

-Right.

-It's protocol. Diana always called me Colin.

-Yes.

She was very informal, but the Queen never, ever gives people their name.

-Have you got any photos I can see?

-Of course.

-That's a great one.

I tell you what, that's got to be the closest

photo of the Queen I've ever seen in my life. Look at that!

It's practically this close!

-That's brilliant. Any more?

-Yes, of course.

I ask him "any more?"! He's got 6,000 to get through!

Sit down, we could be some time!

You'd be here all day if you saw them all.

-This is just a small selection.

-Right.

That was the Queen outside Westminster Abbey in 1997.

I love this, this is the side of her we never see in the papers.

-This wonderful smile again.

-She's got a wonderful smile,

very infectious. And very spontaneous too.

You know, the Queen isn't an actress, she's her own true self.

This is brilliant, this one. Look at that.

That was in 1992, taken in Wakefield in Yorkshire.

The character that she's got in all these photos is really great.

She's got beautiful blue eyes. She looks very animated in that one.

-I was about to say, she looks so alive.

-Yes.

There was an occasion in the late 1980s

when she was just sort of getting to know me,

and it was in Burnley in Lancashire, and I do remember this well.

She was about to walk away, and I said, "Your Majesty,

"could I take another photograph of you, please?

"Because I may not see you again for some time." And she said,

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that because you turn up everywhere!"

I sang in the Commonwealth Day in Westminster Abbey,

and at the end of it we were all in a room

waiting to meet Her Majesty the Queen.

She went, "By the way, my husband loves your radio show."

And I was like, "OK." So up he came, and I said to him,

"Your wife tells me you listen to my radio show." He said, "Rubbish!

"The only person I listen to is that cheeky little Welsh chappy."

-And I went, "That's me! That's me!"

-What a wonderful story!

So the next Sunday, I said, "And if you're listening, Ma'am,

"this is for you." I played her a nice bit of Elgar.

MUSIC: Nimrod from Enigma Variations by Elgar

I love Colin, he's such a great guy,

and what commitment he's shown Her Majesty over the years. Incredible.

6,000 photos of the Royal Family, and you see

a side in his photos that you don't normally see in the press.

Look at that. Every person in Britain

should see Her Majesty like that.

Full of life, full of love, absolutely brilliant.

And also I'm so pleased that he reaffirmed what I thought

I knew anyway, in the fact that she likes having a laugh,

just like the rest of us. Good on Her Majesty.

And if you want to spot the Queen in relaxed mood,

a great place to start is Scotland.

Carol Kirkwood is on the hunt for the Scots who have met the Queen.

Balmoral is said to be where the Queen is happiest.

It's where Prince Philip proposed to her,

and where they spent part of their honeymoon, and it's so peaceful.

She has over 50,000 acres of Highland scenery

hidden away from the eyes of the world.

TANNOY: 'Here we have the Royal Family coming in now.'

BAGPIPES PLAY

When the Queen is at Balmoral, she never misses the annual

Braemar Gathering, which can be traced back over 900 years.

In her role as Chieftain of the Gathering,

she really gets into the spirit of the games.

One of the Queen's neighbours is Willie Meston.

When he was secretary of the gatherings,

he found himself in a sticky situation with Her Majesty.

We've had some very funny presentations over the years.

One of the occasions was when Geoff Capes

was being presented with his trophy

for being the best overall heavyweight at the gathering.

Geoff was taken up to the Royal box,

introduced to Her Majesty by myself, the trophy handed over.

Unfortunately I hadn't listened to Geoff.

He still had resin on his hands.

Her glove stuck,

and she just roared with laughter.

It was a great occasion.

The other thing that Her Majesty loves every year is

the children's sack race, and gives them tremendous pleasure.

But her true passion lies in all things equine.

And this passion started in miniature.

She was given her first pony, a wee Shetland called Peggy,

by her grandfather, King George V, when she was only four years old.

The Queen's equestrian passion

is shared by a member of the Royal Regiment,

who guards her when she is in Balmoral.

And he goes by the rather wonderful name of the Pony Major,

and I think I'll find him in here.

-Ah! Look at them! It's very nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you too.

Oh, they are gorgeous wee ponies. What are their names?

This is Lance Corporal Cruachan IV,

who is the regimental mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland,

and this is Lance Corporal Cruachan III, retired.

-Lance Corporal - they've even got titles?

-They have, yes.

And Lance Corporal Cruachan IV

welcomes the Queen to Balmoral every year.

Any time that Her Majesty's in Scotland,

she likes to see them, she likes to spend a wee bit of time

with them, especially Cruachan III, who's her wee special friend.

What's so special about him, then?

When she visited here in '96, in Redford Barracks,

Cruachan had a wee nip at her. It wasn't prominently at her -

she had a posy of flowers, that she had received from the families,

and he thought it was breakfast.

-Oh!

-So he took Her Majesty's glove off,

-so he got into a wee bit of trouble for that.

-Oh, no! Bless him.

-Did the Queen think it was funny?

-She thought it was hilarious.

She knows Shetlands, she learned to ride on a Shetland,

so she knows they've got a mind of their own.

So does the Queen still come and see them a lot?

Every morning she'll come down,

she'll have a small brown sack of carrots.

And in these the chefs have batoned them,

and she'll say good morning to him, spend a bit of time with him.

You said there that she immediately puts you at ease.

-OW!

-Did he get you?

Oh! You little rascal! He just bit me!

-You little scallywag.

-It will sting for a bit!

For about two years!

What were we saying? She makes you feel at ease.

I think she loves meeting people as she's moving around the estate,

and if some of the soldiers are walking around she will stop

and speak to them, and she'll remember their names.

And it makes the soldier feel,

"I'm doing my duty but Her Majesty is talking to me, I'm a person."

-Special.

-It gives you that lift for the day.

-Yes.

Her Majesty is always out riding in the mornings

when she's in Balmoral, she'll go away with her groom.

So, how long does she go out for?

She can be out for roughly an hour every morning.

Still looking fresh as a daisy out riding round the estate.

It's amazing, when you think, it's her 90th birthday this year,

and she's still out riding for an hour.

It's great to see, and I hope I'm like that when I'm 90.

On behalf of Lance Corporal Cruachan III,

Lance Corporal Cruachan IV,

the Royal Regiment of Scotland, happy birthday, Your Majesty.

So the Pony Major and the Queen share a love of spirited

Shetland ponies.

But I have to say, that's the last time I'm going anywhere near one

without a pair of steel-lined jeans!

For her next meeting, Carol's on slightly safer ground, or should

I say water, as she sets course for Edinburgh and one very famous boat.

MUSIC: Rule, Britannia!

The Royal Yacht Britannia.

From the minute Britannia was built in Scotland,

to the day it was decommissioned and returned there,

the Queen treasured her time aboard her home on the high seas.

And just as well - she was on board for months at a time.

In the Queen's service, Britannia travelled over a million miles

and visited over 135 countries.

And on those long royal trips abroad,

the Queen looked forward to getting home at night,

not to fancy palaces, but to her own ship with familiar faces.

Come on.

'Familiar faces like Britannia's longest-serving Royal yachtsmen...

'..Ellis Norrell and Albert Deane.

'These gents - Norrie and Dixie to their friends - have promised me

'an "insiders' view" of the Queen's bedroom.'

-Gentlemen! Hello, it's lovely to meet you.

-Hello, Carol.

-Dixie?

-Yes.

-I got that right, so, Norrie.

-Norrie, yes indeed.

Thank you for this, what a fabulous yacht.

-So, this is the State Dining Room.

-Yes, certainly is.

It looks magnificent.

How many people would have been sitting down at this table, then?

It seats 56 for a state banquet,

and besides the... A dining room,

it also converted into a cinema, and also for church on a Sunday.

So how did that work, then?

For the church and the cinema, chairs would be laid out,

cinema screen there, or a lectern here for the church.

So, were you invited in to watch these films with the Royal Family?

-Oh, yes.

-Can you remember any of the films that you actually saw?

It was "Carry On... Up The Khyber" with Sid James

as the local governor of something, and they were watching a polo match,

and he said to Joan Sims, I think was his wife,

"That Philip's a good lad -

"he'll go a long way if he marries the right girl."

And he did! That's really good.

So how did the Queen like to relax when she was on the yacht?

-The Queen would dress relaxed, trousers and blouse and...

-Jacket.

Once we were out of sight of land, there was no paparazzi,

and then she could completely relax.

I would love to see some more of her rooms, if I may, gents.

-Would you show me, please?

-Yes, come this way.

-Where are we heading now?

-What a view!

-This is the Queen's bedroom, here on the right.

As you see, it's quite small, in comparison to most bedrooms.

Do you know, I can't help but notice how small the bed is.

It's a single bed, and look at the bedspread on it as well.

That's something like MY granny would have had.

There's an adjoining door through there,

and that would be the Duke's bedroom a bit further forward.

This is fascinating.

-This way?

-Yes.

But the real fun took place at the front of the ship.

We'd have concert parties here.

There'd be a big canvas backdrop

which the chief painter would have done, pertaining to where we were,

either the South Seas or a city skyline.

You know, there's a tropical background, and that's

the Queen there, and that's the Duke of Edinburgh's head there.

-So it is. And were you gents in that picture?

-That's me.

What a fine-looking man you are, Dixie.

-And there's Norrie at the back there.

-And you too, Norrie.

So, how did the Queen react to the plays that she was watching?

-Did she enjoy them?

-Yes, on one occasion she did in fact take part.

The Private Secretary was waiting to greet her, grass skirt on,

and a blazer, and he bowed to the Queen as he came onto the stage,

he bowed, and he had a baldpate, and he had a big "E II R" on his head!

And Princess Anne was actually in a grass skirt

and all the Royal household were taking part, and the Queen

and the Duke came in, and the Queen actually went to shake hands with

the people one way and the Duke went round the other,

and the Queen and the Duke ended up, shook hands and said,

"Have we met before?" Brought the house down!

Then they took their seats and the rest of the concert party went on.

The Queen walked around those decks.

She was in the rooms we were in as well.

And she was free as a bird here.

There was no pomp and ceremony surrounding her private time.

She could do as she liked, wear what she wanted,

and she was at home here as well.

And the other lovely thought is the yacht was made in Scotland,

and I think perhaps when she was travelling abroad,

she was taking a bit of Scotland with her.

Britannia was in service for over 40 years

and carried out 696 overseas trips.

But even though she travelled the globe, it was the Scottish coast

the Queen chose for her own family sailing trips.

In 1997, the Queen was visibly upset

when she was forced to bid farewell to her beloved Britannia,

when the yacht was decommissioned by the government at the time.

It's very rare for the Queen to shed a tear in public, but

a compassionate and caring nature is always there when it counts,

especially when she's meeting people in their hour of need.

Mountains all over Wales,

but these are the mountains of South Wales, so we're down in the valleys.

It's a really great part of the world, absolutely amazing.

Lots of choirs, lots of really close-knit communities as well.

People really look out for one another.

Nowhere more so than one village here in the Taff Valley.

50 years ago, its name became known to the world.

It would gain a very special place in the Queen's heart.

She returned here again and again.

Disaster struck here in Aberfan on 21st October 1966...

..when a huge pile of coal waste slid down from the hills,

engulfing the junior school.

'Parents and teachers join police, firemen,

'civil defence workers and mine rescue teams at the school.

'Some of the helpers tore at the rubble

'with bare hands in their desperate efforts to get at the children.'

And this is where Pantglas Junior School was.

Here one minute, gone the next,

as half a million tonnes of slurry demolished it.

It was a terrible, terrible tragedy.

116 children aged seven and eight lost their lives.

Bless their hearts.

'Jeff Edwards remembers it vividly.

'He was just eight years old

'when he arrived for school on that dreadful day.'

-Where was your classroom?

-This was my classroom here.

And we went into the classroom, the teacher then was starting

a mathematics lesson, and there was this roaring sound,

and the lights started to shake, and the teacher said to us,

reassuring us, really, "Oh, don't worry, it's only thunder."

And that noise got noisier and noisier, and the next thing

I remember was waking up with all this tip material all over me.

It took just five minutes for the deadly landslide to

sweep down from the hills and bury the school.

The roof had collapsed on top of me.

And I was fortunate because that actually saved me.

It provided me with a pocket of air that enabled me to breathe.

I tried to get out, there was all these screams and shouts,

but those screams and shouts got less and less as time went on

because obviously people were dying because of the lack of air.

In the end I heard a fireman shout at me,

basically saying, "There's a boy with white hair down here."

They started to dig around me. I was the last one to come out alive.

It took a week to recover all the bodies.

How hard has it been for you to cope with the fact that you survived

-and so many didn't?

-It's been very difficult.

The guilt is the main issue, really.

You feel guilty that you've survived and others haven't.

That's the huge thing that is difficult to come to terms with.

-Even now?

-Even now. Yes.

One minute we were all happy kids going to school, and we then...

had no friends - all my friends were destroyed in the disaster.

Out of my class, only four of us survived.

So it was a huge impact, really, on us,

and we had to grow up very, very quickly.

-50 years have gone on, but you don't forget.

-No.

-Or you can't forget.

And what happened to us will be with me until I die.

What an honour to meet Jeff. What a brave man he is.

You can tell that, you know, 50 years on,

the events of Aberfan still haunt him greatly

but, my goodness me, who can blame him for showing emotion?

I would, I know that.

I can't think of anything worse as a parent than losing your kids.

You think they're going to be safe when they go to school, don't you?

A week after the disaster, the Queen visited the stricken village.

Aberfan left her so moved, she returned four times.

In 1973 she opened a new community centre.

This centre looks to the future.

It stands as a symbol of the determination that

out of the disaster should come a richer and a fuller life.

Over the years, she met Jeff several times,

and even made a private donation to his Aberfan community charity.

In 2012, the Queen made perhaps her most poignant return -

to open a new primary school.

Alongside Jeff,

headteacher Simone Roden was also there to greet Her Majesty.

She made a promise to the people of Aberfan, and she said to them,

"You build your new school and I'll come back and open it."

And clearly she did that.

She was a lady of her word, and as soon as the school was open,

in no time at all, she was invited down,

she accepted the invitation, and she arrived in all her glory.

Capturing some of that Queenly glory....

Hi, guys, how are we?

-You all right?

-Very well, thank you.

-Nice to see you, Mr Burns.

'..some budding Michelangelos from Mr Burns' class.'

Good Queen hair you've got going on there!

-Did any of you meet the Queen when she came?

-Yes.

-What was she like?

-She was nice.

-She was really nice.

-Really nice?

-Were you scared about meeting her?

-Yes!

-Were you? Were you nervous?

I was nervous the first time I met her, my legs were shaking like that.

She came in a big car and she left in a red helicopter.

Yeah, that's the way to travel. Are you jealous?

Finished? You're quick. Are you done as well? Good work.

Yours looks like your teacher?!

It does look a little bit like your teacher!

If Mr Burns was King of England, that would be a brilliant drawing!

THEY LAUGH

But, you know, she's going to be 90, isn't she?

And do you know how many things she does every week?

-How many engagements, like coming to this school.

-No?

-Five, every week,

at the age of 90 - that's amazing, isn't it?

She should be at home watching EastEnders with her feet up,

eating chocolates. Listen, before I leave on my helicopter...

I haven't got a helicopter, have I?

What would you like to say to the Queen? Go on.

ALL: Happy 90th birthday, Your Majesty!

What a happy and vibrant place that is,

and how brilliant that something so positive as this school

has been borne out of something so dark and tragic.

I reckon with this building at the heart of this community,

Aberfan's future is a very, very bright one.

Her Majesty's official manor is, of course, London.

In the capital, we are used to seeing the formal Queen

on grand occasions, like her Coronation

and the annual Trooping Of The Colour.

Ainsley Harriott, a Londoner born and bred,

is ditching the formalities and serving up some very personal

memories of meeting Her Majesty here on his home turf.

When the Queen was crowned in 1953, she pledged her devotion

not just to the United Kingdom, but also to the Commonwealth.

After the war, people from all over the Commonwealth

were encouraged to come and work in the United Kingdom.

Among them were my Jamaican parents, Chester and Peppy.

'Today, I've invited my sister, Jacqueline, over to my place.

'We grew up knowing the Queen was a very special person.'

My mum and dad were two of nearly 500,000 people

who came from the Commonwealth just after World War II,

probably round about the time of the 1950s,

to live here in Great Britain

and, for them, Britain was truly great,

and that was very much down to our Queen.

Sis, I've got to say we've got some fantastic memories here.

Not only have we got these wonderful commemorative coins,

but looking back here - look at that, for instance, Dad!

And of course, Mother.

Well, she responded to the call, and came up to train as a nurse.

-So many people came from the Commonwealth.

-Absolutely.

Were the streets paved in gold, do you think? What was the attraction?

I think it was more an opportunity to...progress themselves.

And they felt that Britain was the country where you COULD have

-a good life.

-Absolutely.

'And it was our late mother who instilled a healthy respect

'for Her Majesty into my sister and me.'

-There's our lovely mum. She was a big royalist, wasn't she?

-She was.

A big lover of the Queen. She looks rather regal there herself.

Yes, she had poise and dignity.

I just remember Christmas-time, every time there was

the Queen's Speech, we all just sort of had to pay attention.

Mum had this thing about it, and we didn't eat until

-after the Queen's Speech.

-I was just going to say that to you, actually!

'I always wanted to meet our Queen, maybe because of my dear old mum.

'So I was very excited

'when I got a little closer as a young chef in the '80s.

'On more than one occasion I got asked to cook for

'Princess Margaret, and her sister would sometimes pop in for a lunch.

'And for the Queen and her sister, I'd knock up dishes

'like this simple combo of cod, mash, cabbage and bacon.'

-Not too much of the spice.

-Not too much spice.

That's it, food fit for a Queen.

Fresh.

Clean.

-Mmm.

-Very nice.

'I may have tickled her taste buds in the '80s, but I didn't get to

'meet the Queen until I was well established as a TV chef.'

-40 seconds!

-All right, Fern! QUIET!

In 2006, I was invited to meet the Queen face-to-face,

at a celebrity charity lunch for Age UK.

I remember the Queen's equerry coming up and saying,

"Would you like to meet Her Majesty?"

Sis, my legs just started to shake.

-Jellied eels!

-Jellied legs, like, "Yes, please."

I don't know why, because when I did meet her,

oh, instantly she just made you feel comfortable.

I just remember her saying, "And we know what YOU do!"

And at that moment I wanted our mum to be there

because she'd have felt so proud...

-IN JAMAICAN ACCENT:

-"The Queen watched my son on television!"

She would have told everybody at the ambulance headquarters,

-wouldn't she?

-She'd have gone to church and told everybody,

the whole neighbourhood, everything.

And she said, "We know what YOU do!"

And she said, "Do they REALLY accomplish that in that time?"

She was amazed that the chefs could actually cook food of that

quality in that time. And Mum would have been so, so proud.

When Ainsley met the Queen, it was one of the most memorable

highlights of his life.

And for one couple,

the day THEY saw the Queen changed their lives forever.

-Audrey, Ralph!

-Oh!

-How are you doing? Lovely to see you.

Hello, Ralph, how are you doing?

What's it like being back on The Mall after all these years?

-63 years.

-63 years ago!

-Yes, we've been married 60 years.

-63 years, we met here.

-Wow. And this is exactly where you met.

More or less. It would be in this part here, I expect, where we met.

So how did this all come about? How did you first...?

Well, my friend,

he was bringing his girlfriend up for the Coronation,

but he said he had a friend of his girlfriend who wanted someone

to join to make a four.

I said, "That's all right, I don't mind doing that." So we all came up.

-It was a blind date, really!

-It WAS a blind date, wasn't it!

OK, so there was no-one in your life at the moment at that stage?

-Oh, no, no.

-Not really. Not seriously.

-Oh, "Not really!"

That's the first time you've heard that, isn't it, Ralph?

On the night of 1st June, three million people

lined the streets to catch a glimpse of their new Queen.

Like many others, Audrey and Ralph camped out all night.

So the boys brought some blankets

and we brought odds and ends of food, and it was really exciting.

So we came and bagged our pitch, the afternoon before, didn't we?

-So, what was in the sandwiches, Ralph?

-Oh, jam!

-Jam!

-Yes!

As that procession went past, did it take your breath away?

-Did you feel a little bit...?

-Yes.

I mean, I'd never seen anything of the Royal Family before, so

to see them going down here with all their regalia was something special.

By which time it was pouring with rain

and the carriages were closed, apart from the Queen of Tonga.

The Queen of Tonga.

It was absolutely throwing it down,

-and she was still there in the open carriage.

-Wow.

There was always something to watch, wasn't there, throughout the day.

And the night, there were things happening all through the night.

And, of course, it was during the night

when it was announced along The Mall,

somebody came along and said that they conquered Everest, of course.

It was a wonderful occasion.

Well, I've got a little bit of a surprise here for you guys.

-I just went and picked those up.

-Oh, sandwiches! Jam sandwiches!

-Jam sandwiches.

-The important thing was the tin.

Because... when the procession came back,

I got a better view by standing on the tin.

Come on, let's wave together, Ralph!

There she goes, look!

-Still love him, do you?

-I do.

-Still love her?

-I tell her so every day.

Yes, he does, actually. He does. Every day.

I think a little bit of congratulations is in order,

because it wouldn't have happened, your meeting,

without that Coronation that day.

-ALL:

-Happy birthday, Ma'am.

And many thanks for bringing us together

and giving us 60 years of happy marriage. Thank you.

-TEARFULLY:

-You're making me cry!

-You're making ME get emotional!

Since that day, the Queen has reigned for an astonishing

63 years, and she has shaken millions of hands.

But in 2012 there was a handshake that became one of the most

symbolic of her reign.

It took place in Northern Ireland.

The Queen, as Great Britain's head of state,

and head of the Armed Forces in the United Kingdom, shook hands

with former IRA commander Martin McGuinness.

This was one of the many visits - over 20 of them, in fact -

that the Queen has made to Northern Ireland.

She's met with folks from all walks of Irish life,

from market stall holders...

..to the cast and crew from hit series Game Of Thrones.

Between handshakes, Her Majesty took a moment to admire the furniture.

Maybe even putting in an order for her OWN throne.

The south-west of England, 700 miles of glorious coastline.

No surprise the sea plays a huge role in people's lives here.

It's also home territory for former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond.

She's been lucky enough to meet the Queen on many occasions.

Today she's heading up the road to a place that's launched

thousands of naval careers and one royal romance, here in Dartmouth.

So this is where it all started. The Britannia Royal Naval College.

It really is a stunning setting for a love affair that was to last,

well, a lifetime.

The Queen has visited the training college many times,

as Lord High Admiral of the Navy.

But in 2011, she gave that grand title to her husband, Philip,

as a 90th birthday present. Now, that IS love.

And it all began right here on this croquet lawn 77 years ago.

College historian Jane Harrold has the pics to prove it.

This is the photograph album that belonged

to Captain Dalrymple-Hamilton, who was the captain at the time,

and this is just his family album,

but he has got the whole day in here, including some pictures

where he clearly saw the significance of their meeting.

-Here we have them on the lawn down there.

-Just there.

Part of a game of croquet, and this one shows just the two of them

together, perhaps contemplating their next move, who knows?

And so it was that a royal visit in 1939 led

to a dashing young cadet, 18-year-old Prince Philip of Greece,

entertaining the young princesses.

You know, it seems wrong, really, to say that love started here,

because the princess was just 13, she was no more than a child,

but there is no doubt that she found him very attractive, didn't she?

Absolutely. I think she was probably at an age

where she was just starting to appreciate

the opposite sex, so I tend to think of it as a schoolgirl crush.

Well, he was drop-dead gorgeous, wasn't he?

Absolutely, he was your Greek Adonis, he was tall,

he was athletic, he was blond, he was beautiful to look at.

Who wouldn't be impressed?

We've got Princess Elizabeth, she is preparing to take a shot there,

Prince Philip in the background.

Look, he's looking just the same, hands behind the back.

-Still does that.

-And here we can see them again.

-Looks like Philip's preparing a shot.

-And she's watching him very...

-Very intently.

-Very attentively.

-Absolutely.

Eight years later they were married, and 68 years on, the longest

royal marriage in British history is still going strong.

I just think they are, they were, made for one another.

-Absolutely, they were the perfect match.

-Yeah. What about you -

have you actually met the Queen yourself?

I have met the Queen, I met her

the last time that she came to the college, which was in 2008.

I showed her around the museum a little bit,

she showed a huge amount of interest.

I mean, obviously it's not just that she was visiting her naval academy -

her father, her grandfather, her uncles,

her sons, of course her husband, where she met him,

so she's a proper naval person - a wife, a mother, a grandmother.

So it felt very genuine,

and it really was the pinnacle of my career here to meet her.

Sometimes, when I was Royal Correspondent,

it was the quirky stories that were the most fun to do, I remember.

And after all the turmoil of the Diana years, the divorces,

the fire at the castle, there was a little bit of light relief,

I remember, when the Queen did something she'd never done before.

She went to the pub.

It was 1998, and no-one was more surprised than the Cheffers family,

owners of this rather historic inn, here in Topsham in Devon.

Landlady Caroline showed the Queen around that day.

The room is actually... was a malt house,

and there would have been another floor here at that time.

So this was...

And 18 years later, she's still every bit the consummate host.

-Hello! You must be Caroline!

-Welcome to The Bridge!

Well, it's quite some place, I must say. Also very nice and warm.

Tell me, how long have your family had this business?

Well, my great-grandfather came here in 1897,

so with my grandchildren now,

they are the sixth generation of our family in the inn.

So how did you hear that the Queen was coming to visit?

Well, it was really extraordinary because my dear dad took

the phone call from the Lord Lieutenant's office in Devon,

and I said, "Don't worry, Dad, it's just someone playing a prank."

And lo and behold, three weeks later she duly arrived.

So what did you make of her?

I thought she was absolutely delightful.

As she walked through here, she actually said, "It must be very

"difficult to remain unchanged in these changing times."

And I actually thought,

"I think probably both you and I know that, Ma'am."

From the smile on her face, she enjoyed her visit.

And she was given a carry-out - a crate of beer for Philip,

although she missed out on HER favourite tipple, Dubonnet and gin.

So I gather quite a few of you were here on the big day itself.

Well, I was lucky, I was the local police officer for Topsham.

So I was stood outside on crowd control,

trying to keep people back and keep people happy and safe.

-How did the media behave?

-Er...

-Badly!

-As one would expect, they're keen for the best shot.

-Yes, I bet.

And it had been very tough times for the monarchy then,

and there was a thought that this was really a bit of a PR stunt

to make her seem, I don't know, more in touch with people.

Did you go along with that?

No, I just think there was a genuine reason for her

picking on Topsham, and I thought it was the history of the pub,

and I thought it was very nice for her to meet the people,

and I think they responded well to seeing her.

And it was particularly memorable for Caroline's daughter

Rhiannon, who was 17 at the time.

It was a really exciting day - it's not every day

that the Queen asks to come to your home, ultimately.

And I remember feeling that I was very special

because the Queen was coming to my home at that age.

I've been waiting for years for her to come to my house,

just ringing up and saying, "Jen, can I come round?" Does not happen!

So are you going to be doing something special here

for the birthday, the big one?

We're going to have a garden party in the car park,

and I think we might even go as far as having posh frocks and hats.

Whoo! I would expect nothing less!

Happy 90th birthday, Ma'am!

Her Majesty has reigned for 63 years, hosted garden parties

for over a million people, and ordered more than 400,000 honours.

Now in her tenth decade, there are few signs of her slowing down.

We're nearly at the end of our people's portrait of Her Majesty.

But there is one special lady we still have to meet.

90-year-old Hilda Price was born on 21st April 1926,

the same day as the Queen.

Oh, I've loved her to death.

She's absolutely wonderful. I sit here often and see where she is

and what she's doing, and I think, well, I don't think I could do that.

I really admire her.

Every year, she sends the Queen a birthday card.

"Wishing you many happy returns of the day, from your twin,

"Hilda A Price."

Hilda's met Her Majesty several times.

Each time I felt that she's so normal, can I say?

And like one of us when she speaks to us, and I think

that's a real gift because she's far away from us, really.

In 2006, Hilda was invited to celebrate her 80th birthday

alongside Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace.

Just such a wonderful feeling to be sitting there,

seeing the Duke of Edinburgh sitting by her,

and we were on almost the next table to them.

I was lucky enough to have a photo taken with her,

and it went into "Hello!" magazine.

Oh, we had a beautiful time there.

She spoke to us very well and we got to know people there,

and we were allowed to go round the palace.

Wishing you a very happy 90th birthday, Ma'am.

And wishing us both good health.

You know, I don't think there's a corner of Great Britain where

Her Majesty hasn't left her mark.

And she's met us for many different reasons.

She's brought us together, comforted us, shared our grief,

and even shared a giggle.

And by sharing your great memories we've built up a brilliant

people's portrait of our Queen.

A woman with a gift for making everyone who

comes into contact with her feel really special.

I'd just like to say happy birthday to the Queen. Love her.

I hope you have a lovely birthday, and I think you're amazing.

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday, Queen Elizabeth!