:00:00. > :00:00.A day of public and private celebrations in Windsor
:00:07. > :00:10.as the Queen turns 90 - the first British monarch
:00:11. > :00:24.Thousands of well-wishers filled the streets here to greet the Queen
:00:25. > :00:30.on her birthday walkabout - among them some fellow 90 year olds.
:00:31. > :00:34.The Queen spoke to me, asked me my age and I said I was 90
:00:35. > :00:37.last year, so she went, "Oh, very good."
:00:38. > :00:47.I never imagined I'd be 90, let's face it!
:00:48. > :00:49.Tonight the Queen lit the first of a string of celebratory beacons
:00:50. > :00:52.around the country - as Prince Charles
:00:53. > :01:05.Your Majesty - Mummy - I find it very hard to believe that
:01:06. > :01:13.Tonight the beacon's ablaze outside the castle walls.
:01:14. > :01:16.Inside a party's under way - the entire Royal family's
:01:17. > :01:21.here to celebrate the Queen's landmark birthday.
:01:22. > :01:24.Also on tonight's programme, the singer-songwriter Prince,
:01:25. > :01:26.one of the most successful artists of all time, has died
:01:27. > :01:38.# This is what it sounds like when doves cry #.
:01:39. > :01:42.In a statement his publicist said he died at his Paisley Park studios
:01:43. > :01:52.He'd recently cancelled two concerts, due to ill health.
:01:53. > :01:55.Throughout the day fans have been gathering outside his home,
:01:56. > :01:57.as tributes have poured in from all over the world.
:01:58. > :02:01.The Government is willing to take a 25% stake,
:02:02. > :02:06.And it's the biggest-ever seizure of illegal weapons in Britain.
:02:07. > :02:12.The gang were filmed smuggling the guns in, by boat.
:02:13. > :02:16.And coming up in Sportsday on BBC News: Could Arsenal win a first game
:02:17. > :02:19.at home since mid-February and keep up their bid for a top four spot
:02:20. > :02:45.Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Ten from Windsor Castle,
:02:46. > :02:48.where celebrations are continuing tonight for the Queen's
:02:49. > :02:53.A private family dinner is being hosted by Prince Charles,
:02:54. > :02:56.who paid tribute to his mother, and spoke of the love and affection
:02:57. > :03:01.That was very much in evidence here earlier today, when thousands
:03:02. > :03:05.of people lined the streets below the castle walls to catch a glimpse
:03:06. > :03:09.of Britain's oldest and longest serving monarch.
:03:10. > :03:11.Our royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell reports on the day
:03:12. > :03:19.She has done a few of these over the years -
:03:20. > :03:22.the lighting of a beacon to mark a notable occasion.
:03:23. > :03:45.Your Majesty - Mummy - I find it very hard to believe that
:03:46. > :03:58.The beacon will also represent, as it lights other beacons
:03:59. > :04:05.across the nation, the love and affection in which you are held
:04:06. > :04:09.throughout this country and the Commonwealth.
:04:10. > :04:11.The beacon at Windsor was the first in a chain,
:04:12. > :04:14.burning at vantage points and in communities from one end
:04:15. > :04:18.of the United Kingdom to the other, a tribute to the longest-lived
:04:19. > :04:29.On the morning of her birthday, the Queen had driven out
:04:30. > :04:33.from Windsor Castle to be greeted by crowds in the town centre.
:04:34. > :04:40.There were flowers and cards by the armful and, above all perhaps,
:04:41. > :04:45.a great sense of gratitude for so many decades of service.
:04:46. > :04:47.Close by, as ever, the Duke of Edinburgh -
:04:48. > :04:51.his role in support today to help gather the bouquets.
:04:52. > :05:00.At Windsor Guildhall, there was that pre-requisite
:05:01. > :05:10.It had been baked specially for the Queen by Nadiya Hussain,
:05:11. > :05:14.the winner of the BBC Great British Bake Off.
:05:15. > :05:17.One thing I never set my sights on was ever meeting the Queen
:05:18. > :05:22.I got to bake her her 90th birthday cake.
:05:23. > :05:29.I didn't ever imagine that I would do something like that.
:05:30. > :05:31.And there were other 90-year-olds to meet.
:05:32. > :05:34.Men and women whose lives had moved along in parallel with that
:05:35. > :05:40.Never really imagined that I would meet her.
:05:41. > :05:45.Never imagined I would be 90, let's face it!
:05:46. > :05:59.So we have had a long, long life together.
:06:00. > :06:02.Buckingham Palace issued this photograph of the Queen with two
:06:03. > :06:06.of her grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
:06:07. > :06:08.The youngest of whom, Princess Charlotte, is sitting
:06:09. > :06:12.on her lap next to her brother, Prince George.
:06:13. > :06:17.The wider world has also been paying its birthday tributes,
:06:18. > :06:19.led in the House of Commons by the Prime Minister,
:06:20. > :06:25.who recalled the 64 years the Queen has been on the throne.
:06:26. > :06:28.Throughout it all, as the sands of culture shift and the tides
:06:29. > :06:31.of politics flow, Her Majesty has been steadfast.
:06:32. > :06:34.A rock of strength for our nation, for the Commonwealth
:06:35. > :06:38.and on many occasions, the whole world.
:06:39. > :06:42.The Leader of the Opposition is a republican.
:06:43. > :06:49.Today, we are talking about a highly respected individual who is 90.
:06:50. > :06:52.And, Mr Speaker, whatever differing views people across this country
:06:53. > :06:58.have about the institution, the vast majority share an opinion
:06:59. > :07:01.that Her Majesty has served this country and has overwhelming
:07:02. > :07:08.support, with a clear sense of public service and public duty.
:07:09. > :07:12.Back in Windsor on this first day of her 10th decade, Elizabeth II
:07:13. > :07:15.was doing what she has done for so much of her long life
:07:16. > :07:20.A greatly respected monarch at close quarters with her people, receiving
:07:21. > :07:30.During her long reign, the Queen has been served
:07:31. > :07:33.by 12 Prime Ministers - and one, Tony Blair,
:07:34. > :07:36.has told the BBC that she will be a very hard act to follow.
:07:37. > :07:39.Our deputy political editor James Landale assesses the Queen's
:07:40. > :07:42.impact on public life both at home and abroad and the standard she has
:07:43. > :07:57.Her name is on all our laws and her ministers act on her behalf.
:07:58. > :08:01.Yet for all the pomp, the Queen has little power.
:08:02. > :08:03.She's always acted on the advice of her prime
:08:04. > :08:08.NEWSREEL: Sir Winston took an important part
:08:09. > :08:12.From Churchill onwards, she has held weekly audiences
:08:13. > :08:16.Always confidential, their portrayal always
:08:17. > :08:25.You're talking to someone who is shrewd, intelligent,
:08:26. > :08:29.has a great deal of insight and has been seeing state papers for 64
:08:30. > :08:34.years, so there's a level, a depth of experience there,
:08:35. > :08:40.She has an historical memory that is unrivalled.
:08:41. > :08:45.It's here the Queen carries out her constitutional
:08:46. > :08:51.duty to be consulted, to encourage and to warn.
:08:52. > :08:54.She can ask a minister or prime minister any question she wants.
:08:55. > :09:00.She doesn't tell them what to do, but she can raise
:09:01. > :09:04.I think Harold Wilson said, it's the only meeting I have
:09:05. > :09:08.in the week that never leaks, and she's the only person I talk
:09:09. > :09:13.In public, the Queen remains impartial, but her warning
:09:14. > :09:16.here at Crathie church that voters in Scotland should think carefully
:09:17. > :09:20.before the independence referendum was seen by some
:09:21. > :09:25.The Queen's real influence lies in what's called soft power,
:09:26. > :09:29.what her advisers and politicians say is her unique ability
:09:30. > :09:34.to focus attention on issues by where she goes, who she meets
:09:35. > :09:43.So she chose to promote reconciliation by visiting
:09:44. > :09:53.And Northern Ireland in more recent years.
:09:54. > :09:55.But it is perhaps to the Commonwealth that she has
:09:56. > :10:04.And yes, that might have meant one or two uncomfortable handshakes.
:10:05. > :10:07.But it also meant she was able to forge early links with those
:10:08. > :10:12.who'd fought apartheid when her government was less keen.
:10:13. > :10:14.In some Commonwealth countries, like here in Jamaica,
:10:15. > :10:21.The people of Jamaica love the Queen.
:10:22. > :10:25.But the deep burning desire for real, true
:10:26. > :10:35.Prime ministers before, and including myself now,
:10:36. > :10:43.have all dealt with the issue of the ending of the Queen's reign
:10:44. > :10:46.as Jamaica's head of state, and it will happen in the future.
:10:47. > :10:54.The question of course on the Queen's 90th birthday
:10:55. > :10:57.is whether her successors will have the same influence
:10:58. > :11:04.The thing that really drives her is her duty
:11:05. > :11:09.That comes first, that is the first and foremost characteristic
:11:10. > :11:14.And that I think is something that can be maintained if those who come
:11:15. > :11:18.after her have the same sense of duty.
:11:19. > :11:22.She will be a very hard act to follow, there is no
:11:23. > :11:41.Our royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell joins me now.
:11:42. > :11:49.Huge crowds here today, a lot of warmth and admiration for the sense
:11:50. > :11:52.of duty. It was back in the irreverent 60s the Duke of Edinburgh
:11:53. > :11:57.said when we are rolled, there will be some reverence once again. We
:11:58. > :11:59.have reached that point now. As the Prince of Wales said at the Beacon
:12:00. > :12:03.lighting, there is love and affection for the Queen. The people
:12:04. > :12:06.here in winter this morning were enthusiastic monarchists. They had
:12:07. > :12:11.come to show their support. We know that not everybody is in that
:12:12. > :12:14.category. Strangely, it was the country's best-known Republican who
:12:15. > :12:18.put it in some kind of perspective today, Jeremy Corbyn in the House of
:12:19. > :12:21.Commons. He said whatever is your view of the institution, the vast
:12:22. > :12:24.majority of people in this country have the greatest respect for what
:12:25. > :12:28.the Queen has done for this nation. She enjoyed herself this morning
:12:29. > :12:33.during the walkabout. You could see that. It also showed that she is in
:12:34. > :12:40.remarkably robust health for someone of 90. There are some issues, of
:12:41. > :12:45.course there for the body of age. There -- she is finding stairs
:12:46. > :12:48.difficult again. Her officials are adapting her programme to take
:12:49. > :12:52.account of that. Nothing dramatic, nothing that will prevent her
:12:53. > :12:55.enjoying to the full her 90th birthday dinner in the castle with
:12:56. > :13:00.her family and friends tonight. Nick Witchel, thank you. The festivities
:13:01. > :13:03.are continuing inside the castle, where Prince Charles is hosting a
:13:04. > :13:08.dinner for his mother, attended by the whole royal family, a private
:13:09. > :13:10.affair away from the public eye. We will be back later in the programme
:13:11. > :13:13.but for now, back to you, Clive. In the day's other news,
:13:14. > :13:16.one of the most successful singer-songwriters of all time,
:13:17. > :13:18.the American pop star, Prince, Police say he was found unresponsive
:13:19. > :13:23.in a lift at his home, Prince was a prolific
:13:24. > :13:29.writer and performer, with hits in the early 1980s
:13:30. > :13:32.including Purple Rain, Little Red Corvette
:13:33. > :13:34.and When Doves Cry. Today Madonna called him a "true
:13:35. > :13:38.visionary", while President Obama said the world has lost
:13:39. > :13:42.a creative icon. Our arts editor Will Gompertz now
:13:43. > :13:45.reports on Prince's unexpected death, and his contribution
:13:46. > :14:08.to popular music. # Only want to see you in the purple
:14:09. > :14:15.rain. Prince in his pomp... Playing guitar like Jimi Hendrix... And
:14:16. > :14:25.posturing like a Rolling Stone. The man from Minnesota was the king of
:14:26. > :14:33.funky rock and roll! The prolific, innovative, influential pop star
:14:34. > :14:38.died at his home in Paisley Park today, following a bout of flu.
:14:39. > :14:42.His death shocked the fans the world over.
:14:43. > :14:53.I couldn't believe it! He was just here Saturday. He was just here
:14:54. > :14:53.Saturday, he was fine. Fellow artists expressed their
:14:54. > :15:21.thoughts. When you look at where he was and
:15:22. > :15:26.what he did at the times he did it, you know, you look at popular music
:15:27. > :15:32.today, it would be a much, much, much more boring place if it was not
:15:33. > :15:38.for Prince. Born Prince Roger Nelson to musical
:15:39. > :15:45.parents, he showed prodigious talents. Playing 27 instruments in
:15:46. > :15:53.his first record. But had to wait for the album 1999 featuring... Red
:15:54. > :15:57.Corvette. He followed that up with the multimillion selling Purple
:15:58. > :16:02.Rain, considered by many to be one of the greatest albums ever made. It
:16:03. > :16:07.earned him an Oscar, Grammy award and placed him at the top table of
:16:08. > :16:14.international superstars. # This is what it sounds like when
:16:15. > :16:19.doves cry... He used to turn up at shows and hang out back stage. We
:16:20. > :16:24.were blown away. But very, very low key. He never made a deal of it. He
:16:25. > :16:29.would stand at the side of the stage and shake our hands as we went on
:16:30. > :16:35.stage. He sold over 100 million records,
:16:36. > :16:43.released 39 studio albums and was not afraid to write songs about
:16:44. > :16:49.unpoppy subjects like AIDS and addiction and politics. Nor was he
:16:50. > :16:55.likened to be pushed around. Changing his name to a signal when
:16:56. > :16:59.he had an issue with his record label.
:17:00. > :17:04.How did the artist formerly known as Prince come about? That came with
:17:05. > :17:11.the artist having a problem with the label record having a were on
:17:12. > :17:16.ounceation with the symbol. This was footage taken by a fan of
:17:17. > :17:21.Prince performing. Many considered him to be the greatest showman on
:17:22. > :17:29.earth. Now, sadly, he has left that stage. The singer Prince, who died
:17:30. > :17:33.The singer Prince, who died at the age of 57.
:17:34. > :17:36.Our correspondent Peter Bowes is in Los Angeles for us tonight.
:17:37. > :17:38.Peter, this has come as a shock for many people.
:17:39. > :17:40.What more do we know about the circumstances
:17:41. > :17:47.Well it is now a little over six hours since the police were called
:17:48. > :17:52.to Prince's home. At that stage it was just a report that a man was
:17:53. > :17:57.lying at the bottom of the lift on the floor of the lift in an
:17:58. > :18:03.unpreresponsive state. The paramedics arrived. It became clear
:18:04. > :18:08.it was Prince. They tried to revive him, they were unsuccessful, he was
:18:09. > :18:10.declared dead a short time later. The authorities are continuing to
:18:11. > :18:15.investigate this. This is a police investigation. There will be a
:18:16. > :18:21.coroner's investigation to determine the precise cause of death. But as
:18:22. > :18:26.you say, this has come like a bolt out of the blue for so many people
:18:27. > :18:32.unaware he was having medical problems. He did have a flu
:18:33. > :18:36.recently. In hospital briefly. But people thought he was recovering
:18:37. > :18:41.from that. It has led to people celebrating the life of Prince and
:18:42. > :18:50.these fanses for example dancing in the streets of Harlem, New York.
:18:51. > :18:55.So, a tremendous outflowing of grief and that is turning to thoughts of
:18:56. > :19:01.remembering the life of Prince, the concerts he gave in huge venues and
:19:02. > :19:05.in some of the smaller venues he used to play at as well.
:19:06. > :19:08.The Government says it's willing to use taxpayers' money, to help
:19:09. > :19:12.It's announced it's prepared to take a 25% stake,
:19:13. > :19:14.with sources saying ministers are willing to offer up
:19:15. > :19:19.to ?1 billion in debt financing, to help attract potential buyers.
:19:20. > :19:26.Here's our business editor, Simon Jack.
:19:27. > :19:29.The fires of industry at Port Talbot took a new turn today.
:19:30. > :19:33.exactly how big a carrot it was prepared to dangle in front of a
:19:34. > :19:37.potential buyer for Tata's remaining steel business.
:19:38. > :19:41.The Government is offering to take an ownership stake
:19:42. > :19:44.of up to 25% of the business, contribute potentially hundreds of
:19:45. > :19:47.millions of pounds in loans, and to help ease the burden of its
:19:48. > :19:53.Today is a significant step, talking numbers to
:19:54. > :19:56.potential investors and the priority in which the Government is placing
:19:57. > :20:03.You have to go back to the 1970s rescue of British Leyland to find
:20:04. > :20:09.significant Government intervention in UK manufacturing.
:20:10. > :20:11.It is safe to say that this was not plan A.
:20:12. > :20:15.Nationalisation is rarely announced in these situations.
:20:16. > :20:18.I don't believe that nationalisation is the right
:20:19. > :20:20.answer, what we want to do is secure is a long-term
:20:21. > :20:26.Now this is not a U-turn, Government has been
:20:27. > :20:27.careful not to rule out any
:20:28. > :20:33.The idea of the Government taking a stake in a manufacturing industry
:20:34. > :20:36.runs counter to every Conservative instinct.
:20:37. > :20:39.It shows how politically sensitive, the scramble to save the
:20:40. > :20:43.rest of the UK steel industry has become.
:20:44. > :20:47.At a steelworkers' meeting in Port Talbot, the news brought
:20:48. > :20:51.hope it may entice a buyer and save thousands of jobs.
:20:52. > :20:55.Vince has worked here for over 30 years.
:20:56. > :21:00.This will give encouragement to some of the big players in the industry,
:21:01. > :21:11.with a bit of luck this will give the confidence to the major firms to
:21:12. > :21:14.invest in Port Talbot and there will be a long-term future.
:21:15. > :21:17.Others think that the Government is heading down the wrong road by
:21:18. > :21:20.putting public money into a struggling industry.
:21:21. > :21:23.Tata Steel has been looking for a buyer since 2014.
:21:24. > :21:27.If they can't find a buyer on the open market, it means
:21:28. > :21:43.that the only way is that the Government helps
:21:44. > :21:46.If we do that, we are propping up an essentially
:21:47. > :21:48.unproductive industry, these people could be
:21:49. > :21:51.However sweetened the deal, there is no
:21:52. > :21:53.future without a buyer, and the
:21:54. > :21:54.competitive pressures facing the industry
:21:55. > :21:58.We have to ensure this is about securing a long-term future for
:21:59. > :22:01.That means that the Government has to start supporting
:22:02. > :22:02.the European Commission's proposals for getting
:22:03. > :22:04.tough on the dumping of
:22:05. > :22:08.That threat won't be lost on potential buyers who now have just
:22:09. > :22:09.weeks to respond to the Government's enticements.
:22:10. > :22:14.Two men have been found guilty of smuggling into the UK the biggest
:22:15. > :22:16.haul of weapons ever seized on mainland Britain.
:22:17. > :22:18.Harry Shilling and Michael Defraine were arrested after sailing
:22:19. > :22:20.from France to a marina near Rochester in Kent.
:22:21. > :22:23.Some of the guns were bought from a shop in Slovakia,
:22:24. > :22:25.that also supplied weapons used in the Charlie Hebdo attacks
:22:26. > :22:38.Daniel Sandford reports from the Old Bailey.
:22:39. > :22:41.In an extraordinary security operation, heavily armed police
:22:42. > :22:43.officers have been stationed around the Old Bailey
:22:44. > :22:47.A trial concerning the biggest-ever seizure of guns in mainland Britain.
:22:48. > :22:49.22 fully automatic assault rifles, nine Skorpion sub-machine guns
:22:50. > :23:04.These were weapons that could cause mass casualties,
:23:05. > :23:07.both types of weapon can fire 800 rounds a minute,
:23:08. > :23:09.and you could imagine the devastation that would cause
:23:10. > :23:13.Harry Shilling was the leader of the gun-smuggling gang, helped
:23:14. > :23:17.They'd persuaded boat enthusiasts Dave Payne and Christopher
:23:18. > :23:21.The guns were shipped across the Channel from France
:23:22. > :23:27.The next day on the River Medway in Kent, surveillance officers
:23:28. > :23:29.filmed the gang unloading heavy bags containing the weapons,
:23:30. > :23:35.heaving them into an anonymous white van.
:23:36. > :23:41.Moments later, armed police moved in and arrested the men on the boat
:23:42. > :23:43.and seized the enormous arsenal of fully automatic guns 30 metres
:23:44. > :23:50.Some of the guns had come from this shop,
:23:51. > :23:55.It sold weapons that fire blanks, but could be converted back
:23:56. > :24:03.One such gun from the same shop had made it into the hands of the man
:24:04. > :24:06.who killed four hostages at a Jewish supermarket in Paris,
:24:07. > :24:16.He can be seen with the gun in this video, released after he died.
:24:17. > :24:19.The National Crime Agency has established that at least some
:24:20. > :24:24.of the guns came from this shop in Slovakia, but at that
:24:25. > :24:27.point they were perfectly legal deactivated weapons.
:24:28. > :24:30.What happened next is that somebody - and we don't know who -
:24:31. > :24:34.reactivated them, making them capable of firing live rounds.
:24:35. > :24:40.When the National Crime Agency arrested gang leader Harry Shilling
:24:41. > :24:43.in the car park of Homebase, he had a panic attack.
:24:44. > :24:50.Richard Rye, by the window, was caught in the local McDonald's.
:24:51. > :24:53.The huge haul of weapons that in the wrong hands could have
:24:54. > :24:56.wreaked havoc in Britain, all safely in the hands
:24:57. > :25:07.Daniel Sandford, BBC News, at the Old Bailey.
:25:08. > :25:09.The former Sheffield United and Wales footballer Ched Evans has
:25:10. > :25:12.had his conviction for rape quashed by the Court of Appeal.
:25:13. > :25:17.Evans was convicted in 2012 of raping a woman in a hotel room.
:25:18. > :25:19.He was released from jail after serving half of
:25:20. > :25:29.In the last few minutes, President Obama has arrived
:25:30. > :25:32.Airforce One touched down at Stansted Airport this evening,
:25:33. > :25:35.with the President expected to give his support to the Remain
:25:36. > :25:37.campaign in the EU referendum, at a news conference
:25:38. > :25:48.He'll also have lunch with the Queen.
:25:49. > :25:50.Our Deputy Political Editor John Pienaar is in Downing Street today -
:25:51. > :25:53.where the occupants must be delighted by the
:25:54. > :26:09.Yes, delighted and excited at seeing this global political superstar
:26:10. > :26:12.arrive, as he has, with a forthright unapologetic plea for Britain to
:26:13. > :26:19.remain a member of the European Union. He has written a piece for
:26:20. > :26:24.the Daily Telegraph, in which he says that he would like Britain to
:26:25. > :26:30.remain a member. On the basis that tens of thousands of Americans died
:26:31. > :26:35.on the battlefields of Europe, which gives America, he argues, a stake on
:26:36. > :26:39.Europe's best future. Will it make a difference? The leaders hope not.
:26:40. > :26:43.Boris Johnson has written a counterparter strike for the Sun
:26:44. > :26:47.newspaper, saying it is hypocritical for Barack Obama to call on Britain
:26:48. > :26:50.to give up sovereignty in a way that the US would not. And here in
:26:51. > :26:55.Downing Street, they are delighted to have Barack Obama join the chorus
:26:56. > :26:59.of leaders and institutions calling on Britain to remain a member and
:27:00. > :27:03.seem to believe it will help to depict a vote for the European Union
:27:04. > :27:03.to leave, a dangerous leap in the dark.
:27:04. > :27:10.Thank you very much. The few surviviors of a boat
:27:11. > :27:13.carrying hundreds of migrants and refugees that capsized
:27:14. > :27:19.in the Mediterranean, have been It's feared as many as 500
:27:20. > :27:22.people may have died, when their vessel sank on it's way
:27:23. > :27:25.from Libya to Europe. Just 41 people were rescued
:27:26. > :27:27.and taken to Greece, and they've been describing how
:27:28. > :27:29.traffickers tried to force them from their boat onto a larger
:27:30. > :27:31.overcrowded vessel, The migrants and refugees had come
:27:32. > :27:41.from several countries in Africa, and had set off
:27:42. > :27:42.from Tobruk in Libya. Some of the survivors
:27:43. > :27:44.have been speaking to our
:27:45. > :27:52.correspondent Will Ross. A safe port for people who witnessed
:27:53. > :27:57.a tragedy at sea. The Greek coastguard brought the 41 survivors
:27:58. > :28:05.to Kalamata. There were priors or dry land. Amongst the group, a
:28:06. > :28:08.Somalian and Egyptian and a three-year-old boy, whose face
:28:09. > :28:14.showed know sign of the ordeal that they had been through. The original
:28:15. > :28:19.destination, Italy, instead they are recovering in Athens. This man said
:28:20. > :28:23.he saw hundreds of people drown in the Mediterranean, including many
:28:24. > :28:29.friends from Somalia. Tonight I'm not sleeping.
:28:30. > :28:34.All of my friends have died. He said that the journey began on the Libyan
:28:35. > :28:39.coast, 200 packed on a boat like this. Then in the middle of the
:28:40. > :28:43.night far out to sea, the smugglers told them to move to a larger boat,
:28:44. > :28:48.already unstable with over 300 on board. It capsized. They saw
:28:49. > :28:52.children drown. The children went down first. The
:28:53. > :28:56.children were inside the water, they don't have the power to get out to
:28:57. > :29:00.the boat again. They don't know how to swim. They are going inside,
:29:01. > :29:07.outside, they are breathing, breathing... They started to die.
:29:08. > :29:11.The 41 survivors carried on their journey, later rescued by a cargo
:29:12. > :29:14.ship. Officials fear with summer approaching there will be more of
:29:15. > :29:18.these disasters. The weather is getting better in the
:29:19. > :29:24.Mediterranean, more people will attempt to cross. We have seen the
:29:25. > :29:27.numbers increasing, we fear that further loss of life will be
:29:28. > :29:34.inevitable. I am shown lots of photos posted on
:29:35. > :29:39.social media, they are from relatives desperate for news of
:29:40. > :29:44.loved ones. This man survived. But he is grieving, pointing to his
:29:45. > :29:50.19-year-old sister and his cousin who both drowned.
:29:51. > :29:53.Despite the promises to make the Mediterranean safer, nothing has
:29:54. > :29:58.been don to stop the crossings from North Africa. The patrols cannot
:29:59. > :30:03.rescue every boat that gets into trouble. Over 1,000 have died trying
:30:04. > :30:07.to cross the Mediterranean this year but it does not stop people trying
:30:08. > :30:08.as they dream of a better life in Europe.
:30:09. > :30:12.That's it from me - let's return now to the Queen's 90th
:30:13. > :30:15.birthday celebrations and go back to Sophie at Windsor Castle, Sophie.
:30:16. > :30:23.Windsor castle is where the Queen wanted to celebrate her birthday -
:30:24. > :30:26.it's one of the places where she feels most at home.
:30:27. > :30:28.Another is the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, her
:30:29. > :30:32.Just a few miles from it is the town of Kings Lynn
:30:33. > :30:34.which is said by some - to contain the highest number
:30:35. > :30:39.Reeta Chakrabarti went along to speak to a few of them.
:30:40. > :30:46.A stone's throw from Sandringham, King's Lynn has always been one
:30:47. > :30:48.Its schools, hospitals, fire stations and of course,
:30:49. > :30:51.the Town Hall, have regularly played host to the Queen.
:30:52. > :30:53.ARCHIVE: In King's Lynn from a building that stood
:30:54. > :30:55.when the first Elizabeth was Queen, the word is proclaimed,
:30:56. > :31:01.From the beginning of her reign, as the town's name suggests,
:31:02. > :31:04.King's Lynn has retained strong links with royalty.
:31:05. > :31:06.So these are the visitors' books from when the Queen
:31:07. > :31:14.For the former Mayor, and the present council leader,
:31:15. > :31:18.meeting the Queen has been one of the huge perks of the job.
:31:19. > :31:24.I've met her three times, twice in the last five years.
:31:25. > :31:28.I think to dedicate one's whole life to that form of duty is remarkable.
:31:29. > :31:33.I think as a nation, we are very, very fortunate.
:31:34. > :31:35.Earlier in her reign, the young Queen visited King Edward VII
:31:36. > :31:44.A tradition has been established, every year the six former
:31:45. > :31:46.A tradition has been established, every year the sixth former
:31:47. > :31:49.with the best results has a private audience with the monarch.
:31:50. > :31:58.It was a surreal experience, obviously the house is magnificent,
:31:59. > :32:00.you are meeting the Queen, which is like a figure...
:32:01. > :32:03.But you never think you are going to meet her in person.
:32:04. > :32:06.And Freddie also met the Queen when he was still in junior school.
:32:07. > :32:10.She will listen to you and everything and she has a great sense
:32:11. > :32:15.She was saying she might see me in a couple of years
:32:16. > :32:19.for the Gold Medal but then she said she might be dead by then!
:32:20. > :32:22.It's such a royal town that everyone seems to have met the Queen,
:32:23. > :32:29.so I'm going in search of someone who hasn't.
:32:30. > :32:32.Rumour has it that King's Lynn has the largest number of people
:32:33. > :32:38.Not just in Sandringham but in the streets.
:32:39. > :32:44.The Queen is popular here as she is seen to giving much
:32:45. > :32:45.attention to ordinary life as ceremony.
:32:46. > :32:48.The bond and the monarch of the town looks set to endure.
:32:49. > :32:50.Rita Chakrabarti, BBC News, King's Lynn.
:32:51. > :32:53.Well plenty of people certainly got to meet the Queen here today.
:32:54. > :32:56.Tomorrow - more birthday greetings - this time from America
:32:57. > :32:58.when President Obama and the First Lady
:32:59. > :33:03.Plenty of coverage of that of course tomorrow.
:33:04. > :33:07.From Windsor Castle - goodnight.