the queen chose to spend the majority of her later years at windsor castle instead of her official residence of buckingham palace. our special correspondent fergal keane has been gathering reaction from people there. the signal of an ending, in the place so close to her heart, and in whose heart she was beloved. we have just heard the news. what are you feeling? it has just hit me. i think it is going to hit everybody in this town, but not only here, all over the world. she was a grandmother, a mum, she was part of my life, my mum's, my late father's life, everybody. as the news filtered out across the town, there was in gathering together to absorb, to reflect. it's very sad. i think everyone has just come to pay their respects, because she is such

an amazing woman. just a very sombre mood in windsor, really. what did she represent to people of your generation? a guiding light, a moral code, how to conduct yourself, - how to act, what is - right and what's wrong. here on the streets of royal windsor, the sense of a an epoch having passed is palpable. there is the sense of mourning, shared with the entire nation. but something else. for these people have lost a neighbour, a queen who was part of their daily lives. amir bukhari was getting calls from relatives in pakistan, who had heard the news. he runs a cafe besides windsor castle. no words to express my emotions. it is really sad. what did she mean to you? not only me but everyone in the world. everybody feels very sad, very down. for us, she was a neighbour. and we feel more.

no matter how long anticipated, the end has crystallised loss. the passing of a monarch, who symbolised to people the best of their nation, of themselves. fergal keane, bbc news, windsor. you've are watching continuing coverage reflecting on the life and death of her majesty queen elizabeth ii. the bbc�*s royal correspondent, nicholas witchell, now looks back on the life of her majesty the queen. under admiralty art underadmiralty art in under admiralty art in trafalgar square, underadmiralty art in trafalgar square, the tumult of love and admiration surrounds her. ~ ,, i love and admiration surrounds her-- i hear— love and admiration surrounds her.- i hear present - love and admiration surrounds| her.- i hear present unto her. music i hear present unto ou her. music i hear present unto you queen _ her. music i hear present unto you queen elizabeth, - her. music i hear present unto you queen elizabeth, your- you queen elizabeth, your undoubted queen.

singing. is your majesty singing. is your ma'esty willin: singing. is your ma'esty willing to i singing. is your ma'esty willing to take a singing. is your ma'esty willing to take the h singing. is your majesty willing to take the oath? | smeme. is your majesty| willing to take the oath? i smeme. is your majesty - willing to take the oath? i am willina. willing to take the oath? i am willing- she — willing to take the oath? i am willing. she was _ willing to take the oath? i am willing. she was 27 _ willing to take the oath? i am willing. she was 27 when - willing to take the oath? i am willing. she was 27 when she | willing. she was 27 when she took the coronation - willing. she was 27 when she took the coronation oath. - willing. she was 27 when she | took the coronation oath. will ou took the coronation oath. will you solemnly _ took the coronation oath. ll you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of the united kingdom of great britain and ireland? the mac i solemnly promise to do. and ireland? the maci solemnly promise to do.— promise to do. she was anointed, _ promise to do. she was anointed, blessed - promise to do. she was anointed, blessed and l anointed, blessed and consecrated. she took possession of a 1200 year old throne. she knew it was a role for which only death could release her, and yet when she was born, no one thought it would be her destiny.

elizabeth's father reluctantly took the throne.

his coronation gave elizabeth a foretaste of what lay in store foretaste of what lay in store for her. she later wrote she had found the service very, very wonderful. elizabeth's childhood was an educated one. her father george childhood was an educated one. herfather george vi was her father george vi was devoted to her and herfather george vi was devoted to her and she to him. throughout her life, he was to be her inspiration. injuly 1939, the king took his daughters to the royal naval couege daughters to the royal naval college at dartmouth and there among the cadets was the young prince philip of greece. it wasn't the first time they had met, but it was the first time they had taken an interest in each other.— they had taken an interest in each other. ., each other. thousands of you in

this country _ each other. thousands of you in this country have _ each other. thousands of you in this country have had _ each other. thousands of you in this country have had to - each other. thousands of you in this country have had to leave l this country have had to leave your home and be separated from your home and be separated from your fathers and my sister, margaret rose and i feel so much for you, as we know from experience what it means to be away from those we love most of all. ., ., all. night after night, and german bombs _ all. night after night, and german bombs fell- all. night after night, and german bombs fell on - all. night after night, and - german bombs fell on britain. the royalfamily german bombs fell on britain. the royal family symbolised the fight against tyranny. buckingham palace was bombed and elizabeth brieflyjoined and elizabeth briefly joined up. and elizabeth brieflyjoined up. she was taught how to drive and service an army lorry. as britain celebrated victory in europe, the crowds gathered outside buckingham palace. elizabeth join outside buckingham palace. elizabethjoin herfamily outside buckingham palace. elizabeth join her family on the balcony and later that evening she slipped out with friends to join the crowds, she later recalled. we friends to join the crowds, she later recalled.— later recalled. we cheered the kin: and later recalled. we cheered the king and queen _ later recalled. we cheered the king and queen on _ later recalled. we cheered the king and queen on the - later recalled. we cheered the king and queen on the balcony and then walked miles through the streets. i remember lines

of unknown people linking arms and walking down whitehall, all of us swept along on a tide of happiness and relief. iluuiith of us swept along on a tide of happiness and relief. with the war over there _ happiness and relief. with the war over there was _ happiness and relief. with the war over there was an - war over there was an opportunity to relax, and for elizabeth, another reason to be happy. she had fallen in love. her engagement to lieutenant philip mountbatten as he was now caught was announced in july 19117. now caught was announced in july1947. four now caught was announced in july 19117. four months later, they were married in westminster abbey. seldom has a bride and groom received such a tumultuous expression of goodwill. fix, received such a tumultuous expression of goodwill. a year later their _ expression of goodwill. a year later their first _ expression of goodwill. a year later their first child _ expression of goodwill. a year later their first child charles i later their first child charles was born. two years after that, a daughter, anne. by now, philip had resumed his naval career. he was posted to the

mediterranean island of malta where he was joined mediterranean island of malta where he wasjoined by his wife. it was the most carefree time of their life but it was not to last. the king was in poor health, treated for lung cancer. when elizabeth left for a trip to east africa in february 1952, a trip to east africa in february1952, it a trip to east africa in february 1952, it was to be the last time she would see him. it was a farewell. it was also, as events turned out, goodbye. that events turned out, goodbye. at the moment of her father's death from a heart attack, elizabeth was in a game park in kenya. the news that she was now queen was given to her by her husband.— her husband. her tour of the commonwealth _ her husband. her tour of the commonwealth cancelled, . her husband. her tour of the i commonwealth cancelled, the princess we knew as a girl and watched in the even growth of her stature, comes back to meet her stature, comes back to meet her ministers as queen. in a her ministers as queen. in a wa , her ministers as queen. in a way. i didn't— her ministers as queen. in a way, i didn't have _ her ministers as queen. in a way, i didn't have an - way, i didn't have an apprenticeship. my father died much — apprenticeship. my father died much too young, and so it was all a _ much too young, and so it was all a very— much too young, and so it was all a very sudden kind of taking _ all a very sudden kind of taking on. and making the best 'ob taking on. and making the best job you — taking on. and making the best job you can.

taking on. and making the best job you can-— job you can. britain was stunned _ job you can. britain was stunned at _ job you can. britain was stunned at the - job you can. britain was stunned at the loss - job you can. britain was stunned at the loss of l job you can. britain was l stunned at the loss of its wartime king. his coffin was brought by train from sandringham to london. elizabeth was there to receive it with her mother and sister. george vi was laid to rest after a state funeral. elizabeth's succession was proclaimed. elizabeth's succession was proclaimed-— elizabeth's succession was roclaimed. �* ,, ., proclaimed. blessed the royal princess elizabeth _ proclaimed. blessed the royal princess elizabeth ii _ proclaimed. blessed the royal princess elizabeth ii with - proclaimed. blessed the royal princess elizabeth ii with long | princess elizabeth ii with long and happy years to reign over us. god save the queen. hip hip hurra ! us. god save the queen. hip hip hurray! britain _ us. god save the queen. hip hip hurray! britain pledged - us. god save the queen. hip hip hurray! britain pledged its - hurray! britain pledged its lo al hurray! britain pledged its loyalty to _ hurray! britain pledged its loyalty to its _ hurray! britain pledged its loyalty to its new - hurray! britain pledged its| loyalty to its new monarch, hurray! britain pledged its i loyalty to its new monarch, a glamorous woman in her mid—20s who seemed to symbolise all the country's post—war hopes. there was talk of a new elizabethan era. �* ., . ., , era. and now here comes her majesty- _ era. and now here comes her majesty. elizabeth's - era. and now here comes her. majesty. elizabeth's coronation ma'esty. elizabeth's coronation in majesty. elizabeth's coronation in june 1953 _ majesty. elizabeth's coronation in june 1953 was _ majesty. elizabeth's coronation in june 1953 was one _ majesty. elizabeth's coronation in june 1953 was one of - majesty. elizabeth's coronation in june 1953 was one of the - injune1953 was one of the biggest public celebrations in britain's recent history. for the first time, television

cameras were allowed into westminster abbey. the ceremony was broadcast to millions. the moment of— was broadcast to millions. the moment of the _ was broadcast to millions. tue: moment of the queen's was broadcast to millions. tte: moment of the queen's crowning is come. this moment of the queen's crowning is come. �* , .,, moment of the queen's crowning is come. . , .,, is come. as elizabeth was crowned. _ is come. as elizabeth was crowned, she _ is come. as elizabeth was crowned, she accepted i is come. as elizabeth was i crowned, she accepted what is come. as elizabeth was - crowned, she accepted what to her was a sacred duty, an obligation to serve, which was to set her apart for the remainder of her life. god save the queen. god save the queen _ god save the queen. god save the queen-— the queen. elizabeth was sovereign _ the queen. elizabeth was sovereign and _ the queen. elizabeth was sovereign and head - the queen. elizabeth was sovereign and head of. the queen. elizabeth was i sovereign and head of state the queen. elizabeth was - sovereign and head of state not just of the united kingdom, but of britain �*s realms and territories in every continent. sydneysiders turn out to greet the queen. in sydneysiders turn out to greet the queen-— the queen. in late 1953, she set off on — the queen. in late 1953, she set off on the _ the queen. in late 1953, she set off on the first _ the queen. in late 1953, she set off on the first of - the queen. in late 1953, she set off on the first of many i set off on the first of many overseas tours with a six month trip to australia, new zealand and the pacific. t

trip to australia, new zealand and the pacific.— and the pacific. i want to tell ou all and the pacific. i want to tell you all how _ and the pacific. i want to tell you all how happy _ and the pacific. i want to tell you all how happy i - and the pacific. i want to tell you all how happy i am - and the pacific. i want to tell you all how happy i am to . and the pacific. i want to tell you all how happy i am to bej you all how happy i am to be amongst _ you all how happy i am to be amongst you and how much i look forward _ amongst you and how much i look forward to— amongst you and how much i look forward to myjourney through australia _ forward to my “ourney through australia. , , . forward to my “ourney through australia. , , australia. this is a “oyous, s - ine australia. this is a “oyous, spine tingling h australia. this is a joyous, spine tingling welcome... | australia. this is a joyous, l spine tingling welcome... of the spine tingling welcome... the young queen was a star spine tingling welcome...“ the young queen was a star in the young queen was a star in the world stage and her popularity was never greater. it is estimated that in australia, three quarters of the country's entire population turned out to see her in person. turned out to see her in person-— turned out to see her in person. turned out to see her in erson. ~ ., ., ., person. and a great roar of cheering — person. and a great roar of cheering pours _ person. and a great roar of cheering pours out - person. and a great roar of cheering pours out from i person. and a great roar of i cheering pours out from tens of thousands _ cheering pours out from tens of thousands-— thousands. the trip was a great ersonal thousands. the trip was a great personal success. _ thousands. the trip was a great personal success. the - thousands. the trip was a great personal success. the happy i personal success. the happy -icture personal success. the happy picture of — personal success. the happy picture of this _ personal success. the happy picture of this fairy - personal success. the happy picture of this fairy queen i personal success. the happy i picture of this fairy queen who has a team is come magically amongst us. has a team is come magically amongst us— has a team is come magically amongst us. but as the 1950s ave wa amongst us. but as the 1950s gave way to _ amongst us. but as the 1950s gave way to the _ amongst us. but as the 1950s gave way to the swinging i amongst us. but as the 1950s gave way to the swinging 60sj amongst us. but as the 1950s i gave way to the swinging 60s of the beatles, attitudes began to change, old certainties were questions. the monarchy was seen by some to be stuffy and out of touch. elizabeth was always cautious about change, but shrewd enough to recognise that the monarchy needed to move with the times. on some matters, though, she showed a less certain touch. when a coal

tip collapsed in aberfan, killing 116 children, elizabeth was urged to visit the village. initially she declared. —— declined. then she went eight days after the disaster. although a supremely dutiful monarch, she found public emotion difficult to handle. her sense of duty also at times interfered with her family role. herson interfered with her family role. her son and interfered with her family role. herson and heir interfered with her family role. her son and heir charles had been a sensitive child who found her mother �*s absence is difficult and wounding, and her husband philip was a restless man, who sometimes found his role as consort frustrating. 0n role as consort frustrating. on one occasion the palace had to deny rumours that the manage was in difficulty —— the marriage. in fact it was a partnership from which elizabeth was to derive great strength and reassurance. in the early 60s, they had two more children. prince andrew, born in 1960, and prince edward, in march 1964. by the late 60s, the palace realise that it needed to take the initiative. the result was a

ground—breaking documentary. the film, royalfamily, showed the monarchy as it had never been seen before. elizabeth was shown performing the daily business of the sovereign, working on the official documents that were delivered to her virtually every day. do ou to her virtually every day. do you think _ to her virtually every day. drr you think you could bring up those papers that i was looking at yesterday? they're the american ambassador, your majesty. american ambassador, your ma'es . �* , majesty. and visiting dignitaries. - majesty. and visiting dignitaries. subject i majesty. and visiting | dignitaries. subject of majesty. and visiting - dignitaries. subject of course dignitaries. sub'ect of course to some of _ dignitaries. sub'ect of course to some of the i dignitaries. subject of course to some of the discomfort i dignitaries. subject of course to some of the discomfort as| dignitaries. subject of course i to some of the discomfort as a result— to some of the discomfort as a result of— to some of the discomfort as a result of the _ to some of the discomfort as a result of the need _ to some of the discomfort as a result of the need for- to some of the discomfort as ai result of the need for elements of refurbishing _ result of the need for elements of refurbishing rehabilitation. i of refurbishing rehabilitation. cheering _ cheering for her silverjubilee in 1977, there were carnivals, street parties and pageants. elizabeth had by then been queen for a quarter of a century, during which britain had changed profoundly, yet the monarchy seemed as secure in the public�*s affection as it had ever been, and that was very largely due to the queen herself. her commitment remained absolute. mr; herself. her commitment

remained absolute. my lord ma or, remained absolute. my lord mayor. when _ remained absolute. my lord mayor, when i _ remained absolute. my lord mayor, when i was - remained absolute. my lord mayor, when i was 21, i i remained absolute. my lord i mayor, when i was 21, i pledged my life — mayor, when i was 21, i pledged my life to— mayor, when i was 21, i pledged my life to the service of our people. _ my life to the service of our people, and i asked for god's help— people, and i asked for god's help to — people, and i asked for god's help to make good that val. —— that— help to make good that val. —— that val — help to make good that val. —— that val. although that vow was made _ that val. although that vow was made in — that val. although that vow was made in my salad days when i was _ made in my salad days when i was green _ made in my salad days when i was green injudgment, i do not regret— was green injudgment, i do not regret not— was green injudgment, i do not regret not —— nor retract one word _ regret not —— nor retract one word of— regret not —— nor retract one word of it. — regret not —— nor retract one word of it. the regret not -- nor retract one word of it. th- word of it. the applause violence _ word of it. the applause violence breached - word of it. the applause violence breached the i word of it. the applause | violence breached the royal circle in 1979 when the duke's uncle earl mountbatten was murdered off the west coast of ireland by the ira. the vulnerability of the queen herself was exposed at the trooping the colour ceremony in 1981. a disturbed youth in the crowd had a gun. violence breached the royal circle in 1979, when the duke's uncle, earl mountbatten, was murdered off the west coast of ireland by the ira. blank shots were fired as the queen rode past. despite the pandemonium, she brought her horse under

control and carried on. there was concern again a year later when it emerged that an intruder had entered buckingham palace one morning and found his way into the queen's bedroom. she kept him talking until help arrived. good evening, your majesty. you've had a very long day! britain by now had its first woman prime minister, margaret thatcher. relations between female head of state and female head of government were sometimes said to have been strained. one at times difficult area was the queen's devotion to the commonwealth, of which she was head. elizabeth knew the leaders of black africa well and was sympathetic to their cause. she was said to have found mrs thatcher's attitude and confrontational style puzzling. with this ring... ..i thee wed. for the queen and herfamily, the 1980s had begun with a moment of great promise. prince charles's wedding injuly 1981 to the young lady diana spencer seemed

to be a moment of hope for the future. the new princess of wales captured the public imagination and became a media superstar. consequently, when the marriage began to fail, its decline was a very public one. when the couple's separation was announced in 1992, it followed the collapse of the first marriage of the queen's daughter, princess anne, and a series of lurid stories involving the queen's other daughter—in—law, the duchess of york, whose marriage to prince andrew had also ended. national anthem plays. in a revealing speech to mark over 40 years on the throne, the queen described 1982 as her "annus horribilis" — her horrible year — and conceded the need for a more open monarchy in return for a less hostile media. no institution — city, monarchy, whatever — should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their

loyalty and support. not to mention those who don't. but we are all part of the same fabric of our national society, and that scrutiny by one part of another can be just as effective if it is made with a touch of gentleness, good humour and understanding. to compound the misery, a few days earlier, the queen had seen part of her favourite home, windsor castle, destroyed by fire. she was devastated. the fire seemed to symbolise the reversal of the royal family's fortunes — difficulties which were exacerbated by a public row over who should pay for the castle's repairs. but even worse was to follow. the death of the by now divorced diana, princess

of wales in a car crash in paris in august 1997 was to provoke what, for the queen, was a shocking backlash against the monarchy. she'd remained at balmoral with princes william and harry after diana died — her priority had been to care for her grandsons. but to the grieving crowds outside buckingham palace and elsewhere, it seemed as though the royal family simply didn't care. it provoked some of the most hostile headlines of her reign. the queen herself was being called to account. there followed a hastily planned return to the palace to inspect the thousands of flowers left in diana's memory, and in an unprecedented live broadcast on the eve of diana's funeral, the queen tried to heal the breach that had opened between the palace and the people. what i say to you now, as your queen and as a grandmother, i say from my heart. first, i want to pay tribute to diana myself. the queen promised to learn

the lessons from diana's life and the reaction to her death. the whole episode had shaken her. for the first time, she'd appeared to be out of tune with the feelings of her people. the decommissioning of the royal yacht britannia was another moment of sadness. it had been there for so many of the happy moments of her life — for family holidays around the scottish islands and state occasions the world over. for once, after so many other difficulties, the queen's distress was evident. with charles's marriage to his long—term companion camilla parker—bowles in april 2005, the royal family was finally able to turn the page on the domestic anguish of previous decades. it was time to move on. for the queen, it was a moment of relief, and in the years

that followed, with scarcely any lessening of their workload, she appeared to enjoy her role with renewed enthusiasm. in 2011, she was at westminster abbey for the wedding of her grandson, prince william, to catherine middleton. it was a moment when the public�*s appreciation for the monarchy seemed to be reconfirmed. a few weeks later, at the age of 85, the queen made one of the most important foreign visits of her reign when she became the first british monarch to visit the republic of ireland. she laid a wreath in memory of those irish nationalists who had risen up against the crown, and at a state dinner in dublin castle, she spoke with regret about britain's treatment of ireland. with the benefit of historical hindsight, we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently — or not at all. the following year, in belfast, she met and shook hands with martin mcguinness, a former leader of the ira who by then was deputy first

minister of northern ireland. it was another significant gesture of reconciliation. her diamond jubilee in 2012 confirmed the nation's regard for a monarch who had reigned for 60 years. mr bond, your majesty. it was also the year when the queen showed that she too could spring a surprise. good evening, mr bond. good evening, your majesty. sovereign and secret agent — one of the highlights of the opening night of the london olympics. happy birthday plays. by the time of her 90th birthday in april 2016, she'd become the united kingdom's longest reigning monarch, its oldest, and — few would disagree —

one of its most deeply respected. it was rare for elizabeth to speak about her life as monarch. there were occasional insights, though — this from a bbc documentary. it's a question of maturing into something that one's got used to doing. and accepting the fact that here you are and it's your fate. she continued with her public duties well into her 90s. there was further family turmoil, though. prince andrew was forced to withdraw from public life amid claims he'd sexually assaulted a 17—year—old — claims he denied. and the sussexes, harry and meghan, decided that they wanted to step back from royal life. they moved to california and gave a television interview in which meghan made damaging criticisms of the royal family. they were unsettling moments, presided over by a monarch who showed that her sense of commitment was undiminished. together, we are tackling this disease... during the coronavirus emergency of 2020,

she broadcast a reassuring message to the nation. we should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. we will be with our friends again. we will be with our families again. we will meet again. her words seemed to encapsulate her role as monarch — drawing on her own long experience to help settle the nation at a moment of difficulty. her resilience was evident again in april 2021, when her beloved husband philip died two months short of his 100th birthday. they'd been married for 73 years. at philip's funeral at st george's chapel within windsor castle, she seemed a solitary figure, pausing at one point

to turn and look back. the figure who had been two paces behind herfor so many years was now absent. but despite the great sadness of a loss, there was never any question of her withdrawing from the path of duty. she marked the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, a record no other monarch had achieved, in february 2022. by then, it was apparent that she was rather more frail physically than before, though mentally as sharp as ever. her doctors had advised her to take things a little easier — "light duties" was the expression used by the palace, but every day there were red boxes full of official papers to deal with. in a message to 70 years on the throne, she said she was humbled by the loyalty and affection she'd received throughout her reign.

and she signed the statement, "your servant, elizabeth r." byjune 2022, at a public celebration of her platinum jubilee, her declining health limited the events she could attend. there was, however, a delightful surprise. a pre—recorded appearance — a somewhat chaotic tea party with paddington bear. perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich. i always keep one for emergencies. so doi! i keep mine in here. happyjubilee, ma'am. and thank you. for everything. that's very kind.

this was a monarch at peace and enjoying herself. 0n the final day of thejubilee celebrations, there was a final appearance on the balcony of buckingham palace. the national anthem was sung, a much—loved monarch acknowledged the many thousands who had waited to greet her. the crowds cheered and cheered. but finally it was time to go. the queen turned to depart from the balcony on which she had first been seen as a baby. there was an unspoken feeling that an era was drawing to a close. fanfare plays. throughout her reign, elizabeth ii embodied the strengths of a constitutional monarch, a constant and reassuring presence at the centre of our national life.

for decade after decade, she represented a changing kingdom to itself and to the world. above all, hers was a life guided by a christian faith and driven by a profound sense of duty, and by the pledge she made to the world on her 21st birthday. i declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service, and to the service of our great imperialfamily to which we all belong. god help me to make good my vow, and god bless all of you who are willing to share in it. # god save our gracious queen. # long live our noble queen. # god save the queen. # send her victorious. # happy and glorious. # long to reign over us. # god save the queen.

# thy choicest gifts in store. # on her be pleased to pour. # long may she reign. # may she defend our laws. # and ever give us cause. # to sing with heart and voice. # god save the queen.#

solemn music plays.

buckingham palace has announced the death of her majesty queen elizabeth ii — the longest—reigning monarch in the history of the united kingdom — and the commanding presence in british public life over a span of eight decades. she died at balmoral castle in aberdeenshire at the age of 96. the queen's eldest son, charles, at the age of 73, has become king charles iii. it was at 6:30 this evening that buckingham palace released this formal statement:

following the death of his mother, his majesty, king charles iii, released this statement: the queen had symbolised all that was constant and reassuring and for the vast

majority of people in britain and the commonwealth. a treasured and highly—visible link with britain's past has now gone. 0ur royal correspondent daniela relph looks back on a momentous day. tuesday, the 6th of september. the last photographs of the queen, 96 years old and still at work. meeting the new prime minister at balmoral — a duty she had been keen to fulfil, and one we now know was her final duty after seven decades of public service. around 4 o'clock this afternoon, a number of the queen's family arrived at aberdeen airport. her grandson, the duke of cambridge, was first to emerge, followed by her daughter—in—law, sophie, the countess of wessex and then, her two youngest sons, edward, the earl of wessex, and andrew, the duke of york. the duke of cambridge drove

the family group to balmoral tojoin his father and other members of the family already there with the queen. harry, the duke of sussex, arrived separately, late in the evening. here in the uk for a number of charity events, his wife meghan did not accompany him to scotland. at 6:30, buckingham palace officially announced the death of queen elizabeth ii. following tradition, the statement was attached to the palace gates by two footmen, as tributes began. queen elizabeth ii was the rock on which modern britain was built. our country has grown and flourished under her reign. she was the very spirit of great britain, and that spirit will endure. she has been our longest—ever reigning monarch. it's an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years, and with the passing of the second elizabethan age,

we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country exactly as her majesty would have wished — by saying the words, god save the king. and also from the leader of the opposition. for the vast majority of us, the late queen has been simply the queen, the only queen, above all else, our queen. as we mourn her loss, we should also treasure her life. 0ur longest—serving and greatest—ever monarch, above the clashes of politics, she stood not for what the nation fought over, but what it agreed upon. throughout the day, there had been growing unease about the queen's health. in the commons, as keir starmer stood up to speak, opposite him, the prime minister was being told of the queen's condition. information passed to angela rayner, labour's deputy

leader, who left her seat for a while to discuss the development, before the speaker of the house addressed the chamber. i know i speak on behalf of the entire house when i say that we send our best wishes to her majesty the queen, and that she and the royal family are in our thoughts and prayers at this moment. cheering. cheered by onlookers, one of the queen's last royal engagements was injuly, with her daughter princess anne, opening a new state—of—the—art hospice in berkshire. but these kind of visits have become rare over the past year as the queen relied on her walking stick, her mobility compromised. the royal household had tried to adapt, to keep her active and visible. a golf buggy at the chelsea flower show helped keep the queen comfortable. cheering. but she had become noticeably thinner and frailer, something that severely limited her involvement

in her own platinumjubilee's celebrations — with herfamily increasingly representing her. cheering and applause. at the weekend, her son stood in at the braemar highland games — always a favourite event for the queen — that she reluctantly missed. like so much of her life, the decline in health was played out in public. duty may have got harder to manage physically but mentally, even emotionally, the queen remained engaged and working to the very end. yes, you just know that that occasion on tuesday, the queen would have wanted to fulfil. borisjohnson has led tributes to the queen from former british prime ministers, calling her a "bright and shining light that has finally gone out". the first ministers of wales and scotland have also paid their respects, honouring her deep sense of duty and her resilience. 0ur political correspondent leila nathoo reflects on their words.

flags being lowered to harvest martha downing street this evening. tonight, former residents pay tribute to the queen, who had asked them to form a government. the example, the du , form a government. the example, the duty. the _ form a government. the example, the duty, the selflessness, - form a government. the example, the duty, the selflessness, the i the duty, the selflessness, the way in which other people were put first, the way in which she handled crisis with great stoicism when they occurred, as they occurred a number of times during her reign. they were all examples to people about how to behave in their own lives and examples for our country. the longest-serving _ examples for our country. the longest—serving prime minister, so tony blair, said: —— sir tony blair, said: gordon brown took over the labour government in 2007. he reflect the tonight on the impression the queen made around the world. everywhere i

went, around the world. everywhere i went. her _ around the world. everywhere i went, her majesty _ around the world. everywhere i went, her majesty was - went, her majesty was respected, she was admired, she was revered and we will miss her greatly. there is no monarch who has served so long with such popularity and held in such high esteem and dedicated herself so much to the future of our country. david cameron returned to the conservatives to power in 2010. he said of the queen: in 2016, the queen appointed theresa may as britain's second female prime minister. t theresa may as britain's second female prime minister.- female prime minister. i was fortunate _ female prime minister. i was fortunate enough _ female prime minister. i was fortunate enough to - female prime minister. i was fortunate enough to be i female prime minister. i was fortunate enough to be able | female prime minister. i was i fortunate enough to be able to meet her in different circumstances, including in the weekly audiences, but also at balmoral, and saw a more

relaxed queen. but i think we are all morning the fact that somebody who was a constant in our lives has now passed away —— mourning. tt our lives has now passed away -- mourning-— -- mourning. it was 'ust days aro -- mourning. it was 'ust days ago that h -- mourning. it was 'ust days ago that the h -- mourning. it was 'ust days ago that the queen i -- mourning. it wasjust days ago that the queen accepted | -- mourning. it wasjust days i ago that the queen accepted the resignation of borisjohnson as prime minister. tonight, he said: there was a sombre mood among politicians in westminster and around the country. the queen wasn't ever— around the country. the queen wasn't ever fixed _ around the country. the queen wasn't ever fixed mark - around the country. the queen wasn't ever fixed mark in i around the country. the queen wasn't ever fixed mark in our. wasn't ever fixed mark in our lives. —— was an. the world changed around us, politicians came and went and queen with our�*s constant. the queen represented duty and courage, as well as warmth and compassion. the queen was a

living reminder of our collective past, of our greatest generation, and the sacrifices made for our freedom today. sacrifices made for our freedom toda . ., ., ., today. scotland loved, respected _ today. scotland loved, respected and - today. scotland loved, | respected and admired today. scotland loved, i respected and admired her. today. scotland loved, - respected and admired her. and by all accounts, her majesty was — by all accounts, her majesty was really happy —— rarely happier— was really happy —— rarely happier than when she was here at scotland at her beloved balmoral — a fact i have been privileged to observe personally. i hope it will be a source — personally. i hope it will be a source of _ personally. i hope it will be a source of comfort to her family that she — source of comfort to her family that she spent her final days in a — that she spent her final days in a place _ that she spent her final days in a place that she loved so much _ in a place that she loved so much. , ., ., . , much. on behalf of the welsh government. _ much. on behalf of the welsh government, and _ much. on behalf of the welsh government, and people i much. on behalf of the welsh government, and people in i much. on behalf of the welsh | government, and people in all parts — government, and people in all parts of— government, and people in all parts of wales, _ government, and people in all parts of wales, i— government, and people in all parts of wales, i offer- government, and people in all parts of wales, i offer our- parts of wales, i offer our deepest _ parts of wales, i offer our deepest condolences i parts of wales, i offer our deepest condolences to i parts of wales, i offer ouri deepest condolences to all parts of wales, i offer our- deepest condolences to all her majesty's— deepest condolences to all her majesty's children _ deepest condolences to all her majesty's children and - deepest condolences to all her majesty's children and their. majesty's children and their families— majesty's children and their families on— majesty's children and their families on this _ majesty's children and their families on this sad - majesty's children and their. families on this sad occasion. she _ families on this sad occasion. she will— families on this sad occasion. she will he _ families on this sad occasion. she will be sorely— families on this sad occasion. she will be sorely missed i families on this sad occasion. she will be sorely missed byl she will be sorely missed by the many— she will be sorely missed by the many organisations i she will be sorely missed by the many organisations in i she will be sorely missed by i the many organisations in wales she championed _ the many organisations in wales she championed and _ the many organisations in wales she championed and supported. she championed and supported over so— she championed and supported over so many— she championed and supported

over so many decades - she championed and supported over so many decades as i she championed and supportedl over so many decades as patron or as _ over so many decades as patron or as president _ over so many decades as patron or as president.— or as president. mps have been accustomed _ or as president. mps have been accustomed to _ or as president. mps have been accustomed to the _ or as president. mps have been accustomed to the queen i or as president. mps have been i accustomed to the queen setting out government priorities in parliament. tomorrow, they will begin paying their tributes in the commons. leila nathoo, bbc news. the thoughts of some of the prime ministers who would visit the queen each week, 15 of them, and tap into her knowledge, sab, savvy, her wisdom and her experience. since news of the queen's health, concerns about her health, concerns about her health were circulated this afternoon, dozens of people have been gathering at buckingham palace. it is a bit more quiet now, just being after three o'clock in the morning here, but let's go to the palace. because your medea is there for us. —— let's speak to kasia madera who is at buckingham palace. many coming to the gates to read the official note that was placed by members of the royal household, announcing the queen's death?—

household, announcing the queen's death? , ., ., queen's death? they are here to be the official— queen's death? they are here to be the official notice, _ queen's death? they are here to be the official notice, they i be the official notice, they are here to lay flowers, to pay their respects and take a look at this, the beginning of the gates just outside buckingham palace and already, completely full of flowers and the tributes kept coming. the flowers, the photographs, the handmade cards, the cards that read thank you and just expressions of grief and solemnity and alsojust expressions of grief and solemnity and also just a moment in history that is being passed to the people want to be here and shared together and it's that being together that it's that being together that it feels like the reason why people are coming here and it is the middle of the night and yet, they continue to come and they continue to just speak very quietly in groups and pay their respects and, like i say, their respects and, like i say, the tributes continue to be paid, the flowers continue and buckingham palace is such an

iconic symbol, the official residence of the royal family, of her majesty. 0f residence of the royal family, of her majesty. of course, her majesty was living in windsor and she passed in balmoral but buckingham palace is the place thatis buckingham palace is the place that is just so symbolic. many people who come from around the world and want to be here and it is, like you say, the middle of the night and some of these people here are with me and i know you've come, it is late but you wanted to be here. i just wonder why you felt so strongly about being here? t strongly about being here? i was watching the coverage earlier— was watching the coverage earlier today at home and i just— earlier today at home and i just felt— earlier today at home and i just felt like i needed to be here, — just felt like i needed to be here, i_ just felt like i needed to be here, i wanted to pay my respects— here, i wanted to pay my respects and i thought coming at this— respects and i thought coming at this time, it would be a bit more — at this time, it would be a bit more peaceful and private and it's been— more peaceful and private and it's been really nice.— it's been really nice. what do ou it's been really nice. what do you think _ it's been really nice. what do you think about _ it's been really nice. what do you think about this - it's been really nice. what do you think about this end i it's been really nice. what do you think about this end of. it's been really nice. what do| you think about this end of an era? like me, you've only known the queen as the head of this country. the queen as the head of this count . ,

the queen as the head of this country-- we _ the queen as the head of this country.- we are - the queen as the head of this country. yes. we are going to become talking _ country. yes. we are going to become talking about - country. yes. we are going to become talking about king charles now. t become talking about king charles now.— become talking about king charles now. i know, as you sa , it charles now. i know, as you say. it is — charles now. i know, as you say. it is so _ charles now. i know, as you say, it is so significant i charles now. i know, as you say, it is so significant and i say, it is so significant and this— say, it is so significant and this is— say, it is so significant and this is the _ say, it is so significant and this is the only moniker i have ever— this is the only moniker i have ever known and it's been amazing _ ever known and it's been amazing to have a queen, a woman— amazing to have a queen, a woman in— amazing to have a queen, a woman in this position, to lead our country— woman in this position, to lead our country in such the amazing way that— our country in such the amazing way that she has. it will be strange _ way that she has. it will be strange because from this point onward, — strange because from this point onward, i— strange because from this point onward, i expect we will only have — onward, i expect we will only have kings but i think charles will do — have kings but i think charles will do an— have kings but i think charles will do an amazing job. he has had time — will do an amazing job. he has had time to observe his mother and see — had time to observe his mother and see the wonderfuljob that she has— and see the wonderfuljob that she has done and it will serve him _ she has done and it will serve him well— she has done and it will serve him well and it should be a great — him well and it should be a great leader for our country. earlier— great leader for our country. earlier on— great leader for our country. earlier on there were thousands of people here. it is much quieter now. it has been raining as well. when it started people immediately dispersed and they are recovering now. people were singing god save the king. it is something we're all going to to get used to.— to get used to. absolutely. it will take people _ to get used to. absolutely. it will take people a _ to get used to. absolutely. it will take people a while, i to get used to. absolutely. it will take people a while, wasj will take people a while, was watching the news earlier and one of— watching the news earlier and one of the reporters was referring to her majesty. and i

think— referring to her majesty. and i think it — referring to her majesty. and i think it will take the country a long — think it will take the country a long time to get to grips with— a long time to get to grips with having a king. it might be a nice — with having a king. it might be a nice change for us and lucky to see — a nice change for us and lucky to see the _ a nice change for us and lucky to see the next generation, but it will— to see the next generation, but it will take some adjustment, as you — it will take some adjustment, as you say. it will take some ad'ustment, as you say-h it will take some ad'ustment, as you say. absolutely. thank ou for as you say. absolutely. thank you for speaking _ as you say. absolutely. thank you for speaking to _ as you say. absolutely. thank you for speaking to us. i as you say. absolutely. thank you for speaking to us. so i as you say. absolutely. thank i you for speaking to us. so many of you here in the middle of the night, wanting to pay condolences and be amongst other people. i think it is that kind of being in a moment in history where people do need to be together. this gentleman, you are originally from latvia and you wanted to be here today, tonight. t and you wanted to be here today, tonight.— today, tonight. i mean, i am supposed — today, tonight. i mean, i am supposed to _ today, tonight. i mean, i am supposed to be _ today, tonight. i mean, i am supposed to be here, i today, tonight. i mean, i am supposed to be here, but, i supposed to be here, but, honestly, he is from sweden as well, _ honestly, he is from sweden as well, we're all around the world, _ well, we're all around the world, people they come here, last thursday, the 70 years anniversary —— she is from. it was _ anniversary —— she is from. it was crazy— anniversary —— she is from. it was crazy to _ anniversary —— she is from. it was crazy to see. everyone came up, was crazy to see. everyone came up. and _ was crazy to see. everyone came up, and now— was crazy to see. everyone came up, and now she got me here. now— up, and now she got me here. now you — up, and now she got me here. now you think it is a bit

guiet. _ now you think it is a bit quiet, but it is normal because it has— quiet, but it is normal because it has to — quiet, but it is normal because it has to he _ quiet, but it is normal because it has to be quiet. for how long — it has to be quiet. for how long it _ it has to be quiet. for how long it is _ it has to be quiet. for how long it is going to take, just to give _ long it is going to take, just to give some respect for the queen _ to give some respect for the queen. even though i am not from — queen. even though i am not from england, for me it is really— from england, for me it is really hard, it has happened, you can — really hard, it has happened, you can see the flowers are there. _ you can see the flowers are there, but it isjust morning. it there, but it isjust morning. it is — there, but it isjust morning. it is really— there, but it isjust morning. it is really hard to see this. but — it is really hard to see this. but we _ it is really hard to see this. but we are all supporting and the future is coming. what i want — the future is coming. what i want to— the future is coming. what i want to say is just believe, like. — want to say is just believe, like. she _ want to say is just believe, like, she had a really, really, really— like, she had a really, really, really nice _ like, she had a really, really, really nice lifetime and everything, but what she did i really— everything, but what she did i really on _ everything, but what she did i really on it. don't be sad. keep— really on it. don't be sad. keep doing what she taught you. it's overwhelming and you kind of... crosstalk. you get the sentiment that people are lost for words. the sweden, the royal family, they

are popular? eyre sweden, the royal family, they are popular?— are popular? eye and putting the printers _ are popular? eye and putting the printers down _ are popular? eye and putting the printers down because i are popular? eye and putting. the printers down because she was a — the printers down because she was a really strong woman in a world — was a really strong woman in a world of— was a really strong woman in a world of man, she did not complain _ world of man, she did not complain that she took her spaced _ complain that she took her spaced —— i complain that she took her spaced —— lam putting the princess— spaced —— lam putting the princess down. and they admire her for— princess down. and they admire her for taking princess down. and they admire herfortaking her princess down. and they admire her for taking her path. and it is something to aspire to. i think— is something to aspire to. i think she _ is something to aspire to. i think she is a role model for all of— think she is a role model for all of us _ think she is a role model for all of us— all of us. princess leia, a little lego _ all of us. princess leia, a little lego character. i all of us. princess leia, a little lego character. to | little lego character. to symbolise _ little lego character. to symbolise her. - little lego character. to symbolise her. i- little lego character. to symbolise her. ijust admire her for— symbolise her. ijust admire her for how she changed, because _ her for how she changed, because the times that she rulesm _ because the times that she rules... ,, . because the times that she rules... ., . . because the times that she rules... ,, . ., ., because the times that she i tules- - -— 70 rules... such a long time. 70 ears. rules... such a long time. 70 years- so _ rules... such a long time. 70 years. so much _ rules... such a long time. 70 years. so much happened, i years. so much happened, especially for women. 30 years. so much happened, especially for women. so much histo , especially for women. so much history. yeah- _ especially for women. so much history, yeah. so _ especially for women. so much history, yeah. so much - especially for women. so much history, yeah. so much how. history, yeah. so much how women develop _ history, yeah. so much how women develop in - history, yeah. so much how women develop in those i history, yeah. so much how- women develop in those times, i think— women develop in those times, i think she — women develop in those times, i think she is — women develop in those times, i think she is a role model. princess— think she is a role model. princess leia, a little princess leia, a little princess leia, a little princess leia amongst the...

thank you so much. apologies for interrupting. it's, you see this sense of widely different people come here and the different nationalities and the different nationalities and the different tributes from the teddy bears to the princess leia to the union flag �*s, and i think it is a care bear with a little rainbow flag. lots of different reasons, but people still continuously coming. when you look at what is happening, if a spin year—round, it is fascinating to see the amount of people still here very quietlyjust of people still here very quietly just contemplating. of people still here very quietlyjust contemplating. we also have the barricades coming up also have the barricades coming up because we are expecting more people to make this trip to come outside buckingham palace to pay their respects and buckingham palace very much at the moment the focal point. we know that the queen will lie in state for a number of days

for this, in state for a number of days forthis, buckingham palace for this, buckingham palace will announce forthis, buckingham palace will announce the day of the funeral, once again we will be awaiting to hear that next point at which we celebrate and remember and lay her majesty to rest. if we just spin over here, this is where the notice itself is. it is the size of an a4 piece of paper, so it is not absolutely huge. it is behind a glass in a wooden frame and thatis glass in a wooden frame and that is the notice that was put up. this is the notice that whenever a special occasion, we normally think about royal births, don't we, when a special occasion is due to be addressed, as this notice comes up. and this is the notice that is pinned to the gates of the palace, the union flag at half—mast. this happened a lot of earlier today and the

tributes they commemorating her majesty, the queen, as this country goes into the next stage of its history. it has to be said, people still gathering continuously, still paying the respect very quietly. is just, i will say not even 100 people now. as you are saying earlier, 2000 people who before spontaneously singing god save the king. as we await the next days of this morning period. the focus will switch to the king. it is a period of mourning for the family. at some point later today charles will have to assert himself and leave the country in a period of national mourning as well. as you know, and you reflected

at the gates of the palace, the queen was not only the monarch for the united kingdom but the head of state across 14 other commonwealth countries. so, how has the news been received across the world? 0ur diplomatic correspondent james landale has been looking at the international response. from the moment the queen's reign began in kenya in 1952, she played a constant and significant role on the international stage, and today there was an outpouring of sorrow and regret in every corner of the globe. as her 12th canadian prime minister, i'm having trouble believing that my last sit down with her was my last. i will so miss those chats. she was thoughtful, wise, curious, helpful, funny and so much more.

she was one of my favourite people in the world. and i will miss her so. the president of france, emmanuel macron, said, "her majesty queen elizabeth embodied the continuity "and unity of the british nation for over 70 years. "i keep the memory of a friend of france, a queen of hearts, "who marked her country and her century forever." the indian prime minister, narendra modi, said, "her majesty queen elizabeth will be remembered as "a stalwart of our times. "she provided inspiring leadership to her nation "and people." and the president of ukraine, volodymyr zelensky, said, "it is with deep sadness that we learned of the death "of her majesty queen elizabeth. "on behalf of the ukrainian people, we extend sincere "the entire united kingdom and the commonwealth "over this irreparable loss. " the president of russia, vladimir putin, who met the queen in more peaceful times, offered his condolences, saying she'd enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects

and authority on the world stage. she was dubbed by one of her biographers as "queen of the world", visiting hundreds of countries throughout her reign. she was monarch of 15 separate realms, the head of a commonwealth of some of 56 nations. so there was no surprise that news of the queen's death made headlines around the world. tonight, at the white house, the flags were at half mast. throughout her reign, the queen was a living embodiment of the trans—atlantic relationship, meeting no fewer than 12 us presidents. in a statement, president biden described her as "a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy".

barack 0bama said she'd reigned with "grace, elegance and a tireless work ethic". views are echoed on the streets of washington. i admire her greatly, i'm so sorry that she is past. she's an here, everywhere. horrible. i've been reading about her my whole life. she's one of the sane people in the uk, like the us, and it's just sad. as head of the commonwealth throughout her reign, the queen nurtured and shaped a unique international organisation, whose leaders past and present relied on her wisdom and judgement. the last days of the queen's life captures who she was in so many ways, working to the very end on behalf of the people she loved. and that is why i'm sure that we will receive the news of her passing with both emotions of deep sadness but also gratitude for a life that was utterly and completely devoted to the service of others. and it was to a meeting of commonwealth leaders that the queen made her last overseas tour in 2015,

visiting malta, an island she'd once called home, the bookend of a life of duty and diplomacy on the international stage. james landale, bbc news. the flags above the white house and the capitol building are at half—mast. the president travelled from the wide house to the british embassy in washington to sign the book of condolence. we can now speak to us presidential historian allan lichtman, a professor of history at the american university in washington. very good to see you. she knew 13 american presidents. she met 13 american presidents. she met 13 of the 14 who were there during her 70 years on the throne, and she knew them personally. throne, and she knew them personally-— throne, and she knew them personally. absolutely. look, the queen — personally. absolutely. look, the queen was _ personally. absolutely. look, the queen was extremely i the queen was extremely important for cementing a very

special relationship between the united states and britain. and americans viewed her throughout her 70 year reign as an important rock of stability and dignity during these incredibly turbulent and polarised times. if they were to compare her to any american, even though the circumstances were different, it would be to george washington who also stood above and beyond the petty quarrels of politicians of his own time and was critically important as a symbol of unity and dignity. you know, a recent poll showed 61% of americans approved of queen elizabeth, compared to only 30% who didn't. she stood apart, frankly, from every other royal in the extent to which she had the approval of the american people. find which she had the approval of the american people. and that is ironic, isn't _ the american people. and that

is ironic, isn't it, _ the american people. and that is ironic, isn't it, the _ is ironic, isn't it, the americans cast off the rule of monarchy and yet she became a symbol of the bond between the two countries. there was always something grand when a president meta the queen. that's right. and the presidents met the queen and that was, you know, extremely well received solid relationships that only served to strengthen the bonds between the two nations. you know, america, yes, rejected monarchy and nobles and an established church and we have a presidents, with some difficulty, who is both a head of government and the head of state, but somehow americans found the queen as an important symbol of, really, worldwide stability and unity. you know, from the very beginning, when she wasjust a from the very beginning, when she was just a teenager, she showed her courage and her moral stamina by serving as a mechanic during world war ii

and, of course, she was critically important and americans greatly admire her for that, for making the transition between the british empire and the british commonwealth that you've talked about. and, of course, america has very strong relations with commonwealth nations as well and she was critically important as well in the reconciliation between britain and germany, just as america had made a similar reconciliation. so there is a paradox there, but it is explicable.— paradox there, but it is explicable. paradox there, but it is ex-licable. a ,, .«r paradox there, but it is ex-licable. a ,, ., explicable. as you speak we are watchint explicable. as you speak we are watching some _ explicable. as you speak we are watching some of _ explicable. as you speak we are watching some of the _ explicable. as you speak we are watching some of the key i watching some of the key moments from history as she met these presidents. let's pick some of these moments out. they want to go back to 1961 when political royalty met british royalty. jacqueline kennedy 0nassis jfk here royalty. jacqueline kennedy 0nassisjfk here in london. and that was something quite unique because jacqueline kennedy was

something of an icon in her own right stop. tt something of an icon in her own right stop-— right stop. it caught the imagination _ right stop. it caught the imagination of - right stop. it caught the imagination of the i right stop. it caught the i imagination of the american people and of the world. americans kind of compared the kennedys to a royal family. it was called the camelot moment again, a salute to british history. and the kennedy administration was actually the of american confidence in their government and since then it is true that american confidence in their government has taken a real slide and no administration has quite matched the magic of the kennedy administration. although, you know, a look at the relationship between the queen and ronald ronald reagan are something special as well. one of the great hallmarks of her reign was she did not make political distinctions.

bill clinton said she, but for her birth, may have become a successful politician or diplomat but as it was, she had to be both without seeming to be either. that was the magic of the queen in a sense, she had the deep experience, the well of experience whichjustin trudeau talked about today. she could conversed with the world's great statesmen and yet she was inscrutable at the same time. ., ~' ., she was inscrutable at the same time. ., ~ ., ,. ., , time. you know, the inscrutable nature of the queen _ time. you know, the inscrutable nature of the queen is - nature of the queen is absolutely extraordinary how she maintained that through all of the pressures of her reign and all of the tensions coming from the world and i think you're absolutely right, you know, hersuccess, of course, had to do with her ascendancy to the monarchy but this is someone who bill clinton quite accurately said would have been accurately said would have been a grand success in whatever she endeavoured. and like

washington, she played the role of politician, of diplomat, of pre—eminent leader without ever seeming to do it with great effort and without ever seeming to be partisan or mean—spirited in any way. that's a trick that is very rare in human history. it's almost fitting that her last public role was the handover of power between boris johnson and liz truss and, to explain to people around the world, would be a brief moment after borisjohnson had after boris johnson had resigned after borisjohnson had resigned and handed the seals of state where she was the state. she epitomised the constitutional monarchy and the smooth transfer of power. and at the moment in the united states, atk was saying to me earlier americans may look at that and wonder because the system here is working and there are questions in america as to whether the system is working in the same way —— katty kay. 0ur working in the same way —— katty kay. our system has worked for over 200 years but

it has really broken down after the election of 2020. find the election of 2020. and ou're the election of 2020. and you're absolutely - the election of 2020. and you're absolutely right, i the election of 2020. jim you're absolutely right, there is no figure who could bridge the gap between the election deniers and those who accept the results and preside over the results and preside over the peaceful transfer of power because a president is both the head of government and the head of state. we have no head of state to facilitate that kind of transfer of power. i'm not saying america is going to re—establish the monarchy! but it does point to a critical flaw in our system. as james maddison said, we can set up all these constitutional elements and restraints but in the end, it comes down to the virtue of the people and the great fortune for the world and for great britain, you had a mnemonic who was a modicum of virtue for so many decades. she was the constancy, asjoe biden

said, at a time of partisan politics. she was familiarity and yet, now, to difficult political moment here in the uk, we have a change in the head of state and we have a change in the role of prime minister. and i wonder whether that, in some way, just unsettles this special relationship, orwill unsettles this special relationship, or will it carry on regardless?— relationship, or will it carry on regardless? you know, the s-ecial on regardless? you know, the special relationship _ on regardless? you know, the special relationship has i special relationship has certainly been strained at times but the special relationship has endured for, you know, well over a century and a half. and i am entirely confident that the special relationship will endure. i think the new king, you know, former prince charles, will endeavour to maintain that special relationship— after all, he has been in training to be the monarch for untold decades. and, you know, he will be different from queen elizabeth. every monarch has

their own characteristics. but i think at the top of the agenda will be the maintenance of the special relationship. it's too dangerous and too threatening to have either side sever it. �* . threatening to have either side sever it. �*, ., sever it. it's so good to get our sever it. it's so good to get your thoughts. _ sever it. it's so good to get your thoughts. thank i sever it. it's so good to get your thoughts. thank you i your thoughts. thank you indeed- _ your thoughts. thank you indeed- my _ your thoughts. thank you indeed. my great - your thoughts. thank you i indeed. my great pleasure. let's talk about the reaction here in the uk because the morning newspapers which are here in the newsroom are of course, as you would expect, filled with news of the queen's death. mark lobel is with me. it did break the news at about 6:30 and so, the papers have had full time to react to that and they look very different this morning.— and they look very different this morning. definitely. the queen is no _ this morning. definitely. the queen is no stranger- this morning. definitely. the queen is no stranger to i queen is no stranger to britain's front pages, she has adorned them for many years and sometimes fabulously, but this is a historic moment and newspaper editors had some good choices to make. if i could show you the mail, look what they chose. this is princess

elizabeth in 1952. they chose a picture from before her reign. 0ur picture from before her reign. our hearts are broken, they say. the columnist sarah vine saying how to find the words? 0ur grief is 100 different emotions. the theme you will see through this is white and black mastheads, kind of taking the colour away from that part of the paper. making it respectful but also touching. but there are two main pictures that run throughout the papers. i will show you the guardian. they go with cecil beaton's portrait of queen elizabeth ii. around the time of her coronation in 1953, in the throne room of buckingham palace. a painted backdrop depicting westminster abbey, she is wearing her coronation dress, the auburn cross visible, and the times goes with that also and on the back of the times's wraparound is this quote from the queen's christmas message in 1957 which was the first time it was

televised and christian, if i may read it. she said in 1957, "i cannot lead you into battle. i do not give you laws or administerjustice. but i can do something else — i can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands. and to all these old islands. and to all the peoples of a brotherhood of nations." . . the peoples of a brotherhood of nations." , , ., nations." there must be a conflicting _ nations." there must be a conflicting moment i nations." there must be a conflicting moment right i nations." there must be a i conflicting moment right now for king charles ii! because he has weighted his entire life and become the oldest person to become king, william iv was the last king, aged 64, in 1830. he has weighted all his life. aha, has weighted all his life. long time. has weighted all his life. a long time. there - has weighted all his life. a long time. there must i has weighted all his life. a long time. there must be| long time. there must be speculation _ long time. there must be speculation in _ long time. there must be speculation in the - long time. there must be i speculation in the newspapers about what happens today because he returns to london and he has to lead the nation in mourning and grief. in and he has to lead the nation in mourning and grief.- in mourning and grief. in the -a ers in mourning and grief. in the papers at — in mourning and grief. in the papers at the _ in mourning and grief. in the papers at the moment, - in mourning and grief. in the papers at the moment, they | in mourning and grief. in the - papers at the moment, they had a choice to make. this is the making of a king. but at the moment, they are focusing on

the queen's legacy. i think the moment, there is so much to take in. if i show you the to give you an example of what these footsteps have to follow, these footsteps have to follow, the express has our beloved queen is dead. this is the portrait released by the royal family, it would have been sanctioned by king charles iii, at the time of the death, this monochrome page. the telegraph also expressing this loss. they choose, theirfront also expressing this loss. they choose, their front page with a quote" grief is the price we pay for love" and notjust reflecting a nation in morning but using her words that she gave to the families of victims of the 9/11 attacks. the mirror does not have a headline, it simply says thank you. it's the gratitude that we see outside buckingham palace and the tribute that are pouring in from around the world. people just wanting to be able to say thank you. the sun, as you would expect, with something a bit more familiar. it reflects their readers who are proud of

their readers who are proud of the fact that she was our queen. they have child's tribute printed on the back. inside it and interesting, britain has lost its backbone, a light has gone out in our lives and the day britain and much of the worlds dreaded is upon us —— charles' tribute. she is gone. but let me show you the guardian sports page, and you will see why when i show it to you. this was a football match between west ham and a romanian club and you can see when the news broke, one minute's silence and the queen is up on the billboard. also at the moment that the news was announced, a rainbow appeared! many new as may have noticed around windsor castle but also the victoria memorial and the daily mail reporting some people close to it were saying thatis people close to it were saying that is the queen and prince philip up there. so there have been very lovely moments in what is a very sad day notjust

for herfamily and not what is a very sad day notjust for her family and notjust for the nation but for many people around the world who are just coming to terms, as we said at the beginning with the daily mail columnist, saying our grief is 100 different emotions. and so i have to say right now, the emphasis is still on the death of a queen rather than the making of a king. rather than the making of a kina. , , ., king. yes, it is worth mentioning - king. yes, it is worth mentioning of - king. yes, it is worth j mentioning of course king. yes, it is worth - mentioning of course we are going through a period of mourning, an extended period, so parliament will stop, sport., football, that will be the last football match probably for a week until after the funeral. theatres and comedy shows.. and the house will sit on saturday. five times as it sets 1939 on saturday on some important events during the suez canal crisis, the falkland islands invasion, the outbreak of world war ii, so it is a rare event. it is, and her connection with politicians was incredibly strong. just two days ago, she

had an audience with boris johnson and then, an audience with liz truss. she also had the weekly conversation with prime ministers and i think there are many elements to her that we knew she did but we did not know obviously the contents of those, the discussions that i going to prove that she will be missed and i think people will have a lot of time to reflect on that when the papers [and when they wake up. fin land when they wake up. on frida . land when they wake up. on friday- king _ land when they wake up. on friday. king charles iii will friday. king charles ii! will know it is a stiff ask follow in the footsteps of his mother and i'm sure he fully understands the enormity of it but she modern nights constitutional monarchy and institutes —— and instilled in her son a sense of duty i think we have seen through his lifetime and we will probably hear more of that when we see him. latertoday. queen elizabeth came to the throne at the age of 25, and during her long reign, she witnessed momentous social and economic change, in britain and throughout the commonwealth. her majesty's death concludes a major chapter of british history — a chapter that opened at the midpoint of the 20th

century as britain emerged from the years of the second world war. nicholas witchell presents this account of the queen's long life. fanfare plays i here present unto you queen elizabeth, your undoubted queen. # vivat regina! # vivat regina elizabetha! # vivat, vivat, vivat! # is your majesty willing to take the oath? she was 27 when she took the coronation oath. i solemnly promise so to do. she was anointed, blessed and consecrated. choir sings zadok the priest. she took possession of a 1,200—year—old throne. she knew that it was a role from which only death

could release her and yet, when she was born, no—one had thought that it would be her destiny. elizabeth alexandra mary windsor was born on the 21st april 1926. she was the first child of the then king's second son, the duke of york. this was the young princess elizabeth at the age of four and three quarters on a visit to a photographic studio in london. her life then was comparatively carefree. it was the abdication in 1936 of her uncle king edward viii that unexpectedly placed elizabeth in direct line to the throne. her father became king. god save the king! long live the king! his coronation gave the then 11—year—old elizabeth a foretaste of what lay in store for her. the family unit was strong. herfather, george vi, was devoted to her, and she to him.

throughout her life, he was to be her inspiration. during the second world war, as german bombs fell on britain, the royal family symbolised the country's fight against tyranny. elizabeth briefly joined up. she was taught how to drive and to service an army lorry. on the night britain celebrated victory in europe, the crowds gathered outside buckingham palace and elizabeth joined herfamily on the palace balcony. by now, she was a young woman, and she'd fallen in love. her engagement to lieutenant philip mountbatten, was announced in july 19117. four months later, they were married in westminster abbey. archive: again and again, the people called for- elizabeth and philip. again and again, they joyfully responded. a year later, their first child, charles, was born. two years after that, a daughter, anne. the king had been in poor

health — he'd been treated for lung cancer. when elizabeth left for a trip to east africa in 1952, it was to be the last time she would see him. archive: the flag is low as the news spreads - i the king is dead. at the moment of her father's death from a heart attack, elizabeth was in a game park in kenya. the news that she was now queen was given to her by her husband. archive: hertour of- the commonwealth cancelled, the princess we knew as a girl and watched in the even growth of her stature comes back to meet her ministers as queen. in a way, i didn't have an apprenticeship, my father died much too young, and so it was all a very sudden kind of taking—on, and making the bestjob you can. britain was stunned at the loss of its wartime king. his coffin was brought by train from sandringham to london.

elizabeth was there to receive it with her mother and sister. and now here comes her majesty... elizabeth's coronation injune 1953 was one of the biggest public celebrations in britain's recent history. for the first time, television cameras were allowed into westminster abbey — the ceremony was broadcast to millions. archive: the moment of - the queen's crowning is come. as elizabeth was crowned, she accepted what to her was a sacred duty — an obligation to serve which was to set her apart for the remainder of her life. god save the queen, long live the queen! elizabeth was sovereign and head of state notjust of the united kingdom, but of britain's realms

and territories in every continent. archive: sydneysiders turn out to greet their queen... - in late1953, she set off on the first of many overseas tours with a six—month trip to australia, new zealand and the pacific. i want to tell you all how happy i am to be amongst you and how much i look forward to my journey through australia. this is a joyous, spine tingling _ this is a joyous, spine tingling welcome... the young queen was a star on the world stage, and her popularity was never greater. it's estimated that, in australia, three—quarters of the country's entire population turned out to see her in person. but as the 1950s gave way to the swinging �*60s of the beatles, attitudes started to change, old certainties were questioned. the monarchy was seen by some to be stuffy and out of touch. by the late �*60s, the palace realised that it needed

to take the initiative. the result was a ground—breaking documentary. the film, royal family, showed the monarchy as it had never been seen before. elizabeth was shown performing the daily business of the sovereign... yes, ma'am? do you think you could bring up those papers that i was looking at yesterday? ..and meeting visiting dignitaries. the american ambassador, your majesty. oh, why have you done that? but the film also showed something of the private elizabeth, relaxing with her family on a picnic at balmoral. the salad is ready. her silverjubilee in 1977 was celebrated street parties and pageants in 1977.. good evening, your majesty. you've had a very long day! by the 1908s, britain by now had its first woman prime minister, margaret thatcher. relations between female head of state and female head of government were sometimes said to have been strained. with this ring...

..i thee wed. for the queen and herfamily, the 1980s had begun with a moment of great promise. prince charles's wedding injuly1981 to the young lady diana spencer seemed to be a moment of hope for the future. when the marriage began to fail, its decline was a very public one. the couple's separation was announced in 1992. it followed the collapse of the marriages of princess anne and prince andrew. to compound the misery, a few days earlier, the queen had seen part of herfavourite home, windsor castle, destroyed by fire. she was devastated. the fire seemed to symbolise the reversal of the royal family's fortunes. little wonder that she described it as her "annus horribilis" — her horrible year. but even worse was to follow. the death of the by now divorced diana, princess of wales in a car crash in paris in august 1997

was to provoke what, for the queen, was a shocking backlash against the monarchy. she'd remained at balmoral with princes william and harry after diana died — her priority had been to care for her grandsons. but to the grieving crowds outside buckingham palace and elsewhere, it seemed as though the royal family simply didn't care. the queen returned to buckingham palace, and in an unprecedented live broadcast on the eve of diana's funeral, she tried to heal the breach that had opened between the palace and the people. what i say to you now, as your queen and as a grandmother, i say from my heart. the queen promised to learn the lessons from diana's life and the reaction to her death. the whole episode had shaken her. for the first time, she'd appeared to be out of tune with the feelings of her people.

with charles's marriage to his long—term companion, camilla parker—bowles, in april 2005, the royal family was finally able to turn the page on the domestic anguish of previous decades. it was time to move on. for the queen, it was a moment of relief, and in the years that followed, with scarcely any lessening of her workload, she appeared to enjoy her role with renewed enthusiasm. in 2011, she was at westminster abbey for the wedding of her grandson, prince william, to catherine middleton. it was a moment when the public�*s appreciation for the monarchy seemed to be reconfirmed. a few weeks later, at the age of 85, the queen made one of the most important foreign visits of her reign when she became the first british monarch to visit the republic of ireland. she laid a wreath in memory of those irish nationalists who had risen up against the crown, and at a state dinner in dublin castle, she spoke with regret

about britain's treatment of ireland. with the benefit of historical hindsight, we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently — or not at all. the following year, in belfast, she met and shook hands with martin mcguinness, a former leader of the ira who by then was deputy first minister of northern ireland. it was another significant gesture of reconciliation. her diamond jubilee in 2012 confirmed the nation's regard for a monarch who had reigned for 60 years. mr bond, your majesty. it was also the year when the queen showed that she too could spring a surprise. good evening, mr bond. good evening, your majesty.

sovereign and secret agent — one of the highlights of the opening night of the london olympics. music: happy birthday. by the time of her 90th birthday in april 2016, she'd become the united kingdom's longest reigning monarch, its oldest, and — few would disagree — one of its most deeply respected. she continued with her public duties well into her 90s. there was further family turmoil, though. prince andrew was forced to withdraw from public life amid claims he'd sexually assaulted a 17—year—old — claims he denied. and then the sussexes, harry and meghan, decided that they wanted to step back from royal life. they moved to california and gave a television interview in which meghan made damaging criticisms of the royal family. they were unsettling moments, presided over by a monarch who showed that her sense of commitment was undiminished. together, we are tackling

this disease... during the coronavirus emergency of 2020, she broadcast a reassuring message to the nation. we should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. we will be with our friends again. we will be with our families again. we will meet again. her words seemed to encapsulate her role as monarch — drawing on her own long experience to help settle the nation at a moment of difficulty. her resilience was evident again in april 2021, when her beloved husband philip died two months short of his 100th birthday. they'd been married for 73 years. at philip's funeral at st george's chapel within windsor castle, she seemed a solitary figure, pausing at one point to turn and look back. the figure who had been two

paces behind her for so many years was now absent. elizabeth had the lost the husband who'd meant so much to her. but despite the great sadness of her loss, there was never any question of her withdrawing from the path of duty. she marked the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, a record no other monarch had achieved, in february 2022. by then, it was apparent that she was rather more frail physically than before, though mentally as sharp as ever. her doctors had advised her to take things a little easier — "light duties" was the expression used by the palace, but every day there were red boxes full of official papers to deal with. in a message to 70 years on the throne, she said she was humbled by the loyalty and affection she'd received through out her reign. and she signed the statement,

"your servant, elizabeth r." byjune 2022, and a public celebration of her platinum jubilee, her declining health limited the events she could attend. there was, however, a delightful surprise. a pre—recorded appearance — a somewhat chaotic tea party with paddington bear. perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich. i always keep one for emergencies. so do|! i keep mine in here. happyjubilee, ma'am. and thank you. for everything. that's very kind. this was a monarch at peace and enjoying herself. on the final day of thejubilee celebrations, there was a final appearance

on the balcony of buckingham palace. the national anthem was sung, a much—loved monarch acknowledged the many thousands who had waited to greet her. the crowds cheered and cheered. but finally it was time to go. the queen turned to depart from the balcony on which she'd first been seen as a baby. there was an unspoken feeling that an era was drawing to a close. fanfare plays throughout her reign, elizabeth ii embodied the strengths of a constitutional monarch, a constant and reassuring presence at the centre of our national life. for decade after decade, she represented a changing kingdom to itself and to the world. above all, hers was a life guided by a christian faith and driven by a profound sense of duty, and by the pledge

she made to the world on her 21st birthday. i declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service, and to the service of our great imperialfamily to which we all belong. god help me to make good my vow, and god bless all of you who are willing to share in it. # god save our gracious queen # long live our noble queen # god save the queen # send her victorious # happy and glorious

# long to reign over us # god save the queen # thy choicest gifts in store # on her be pleased to pour # long may she reign # may she defend our laws # and ever give us cause # to sing with heart and voice

# god save the queen. #

welcome to viewers in the uk, across the world, and on pbs in america. i'm christian fraser with special coverage following the death of her majesty queen elizabeth ii — the longest—reigning monarch in the in the history of the united kingdom. the queen died at the age of 96 at balmoral castle in scotland. she was a commanding presence in british public life over a span of eight decades. now her eldest son, charles, at the age of 73, has become king charles iii. it was at 6:30 last night that buckingham palace released this formal statement:

following the death of his mother, his majesty, king charles iii, released this statement: and reassuring and, for the vast majority of people in britain and the

commonwealth, a treasured and highly visible link with britain's past has now gone. our royal correspondent daniela relph looks back on a momentous day. tuesday, the 6th of september. the last photographs of the queen, 96 years old and still at work. meeting the new prime minister at balmoral — a duty she had been keen to fulfil, and one we now know was her final duty after seven decades of public service. around 11 o'clock this afternoon, a number of the queen's family arrived at aberdeen airport. her grandson, the duke of cambridge, was first to emerge, followed by her daughter—in—law, sophie, the countess of wessex and then, her two youngest sons, edward, the earl of wessex, and andrew, the duke of york. the duke of cambridge drove the family group to balmoral tojoin his father and other members of the family already

there with the queen. harry, the duke of sussex, arrived separately, late in the evening. here in the uk for a number of charity events, his wife meghan did not accompany him to scotland. at 6:30, buckingham palace officially announced the death of queen elizabeth ii. following tradition, the statement was attached to the palace gates by two footmen, as tributes began. queen elizabeth ii was the rock on which modern britain was built. our country has grown and flourished under her reign. she was the very spirit of great britain, and that spirit will endure. she has been our longest—ever reigning monarch. it's an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years, and with the passing of the second elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country exactly as her majesty would have wished — by saying the words,

god save the king. and also from the leader of the opposition. for the vast majority of us, the late queen has been simply the queen, the only queen, above all else, our queen. as we mourn her loss, we should also treasure her life. our longest—serving and greatest—ever monarch. above the clashes of politics, she stood not for what the nation fought over, but what it agreed upon. throughout the day, there had been growing unease about the queen's health. in the commons, as keir starmer stood up to speak, opposite him, the prime minister was being told of the queen's condition. information passed to angela rayner, labour's deputy leader, who left her seat

for a while to discuss the development, before the speaker of the house addressed the chamber. i know i speak on behalf of the entire house when i say that we send our best wishes to her majesty the queen, and that she and the royal family are in our thoughts and prayers at this moment. cheering. cheered by onlookers, one of the queen's last royal engagements was injuly, with her daughter princess anne, opening a new state—of—the—art hospice in berkshire. but these kind of visits have become rare over the past year as the queen relied on her walking stick, her mobility compromised. the royal household had tried to adapt, to keep her active and visible. a golf buggy at the chelsea flower show helped keep the queen comfortable. cheering. but she had become noticeably thinner and frailer — something that severely limited her involvement in her own platinumjubilee's celebrations — with herfamily increasingly representing her. cheering and applause.

at the weekend, her son stood in at the braemar highland games — always a favourite event for the queen — that she reluctantly missed. like so much of her life, the decline in her health was played out in public. duty may have got harder to manage physically but mentally, even emotionally, the queen remained engaged and working to the very end. to the very end. borisjohnson has led tributes to the queen from former british prime ministers, calling her a "bright and shining light that has finally gone out." the first ministers of wales and scotland have also paid their respects honouring her deep sense of duty and her resilience. our political correspondent leila nathoo reflects on their words. flags being lowered to half—mast at downing street this evening. tonight, former residents paid tribute to the queen, who'd asked them to form a government.

the example, the duty, the selflessness, the way in which other people were put first, the way in which she handled crisis with great stoicism when they occurred, as they occurred a number of times during her reign. they were all examples to people about how to behave in their own lives and examples for our country. the longest—serving prime minister, sir tony blair, said: gordon brown took over the labour government in 2007. he reflected tonight on the impression the queen made around the world. everywhere i went, her majesty was respected, she was admired, she was revered and we will miss her greatly. there is no monarch who has served so long with such

popularity and held in such high esteem and dedicated herself so much to the future of our country. david cameron returned the conservatives to power in 2010. he said of the queen: in 2016, the queen appointed theresa may as britain's second female prime minister. i was fortunate enough to be able to meet her in different circumstances, including in the weekly audiences, but also at balmoral, and saw a more relaxed queen. but i think we are all mourning the fact that somebody who was a constant in our lives has now passed away.

it was just days ago that the queen accepted the resignation of boris johnson as prime minister. tonight, he said: there was a sombre mood among politicians in westminster and around the country. the queen was an ever—fixed mark in our lives. the world changed around us, politicians came and went. the queen was our nation's constant. the queen represented duty and courage, as well as warmth and compassion. the queen was a living reminder of our collective past, of our greatest generation, and the sacrifices made for our freedom today. scotland loved, respected and admired her. and by all accounts,

her majesty was rarely happier than when she was here at scotland at her beloved balmoral — a fact i have been privileged to observe personally. i hope it will be a source of comfort to her family that she spent her final days in a place that she loved so much. on behalf of the welsh| government and people in all parts of wales, _ i offer our deepest condolences to all her majesty's - children and their families on this sad occasion. she will be sorely missed i by the many organisations in wales she championed i and supported over so many decades as patron or as president. . mps have been accustomed to the queen setting out government priorities in parliament. tomorrow, they will begin paying their tributes in the commons.

leila nathoo, bbc news. as we know, the queen was not only the monarch for the united kingdom but she was also the head of state across 1a other commonwealth countries. so, how has the news been received across the world? our diplomatic correspondent james landale has been looking at the international response. from the moment the queen's reign began in kenya in 1952, she played a constant and significant role on the international stage and today, there was an outpouring of sorrow and regret in every corner of the globe. as her 12th canadian prime minister, i'm having trouble believing that my last sit down with her was my last. i will so miss those chats. she was thoughtful, wise, curious, helpful, funny

and so much more. she was one of my favourite people in the world and i will miss her so. the president of france, emmanuel macron, said: the indian prime minister, narendra modi, said: and the president of ukraine, volodymyr zelensky, said:

the president of russia, vladimir putin, who met the queen in more peaceful times, offered his condolences, saying she'd enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects and authority on the world stage. �*queen of the world', visiting hundreds of countries throughout her reign. she was monarch of 15 separate realms, the head of a commonwealth of some of 56 nations. so, there was no surprise that news of the queen's death made headlines around the world. tonight, at the white house, the flags were at half mast. throughout her reign, the queen was a living embodiment of the trans—atlantic relationship, meeting no fewer than 12 us presidents. in a statement, president biden described her as "a stateswoman "of unmatched dignity and constancy".

barack 0bama said she'd reigned with "grace, "elegance and a tireless work ethic". views are echoed on the streets of washington. i admire her greatly. yeah, i'm so sorry that she's passed. i mean, she's an icon here, everywhere. horrible. i've been reading about her my whole life. she's one of the sane people in the uk, like the us, and it's just sad. as head of the commonwealth throughout her reign, the queen nurtured and shaped a unique international organisation, whose leaders past and present relied on her wisdom and judgement. the last days of the queen's life captures who she was in so many ways, working to the very end on behalf of the people she loved. and that is why i'm sure that we will receive the news of her passing with both emotions of deep sadness but also gratitude for a life that was utterly and completely

devoted to the service of others. and it was to a meeting of commonwealth leaders that the queen made her last overseas tour in 2015, visiting malta, an island she'd once called home, the bookend of a life of duty and diplomacy on the international stage. james landale, bbc news. we can now speak to our correspodent phil mercer in sydney. we were hearing earlier in the night, in the early hours of the running, that people were exchanging the news in australia on their morning commute, because of course this news of the green's death broke in the very early hours of the morning there.— in the very early hours of the morning there. that's right -- ofthe morning there. that's right -- of the queen's _ morning there. that's right -- of the queen's death. - morning there. that's right -- of the queen's death. that's l of the queen's death. that's right, millions of australians will have woken up on friday morning with news coming from balmoral on the other side of

the world in scotland. queen elizabeth ii had a deep affinity, a deep affection for australia. she came here 16 times. the first of those visits came in 1954, and it was a marathon tour. over 58 days, she visited 57 towns and cities and i think it is that sort of stamina, that sort of devotion to duty that really impressed australians, and that popularity and respect endured for many decades. it is worth noting too in that 1954 tour, it is estimated that 70% of the australian population came out to see the young queen. and certainly, as we say, that popularity has endured. the australian prime minister anthony albanese saying in the last few hours that queen elizabeth ii had a timeless

decency and an enduring sense of calm. so a sense of dismay and the sadness and shock being felt notjust here in australia but across the tasman sea in new zealand, and right around the commonwealth.— new zealand, and right around the commonwealth. indeed so. we will no the commonwealth. indeed so. we will go here — the commonwealth. indeed so. we will go here in _ the commonwealth. indeed so. we will go here in the _ the commonwealth. indeed so. we will go here in the uk _ the commonwealth. indeed so. we will go here in the uk to _ the commonwealth. indeed so. we will go here in the uk to an - will go here in the uk to an extended period of national mourning. how will it be recognised there in australia? there will be a period of national mourning here too. we understand later today they will be a gun salute at federal parliament in canberra, one round for every year of the queen's lie. we also understand that following the state funeral in the united kingdom, there will be a national memorial here in australia too, and later today, the governor general, was the queen's representative in this country, given that australia is a constitutional monarchy, queen elizabeth ii was australia boss mcqueen, she was the head of state here and the

governor—general david hurley is to give a national televised address in a few hours' time. so this is certainly an historical day for australia, an historic day for many people around the world, and the governor general to give them and us his thoughts on this historic and very, very sad day. historic and very, very sad da . , ., , ., historic and very, very sad da . , ., ., day. there is a period of adjustment _ day. there is a period of adjustment for - day. there is a period of adjustment for all - day. there is a period of adjustment for all of - day. there is a period of adjustment for all of us | day. there is a period of- adjustment for all of us now. particularly so here in the uk. she is everywhere, she is on our stamps, she is everywhere, she is on ourstamps, on our coins, her initials are on some of our postboxes, and of course then we have to get used to changing our national anthem, and i imagine in some respects it is similar in australia? it imagine in some respects it is similar in australia?— similar in australia? it is, and those _ similar in australia? it is, and those 16 _ similar in australia? it is, and those 16 visits - similar in australia? it is, and those 16 visits that i similar in australia? it is, l and those 16 visits that the queen made to australia have left an indelible mark. she came here for big sporting events, the commonwealth games

for example, just on the oversight of the help he is the sydney opera house, she came here in 1973 to open what still remains one of australia's most famous landmarks. so she has left an indelible mark on this country, there is absolutely no question of that, and the vast majority of australians know no other monarchy in their lifetime. so a period of adjustment in the united kingdom, and certainly a period of adjustment here in australia too. of ad'ustment here in australia too. . ~ of ad'ustment here in australia too. ., ~' , ., , of ad'ustment here in australia too. ., ~ , . too. thank you very much indeed- — too. thank you very much indeed. it _ too. thank you very much indeed. it is _ too. thank you very much j indeed. it is extraordinary too. thank you very much i indeed. it is extraordinary in this time of the internet, and in times of global travel that we think of 1953, when the queen, just weeks after her coronation set off in this world tour, heading to australia and also to new zealand, and a little earlier i spoke to helen clark than the former prime minister of new zealand and asked what the reaction is likely to be. overwhelmingly, one of great sadness. the queen was very much respected in new zealand,

she visited many times during her long reign her coronation tour brought her to new zealand for christmas 1953-1954 for to new zealand for christmas 1953—1954 for example, and she kept coming. huge respect for her, and i think the sadness you see expressed in the united kingdom today will be mirrored here in new zealand, where so many of us trace our roots back to the united kingdom as well. another prime minister, the prime minister of canada, justin trudeau said she was thoughtful, wise, curious, helpful. was she helpful to prime ministers of new zealand? do you have personal memories? i have a lot of personal memories of meeting with the queen. the last substantive meeting i had with her as pm was when i came to windsor castle where she hosted the most beautiful memorial service for sir edmund hillary,

who was a knight of the garter and the garter is returned after someone passes away. remember also that sir edmund hillary's ascent of everest happened when the queen was a very young queen. and this was also seen as a high point for the british commonwealth family and citizens of the commonwealth, that he had with his sherpa, tenzing norgay, and got to the top of everest. so lots she had such a deep well of experience because her reign reign spans such a large arc of history. did you find that useful, without prying into the conversations you had with the, was it that experience she was able to share that became helpful? yes. over the queen's very long life, she met leaders,

personalities from around the world. you could raise with the queen any place on earth and she had either been there or met the leader or knew something about it. this wasn'tjust an issue of having official briefs, she had that lifetime of knowledge accumulated from watching the issues and being engaged with people and visiting places. so she was like a walking encyclopaedia, if you like, of people, places and events. you mentioned the visit in 1953, it's extraordinary to think back, the united kingdom had just had a coronation for its queen and then she disappeared to the other side of the world for six months. i mean, these days we travel so freely, and we live in the age of the internet but back then, your queen disappearing to the other side of the world, and she stayed in new zealand for almost month. if there was a high point in new zealand royalty, it must�*ve been that moment.

yes, and also at that time, there was a terrible tragedy on christmas eve when the main express train from the capital, wellington, to auckland, went into a river after a volcanic event had taken out a railway bridge in the queen was here for that, she was part of that national mourning for dozens and dozens of people who died in a terrible tragedy, so people always remember her kindness at that time as well. helen lott, former prime minister of new zealand. with me is our correspondent emma simpson. 70 years. this is a quote from the night of her coronation. throughout all of my life and with all of my heart i will strive to be worthy of your service. and i think that epitomised the humility she displayed throughout her reign. it was extraordinary to so many people that she was both monarchy and yet at the same time so familiar.— time so familiar. absolutely, and i think— time so familiar. absolutely, and i think we _

time so familiar. absolutely, and i think we are _ time so familiar. absolutely, and i think we are now- time so familiar. absolutely, and i think we are now at - time so familiar. absolutely, and i think we are now at a l and i think we are now at a watershed moment for the nation. britain is now in morning, and it is such a huge loss. it is really still sinking in and a moment of profound change for the country, and of course it is not a surprise, given her age and herfailing health, but it is still a shock, because she has been this constant reassuring presence for so long, as you say, spanning eight decades, and i think many people find it hard to believe thatjust people find it hard to believe that just a people find it hard to believe thatjust a couple of days ago thatjust a couple of days ago that she was at balmoral, seeing in the new pm, looking frail but still smiling, on her feet, working right to the very end, and now that reign is over, there isjust this overwhelming feeling of sadness. overwhelming feeling of sadnes— overwhelming feeling of sadness. , ,., overwhelming feeling of sadness. , ~ sadness. yes, indeed so. we have a new — sadness. yes, indeed so. we have a new king. _ sadness. yes, indeed so. we have a new king. king - sadness. yes, indeed so. we| have a new king. king charles iii. the crown passes invisibly, imperceptibly, to him. camilla will be the queen

consort, and he will lead this national period of mourning, this extended period of mourning, a state funeral expected in ten days' time, the first full state funeral we have had since winston churchill died in 1965. you are watching bbc news. so, emma. we have opted away our viewers from pbs. let's continue with the days ahead. we don't want to go too far but there will be people waking up this morning in britain, wondering what happens next, so maybe you can just bring some of those details. ~ . . just bring some of those details. ~ ., , , ., .., details. well,, as you can imagine. _ details. well,, as you can imagine, there _ details. well,, as you can imagine, there have - details. well,, as you can imagine, there have been details. well,, as you can - imagine, there have been very detailed, long established plans that have been tweaked over the years but are now being enacted. so we expect the queen's coffin to make the journey to london over the next few days, perhaps with some ceremonial events in scotland on the way. we know that she will lie in state at westminster, before a state

funeral, and those final preparations are now under way, as well, of course, as the transition to the reign of king charles. he will travel to dave friday down to london with the queen consort and today at some point he will have an audience with the new prime minister we also expect him to address the nation. we don't know the precise details of the timings, but expect all of these events to be very carefully choreographed, and we also anticipate a number of gun salutes to be fired, church bells to ring, and of course meanwhile some big events are being called off as a mark of respect. so friday's prom at the royal albert hall has been cancelled, as is the big last night of the proms on saturday. a number of sporting fixtures also cancelled, including an english cricket test match. there will be a minute's silence at the us open tennis championships in new york, we are told. of course, mps will have a chance to make their tributes in the house of

commons, and of course tributes are obviously going to flow all week. people want to share their stories, their memories, and to mark this historic moment, and of course the focus will very much he on buckingham palace for people to come and gather and expect an awful lot of flowers to be laid. ! of flowers to be laid. i imagine so, and those flowers already accumulating outside the gates of buckingham palace, as they will add wins as well, the two focal points i think this period of national mourning, also the palaces of scotland where she will lie in rest today. emma simpson, thank you very much indeed. i should just mention we have been told that the house of commons will sit on saturday. it has only sat on a saturday five times since the 1930s, on very important occasions. the invasion of the falkland islands, the suez canal crisis, the outbreak of world war ii, so a very important event, and of course all mps and the new

prime minister will want to pay their respects on that occasion. during her long reign, the queen was served by 15 prime ministers — 11 conservative and four labour — from winston churchill to liz truss. our political editor chris mason looks back at the premiers who were in office for the seven decades of the queen's reign. fanfare the state opening of parliament — pageantry, tradition, continuity. the connection between the head of state and democracy. as a constitutional monarch, queen elizabeth could not direct government policy. when mps are summoned to attend the royal speech, the door to the commons is ceremoniously slammed in the face of the official sent to fetch them, underlining the elected chamber�*s independence. mr speaker, the queen commands

this honourable house... ..to attend her majesty in the house of peers immediately. legislation will be introduced to counter hostile activity by foreign states... for decade after decade, the face and the voice of the queen — even though the words were not hers. i pray that the blessing of almighty god may rest upon your counsels. they are written by the government. herfirst prime minister was sir winston churchill. as a young princess, she had celebrated ve day alongside him. she was hugely fond of him, and the man who had fought for her great—great—grandmother during the boer war was proudly, even paternally protective of the new young queen. churchill: i, whose youth was passed in the august, l unchallenged and tranquil glories of the victorian era,

may well feel a thrill in invoking once more the prayer and the anthem. god save the queen! archive: and now upon - the shoulders of sir anthony falls the role of the queen's first minister... next, it was anthony eden. his decision to use military force in 1956 after the leader of egypt had nationalised the suez canal brought humiliation and his own downfall. the uk was not the world power it was. archive: the comings and goings at the palace are watched - with mounting excitement. who is being called for advice and who to be offered leadership? in the early days of her reign, the conservatives had no mechanism for electing new leaders. harold macmillan was simply said to have emerged as eden's successor —

potentially, it put the queen in the uncomfortable position of having to choose between political rivals. and in 1963, some were surprised when macmillan resigned and her majesty sent for alex douglas—home, then still a member of the house of lords. archive: in the tory party, no choice would have been| unanimously approved, but perhaps when the tumult subsides, lord home will be a popular premiere. the britain that is going to be forged in the white heat of this revolution will be no place for restrictive practices... harold wilson was the queen's first labour prime minister and hugely valued his weekly meetings with her. the prime minister, your majesty. the fact that there is somebody different, separate, uncommitted, whose only concern is to see that parliament and government reflect the decision of her people, that is something that one just doesn't have in presidential states.

i mean, he is master of his own situation... key to the monarch's role — being kept in touch with what the government was planning, to offer, guidance and, if necessary, warning. edward heath said he found her experience invaluable. and jim callaghan sometimes, although not always successfully, sought her advice. i recall one occasion when i was perplexed about a particular problem, and i explained it to her, and i said, "you know, i really don't know what to do "about this — what would you do?" and she looked at me with a twinkle in her eye and said, "that's what you're paid for." the queen's own views were articulated in public very, very rarely indeed. and when they were, the words selected judiciously to avoid direct criticism. take this speech to parliament as callaghan's government

considered handing more power to scotland. i number kings and queens of england and of scotland and princes of wales among my ancestors. and so i can readily understand these aspirations. but i cannot forget that i was crowned queen of the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. where there is discord, may we bring harmony. where there is error, may we bring truth. good evening, your majesty... when margaret thatcher became the uk's first woman to be prime minister, it was reported the queen had suggested privately she was uncaring. even if she did say it, alright, she may have felt something, but there was never any difficulty in saying anything to me, any difficulty at all. as head of state, her majesty had regular access to the world's most

powerful leaders, and successive prime ministers recognised how valuable that soft power was. the feeling in moscow in the period i was there wasjust astonishing. it was actually like living with history. tapping in to her knowledge, assured of her complete discretion. i have had quite a lot of prime ministers and some stayed longer than others. they unburden themselves or they tell me what's going on, or if they've got any problems, and sometimes one can help in that way too. a new dawn has broken, has it not? as tony blair's new labour swept into power, political change, constitutional continuity — like the royal invitation to balmoral. you've just been having tea, have you? yes, i've just had tea with prince charles. it was very nice. where the monarch and the head of her government could talk about matters of state,

but also have a barbecue and share the washing up. it was odd to get used to, as it were, that was all these people you've grown up with as the royal family and the queen fussing around you and looking after you, and it took a little bit of getting used to. and there were hours of government paperwork — full of the details of everything from international financial upheaval to an independence referendum in scotland, about which she asked voters to think carefully, leaving the european union, to a worldwide coronavirus pandemic and a cost—of—living crisis. good afternoon. continuity at times of political change. 15 prime ministers. different people of different parties from different ages. for seven decades, the queen worked with them all — at the heart of democracy, yet detached from it, providing advice, encouragement, counsel, continuity. an ever—present for so long in

a world of continuous change. chris mason, our political editor. 15 ministers. injune, the nation celebrated her majesty's platinum jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne. it is a landmark that no other british monarch has ever reached. our royal correspondent sarah campbell looks back. the sun shone and crowds filled the mall. for four days in june, the message could not have been clearer. god save the queen! # concrete jungle where dreams are made of... a galaxy of rock royalty, and the british people, in their thousands, celebrating a reign etched

so deeply in our memories. your majesty. ..mummy. cheering you have been there for us for the 70 years. these pictures on your house are the story of your life and ours. and listen to the reaction of this delighted and grateful crowd. the queen's appearances were brief, but unforgettable. oh, that's wonderful. on the first day, her delight, both at the sight and sound of so many people, and the antics of her great grandson, were obvious. that evening, her majesty lit the first of a giant chain of beacons, symbols of hope in 2,500 towns and cities, from shetland to australia and new zealand. bells toll what a wonderful sound,

those bells can be heard all over the city of london. the next morning, the bells of st paul's marked the national service of thanksgiving. the surrounding pavements, packed with well—wishers. we'll never see this again in our lifetimes. so it's really a special day for us, yes. absolutely magical atmosphere. we're enjoying every second. this was the largest gathering of royals since before the pandemic. almost all the members of her family were there, but not the queen. she was unable to attend in person, but watched the service from home. thank you for showing us how service and faithfulness matter. this is english champagne, 'specially for the queen. the thankyous continued at tens of thousands of jubilee lunches, bringing communities together, something the queen had done throughout her reign. # we talk about it # love, love, love...

at the platinum party at the palace, a line—up of legends. # sweet caroline... each with their own memory of britain's longest reign. i've grown up with this woman, you know? i was seven when she came to the throne. so, she's always been part of my life. around the olympics, she was absolutely essential. when some of the selection panel came through the city, she hosted them at buckingham palace on a friday night, and even appeared on the balcony and wave them goodbye. so, it sort of put paris and madrid in its place. i do hope you're having a lovelyjubilee. - to those memories, she added... tea ? ..two more. oh, yes, please. stealing the show with paddington. a wave from her majesty, to acknowledge the wave of love that is surely coming across that balcony

and sweeping its way through the palace. and bringing events to a close on the balcony of buckingham palace, surrounded by herfamily, including her three heirs. a wonderful four—day party was officially over. # what a wonderful... but what a platinum jubilee it had been. # ..world. sarah campbell reporting. queen elizabeth came to the throne at the age of 25, and during her long reign, she witnessed momentous social and economic change in britain and throughout the commonwealth. her majesty's death concludes a major chapter of british history, a chapter that opened at the midpoint of the 20th century as britain emerged from the years of

the second world war. nicholas witchell presents this account of the queen's long life. fanfare plays i here present unto you queen elizabeth, your undoubted queen. # vivat regina! # vivat regina elizabetha! # vivat! is your majesty willing to take the oath? she was 27 when she took the coronation oath. i solemnly promise so to do. she was anointed, blessed and consecrated. choir sings zadok the priest by handel she took possession of a 1,200—year—old throne. she knew that it was a role from which only death could release her and yet,

when she was born, no—one had thought that it would be her destiny. elizabeth alexandra mary windsor was born on april 21, 1926. she was the first child of the then king's second son, the duke of york. this was the young princess elizabeth at the age of four, visiting a photographic studio in london. her life then was comparatively carefree. it was the abdication in 1936 of her uncle king edward viii that unexpectedly placed elizabeth in direct line to the throne. her father became king. all: god save the king! long live the king! his coronation gave the then 11—year—old elizabeth a foretaste of what lay in store for her. the family unit was strong. herfather, george vi, was devoted to her, and she to him.

throughout her life, he was to be her inspiration. during the second world war, as german bombs fell on britain, the royal family symbolised the country's fight against tyranny. elizabeth briefly joined up. she was taught how to drive and to service an army lorry. on the night britain celebrated victory in europe, the crowds gathered outside buckingham palace and elizabethjoined herfamily on the palace balcony. by now, she was a young woman, and she'd fallen in love. her engagement to lieutenant philip mountbatten was announced in july 1947. four months later, they were married in westminster abbey. archive: again and again, the people called for elizabeth and philip. again and again, theyjoyfully responded. a year later, their first child, charles, was born. two years after that, a daughter, anne. the king had been in poor health —

he'd been treated for lung cancer. when elizabeth left for a visit to east africa in february 1952, it was to be the last time she would see him. archive: the flag is low as the news spreads - i the king is dead. at the moment of her father's death from a heart attack, elizabeth was in a game park in kenya. the news that she was now queen was given to her by her husband. archive: hertour of- the commonwealth cancelled, the princess we knew as a girl and watched in the even growth of her stature comes back to meet her ministers as queen. in a way, i didn't have an apprenticeship — my father died much too young — and so, it was all a very sudden kind of taking—on, and making the bestjob you can. britain was stunned at the loss of its wartime king. his coffin was brought by train from sandringham to london.

elizabeth was there to receive it with her mother and sister. and now here comes her majesty... elizabeth's coronation injune 1953 was one of the biggest public celebrations in britain's recent history. for the first time, television cameras were allowed into westminster abbey — the ceremony was broadcast to millions. archive: the moment of - the queen's crowning is come. as elizabeth was crowned, she accepted what to her was a sacred duty — an obligation to serve which was to set her apart for the remainder of her life. god save the queen! long live the queen! elizabeth was sovereign and head of state notjust of the united kingdom, but of britain's realms

and territories in every continent. archive: sydneysiders turn out to greet their queen... - in late1953, she set off on the first of many overseas tours, with a six—month trip to australia, new zealand and the pacific. i want to tell you all how happy i am to be amongst you and how much i look forward to my journey through australia. archive: this is a joyous, spine-tingling welcome... j the young queen was a star on the world stage, and her popularity was never greater. it's estimated that, in australia, three—quarters of the country's entire population turned out to see her in person. but as the 1950s gave way to the swinging �*60s of the beatles, attitudes started to change, old certainties were questioned. the monarchy was seen by some to be stuffy and out of touch. by the late �*60s, the palace realised that it needed to take the initiative. the result was a

ground—breaking documentary. the film, royal family, showed the monarchy as it had never been seen before. elizabeth was shown performing the daily business of the sovereign... yes, ma'am? do you think you could bring up those papers that i was looking at yesterday? ..and meeting visiting dignitaries. the american ambassador, your majesty. oh, why have you done that? but the film also showed something of the private elizabeth, relaxing with her family on a picnic at balmoral. the salad is ready. her silverjubilee in 1977 was celebrated street parties and pageants in 1977. good evening, your majesty. you've had a very long day! by the 1980s, britain by now had its first woman prime minister, margaret thatcher. relations between female head of state and female head of government were sometimes said to have been strained. with this ring...

..i thee wed. for the queen and herfamily, the 1980s had begun with a moment of great promise. prince charles's wedding injuly1981 to the young lady diana spencer seemed to be a moment of hope for the future. when the marriage began to fail, its decline was a very public one. the couple's separation was announced in 1992. it followed the collapse of the marriages of princess anne and prince andrew. to compound the misery, a few days earlier, the queen had seen part of herfavourite home, windsor castle, destroyed by fire. she was devastated. the fire seemed to symbolise the reversal of the royal family's fortunes. little wonder that in a speech, the queen described 1992 as her "annus horribilis" — her horrible year. but even worse was to follow.

the death of the by now divorced diana, princess of wales, in a car crash in paris in august 1997 was to provoke what, for the queen, was a shocking backlash against the monarchy. she'd remained at balmoral with princes william and harry after diana died — her priority had been to care for her grandsons. her priority had been but to the grieving crowds outside buckingham palace and elsewhere, it seemed as though the royal family simply didn't care. the queen returned to buckingham palace, and in an unprecedented live broadcast on the eve of diana's funeral, she tried to heal the breach that had opened between the palace and the people. what i say to you now, as your queen, and as a grandmother, i say from my heart. the queen promised to learn the lessons from diana's life and the reaction to her death. the whole episode had shaken her. for the first time, she'd appeared to be out of tune with the feelings of her people.

with charles's marriage to his long—term companion, camilla parker—bowles, in april 2005, the royal family was finally able to turn the page on the domestic anguish of previous decades. it was time to move on. for the queen, it was a moment of relief, and in the years that followed, with scarcely any lessening of her workload, she appeared to enjoy her role with renewed enthusiasm. in 2011, she was at westminster abbey for the wedding of her grandson, prince william, to catherine middleton. it was a moment when the public�*s appreciation for the monarchy seemed to be reconfirmed. a few weeks later, at the age of 85, the queen made one of the most important foreign visits of her reign, when she became the first british monarch to visit the republic of ireland. she laid a wreath in memory of those irish nationalists who had risen up against the crown, and at a state dinner in dublin castle, she spoke with regret

about britain's treatment of ireland. with the benefit of historical hindsight, we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently — or not at all. the following year, in belfast, she met and shook hands with martin mcguinness, a former leader of the ira who by then was deputy first minister of northern ireland. it was another significant gesture of reconciliation. her diamond jubilee in 2012 confirmed the nation's regard for a monarch who had reigned for 60 years. mr bond, your majesty. it was also the year when the queen showed that she too could spring a surprise. good evening, mr bond. good evening, your majesty.

sovereign and secret agent — one of the highlights of the opening night of the london olympics. music: happy birthday. by the time of her 90th birthday in april 2016, she'd become the united kingdom's longest reigning monarch, its oldest, and — few would disagree — one of its most deeply respected. she continued with her public duties well into her 90s. there was further family turmoil, though. prince andrew was forced to withdraw from public life amid claims he'd sexually assaulted a 17—year—old — claims he denied. and then the sussexes, harry and meghan, decided that they wanted to step back from royal life. they moved to california and gave a television interview, in which meghan made damaging criticisms of the royal family. they were unsettling moments, presided over by a monarch who showed that her sense of commitment was undiminished.

together, we are tackling this disease... during the coronavirus emergency of 2020, she broadcast a reassuring message to the nation. we should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. we will be with our friends again. we will be with our families again. we will meet again. her words seemed to encapsulate her role as monarch — drawing on her own long experience to help settle the nation at a moment of difficulty. her resilience was evident again in april 2021, when her beloved husband philip died, two months short of his 100th birthday. they'd been married for 73 years. at philip's funeral at st george's chapel within windsor castle, she seemed a solitary figure, pausing at one point to turn and look back. the figure who had been

two paces behind her for so many years was now absent. elizabeth had the lost the husband who'd meant so much to her. but despite the great sadness of her loss, there was never any question of her withdrawing from the path of duty. she marked the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, a record no other monarch had achieved, in february 2022. by then, it was apparent that she was rather more frail physically than before, though mentally as sharp as ever. her doctors had advised her to take things a little easier — "light duties" was the expression used by the palace — but every day, there were red boxes full of official papers to deal with. in a message to mark her 70 years on the throne, she said she was humbled by the loyalty and affection she'd received throughout her reign. and she signed the statement,

"your servant, elizabeth r." byjune 2022, and the public celebration of her platinum jubilee, her declining health limited the events she could attend. there was, however, a delightful surprise. a pre—recorded appearance — a somewhat chaotic tea party with paddington bear. perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich. i always keep one for emergencies. so do|! i keep mine in here. happyjubilee, ma'am. and thank you. for everything. that's very kind. this was a monarch at peace and enjoying herself. on the final day of thejubilee celebrations, there was a final appearance on the balcony

of buckingham palace. the national anthem was sung, a much—loved monarch acknowledged the many thousands who had waited to greet her. the crowds cheered and cheered. but finally it was time to go. the queen turned to depart from the balcony on which she'd first been seen as a baby. there was an unspoken feeling that an era was drawing to a close. fanfare plays throughout her reign, elizabeth ii embodied the strengths of a constitutional monarch, a constant and reassuring presence at the centre of our national life. for decade after decade, she represented a changing kingdom to itself and to the world. above all, hers was a life guided by a christian faith and driven by a profound sense of duty, and by the pledge

she made to the world on her 21st birthday. i declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service, and to the service of our great imperialfamily to which we all belong. god help me to make good my vow, and god bless all of you who are willing to share in it. # god save our gracious queen # long live our noble queen # god save the queen # send her victorious # happy and glorious

# long to reign over us # god save the queen # thy choicest gifts in store # on her be pleased to pour # long may she reign # may she defend our laws # and ever give us cause # to sing with heart and voice

# god save the queen. #

welcome to viewers in the uk, across the world, and on pbs in america, i'm christian fraser with special coverage following the death of her majesty queen elizabeth the second, the longest—reigning monarch in the history of the united kingdom. the queen died at the age of 96 at balmoral castle in scotland. she was a commanding presence in british public life over a span of eight decades. now her eldest son, charles, at the age of 73, has become king charles iii.

it was at half past six last night that buckingham palace released this formal statement: "the queen died peacefully at balmoral this afternoon. the king and the queen consort will remain at balmoral this evening and will return to london tomorrow. following the death of his mother, his majesty, king charles iii, released this statement: the queen had symbolised all that was constant

and reassuring, and for the vast majority of people in britain and the commonwealth, a treasured and highly—visible link with britain's past, has now gone. our royal correspondent daniella relph looks back on a momentous day tuesday, the 6th of september. the last photographs of the queen, 96 years old and still at work. meeting the new prime minister at balmoral — a duty she had been keen to fulfil, and one we now know was her final duty after seven decades of public service. around 4 o'clock this afternoon, a number of the queen's family arrived at aberdeen airport. her grandson, the duke of cambridge, was first to emerge, followed by her daughter—in—law, sophie, the countess of wessex and then, her two youngest sons, edward, the earl of wessex, and andrew, the duke of york.

the duke of cambridge drove the family group to balmoral tojoin his father and other members of the family already there with the queen. harry, the duke of sussex, arrived separately, later in the evening. here in the uk for a number of charity events, his wife meghan did not accompany him to scotland. at 6:30, buckingham palace officially announced the death of queen elizabeth ii. following tradition, the statement was attached to the palace gates by two footmen, as tributes began. queen elizabeth ii was the rock on which modern britain was built. our country has grown and flourished under her reign. she was the very spirit of great britain, and that spirit will endure. she has been our longest—ever reigning monarch. it's an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years, and with the passing

of the second elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country exactly as her majesty would have wished — by saying the words, god save the king. and also from the leader of the opposition. for the vast majority of us, the late queen has been simply the queen, the only queen, above all else, our queen. as we mourn her loss, we should also treasure her life. our longest—serving and greatest—ever monarch. above the clashes of politics, she stood not for what the nation fought over, but what it agreed upon. throughout the day, there had been growing unease about the queen's health. in the commons, as keir starmer stood up to speak, opposite him, the prime minister was being told of the queen's condition.

information passed to angela rayner, labour's deputy leader, who left her seat for a while to discuss the development, before the speaker of the house addressed the chamber. i know i speak on behalf of the entire house when i say that we send our best wishes to her majesty the queen, and that she and the royal family are in our thoughts and prayers at this moment. cheering. cheered by onlookers, one of the queen's last royal engagements was injuly, with her daughter princess anne, opening a new state—of—the—art hospice in berkshire. but these kind of visits have become rare over the past year as the queen relied on her walking stick, her mobility compromised. the royal household had tried to adapt, to keep her active and visible. a golf buggy at the chelsea flower show helped keep the queen comfortable. cheering. but she had become noticeably thinner and frailer — something that severely limited her involvement in her own platinumjubilee's celebrations — with herfamily

increasingly representing her. cheering and applause. at the weekend, her son stood in at the braemar highland games — always a favourite event for the queen — that she reluctantly missed. like so much of her life, the decline in her health was played out in public. duty may have got harder to manage physically but mentally, even emotionally, the queen remained engaged and working to the very end. borisjohnson has led tributes to the queen from former british prime ministers, calling her a "bright and shining light that has finally gone out." the first ministers of wales and scotland have also paid their respects honouring her deep sense of duty and her resilience. our political correspondent leila nathoo reflects on their words.

flags being lowered to half mast at downing street this evening. tonight, former residents paid tribute to the queen, who'd asked them to form a government. the example, the duty, the selflessness. the way in which other people were put first. the way in which she handled crises with great stoicism when they occurred, as they occurred a number of times during her reign. they were all examples to people about how to behave in their own lives, and examples for our country. her longest serving prime minister, sir tony blair, said... gordon brown took over the labour government in 2007. he reflected tonight on the impression the queen made around the world. everywhere i went, her majesty was respected, she was admired, she was revered, and we

will miss her greatly. there is no monarch who has served so long, with such popularity and held in such high esteem, and dedicated herself so much to the future of her country. david cameron returned the conservatives to power in 2010. he said of the queen... in 2016, the queen appointed theresa may as britain's second female prime minister. i was fortunate enough to be able to meet her in different circumstances, including in the weekly audiences, but also at balmoral, and saw a more relaxed queen.

but i think we are all mourning the fact that somebody who was a constant in our lives has now passed away. it was just days ago that the queen accepted the resignation of boris johnson as prime minister. tonight, he said... there was a sombre mood among politicians in westminster, and around the country. the queen was an ever—fixed mark in our lives. the world changed around us, politicians came and went but the queen was our nation's constant. the queen represented duty and courage, as well as warmth and compassion. the queen was a living reminder

of our collective past, of our greatest generation, and the sacrifices made for our freedom today. scotland loved, respected and admired her, and, by all accounts, her majesty was rarely happier than when she was here in scotland at her beloved balmoral, a fact i have been privileged to observe personally. i hope it will be a source of comfort to her family that she spent her final days in a place that she loved so much. on behalf of the welsh i government, and people in all parts of wales, _ i offer our deepest condolences to all her majesty's - children and their families on this sad occasion. she will be sorely missed i by the many organisations in wales she championed i and supported over so many decades, as patron

or as president. i mps have been accustomed to the queen setting out government priorities in parliament. tomorrow, they will begin paying their tributes in the house of commons. as we know, the queen was not only the monarch for the united kingdom, but she was also the head of state across 14 other common wealth countries. so, how has the news, been received across the world? our diplomatic correspondent james landale, has been looking at the international response. from the moment the queen's reign began in kenya in 1952, she played a constant and significant role on the international stage, and today there was an outpouring of sorrow and regret in every corner of the globe. as her 12th canadian prime minister, i'm having trouble believing that my last sit down with her was my last. i will so miss those chats.

she was thoughtful, wise, curious, helpful, funny and so much more. she was one of my favourite people in the world. and i will miss her so. the president of france, emmanuel macron, said, "her majesty queen elizabeth embodied the continuity and unity of the british nation for over 70 years. i keep the memory of a friend of france, a queen of hearts, who marked her country and her century forever." the indian prime minister, narendra modi, said, "her majesty queen elizabeth will be remembered as a stalwart of our times. she provided inspiring leadership to her nation and people." and the president of ukraine, volodymyr zelensky, said, "it is with deep sadness that we learned of the death of her majesty queen elizabeth.

on behalf of the ukrainian people, we extend sincere condolences to the royal family, the entire united kingdom and the commonwealth over this irreparable loss. " the president of russia, vladimir putin, who met the queen in more peaceful times, offered his condolences, saying she'd enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects and authority on the world stage. she was dubbed by one of her biographers as "queen of the world", visiting hundreds of countries throughout her reign. she was monarch of 15 separate realms, the head of a commonwealth of some of 56 nations. so there was no surprise that news of the queen's death made headlines around the world. tonight, at the white house, the flags were at half mast. throughout her reign, the queen was a living embodiment of the trans—atlantic relationship, meeting no fewer than 12 us presidents.

in a statement, president biden described her as "a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy". barack 0bama said she'd reigned with "grace, elegance and a tireless work ethic". views are echoed on the streets of washington. i admire her greatly, yeah. i'm so sorry that she is past. she's an icon here, everywhere. horrible. i've been reading about her my whole life. she's one of the sane people in the uk, like the us, and it's just sad. as head of the commonwealth throughout her reign, the queen nurtured and shaped a unique international organisation, whose leaders past and present relied on her wisdom and judgement. the last days of the queen's life captures who she was in so many ways, working till the very end on behalf of the people she loved.

and that is why i'm sure that we will receive the news of her passing with both emotions of deep sadness, but also gratitude for a life that was utterly and completely devoted to the service of others. and it was to a meeting of commonwealth leaders that the queen made her last overseas tour in 2015, visiting malta, an island she'd once called home, the bookend of a life of duty and diplomacy on the international stage. james landale, bbc news. as james noted, the flag is flying at half mast above the white house and the capitol building. the president ventured the embassy in washington to sign the book of condolence. earlier, i spoke to us presidential historian allan lichtman, and we began by discussing queen elizabeth's close ties with the united states. look, the queen was extremely important for cementing a very special relationship between

the united states and britain. and americans viewed her throughout her 70—year reign as an important rock of stability and dignity during these incredibly turbulent and polarised times. if i were to compare her to any american, even though the circumstances were different, it would be to george washington who also stood above and beyond the petty quarrels of politicians of his own time and was critically important as a symbol of unity and dignity. you know, a recent poll showed 61% of americans approved of queen elizabeth compared to only 30% who didn't. she stood apart, frankly, from every other royal in the extent to which she had the approval of the american people. and that is ironic, isn't it,

that the americans had cast off the rule of monarchy and yet she became a symbol of the bond between the two countries. there was always something grand when a president met a queen. that's right. and the presidents met the queen and that was, you know, extremely well received solid relationships that only served to strengthen the bonds between the two nations. you know, america, yes, rejected monarchy and nobles and an established church and we have a president, with some difficulty, who is both a head of government and the head of state, but somehow americans found the queen as an important symbol of, really, worldwide stability and unity. you know, from the very beginning, when she was just a teenager, she showed her courage and her moral stamina by serving as a mechanic during world war ii

and, of course, she was critically important and americans greatly admire herfor that, for making the transition between the british empire and the british commonwealth that you've talked about. and, of course, america has very strong relations with commonwealth nations as well and she was critically important as well in the reconciliation between britain and germany, just as america had made a similar reconciliation. so there's a paradox there, but it is explicable. as you speak, we are watching some of the key moments from history as she met these presidents. let's pick some of these moments out. i want to go back to 1961 when political royalty met british royalty. jacqueline kennedy andjfk here in london. that was something quite unique because jacqueline kennedy of course was an icon

in her own right, and there she was alongside a very young queen. it caught the imagination of the american people and of the world. americans kind of compared the kennedys to a royal family. it was called the camelot moment again, a salute to british history. and the kennedy administration was actually the high point of american confidence in their government, and since then, it is true that american confidence in their government has taken a real slide and no administration has quite matched the magic of the kennedy administration. although, you know, a look at the relationship between the queen and ronald ronald reagan as something special as well. one of the great hallmarks of her reign was she did not make political distinctions.

i want to talk about something bill clinton said. he said her majesty impressed me as someone who might have become a successful politician or diplomat. as it was, she had to be both without seeming to be either. and that was the magic of the queen in a sense. she had that deep experience, which justin trudeau talked about today. she could conversed with the worldposmac great statesman, and yet she was inscrutable at the same time. the inscrutable nature of the queen is absolutely extraordinary, how she maintained that through all the wishes of her reign and all the tensions coming from the world, and i think you are absolutely right. hersuccess and i think you are absolutely right. her success of course had to do with her ascendancy to the monarchy. but this is someone who bill clinton quite accurately said would have been accurately said would have been a grand success in whatever she endeavoured, and like

washington, she played the role of politician, of diplomat, of pre—eminent leader without ever seeming to do it with great effort and without ever seeming to be part of them or mean—spirited in any way. that is a trick that is very rare in human history. $5 is a trick that is very rare in human history.— is a trick that is very rare in human history. as alan said, the queen — human history. as alan said, the queen remained - human history. as alan said, the queen remained ever- human history. as alan said, - the queen remained ever popular in the united states. people on the streets of new york had been responding to the news. my my daughter said the queen has passed away. i was on the subway crying. passed away. i was on the subway crying-— subway crying. she is a cornerstone _ subway crying. she is a cornerstone in - subway crying. she is a i cornerstone in touchstone subway crying. she is a - cornerstone in touchstone for americans. it feels a little bit sad _ americans. it feels a little bit sad but also there is a tinge _ bit sad but also there is a tinge of— bit sad but also there is a tinge of sadness in the news. we freaked out when we found

out that — we freaked out when we found out that the _ we freaked out when we found out that the queen _ we freaked out when we found out that the queen died, - out that the queen died, honestly _ out that the queen died, honestly-— out that the queen died, honestl . ~ , ., honestly. we stopped on the corner and — honestly. we stopped on the corner and screamed - honestly. we stopped on the corner and screamed about | honestly. we stopped on the| corner and screamed about it for 5 minutes.— for 5 minutes. yeah, it was cra . for 5 minutes. yeah, it was crazy. interesting - for 5 minutes. yeah, it was crazy. interesting how - for 5 minutes. yeah, it was crazy. interesting how it. for 5 minutes. yeah, it was crazy. interesting how it is| crazy. interesting how it is across generations - crazy. interesting how it is across generations as - crazy. interesting how it is| across generations as well. news of the queen's death dominated headlines all over the world, from commonwealth nations like india and kenya, to the united states. let's now hear from our team of international correspondents starting with anne soy in kenya, where then—princess elizabeth first learned she was to become queen. it was here in sagana, central kenya that then princess elizabeth became queen. she was on tour, representing her ailing father when she received the news that he had sadly passed away, and it was a different time in history. country after country on the continent were gaining independence, and even though they chose republicanism, they understood hereditary monarchy and, therefore, wherever she travelled on the continent, they understood her place,

they respected her, and she played a key role in bringing them into the commonwealth. as head of commonwealth, she kept the organisation together and grew it. to this day, it continues to expand, and messages of condolence have been coming in from across the continent, from leaders, including monarchs, and they recognise and deeply admire her service to the commonwealth and to the world. the flag is flying at half—staff here at the white house in honour of a reign that has seen the swearing in of 13 us presidents. the queen met 12 of them personally — a long line. joe biden, has issued a statement, saying in his meetings with her, she charmed him and the first lady with her wit and moved them with her kindness. in recent years of course, like elsewhere in the world, news coverage of the british monarchy has often been driven

by intrigue and scandal, but today, as the major networks roll on events in balmoral, there is a real sense of a moment in history. the last king of america was queen elizabeth ii's great—great—great—grandfather, and her time on the throne has been marked by an even further shift away from those colonial ties and towards a relationship of two independent, modern nations, defined by their shared democratic values. news of the queen's death is dominating headlines here in india. _ prime minister narendra modi put out a statement, - saying, "her majesty queen elizabeth m _ "will be remembered - as a stalwart of our times. "she provided inspiringl leadership to her nation "and people, she personified dignity and decency- "in public life. "pained by her demise, - my thoughts are with her family "and people of the uk in this sad hour." - the prime minister then follows it up with another tweet, - in which he shares - two photographs of himself in the queen during his.

previous visits to the uk, sharing a personal anecdote as well. i the queen shared a special relationship with india. - she visited the country- three times during her reign, the first visit in 1961, 15 years after- india's independence. the news of the queen's demise will be dominating headlines - as india wakes up. we've just seen the flags on the sydney harbour bridge being lowered to half—mast as a mark of respect. australians are waking up to the news that queen elizabeth ii has died. she had a deep affection for this country. she came here 16 times during her reign. the first visit came in 1954. it was a marathon. she visited 57 towns and cities in 58 days, and for many people here, she became a beacon of service and dedication. across the tasman sea in new zealand, the prime minister, jacinda ardern, has paid tribute to

an incredible woman, saying that new zealanders were lucky to have been able to call her their queen. these are sentiments echoed notjust here in australia, but across the commonwealth. here at the european commission, at the european parliament, flags are flying at half— mast, while over in paris, the eiffel tower has been plunged into darkness as a sign of respect. it is hard to overstate the respect and the admiration so many europeans have for the queen, and if you look at news websites across the continent, news of her death is on the front page. norway's public broadcaster even suspended normal programming just to run specials on the queen, and of course we've heard from leaders and heads of state as well. germany's president said she was a woman who shaped a century, while france's emmanuel macron said she was a kind—hearted queen who left a lasting impression.

previously, he described her as the — "golden thread binding the uk and france "since world war ii." and through years of public service and family ties, the queen had close relationships with europe's royal families as well, and they have been touching, personal messages tonight. spain's king felipe used to address her as dear aunt lilibet, and said he would miss her dearly. here in belgium, the king and queen said all of their encounters would now be etched on their memories forever. "rest in peace, your majesty," they said. _ "alongside your beloved husband." ipaid a i paid a visit recently to the former country home of charles de gaulle and it has been left just as it was when the general was waiting is memorised towards the end and it is interesting when you go to the library that the pictures are just as they were, pride of place in the library are the pictures of queen elizabeth and the duke of edinburgh and

churchill, and the bond in france with the queen of course came back to the postwar years. emma simpson isjoining me in the studio. just listening to the studio. just listening to the people talking in times square, new york, it reminds me of what borisjohnson did today. it is natural with human beings that it is only when we experience the reality of loss that we truly understand what is gone and what she meant for us all. . . , is gone and what she meant for us all. .,. , ~ is gone and what she meant for us all. , ~ . is gone and what she meant for usall. , . ., , us all. exactly. we have seen this huge _ us all. exactly. we have seen this huge outpouring - us all. exactly. we have seen this huge outpouring of- this huge outpouring of emotions and tributes from all over the world, wonderful tributes, and this is clearly a watershed moment for the country. britain is now in morning, but the news is still sinking in. it is such a huge loss in the moment of cause of profound change for the country, and it is not a surprise given her age in her declining health. but it is still an awful shock. many will find it hard to believe that

she was seeing in the new pm at balmoral a couple of days ago, looking frail but still smiling and on herfeet. working right through to the end. but of course now that reign is over and there is overwhelming feeling of sadness. she a remarkable monarch. i think it hasjust been this remarkable monarch. i think it has just been this reassuring symbol of continuity and stability throughout our lives. she was the glue if you like that bind us all together follow along. i think prime minister liz truss was right in saying she was the rock on which modern britain was dealt, the one constant presence in a changing world. because we wanted her go on forever but of course she is no longer here, a new era begins and it is going to be the start of a pretty momentous ten days. indeed so, a lot of peeple — momentous ten days. indeed so, a lot of people will _ momentous ten days. indeed so, a lot of people will be _ momentous ten days. indeed so, a lot of people will be getting - a lot of people will be getting up a lot of people will be getting up tonight and reading of ——

getting up this morning and reading about it in the morning newspapers, full of the photographs, the memories, and people will be wondering what happens next. we don't have to be going too far into the next week but can you give us some idea of what happens today and also over the weekend? $5 idea of what happens today and also over the weekend?- also over the weekend? as you can imagine — also over the weekend? as you can imagine there _ also over the weekend? as you can imagine there are - also over the weekend? as you can imagine there are very - also over the weekend? as you | can imagine there are very long established, detailed plans that have been tweaked over the years so i think we can expect the queen's often to make its way down to london over the next few days perhaps with some ceremonial events in scotland on the way. we know that she will lie in state in westminster before a state funeral, the first state funeral, the first state funeral since winston churchill in 1965. those final preparations are under way. we know that king charles will travel to london today and at some point he is going to have an audience with the new prime minister and we also expect him to address the nation. i don't

know the precise details and timings but expect this to be very carefully choreographed indeed. we also anticipate a number of gun salutes, church bells to toll and some big events, sporting and cultural are going to be called off and mps will have a chance to make their own tributes in the house of commons and of course the tributes are going to flow all week. people want to share their stories, their memories and to mark this historic moment. of course the focus of that will be at kingdom palace, we are going to see an awful lot of flowers being laid this week and some pretty big crowds i think. , ~ ., ., i think. yes, i think today and tomorrow _ i think. yes, i think today and tomorrow of _ i think. yes, i think today and tomorrow of course _ i think. yes, i think today and tomorrow of course the - i think. yes, i think today and - tomorrow of course the weekend, it will be interesting to watch. the size of the crowds and the flowers that are already being placed at the front of the gates of buckingham palace. ithank front of the gates of buckingham palace. i thank you very much for that. as emma said, the mps will be returning and they will set on saturday, only five times has the house

of commons sat on a saturday on some momentous occasions. at the time of the suez crisis, the time of the suez crisis, the outbreak of world war ii, the outbreak of world war ii, the falklands invasion, so that gives you a sense of the magnitude of what is happening this weekend and the beginning of an extended period of national mourning. during her long reign, the queen was served by 15 prime ministers — 11 conservative and four labour — from winston churchill to liz truss. our political editor chris mason looks back at the premiers who were in office for the seven decades of the queen's reign. fanfare the state opening of parliament — pageantry, tradition, continuity. the connection between the head of state and democracy. as a constitutional monarch, queen elizabeth could not direct government policy. when mps are summoned to attend the royal speech, the door to the commons

is ceremonially slammed in the face of the official sent to fetch them, underlining the elected chamber�*s independence. mr speaker, the queen commands this honourable house... ..to attend her majesty in the house of peers immediately. legislation will be introduced to counter hostile activity by foreign states... for decade after decade, the face and the voice of the queen — even though the words were not hers. i pray that the blessing of almighty god may rest upon your counsels. they are written by the government. herfirst prime minister was sir winston churchill. as a young princess, she had celebrated ve day alongside him. she was hugely fond of him, and the man who'd fought for her great—great—grandmother during the boer war was proudly, even paternally protective of the new young queen.

churchill: i, whose youth was passed in the august, l unchallenged and tranquil glories of the victorian era, may well feel a thrill in invoking once more the prayer and the anthem. god save the queen! archive: and now upon - the shoulders of sir anthony falls the role of the queen's first minister... next, it was anthony eden. his decision to use military force in 1956 after the leader of egypt had nationalised the suez canal brought humiliation and his own downfall. the uk was not the world power it was. archive: the comings and goings at the palace are watched -

with mounting excitement. who is being called for advice and who to be offered leadership? in the early days of her reign, the conservatives had no mechanism for electing new leaders. harold macmillan was simply said to have emerged as eden's successor — potentially, it put the queen in the uncomfortable position of having to choose between political rivals. and in 1963, some were surprised when macmillan resigned and her majesty sent for alec douglas—home, then still a member of the house of lords. archive: in the tory party, no choice would have been| unanimously approved, but perhaps when the tumult subsides, lord home will be a popular premiere. the britain that is going to be forged in the white heat of this revolution will be no place for restrictive practices... harold wilson was the queen's first labour prime minister and hugely valued his weekly meetings with her. the prime minister, your majesty. the fact that there is somebody different, separate, uncommitted, whose only concern

is to see that parliament and government reflect the decision of her people, that is something that one just doesn't have in presidential states. i mean, he is master of his own situation... key to the monarch's role — being kept in touch with what the government was planning, to offer, guidance and, if necessary, warning. edward heath said he found her experience invaluable. and jim callaghan sometimes, although not always successfully, sought her advice. i recall one occasion when i was perplexed about a particular problem, and i explained it to her, and i said, "you know, i really don't know what to do "about this — what would you do?" and she looked at me with a twinkle in her eye and said, "that's what you're paid for." the queen's own views were articulated in public very, very rarely indeed. and when they were, the words selected judiciously to avoid direct criticism.

take this speech to parliament as callaghan's government considered handing more power to scotland. i number kings and queens of england and of scotland and princes of wales among my ancestors. and so i can readily understand these aspirations. but i cannot forget that i was crowned queen of the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. where there is discord, may we bring harmony. where there is error, may we bring truth. good evening, your majesty... when margaret thatcher became the uk's first woman to be prime minister, it was reported the queen had suggested privately she was uncaring. even if she did say it,

alright, she may have felt something, but there was never any difficulty in saying anything to me, any difficulty at all. as head of state, her majesty had regular access to the world's most powerful leaders, and successive prime ministers recognised how valuable that soft power was. the feeling in moscow in the period i was there wasjust astonishing. it was actually like living with history. tapping in to her knowledge, assured of her complete discretion. i have had quite a lot of prime ministers and some stayed longer than others. they unburden themselves or they tell me what's going on, or if they've got any problems, and sometimes one can help in that way too. a new dawn has broken, has it not? as tony blair's new labour swept into power, political change, constitutional continuity — like the royal invitation to balmoral... you've just been having tea, have you?

yes, i've just had tea with prince charles. it was very nice. ..where the monarch and the head of her government could talk about matters of state, but also have a barbecue and share the washing up. it was odd to get used to, as it were, that was all these people you've grown up with as the royal family and the queen fussing around you and looking after you, and it took a little bit of getting used to. and there were hours of government paperwork — full of the details of everything from international financial upheaval to an independence referendum in scotland, about which she asked voters to think carefully, leaving the european union, to a worldwide coronavirus pandemic and a cost—of—living crisis. good afternoon. continuity at times of political change. 15 prime ministers. different people of different parties from different ages. for seven decades, the queen

worked with them all — at the heart of democracy, yet detached from it, providing advice, encouragement, counsel, continuity. an ever—present for so long in a world of continuous change. and alongside that she was the most travelled head of state in history. well, earlier i spoke to the journalist sophie elsworth at the australian and asked how they will be remembering her life and reign. there was an outpouring of grief in australia. we heard about her passing in 3:30am in melbourne where i am based. a lot of australians have onlyjust understood what has unfolded

in recent hours, given this happened in the middle of the night, but it's absolutely devastating to learn the news here in australia. obviously with our close ties, with the british monarchy and the commonwealth, we have flags half—mast across the country, including on the sydney harbour bridge, as our australian parliament in canberra, and the prime minister here, anthony albanese and the governor—general david hurley will travel to london to meet with the king following the news of the queen was passing here. tell me about how the news was shared. it was at 6:30pm in the uk but obviously news of the queen's condition, that would have come in australia in the early hours of the morning, correct? that's right, and a lot of the newspapers here today that were published overnight, and that there were grave concerns for the queen's health.

but obviously that changed overnight when she passed away. there is a lot of digital newspapers, printing digital editions this morning, remembering the queen's wonderful life and also the news outlets came into work very early, three or four in the morning. to discuss this breaking news but there is obviously a deep sense of grief swept across australia right now, and everyone, like around the world, is trying to come to terms with this news of such a huge loss, not only to the commonwealth but to the world. obviously there is a debate in australia, it's been reopened by the president about the constitutional monarchy. and whether australia should go a different way. do you think, and a period of such national grief and reflection,

is there a possibility in fact that the royal family becomes more popular at this time? well, i think obviously now is not really the time for that discussion, given so many people are in grief at the moment, but it's definitely been an issue that is raised many times and remains an issue in australia but in saying that, there is huge support for the monarchy and there was a referendum several decades ago that failed to become a republic. there is strong support for the monarchy to continue and australia's ties to the commonwealth remain. there is a huge support for the royal family on the monarchy here in australia. we have been saved through the night, there is going to be such an enormous period of adjustment in the uk. she is everywhere, on our

postboxes, and our coins, herface hangs in every government building, and to a large extent i imagine it's in australia the same. she is the head of state. are australians ready for that adjustment? that's right, she is everywhere here as well, she is on our currency, that will obviously change in due course. there is deep affiliation with the monarchy and the commonwealth here in australia and a lot of australians are incredibly proud of the ties, but, you know, there is immense loss here in australia, across the country, whether you are a republican or a monarchist, people are feeling this from all walks of life here in australia. she was here 16 times, she was the only monarch to ever visit australia and her last trip was in 2011 when the streets across australia were lined 30 deep with australians rushing to get a glimpse of the queen.

i was so lucky to be a part of those celebrations. this is a woman that will never be replaced. she is irreplaceable stop a lot of deep sense of grief here in australia. the news broke _ grief here in australia. the news broke very _ grief here in australia. the news broke very late - grief here in australia. the news broke very late for those newspapers. no such problem for the british newspapers. with me is mark lobel. they had a decision to make. which of the many pictures of her 70 years of reign would they put on the front page? she is no stranger _ they put on the front page? she is no stranger to _ they put on the front page? sue: is no stranger to the they put on the front page? 5ue: is no stranger to the front pages. she has adorned them for many years, but deposited in time for those newspaper editors. many of them chose black and white master heads, they took the colour away, it was a respectful style and touching. the daily mail have chosen a picture from before her reign. this is princess elizabeth in our hearts are broken, the newspaper says. our hearts are broken, the newspapersays. how

our hearts are broken, the newspaper says. how to find the words. our grief is a hundred different emotions. if we moved to the guardian, 1 of the pictures is from her correlation. in the throne room of buckingham palace with a painted backdrop depicting westminster abbey on many of the newspapers this morning. the times, they chose that picture, but they have this quote from the queenposmac christmas message in 1957. it is the 1st time it was televised. " i cannot lead you into battle. i do not give you laws or administerjustice but laws or administer justice but i laws or administerjustice but i can do something else. i can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations." the other picture that is very popular in the papers is this 1 in the express, which headlines our beloved queen is dead. this is a portrait released by the royal family at the time of the queenposmac death, the monochrome style try — chosen

by the express. the telegraph uses her own words, grief is the price we pay for love." from 9/11. that was the queen speaking to the families of the victims unrepresented in a nation in mourning of course. so much history and reflection. if you were to pick out! thing you have read through the papers this morning, what would it be? look at this cartoon in the guardian. this is a queen travelling in a carriage by herself on the elizabeth line. this was a very important moment in the last few months because although she didn't turn up for remembrance sunday, she did turn up to open this, and here she is travelling into the sunset, and there are many warm words. the front page of the mira says does headline, just thank you to the monarch. the sun, we loved you, and that is because she was allowed. was

this incredible character, cameos with paddington and james bond. ! cameos with paddington and james bond-— cameos with paddington and james bond. ., , , , ., james bond. i was setting up a bar in buckingham _ james bond. i was setting up a bar in buckingham palace - bar in buckingham palace working as a waiter and she comes in, i see these corgis and i look up and there it is a grandmother in a cardigan and she is checking the centrepieces for all these tables that are about to entertain her staff and organise and fork in the right place. she is also someone around the christmas table and watch the christmas message for. she has audiences with prime ministers that she was so resilient, you could put up with family troubles, who doesn't have them? even her mobility issues, she kept going right to the end, and 96 the year. she is a tough act to follow the king charles iii. the papers have a lot of pullout editions. they are focusing on the death of the queen even lower—cost next will come the making of a king. but his the majesty of the queen, the official. mike lobel, thank you very much indeed. queen elizabeth came

to the throne at the age of 25, and during her long reign, she witnessed momentous social and economic change in britain and throughout the commonwealth. her majesty's death concludes a major chapter of british history, a chapter that opened at the midpoint of the 20th century as britain emerged from the years of the second world war. nicholas witchell looks back. very few brought quite such a level of dedication to the role. elizabeth was born on april 21, 1926, the elder daughter of the then duke of york. no—one could have imagined that she would one day be queen. but when she was ten years old, her uncle, king edward viii, abandoned the throne in herfather became king george vi. throne in her father became king george vi.— throne in her father became king george vi. god save the

kina! king george vi. god save the king! german _ king george vi. god save the king! german bombers - king george vi. god save the king! german bombers reign| king george vi. god save the . king! german bombers reign fire and exploded — king! german bombers reign fire and exploded bombs. _ king! german bombers reign fire and exploded bombs. during - king! german bombers reign fire and exploded bombs. during the second world _ and exploded bombs. during the second world war, _ and exploded bombs. during the second world war, as _ and exploded bombs. during the second world war, as german i second world war, as german bombs fell on britain, royal family, princess elizabeth as she was then, her younger sister margaret and her parents, the king and queen, came to symbolise the fight against tyranny. elizabeth brieflyjoined up. she was taught how to drive in service and army lorry. on the night britain celebrated victory in europe, the crowds gathered outside buckingham palace and elizabeth joined outside buckingham palace and elizabethjoined herfamily outside buckingham palace and elizabeth joined her family on the palace balcony. in the palace balcony. in anybody's _ the palace balcony. in anybody's life, it is a red letter day. anybody's life, it is a red letter day-— anybody's life, it is a red letter da . ,, ., letter day. she was a young woman and _ letter day. she was a young woman and had _ letter day. she was a young woman and had fallen - letter day. she was a young woman and had fallen in . woman and had fallen in love. her engagement to philip mountbatten was announced in july 1947. four months later, they were married in westminster abbey. a year later, their first child, charles, was born. two years after that, a daughter, anne.

but the king was in poor health — he'd been treated for lung cancer. when elizabeth left for a visit to east africa in february 1952, it was to be the last time she would see him. at the moment of her father's death from a heart attack, elizabeth was in a game park in kenya. she returned to london as queen. in a way, i didn't have an apprenticeship — my father died much too young — and so, it was all a very sudden kind of taking—on, and making the bestjob you can. elizabeth's coronation injune 1953 was one of the biggest public celebrations in britain's recent history. for the first time, television cameras were allowed into westminster abbey — the ceremony was broadcast to millions. archive: the moment of - the queen's crowning is come.

god save the queen! elizabeth was sovereign and head of state notjust of the united kingdom, but of britain's realms and territories in every continent. she is to become the most travelled monarch in british history. i want to tell you all how happy i am to be amongst you and how much i look forward to my journey through australia. it's estimated that, in australia, three—quarters of the country's entire population turned out to see her. but as the 1950s gave way to the swinging �*60s of the beatles, attitudes started to change, old certainties were questioned. there was less deference. the monarchy was seen by some to be stuffy and out of touch. the response, television documentary. the film, royal family,

showed the monarchy as it had never been seen before. yes, ma'am? do you think you could bring up those papers that i was looking at yesterday? and relaxing with herfamily. with this ring... with this rinu . .. with this ring... with this ring- -- lv _ with this ring... with this ring... iv web... - with this ring... with this ring... iv web... and - with this ring... with this ring... iv web... and i i with this ring... with this | ring... iv web... and i have with this ring... with this - ring... iv web... and i have -- 19805 ring... iv web... and i have -- 1980s began — ring... iv web... and i have -- 1980s began with _ ring... iv web... and i have -- 1980s began with a _ ring... iv web... and i have -- 1980s began with a moment i ring... iv web... and i have --j 1980s began with a moment of great promise. the marriage of prince charles to diana spencer at st paul's cathedral. by the early 90s, so much had turned to dust. charles and diana separated in 1992 on the merits of princess anne and prince andrew had already collapsed. at the end of that year, the queen watched as her favourite home, windsor castle, was seriously damaged by fire. worse was to follow.

the death of the by now divorced diana, princess of wales, in a car crash in paris in august 1997 was to provoke what, for the queen, was a shocking backlash against the monarchy. the grieving crowds outside buckingham palace, it seemed as though the royal family didn't care. the queen returned to london and then a live broadcast she tried to heal the bridge. broadcast she tried to heal the bride. ~ . broadcast she tried to heal the bride. . ., broadcast she tried to heal the bride. ~ ., ., broadcast she tried to heal the bridtel. ., ., broadcast she tried to heal the bride. . ., ., ., bridge. what i say to you now as our bridge. what i say to you now as your queen _ bridge. what i say to you now as your queen and _ bridge. what i say to you now as your queen and as - bridge. what i say to you now as your queen and as a i as your queen and as a grandmother, i say from my heart. first, iwant grandmother, i say from my heart. first, i want to pay tribute to diana myself. the commonwealth _ tribute to diana myself. the commonwealth was - tribute to diana myself. the commonwealth was of course close to her heart. she visited most of its members. but it was a visit to dublin in 2011 which was one of the most significant of her reign. she was the first british monarch to visit the republic of ireland. she spoke about britain's regrets. irate republic of ireland. she spoke about britain's regrets. we can all see things _ about britain's regrets. we can all see things which _ about britain's regrets. we can all see things which we - about britain's regrets. we can all see things which we would l all see things which we would wish had been done differently. 0r wish had been done differently. or not at all. the wish had been done differently. or not at all.— or not at all. the following ear in or not at all. the following year in belfast, _ or not at all. the following year in belfast, she - or not at all. the following year in belfast, she met i or not at all. the following i year in belfast, she met and shook hands with martin mcguinness, a former leader of

ira who by then was deputy first minister of northern ireland. it was another significant gesture of reconciliation. her diamond jubilee in 2012 confirmed the nation's deep respect and i monarch who had reigned for 60 years. mr monarch who had reigned for 60 ears. ~ �* ., ., monarch who had reigned for 60 ears. ~ ., , , years. mr bond, your ma'esty. it was years. mr bond, your ma'esty. n was also i years. mr bond, your ma'esty. it was also the i years. mr bond, your ma'esty. it was also the year i years. mr bond, your majesty. it was also the year when i years. mr bond, your majesty. it was also the year when the i it was also the year when the queen showed that she could spring a surprise. good evening, so bond. good evening. _ good evening, so bond. good evening, your— good evening, so bond. good evening, your majesty. i evening, your majesty. sovereign and secret agent, one of the highlights of the opening night of the london olympics. she continued with her public duties well into her 90s. there was further family turmoil. prince andrew was forced to withdraw from public life claims he sexually assaulted a 17—year—old, claims he denied. and then the

sussexes, harry and meghan, decided they wanted to step back from royal life. they moved to california and cable television interview in which makin made damaging criticisms of the royal family. they were unsettling moments presided over by monarch who showed her sense of commitment was undiminished.— sense of commitment was undiminished. ., . undiminished. together we are tacklinu undiminished. together we are tackling this — undiminished. together we are tackling this disease. _ undiminished. together we are tackling this disease. during i tackling this disease. during the coronavirus _ tackling this disease. during the coronavirus emergency i tackling this disease. during l the coronavirus emergency of 2020, she broadcast a reassuring message to the nation. ~ , ., ., ~ reassuring message to the nation. , ., ., nation. we should take comfort that while we _ nation. we should take comfort that while we may _ nation. we should take comfort that while we may have - nation. we should take comfort that while we may have more i that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. we will be with our friends again. we will be with ourfamilies again. we will meet again. the death of her husband was a deep moment of sadness. it was born with the stoicism that she so often personified there was

never any question of her withdrawing from the path of duty. by the time of her platinumjubilee in duty. by the time of her platinum jubilee in 2022, it was apparent that her health was apparent that her health was deteriorating. but there was deteriorating. but there was still room for a surprise. a chaotic tea party with paddington bear. perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich. i always keep one for emergencies. so do|! i keep mine in here. happyjubilee, ma'am. and thank you. . .for everything. that's very kind. this was a monarch at peace and enjoying herself. on the final day of thejubilee celebrations, there was a final appearance on the balcony of buckingham palace.

a much—loved monarch acknowledged the many thousands who'd waited to greet her. untilfinally, it until finally, it was time to go. there was an unspoken feeling that an error was drawing to a close. —— era was drawing to a close. fanfare plays for decade after decade, elizabeth ii was the constant and reassuring presence at the centre of national life, respected as a constitutional monarch, admired within britain, the commonwealth and beyond. it was a life sustained by faith and driven by duty. and by the pledge she made on her 21st birthday. l and by the pledge she made on her 21st birthday.— her 21st birthday. i declare before you _ her 21st birthday. i declare before you all _ her 21st birthday. i declare before you all my - her 21st birthday. i declare before you all my whole i her 21st birthday. i declare i before you all my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family to

which we all belong. god help me to make good my vowel and vowel and god bless all of you who are me to make good my vowel and god bless all of you who are willing to share in it. willing to share in it. good morning, welcome to a special good morning, welcome to a special edition of breakfast on bbc news. edition of breakfast on bbc news. a nation mourns following the death a nation mourns following the death of queen elizabeth ii. of queen elizabeth ii. her majesty died yesterday her majesty died yesterday at balmoral, bringing at balmoral, bringing to an end a 70—year reign. to an end a 70—year reign. the queen's eldest son — the queen's eldest son — now king charles ii! — now king charles ii! — was at her bedside. was at her bedside. he'll return to london later today. he'll return to london later today. tributes have been paid tributes have been paid from around the world, from around the world, as hundreds of mourners gather as hundreds of mourners gather at buckingham palace. at buckingham palace. it's friday the 9th of september. it's friday the 9th of september. you're watching a special edition you're watching a special edition

of bbc breakfast following the death of bbc breakfast following the death of her majesty the queen. of her majesty the queen.