I CAN TELL YOU THAT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THIS COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD WILL BE HEARING THIS NEWS AND WILL BE FRANKLY DEVASTATED. THE QUEEN AT 96, 70 YEARS AS QUEEN, 70 YEARS OF SERVICE, AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE, LESTER, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT SIMPLY TO PUT INTO WORDS.
THAT IS THE PUBLIC SIDE. THEN THERE IS THE PRIVATE SIDE. THERE ARE THE QUEEN’S CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. THROUGHOUT THE DAY, WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING HER CHILDREN RACE TO BE WITH HER, A VERY MOVING WITH HER, A VERY MOVING PHOTOGRAPH. PRINCE CHARLES, PRINCESS ANNE, PRINCE CHARLES, PRINCESS ANNE, AND CAMILLA ARE ALREADY WITH HER TODAY AS THEY WORKED SO HARD TO BE WITH HER TOO.
PRINCE HARRY WAS ON HIS WAY TO BE WITH HER, MEGHAN STAYING BEHIND, KATE STAYING BEHIND. WE JUST SAW WILLIAM AND KATE INTRODUCE THEIR CHILDREN TO A NEW SCHOOL THIS WEEK, SO KATE WE UNDERSTAND STAYED BEHIND TO BE WITH HER CHILDREN. SO, THIS IS A MOMENT OF PRIVATE GRIEF FOR A VERY PUBLIC FAMILY AND PUBLICLY A MOMENT WHERE PEOPLE WILL BE TAKING A PAUSE TO NOTICE WHERE THEY ARE WHEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME THAT QUEEN ELIZABETH IS DEAD.
THE END OF THE MODERN E ELIZABETHAN ERA. >> WE KNOW THERE HAD BEEN METICULOUS PLANNING LEADING UP TO THIS VOSHLEVENTUAL MOMENT IN OF HOW THE COUNTRY WILL HON MOR THE QUEEN, THE FUNERAL. WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ABOUT THE PROCESS IN THE WEEKS TO COME? >> IT HAS BEEN PLANNED TO THE MINUTE. IT SOUNDS KIND OF MORBID TO SAY, BUT THAT IS THE REALITY, BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED THERE IS THE PRIVATE SIDE, AND THEN, OF COURSE, THERE IS THE PUBLIC SIDE.
SHE IS THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND, THE GREEN OF GREAT BRITAIN. SHE IS A FIGURE THAT IS THE HEAD OF THE CONSTITUTION HERE. SO THE ROLE SHE HAD HAS TO CONTINUE. IT IMMEDIATELY SWITCHES TO PRINCE CHARLES, IMMEDIATELY HE BEARS A RESPONSIBILITY. AND JUST THINK ABOUT WHAT HE MUST BE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW, MOURNING THE DEATH OF HIS MOTHER, AND NOTHING PREPARES YOU FOR THAT, DOES IT?
AND AT THE SAME TIME, THIS HUGE WEIGHT OF RESPONSIBILITY IS ON HIS SHOULDERS NOW. THERE WILL BE DAYS OF MOURNING. THERE WILL BE FUNERALS. THERE WILL BE A STATE FUNERAL. AND I SUSPECT THAT WE WILL SEE PEOPLE COMING OUT IN THE STREETS TO PAY THEIR OWN RESPECTS IN THEIR OWN WAYS, BECAUSE, LESTER, THE QUEEN HAS BEEN SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A MONARCH, HASN’T SHE?
SHE HAS BEEN FOR SO MANY PEOPLE ALWAYS THERE, A ROCK OF STABILITY, AND FOR SO MANY THIS WILL FEEL LIKE THE END OF A CHAPTER OF HISTORY, MAYBE THE END OF A BOOK OF HISTORY. >> YEAH. AS WE NOTED, SHE DIED IN BALMORAL. YOU’RE THERE AT THE PALACE. WHEN WE FIRST HEARD WORD THAT DOCTORS WERE CONCERNED, WE UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE STARTED TO COME TO WHERE YOU ARE.
HOW DID THE NEWS FILTER OUT OVER THE LAST FEW MINUTES? >> Reporter: YEAH. WE JUST GOT THE NEWS, LESTER, SO I CAN’T ANSWER THAT QUESTION. THERE IS A CROWD OUTSIDE BUCKINGHAM PALACE WHICH IS NOT USUAL FOR THIS TIME. IT’S NOW JUST 37 MINUTES PAST 6:00 IN THE EVENING HERE. YOU WOULDN’T NORMALLY SEE SO MANY PEOPLE.
BUT FOR THE QUEEN, THE LAST TIME WE SAW THE QUEEN, AND NOW THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME SHE WAS SEEN IN PUBLIC, WAS, OF COURSE, THAT PHOTOGRAPH OF HER WITH THE NEW PRIME MINISTER, LIZ TRUSS, APPOINTING HER, AND THAT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY FINAL PHOTOGRAPH, ISN’T IT, SUMMING UP HER EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN, THAT THIS WOMAN JUST DAY ACE WAYS AWAY FROM MANAGED TO HOLD HERSELF UP WITH HER WALKING STICK AND CARRY OUT HER CONSTITUTIONAL DUTIES TO APPOINT A NEW PRIME MINISTER OF THE UK.
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE LIFE. AND WHAT AN ABSOLUTE COMMITMENT TO DUTY AND SERVICE.
