The Diamond Queen Ep.2 Part 1/4

reached her 60th year on the throne a sea of faces a forest of hands 60 years on duty 60 years of being the uncomplaining servant of her subjects what's familiar is the protective blanket of reassurance the reign of queen elizabeth ii has spread in a world which has changed at the wildering speed continuity but it hasn't always been easy and you can't get continuity by standing still the monarchy always seems the same but it's inside story is rather different she's managed to modernize and evolve the monarchy like no other she seen top Prime Minister's and she's still going she's still going strong in a second of this three-part series filmed over a year and a half we explore how the Queen has kept some grand traditions while others couldn't survive how she's tweaked listened and changed opening up palaces and supporting more relaxed royal wedding I rang my grandmother up some clarification on the issue and Julie got told that it was a ridiculous she was right as she wasn't this is the tale of the Queen as quiet reformer and anxious social observer we could never forget those who have died or been injured and their families she did close a circle of history June 2011 and let's start at the more eccentric end of the scale for gutter Knights of the realm troupe down the hill at Windsor Castle McQueen has modernized a lot but it's worth remembering what she hasn't not that even this is quite what it appears gold and glitter and pageantry doesn't get much better than this this is garter day one of the most important emblematic moments in the Queen's year and the images go all around the world and yet this is a characteristic example of the Windsor dynasty's great trick of reinventing tradition because although Garter Day does go back to the English medieval monarchy in its modern form it was invented by the Queen's father in 1948 so not that long ago Her Majesty and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh were resplendent in rich medieval rows it's a kind of Club for the top ranks of society former ministers members of the royal family the establishment it's not the easiest part of the monarchy this a reminder perhaps that for a thousand years monarchs stood on top of a pyramid of aristocrats landowners and Nobles whose power has vanished the monarchy though is a defiant survivor and orders of chivalry are still taken very seriously well the gospel is is the I'm the highest order of chivalry in in Britain and the oldest one as well it's in the sovereigns personal gift it's an enormous honor for anybody what the public doesn't see is what happens inside the Garter throne room the dressing and decorating of the new night including an actual garter in this case it's a judge Lord Phillips president of the Supreme Court and for the Queen this is hands on Monica comes barnacled with stately traditions titles grandness but if this was all if this was the only image of the British monarchy it surely wouldn't be half as popular as it actually is in fact the Windsors have always been acutely aware of public opinion and changing attitudes and ready to ditch what needs to go there on their way to Buckingham Palace to attend one of the three last presentation parties that Her Majesty will hold terribly thrilling but we mustn't show how nervous we feel presentation of aristocratic young women debutantes at a ball which used to mark the start of the annual London season the kind of very grand marriage market was abandoned in 1958 really out of embarrassment in the tart words of the Queen's late sister Princess Margaret every tart in London was getting in but as the Deb's were gently shown one door other doors were opened the Queen extended the ones tradition of an exclusive summer garden parties and opened them up to people from all walks of life from nurses builders and bombard ears to care workers and captains eight thousand at a time at one of the most open and relatively informal of royal events it's nice just to be able to relax and just stroll around the grounds this beautiful garden down by the lake and see just just how really the Great and a good of Britain you know get invite here and it's a lovely day for them and I think it's great the Queen does it you know it's a it's just a fantastic thing to do modern world modern monarchy which means that the statistics of even garden parties are squinted over and published so we know each one involves twenty seven thousand cups of tea twenty thousand cakes and sandwiches every guest on average consumes fourteen items each very calming a cake or two in surroundings the other essential ingredient for British garden party is of course dodgy weather it would be less interesting if it was always sunny Leicester talked about shelter have once became the most important thing and every vantage point was soon occupied it's fairly poured down and at least one guest was trapped away from the formal diary and the spotlights the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have spent a lot of time reaching out to key figures in a changing country I mean I think it's incredibly important for the young performers of all the different in all the different arts to be recognized at an early age because I think it's so it is so incredibly encouraging to feel that you're accepted by your culture by your society by your family by the status quo because so often I think performers especially young performers feel there they are on the outside of society and in many ways they are and so they should because they have to challenge yes people of course associate a lot around the world lots people associate you with the Queen but ridiculous way which is completely wrong but what does she mean to you you know apart from my sister she's the only other person who's been a total constant in my life ever since I was you know came to consciousness the Queen was there and that's an incredible kind of rock to happen in your life I think one gets the impression Dalit of these things have been decided by committees looking at long lists actually how much is the Queen herself involved in who she wants to celebrate who she wants to come here hugely this is the Queen's guests this no one comes here without the Queen having an extended that invitation and how much briefing does the Queen need to absorb for an event like this because she will be visually meeting huge numbers of people she hasn't met before well the Queen's been involved in this evening from its very conception so as the work has gone on here to develop the ideas that you'll see later the Queen's been involved at every step along the way so not a lot of briefing because she's built it up with the rest of us so many experienced me the Queen up strong believer in the arts I think the support of the arts and all these wonderful people that are here one of the other things tonight's done for me is it may be actually quite proud of the industry I'm in and off yes often or not I'm a bit ashamed of it but actually tonight I feel quite proud of it because I've met some great people and feel some great things in here now actually was the very first time that I've met the Queen see the only shame because there's no picture see they don't they don't allow pictures so there's no you know you can't go hey look hey hey in the Queen sis that's me one of the longest-running campaigns of reaching out was created by the Duke of Edinburgh a man well known for his direct small talk his award scheme has helped more than seven million young people test themselves achieve more push harder with the Duke often presenting the gold award personally as today that's in James's Palace senior members of the royal family have to cultivate a skill almost nobody else needs and it's a carefully timed dance through the hire small talk designed to calm the nervous restrained the over talkative release intention produce a little bubble of laughter and in that way ensure that millions of people leave events like these having had some sort of personal connection with him this case the Duke of Edinburgh but in general and the British monarchy along the River Tweed you'd be done through between yeah friendless start to finish which was good that's wrong worried yeah we drive up to the source and then start kayaking down all the way to the mouth village this you all got lost walking so how do the Royals learn these techniques it's a kind of trade with its trade secrets and it's special skills most days of the year the entire working royal family has spread around the country from Town Hall's to schools hospitals and the charities they've personally chosen to support everybody gets their bit of time this is a huge undertaking around 4,000 engagements a year between them so how do they do it you learn by watching by listening by as it were first of all being in the background I've got so many memories very fond memories when I was younger and I'm growing up and trying to be sort of not giving the way of engagements or you know events that are going on and realizing when I got sort of stiff hit round the back of the head that it was probably time to sort of behave I think the first engagement I did was my father wanted me to give leeks the Welsh Guards on Sunday Tuesday did the Queen help you in terms of how to do these kinds of things well that first engagement probably came with helpful instructions in the sense of structure of the day in the level of expectation but not much more than that she very much leaves the family to go off and find their own way and if you get it wrong stand by you will be put back back in your place which you know quite rightly so but she very much lets us get on with it and choose she's iron sort of shoes what we want to support but how do they choose the Queen's granddaughters are getting to the age when they're considering how much to contribute to their time so what causes are on their minds I had an operation at Southside hopefully looking at into helping other people have learned about the condition I had so they can help right that was the scoliosis of the spine it's when you carve your bones that is where you're born but lots of people have it and lots of children when they're diagnosed every know what it is so so there's something you can bring your own experience to help other people I know about it I'm not just talking not no experience I know about this thing and especially doing dislikes your own education I think that's something that's really important very important object and especially you know especially primary education and which is something that was when I got diagnosed with dyslexia at age 7 never almost sort of thinking well why is she so slow to read why she's so slow and it was you know something that I think you could recognize a lot sooner and to get the support there and that and then you know you can kind of go through your life but knowing you had a little support

Channel: CH NG

Views: 16,978

Keywords: The, Diamond, Queen, Ep, 2, Part, 1

Id: 7XsZbvEpqvg

Length: 14min 21sec (861 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 01 2012