(tender, uplifting music) ♪ (male narrator #1) It's Coronation Day, 1953, and all over the country excited crowds have gathered to celebrate the young woman who will soon be appearing on their television screens.

♪ But no one yet knows what kind of queen she will turn out to be.

♪ We didn't know then how many decades she would reign.

♪ Or of the unique bond she would form with her people over so many years.

♪ Now, as people all over the globe salute one of history's great monarchs, we look back across her remarkable life.

♪ (whoosh, click) (rain pattering) (bright orchestral music) ♪ (female narrator #1) Britain has a new princess.

♪ The King was woken by telephone in the early hours with the news.

And now, the streets of Mayfair are packed as he and Queen Mary arrive at 17 Bruton Street to meet their first granddaughter and congratulate their second son and his young wife.

♪ Since their wedding three years ago, the Duke and Duchess of York, Bertie and Elizabeth to family and friends, have grown in popularity, with Elizabeth, now nicknamed the Smiling Duchess, credited with breathing new life into the House of Windsor.

♪ Already some excitable newsreels are talking of their baby daughter as a possible future queen.

♪ But most serious commentators put little stock in that idea.

She's only the daughter of the King's second son, so if her uncle, the Prince of Wales, starts a family of his own, or if any little brothers arrive in future years, this baby girl will drop down the line of succession.

♪ And the Princess has been born into turbulent times.

(reporter) This is London calling the British Isles.

This morning, convoys accompanied by armored cars carry supplies to emergency distribution centers set up in London's parks.

♪ (female narrator #1) Just around the corner from the Yorks' temporary Mayfair home, Hyde Park is being transformed into an emergency depot as the government attempts to survive a general strike, seen by some as the beginnings of a communist uprising.

♪ But by the time of the christening a few weeks later, the storm has passed and the Princess is taken in the arms of one of her nurses to a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace where she'll be baptized in waters from the River Jordan and given the names Elizabeth Alexandra Mary.

♪ After a short break, while the Duchess recovers from her Caesarean section, the young couple are back to royal duties, with the baby mostly left in the charge of Mrs. Clara Knight, the Duchess's old nurse from her own childhood in Scotland.

♪ But soon, a much more lengthy separation from baby Elizabeth will be demanded of them.

The Duke and Duchess have been asked to travel without her to the other side of the world to represent the Royal Family in Australia and New Zealand, the Empire's most distant dominions.

(crowd cheering) It's a six-month tour and the Duchess knows her time away will mean missing her daughter's first birthday and most likely her first words and first steps.

(dramatic music) While they cross two oceans to visit Auckland and open Australia's new parliament buildings in Canberra, the Princess is left in the care of her nurses and both her grandmothers, and the Duke and Duchess will have to make do with monthly photographs of their infant daughter while staff at home use images of the Duchess to remind the child of her absent mother.

♪ And it's not until June of 1927, after 30,000 sea miles and six months away, that HMS Renown returns to Portsmouth Harbour and the Duke and Duchess hurry back to London to be reunited with their daughter.

(crowd cheering) ♪ After today, the Yorks hope to settle into a more normal family life in their new home on Piccadilly.

♪ But first, the cameras have been invited to capture the reunion and young Elizabeth's first appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

(film projector clicking) (crowd cheering, whistling) ♪ (whoosh, click) (soft dramatic music) ♪ (female narrator #2) Almost a year ago, the Coronation Committee began planning the ceremonial crowning of King Edward VIII.

And now, on May the 12th, 1937, the momentous day finally begins with an exuberant show of pomp and pageantry involving 32,000 soldiers from across the British Empire.

But it's not Edward in the carriage.

It's his younger brother, Bertie, who's on his way to Westminster Abbey.

♪ Five months ago, Edward shocked the world by abandoning the throne to marry an American divorcée and now it has fallen on Bertie to rescue the reputation of the House of Windsor.

♪ Not everyone believes this replacement king is up to the job.

♪ Bertie has grown up in the shadow of his charismatic elder brother and with his shy and awkward demeanor and well known fear of public speaking, there are some who suspect the burden of kingship will be too much for him to bear.

(indistinct proclamation) But despite his detractors, the new king has always had one prominent supporter, his father, the late George V, who once said that Bertie has more guts than the rest of his brothers put together.

And as a symbol of royal continuity, Bertie has chosen to take his father's name and be crowned King George VI.

(crowd) God save the King!

God save the King!

God save the King!

♪ (female narrator #2) With his daughters looking on, his wife and consort Elizabeth is crowned Queen.

(crowd cheering) ♪ And later, at Buckingham Palace, thousands gather to greet the new Royal Family.

(crowd cheering) ♪ (whoosh, click) (rumble of running horses) (dramatic music) (female narrator #1) Princess Elizabeth is about to turn 18.

But her birthday won't be marked by a grand party or public celebration.

♪ So instead, the newsreels have been allowed to screen these images of her and her sister on the condition that their location is not publicized.

(newsreel announcer) Now she has come of age, the royal coming of age at 18, and we are privileged and pleased to be able to present to you a delightful little film of our King and Queen's elder daughter with her sister, Margaret Rose.

(indistinct chatter from Elizabeth) (female narrator #1) The heir to the throne has not often been seen in public since the war began and the secrecy matters now more than ever.

(explosions) (newsreel announcer) Once again, Londoners who have known nights of terror before return to their bombed-out homes.

But the damage here cannot compare with devastated Berlin where one-third of the city lies in ruins.

(female narrator #1) The Blitz has returned but the public mood is different from four years ago.

(soft dramatic music) Then, an invasion by German forces felt imminent.

Now, the tide seems to have turned.

♪ Every day brings news of Soviet victories in the east and with more and more battleships and armaments pouring out of Britain's factories, and more American troops pouring in, it's an open secret that one day soon an all-out assault on mainland Europe will be launched.

♪ But while the country has been mobilizing, Princess Elizabeth has had few opportunities to do her bit, aside from joining the Girlguides and the Sea Rangers to give her some contact with other young women her age.

(newsreel announcer) When her troop of Sea Rangers meet, although the officer and mate greet her with a curtsy, she thereafter mixes with the other girls on an equal footing.

(female narrator #1) And while the Princesses are less confined now than during the war's early years, when they were housed in a defensible tower at Windsor Castle, they've experienced few of the new freedoms other young women have discovered.

(newsreel announcer) Her Royal Highness is already well-tutored in the many responsibilities of state which, one day, will be hers.

♪ (female narrator #1) The only ceremonial event on Elizabeth's actual birthday is an inspection of the Grenadier Guards, of which the Princess is an honorary colonel.

♪ It's a regiment popular with Britain's aristocratic families and there's been some speculation that the Princess might find a potential husband from within its ranks.

♪ Only her close family and personal staff are aware that, in fact, she has been writing regularly to a young naval lieutenant by the name of Philip.

♪ But like every serviceman, he'll have little time for courtship in the dangerous weeks and months ahead.

And as the Princess accompanies her parents on royal visits to raise funds and boost morale, she can only hope that by the time she turns 19 the war will finally be at an end.

(male singer) ♪ ...he likes his tea ♪ But we're in there pitching till we get to Germany ♪ (ensemble) ♪ When the job is done, and the war is won ♪ ♪ We'll be clasping hands across the sea ♪ (applause) (dramatic music) ♪ (whoosh, click) (soft music) ♪ (newsreel announcer) These are the first newsreel pictures taken since his christening of Prince Charles, now eight months old.

The world's most famous baby.

(film projector clicking) (female narrator #1) Despite the clamors of the press, the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Elizabeth have been trying to keep their young son Charles away from the cameras.

♪ But today, the newsreels have been allowed to capture a rare portrait of the young family.

(newsreel announcer) A heady program of official engagements prevents the Princess and the Duke from seeing their son as often as they wish.

It is only on occasions like this that they can enjoy the happiness of parenthood.

♪ (female narrator #1) Their time together doesn't last for long.

The Cold War is heating up and Philip, now a First Lieutenant, has been posted to the island of Malta with the Mediterranean fleet.

And on the day of their second wedding anniversary, his 23-year-old wife has come to join him with Charles left in the care of his grandmother, the Queen, and his nurses back home.

♪ In Malta, her schedule of royal duties is relaxed and aside from the occasional photo shoot, the Princess is free to enjoy some of the novelties of a normal existence: driving her own car, visiting a hair salon, and even shopping for herself with her own money in her handbag.

♪ Here, more than a thousand miles from Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth's daily life is not so different from all the other officers' wives.

For a few months at least.

(newsreel announcer) Though Prince Philip's duties in Malta are likely to keep him there for some considerable time, the Princess is expected to return to Britain in the new year.

♪ (female narrator #1) It's soon to be announced that Princess Elizabeth is expecting a second child.

And by the summer of 1950, the royal couple are back in London and the streets around Clarence House are busy with newsmen and well-wishers as the royal household reveals the arrival of a baby girl.

(crowd clamoring) Like every newborn in Britain, she will receive the standard issue ration book, her own ID card, and a bottle of cod liver oil.

♪ And for her father, the Duke, the birth of a daughter isn't the only good news.

(soft music) He's been promoted and returned to Malta to take his first command at the age of 29 of the frigate HMS Magpie.

♪ But his naval career and any plans for a family life in Malta might soon have to be put on hold.

(newsreel announcer) Waiting crowds outside Clarence House surge forward to surround the royal car taking Princess Elizabeth and her two children to King's Cross on their way to join the King and Queen at Balmoral.

(female narrator #1) The King's health has deteriorated, his exact illness undisclosed, and too sick to travel down from Balmoral, he's asked his daughter to bring his new grandchild up to Scotland where it's hoped that their presence will lift his spirits and aid his recovery.

♪ And the tonic seems to work.

The christening has been delayed, but by October, the King is back at Buckingham Palace and the whole family are pleased to be reunited for a happy occasion.

(newsreel announcer) Newly christened and lovely in the traditional christening frock, the Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise.

Prince Charming comes to see that everything's okay for his little sister.

Then, like a little gentleman, walks out of the picture again.

After all, it's her day, isn't it?

Yes, it's Princess Anne's day and to her and her mother go the good wishes of all.

♪ (whoosh, click) (soft whimsical music) ♪ (male narrator #2) It's been a wet night for camping out, but for those who've braved the typically English weather, there's the reward of a front row seat.

♪ Today is young Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Day and London is putting on a show for the world.

(crowd cheering) Some newsreel companies are filming in glorious Technicolor while the BBC have, for the first time, been allowed to broadcast the ancient ritual live, sparking a sudden boom in the sale of television sets.

(reporter) From now until after 5:00 this afternoon, television cameras take you into the heart of London to watch and share in each phase of this great day's events.

♪ (male narrator #2) Most of the 8,000 guests privileged with a seat inside Westminster Abbey have been asked to arrive three hours early, and with such a long wait until the ceremony begins some peers have been spotted sneaking sandwiches out from under their coronets.

♪ But by 10:30 a.m., with more than two million people lining the procession route, the Gold State Coach finally appears and the crowds catch their first glimpse of Elizabeth II on her way to be crowned.

♪ This day has been a long time coming.

Elizabeth's father, George VI, died 16 months ago.

(crowd cheering) But with Britain struggling to recover from the war, and food rationing still part of daily life, Prime Minister Winston Churchill delayed the lavish occasion, insisting you can't have coronations with bailiffs in the house.

(soft music) But now, the country is filled with a new sense of optimism and the Queen of Tonga's beaming smile perfectly captures the joyful mood.

♪ And broadcast live around the world in 41 languages, the ceremony finally begins.

♪ (Archbishop) Madam, is Your Majesty willing to take the oath?

(Queen Elizabeth) I am willing.

♪ (male narrator #2) As a child, Elizabeth never expected to be queen.

♪ It was only after her uncle's sudden abdication that she became heir to the throne.

And now, the future of the monarchy is in her hands.

♪ Watched by her son, Prince Charles, just four years old, and with Philip, her husband and loyal consort, looking on, the ceremony reaches its climax.

♪ (crowd) God save the Queen!

God save the Queen!

God save the Queen!

♪ (male narrator #2) And with a fresh downpour of rain, the Second Elizabethan Age begins.

(rain pattering) ♪ As with the British weather, no one can predict how 27-year-old Elizabeth will bear the responsibility of the Crown.

But today of all days, it feels as if the years of struggle, of war and recovery, can be left behind and the cheering crowds around Buckingham Palace are looking to the future with renewed confidence and hope.

♪ (whoosh, click) (soft dramatic music) ♪ (female narrator #1) With six tons of luggage, including an extensive wardrobe, crystal for banquets, and at least one ceremonial sword, the royal party are not traveling light.

(seagulls cawing) It's early 1977 and 25 years into her reign, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband are marking the Silver Jubilee with a tour of Britain and the Commonwealth, with the people of Sydney among the first to receive a visit.

(Queen Elizabeth) I don't think she's having much fun.

(police officer) Now the mayor, he's the one that's wearing the chain, the Queen, she's got the green hat on, all right?

(female narrator #1) Instead of the customary wave from a passing limousine, the Queen is reviving the royal walkabout, giving her and Prince Philip the chance to mingle with the locals.

(Prince Philip) Must be quite uncomfortable.

How do you get on with all that iron mangling?

I--there's something wrong with the dentists in this country, I've never seen anything like it.

They wire everybody up.

(laughter) (female narrator #1) But not everyone has turned out to show support.

(crowd) No Queen, no Kerr, independence for Australia.

♪ (female narrator #1) There are concerns too about the Queen's upcoming UK tour.

♪ Criticism of the monarchy has become increasingly vocal in 1970s Britain, a decade marked by soaring inflation and mass unemployment.

(crowd yelling) And in tune with the mood of discontent, punk band The Sex Pistols look set to top the charts with their alternative national anthem and its opening lyrics, "God save the Queen, the fascist regime."

(train clacking) ♪ The Labour government had initially worried that the Queen's tour might be met with indifference in Britain's towns and villages.

♪ But instead, all over the country, excitement is building around the Silver Jubilee.

♪ In street after street, the flags are out as people put aside their economic woes to raise a glass to the royal couple.

And on the eve of the celebrations in London, many are preparing for a sleepover on The Mall.

(woman) I'm going home when it gets cold.

He's staying.

(man) I've got plenty to keep me warm.

All right?

(woman) It's only once, isn't it?

I was too young for the last one and I'll be too old for the next one.

So, join in the spirit, the good old British spirit.

♪ (female narrator #1) Queen Elizabeth herself is at Windsor Great Park, lighting the first Jubilee beacon, a signal for a hundred others from Land's End to the Shetland Isles to be ignited one by one.

(flames crackling) (crowd cheering) ♪ The following morning, roads are closed across the country as street parties spring to life.

A nostalgic throwback to the early years of Elizabeth's reign and a chance for neighbors to get out the bunting and enjoy the festivities together, at home and down under.

♪ (crowd cheering) (woman) To Our Majesty, Queen of England and Queen of Australia.

Long may she reign.

(crowd cheering) ♪ (female narrator #1) There's welcome news from the BBC too, with reports that the Sex Pistols have been beaten to number one in the charts by Rod Stewart.

And with a million people packed into Central London, there's an overwhelming feeling of celebration.

(crowd cheering) A sentiment reflected in the thousands of cards and letters the Queen has received from all over the nation.

♪ (Queen Elizabeth) In these messages, I have sensed a spirit of happiness, friendship, and hope, and the recognition that people are important as individuals and have a responsibility for each other.

♪ My Lord Mayor, when I was 21, I pledged my life to the service of our people.

Although that vow was made in my salad days when I was green in judgment, I do not regret nor retract one word of it.

(crowd cheering) ♪ (whoosh, click) (dramatic music) ♪ (female narrator #1) The wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer is still more than a month away.

But already in London, royal enthusiasts can catch a glimpse of rehearsals and load up on memorabilia in advance of the big day.

♪ But before Charles and Diana walk down the aisle, there's another chance to see the Royal Family up close at the annual celebration of the Queen's official birthday.

(announcer) Horse guards, familiar arena between Whitehall and St James's Park, and where, to the north, stands the colour that gives to this Queen's birthday parade the popular name by which it is known the world over, Trooping the Colour.

♪ (female narrator #1) It's June the 13th, 1981, and security has been heightened at this year's event after the IRA managed to detonate a bomb 500 yards from the Queen during a visit to the Shetland Isles just a few weeks ago.

♪ (announcer) And this most popular royal lady, the Queen Mother, arrives.

Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Andrew in the second carriage.

He is already 20 and she is 20 on the 1st of July.

♪ The Queen now and the Royal Princes.

Her Majesty The Queen on Burmese, a 19-year-old horse, carried her in all the birthday parades since 1969.

Field Marshal His Royal Highness, the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Colonel of the Grenadier Guards.

Hello, some little disturbance on the approach road.

(horses whinnying) (crowd yelling) (dramatic music) (female narrator #1) Only those in the immediate vicinity have realized that a young man in the crowd has just pulled out a gun and fired six times at the Queen.

♪ Having brought her startled horse under control, she continues the parade.

(announcer) Burmese a little shaken on the way along the approach road by the friskiness of some of the other horses.

Receiving a reassuring pat from Her Majesty The Queen, an expert horsewoman.

♪ (female narrator #1) And as the ceremony continues, the television footage is being examined, as bystanders describe what they saw.

(woman) Her Majesty seemed very, very scared.

I saw a look of sort of fear pass over her face.

♪ -How would you describe him?

-Tall, and about 6'1" and slender with a Charles and Diana button on the lapel of his coat.

(interviewer) You saw him taken away by the police, did you?

(boy) Yes, he came out of the green tent with about eight men, or eight policemen, and he was pushed into the blue van and speeded away.

People were shouting and sort of going, "Whoa", and jeering at him and then they drove away at quite a speed.

♪ (female narrator #1) Thankfully, it seems, that no one has been hurt.

(interviewer) Could you see what sort of gun it was?

(woman) It didn't look to me to be a real gun but I don't know very much about guns at all.

The policemen immediately dived at him, about half a dozen of them.

I think one soldier got involved at least because he lost his bearskin and had to retrieve it afterwards.

But, um, it brought it home to us how terribly vulnerable she is.

If that had been a real gun, there's no doubt that she would have been dead and that probably a lot of the crowd would have been as well.

♪ (female narrator #1) The Queen's birthday parade is completed without further interruption.

But for the security services, today's scare put added pressure on preparations for the forthcoming royal wedding, and for young Diana Spencer, it's a stark reminder of the dangers her new public prominence could bring.

♪ (whoosh, click) (soft dramatic music) ♪ (male narrator #2) The Royal Family are together at Sandringham for the annual Christmas service.

(Princess Diana) Well wrapped up, glad to see.

-Got your brake on?

-Yes.

(laughter) (Prince Charles) Are they frozen up yet?

(laughing) ♪ (male narrator #2) It's the end of 1991 and spirits seem high.

-Happy Christmas.

-Happy Christmas.

-Thank you.

Happy Christmas.

-Diana?

(bright music) (male narrator #2) But as Valentine's Day approaches, pictures of Princess Diana alone at the world's most famous monument to love raise questions about the state of her marriage.

(Prince Charles) A wiser prince than I would have opted for a visit to the Taj Mahal on the Red Fort at Agra which, I believe, is where some, at least, of the greatest pundits of the press think I ought to be anyway.

♪ (male narrator #2) Back in Britain, with the press now tracking Diana's every move, an explosive new book hits the shelves which claims to reveal not only the total collapse of Charles and Diana's relationship but also his involvement with another woman.

♪ With the headlines revealing even more royal scandals, and the press pack hungry for more... (crowd commotion) ...a fire at the Queen's home, Windsor Castle, seems to symbolize her disastrous year.

(reporter) And it's so very tragic, of course, for the Queen in what was meant to be a very happy year for her, the 40th anniversary of her succession to the throne.

It's turned out, with one thing and another, to be a very different kind of year for her.

♪ (male narrator #2) Just four days later, battling influenza and with a temperature of 101, the Queen addresses the controversies that have engulfed her family.

(regal fanfare music) (applause) ♪ (Queen Elizabeth) 1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.

In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an annus horribilis.

(laughter) I sometimes wonder how future generations will judge the events of this tumultuous year.

I dare say that history will take a slightly more moderate view from that of some contemporary commentators.

Distance is well-known to lend enchantment, even to the less attractive views.

After all, it has the inestimable advantage of hindsight.

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 humor, and understanding.

(applause) (somber music) ♪ (whoosh, click) (solemn music) (sirens wailing) Breaking news that Diana, Princess of Wales, has been seriously injured in a car crash-- We still don't know what injuries she sustained.

(female narrator #1) After a high-speed collision, Princess Diana has been rushed to a Paris hospital where, after a two-hour battle to save her life, the British ambassador confirms the worst.

The Queen and the Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister have been informed of the accident and of the death of the Princess of Wales.

♪ (female narrator #1) As people in Britain wake up to the news, there's a sudden outpouring of grief and outside the church in his Sedgefield constituency, recently elected Prime Minister Tony Blair addresses the nation.

(PM Tony Blair) Our thoughts and prayers are with Princess Diana's family, in particular her two sons, the two boys.

We are, today, a nation in Britain in a state of shock, in mourning, in grief.

She touched the lives of so many others in Britain, throughout the world.

You know, how difficult things were for her from time to time I'm sure we can only guess at but... the people everywhere, not just here in Britain, everywhere, they kept faith with Princess Diana.

They liked her, they loved her, they regarded her as one of the people.

She was the people's princess.

And that's how she will stay, how she will remain.

(dramatic music) (female narrator #1) It's being reported that the accident occurred while the Princess was being pursued at speed by paparazzi.

The Princess's driver, Henri Paul, and her companion, Dodi Al Fayed, were also killed in the crash.

And at the Harrods department store owned by Dodi's father, the Union flag flies at half-mast.

♪ But at Buckingham Palace, the flagpole remains empty.

For many, it's a sign that the Queen and the Royal Family are out of step with the national mood and their absence from the capital to grieve alongside the public is drawing mounting criticism.

(Geoffrey Crawford, spokesman) The Queen has asked me to say that the Royal Family have been hurt by suggestions that they are indifferent to the country's sorrow and the tragic death of the Princess of Wales.

The Princess was a much-loved national figure, but she was also a mother whose sons miss her deeply.

Prince William and Prince Harry themselves want to be with their father and their grandparents at this time in the quiet haven of Balmoral as they prepare themselves for the public ordeal of mourning their mother with the nation on Saturday.

♪ (woman) Well, perhaps she ought to show her sorrows about Lady Di and what a great loss it's been, you know, and as you can see, the whole world loves her.

(man) I feel like they should just be left alone.

I mean, they don't have to-- you've seen the papers-- like, "Show the people you care."

They don't have to show the people they care.

Everyone knows they care.

(applause) (female narrator #1) On the day before the funeral, Prince Charles, William, and 12-year-old Harry return to London to accept the condolences of the gathered crowds.

♪ (woman) I shook his hand and then I got all tearful and I couldn't say anything.

♪ (woman) William came next to him and I told him that we were so sorry for him and that his mother will live on in him, and he said, "Thank you."

♪ (female narrator #1) They are shortly followed by the Queen.

(reporter) At 20 past two this afternoon, the one basic thing people in the crowds here had been calling for all week took place: the Queen came back to Buckingham Palace.

It must have been one of the most difficult moments of her entire reign.

But as they examined the enormous heaps of flowers, there wasn't the slightest opposition or criticism, merely sympathy and support.

♪ One small girl offered her some flowers and the Queen asked if they were really for her.

When the girl's grandmother said they thought she needed some, her eyes filled with tears.

♪ (woman) Ma'am, take care of the boys.

Take care of the boys, ma'am.

-That's what we've been doing.

-Sorry?

-That's what we've been doing.

-I know you have.

(unintelligible) ♪ (Queen Elizabeth) 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.

She was an exceptional and gifted human being.

In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.

I admired and respected her for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys.

I hope that tomorrow we can all, wherever we are, join in expressing our grief at Diana's loss and gratitude for her all-too-short life.

It is a chance to show to the whole world the British nation united in grief and respect.

♪ (female narrator #1) On the morning itself, royal protocol is put aside as the flag over Buckingham Palace is flown at half-mast and the Queen herself bows to the people's princess.

♪ A grieving family now mourns together with a grieving nation.

♪ (whoosh, click) (crowd singing "Auld Lang Syne") (fireworks exploding) The turn of the millennium just a few months ago had been a chance for the whole world to make a fresh start and look forward to a new century.

(crowd continues singing "Auld Lang Syne") And for the Queen, the year 2000 brings with it another more personal milestone.

(soft music) Her mother's 100th birthday.

(bells pealing) (reporter) To the delight of the crowds, the nation's favorite grandmother emerged from the service through St Paul's famous West Door.

(female narrator #1) Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, born in the year 1900, has lived through the entire length of an extraordinary century.

(reporter) Following behind, the young Princes with whom the Royal Family's hopes for the future lie.

For her, showing the Family standing solidly together today was all important.

Her own daughters stood side by side as she left for her next engagement.

Ahead of her, three more weeks of celebrations before the great day itself when the country can wish her happy birthday.

♪ (female narrator #1) To honor her centenary, a special set of stamps has been issued charting her life, from the day she married a young Prince Albert and first joined the Royal Family to her years by his side as Britain's wartime Queen and her new role as Queen Mother after her husband's early death almost 50 years ago.

(music quickens, brightens) She's lived through 20 prime ministers and in the gardens of Clarence House she has some words of thanks for the political leaders of the day.

(Queen Mother) Well, I'm deeply touched to receive these messages of congratulations on my 100th birthday.

And I pray that happiness, peace, and prosperity will continue over this dear land.

Thank you.

(bright fanfare rendition of "Happy Birthday") ♪ (female narrator #1) It's long been a British tradition that anyone reaching their 100th birthday receives a telegram from the reigning monarch.

♪ So on the Queen Mother's birthday, August the 4th, 2000, in a live televised event, she receives her letter from her daughter, the Queen.

(crowd cheering) (reporter) Now normally, if you're going to get a... (indistinct chatter, laughter) Oh, they're going to...

They're going to try and steam it open with a sword.

(laughter) (tender music) Well, now normally, if you're 100-- and 11 other people are getting these telegrams today-- the formal message says, "I'm so pleased to know you're celebrating your 100th birthday.

I send my congratulations and best wishes to you on such a special occasion."

But maybe this one just says, "Happy birthday, Mummy."

We shan't ever know.

♪ (crowd cheering) ♪ (female narrator #1) After a carriage ride with her grandson through the packed streets of Central London, the Queen Mother arrives back at Buckingham Palace, the home she once shared with her late husband, to round off the celebrations with an appearance on the balcony.

(crowd cheering) (reporter) And here she comes.

Queen Mother with Her Majesty The Queen behind her, Princess Margaret, and the Duke of Edinburgh.

(crowd cheering) ♪ The Queen bringing her mother to the center of the balcony.

♪ (female narrator #1) It's a poignant reminder of her first balcony appearance on her wedding day at the age of 22.

(crowd cheering) ♪ And of the 16 years when she was queen half a lifetime ago.

♪ (crowd singing "Happy Birthday") (chimes ringing) ♪ (whoosh, click) (machines beeping) (solemn music) The virus that has swept across the world is now surging through the United Kingdom with hundreds dying every day and thousands of new cases emerging.

♪ After weeks of uncertainty, the British government has imposed a nationwide lockdown and on April the 5th, 2020, television schedules are cleared for a rare personal broadcast by Queen Elizabeth II.

(Queen Elizabeth) I'm speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time.

A time of disruption in the life of our country.

A disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many, and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all.

I want to thank everyone on the NHS frontline as well as care workers and those carrying out essential roles who selflessly continue their day to day duties outside the home in support of us all.

I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge and those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any.

That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humored resolve, and of fellow-feeling still characterize this country.

(female narrator #1) While Britain adapts to the new circumstances, the brunt of the crisis has fallen on the staff of the National Health Service and many have been raising money for NHS support charities to show their appreciation.

(applause) And one fundraiser in particular has captured the public's imagination.

(clatter of walker wheels) Though not yet fully recovered from a broken hip, World War II veteran Thomas Moore has set himself the target of walking 100 laps of his back garden before his 100th birthday.

He had hoped to raise 1,000 pounds, but after featuring on a radio phone-in, he's been inundated with donations and now Captain Tom has raised over 7 million.

(Tom) I broke my hip and I've got a counter in my head, and the treatment I got from the National Health is just--it's amazing.

You wouldn't believe the amount of good kindness I've had from all the staff and I'm still here.

I think I'm just too pleased and delighted with what we're getting.

From the thousand pounds, we seem to have gone now into millions.

It's rather a lot of money for-- for someone like me, but it's not for me, it's for the National Health Service who are doing such a magnificent job for us all.

(bright orchestral music) (female narrator #1) By the time of his 100th birthday, the total has reached a staggering 30 million pounds and the captain receives so many cards, his grandson's school hall is needed to display them all.

(soft bright music) He's even received an invitation from Her Majesty The Queen to a specially arranged outdoor ceremony at Windsor Castle.

(soft bagpipe music) It's her first public outing since the lockdown began and though all other investitures have been postponed, this one is definitely going ahead.

(soft bright music) Now, Captain Tom is Sir Tom Moore.

(Queen Elizabeth) So you've been shut up, I suppose, too, haven't you?

-Been isolating?

-Yes.

(Queen Elizabeth) So glad to have a chance to see you and thank you myself.

♪ (tender music) ♪ 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 imperial family 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.

♪ (dramatic orchestral music) ♪ (bright music)