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[ cheers and applause ] male reporter: after weeks of campaigning on the road, tony blair and his family finally strolled the few hundred yards to the polling station this election day morning. amongst the labour faithful up and down the country, there is an enormous sense of pride in mr. blair's achievements and the confidence that he is about to become
the youngest prime minister this century. have you voted yet,mr. crawford? yes, ma'am. i was there when they opened --first in line, 7:00. i don't mindtelling you -- it wasn't for mr. blair. you're nota modernizer, then? certainly not. we're in dangerof losing too much
that is good about this countryas it is. there is a growing sense of excitement... hmm. i envy you,being able to vote. not the actualticking of the box, although it would be niceto experience that once. but... the sheer joyof being partial. yes.
of course, one forgetsthat as sovereign, you're not entitledto vote. no. still, you won't catch mefeeling sorry for you. you might notbe allowed to vote, ma'am... [ chuckles ] ...but it isyour government. i suppose that is some consolation. [ laughs ]
[ bagpipe music playing ] [ music continues ] [ groans softly ] [ knock on door ] good morning. shall i drawthe curtains? yes, please. so, did you stay upall night? and was it as expected?
mr. blair. by a landslide. [ sighs ] oh, i see. male reporter: they've stoppedthe traffic completely for tony blair'sfirst day of power in london. you got the ceremonial,the tourists, the official, and you gota lovely summer's day. tony blair waving to the crowds,people waving to them there.
i guess most of them do know it's the prime ministerin waiting. lining the streets there. the prime ministeris on his way, ma'am. to-be, robin --prime minister-to-be. i haven't asked himyet. he's a hard one to read,isn't he? on the one hand, his backgroundis quite establishment -- father a conservative,educated at fettes,
where he was tutoredby the same man asthe prince of wales. well, we'll trynot to hold that against him. on the other, his manifesto promisesthe most radical modernization and shake-up of the constitutionin 300 years. oh. you mean he's going totry and modernize us? i wouldn'tput it past him. he's married to a woman with knownanti-monarchist sympathies.
you may remember her curtsythe first time you met. it could best be describedas shallow. i don't measurethe depth of a curtsy, robin. i leave thatto my sister. the atmosphereat downing street is expected to bevery informal -- everyoneon first-name terms at the prime minister'sinsistence. what,as in "call me tony"?
oh, i don't like that. have we sent hima protocol sheet? funny -- i'm actuallyrather nervous. why? you met heroften enough before. [ sighs ] i know,but never one-to-one. and neveras prime minister. well, just remember -- you're a man that's just beenelected by the whole nation. but she's still,you know...
the queen. the audience roomis upstairs. when we reach the audience room,i will knock. we will not waitto be called. we shall gostraight inside. standing by the door,we bow -- from the neck. i will introduce you. the queenwill extend her hand. you go to her, bow again, then shake her hand.
a coupleof other things. it's "ma'am"as in "ham." not "marm"as in "farm." and whenyou're in the presence, at no pointmust you show your back. the presence? yes, sir,that's what it's called when you're inher majesty's company. would you liketo sit down, mrs. blair?
[ clears throat ] how nice to see youagain, mr. blair. and congratulations. p.m. blair:thank you. the childrenmust be very proud. i hope so. you've three,haven't you? that's right. oh, how lovely.such a blessing, children.
please, do sit down. thank you. have we shown you howto start a nuclear war yet? uh, no. oh. first thing we do,apparently. then we take awayyour passport, and spend the rest of the timesending you around the world. you obviously know my jobbetter than i do. yes, well, you are my 10thprime minister, mr. blair.
my first, of course,was winston churchill. he sat in your chair,in frock coat and top hat. he was kind enough to givea shy young girl like me quite an education. i can imagine. with time, one has, hopefully,added experience to that education -- and a little wisdom,better enabling us to execute ourconstitutional responsibility.
to advise, guide, and warnthe government of the day. advice whichi look forward to receiving. yes. we'll save thatfor our weekly meetings. if there's nothing else, i believe we havesome business to attend to. of course. your majesty, my partyhas won the election. and so i come nowto ask your permissionto form a govern-- no, mr. blair.
mr. blair, i ask the question. the duty falls upon me,as your sovereign, to invite youto become prime minister and to form a governmentin my name. and if you agree,the custom is to say "yes." [ bell rings ] mrs. blair.how lovely to see you again. and congratulations.you must be very proud. and exhausted,i imagine.
where will you bespending the summer? oh, france. oh, lovely. you'll be in balmoral,i expect? yes, yes. i can't wait.it's a wonderful place. you know, my great-great-grandmother victoria said of it -- "in balmoral, all seemsto breathe freedom and peace and make one forget the worldand its sad turmoils."
robin:your majesty? oh, excuse me. [ whispering ] oh.yes, of course. i'm so sorry. we're going tohave to leave it there. not too short, was it?15 minutes. one doesn't wantto be rude. no, no. [ door closes ]
good morning, sir. "thank you very muchfor coming. now..." i know.what was all that about? god knows. diana. whatever it is, it'll besomething to do with diana. female reporter: princess dianaembroiled in more controversy as she pulls outof a meeting with m.p.s. princess diana moved todayto patch up her relations with the former royal nanny.
princess dianaflew to milan today for the memorial service for the murdered italianfashion designer gianni versace. male reporter:...where tonight, anotherroyal controversy sparkles. after finding herself embroiled in her second controversythis week. i am nota political figure. princess diana sailed outinto the mediterranean in one of mr. mohamed al-fayed'syachts today.
...with his son. ...quarter of a million pounds for photographs which appearto show the couple embracing. [ camera shutter clicks ] once again,her judgment's under scrutiny. [ reporters speakingvarious languages ] [ engines revving ] [ revving continues ] [ indistinct shouting ]
[ horn honking ] [ telephone ringing ] robin janvrin. what? [ indistinct conversations ] tell sir guyi want everyone in, a.s.a.p. sir. ma'am? hmm?
ma'am, mr. janvrinis here to see you. oh. what the... good evening, ma'am. i'm sorryto disturb, but i've just had a callfrom our embassy in paris. it's the princessof wales. why?what's she done now? i see.
um... w-who are wespeaking to there? right.well, keep me updated. it's diana. she's beenin a car accident in paris. is it serious? apparently,dodi fayed is dead. let's just recap on the detailsof those injuries, maxine. yes, nick, what they're saying is that the princess is in the intensive care unit
of a southeast paris hospital. she has a concussion, a broken arm, and... what was she doingin paris? i thought she wassupposed to be in london. oh, you knowwhat she's like. charles,isn't this awful? what are you going to doabout the boys? let them sleepuntil we know more. yes,that's sensible.
i should go to paris. i told my peopleto start organizing a jet. what, a private one? isn't that preciselythe sort of extravagance they alwaysattack us for? how else am i supposed to getto paris at this time of night? the airport at aberdeenwill be closed. charles, charles, dear,use the royal flight. they keep one planeon permanent standby --
in case i should kick the bucket. no, mummy.that's out of the question. this isn'ta matter of state. what are youtalking about? diana is no longera member of the royal family. she's not an h.r.h. this -- this isa private matter. she's motherto your grandchildren. what is happening now?
i don't know.i can't hear. everyone's shouting. thanks for coming in. the ambassador,in paris. good evening, sir. yes? [ door opens ] i've just spoken toour ambassador in paris, ma'am. i'm afraidit's not good news.
no! no. no. no, no. [ exhales sharply ] diana, princess of wales, has diedafter a car crash in paris. the french governmentannounced her death just before 5:00 this morning. what have i got onthis week? you're writingyour maiden conference speech
as prime minister. well, let's canceleverything else. this is going to bemassive. her death was confirmed by the french... i'd better make a statementin the morning. well, you'll bepleased to know i've already startedcoming up with ideas. god, she's only been deadan hour. well, would you preferi didn't do my job?
[ prince charles whispering ] they're going togo back to sleep. try, anyway. my private secretary'soffice have found a travel agencyopen in new york that will sell mea flight to paris, with an hour's stopoverin manchester. perhaps nowyou might like to consider whether it's stillan extravagance
to bring back the motherof the future king of england in one of our planes. all right.of course. john, i don't want the boysto see the news and get upset. first thingin the morning, i want the radiotaken out of the bedroom and the televisiontaken out of the nursery. [ scribbling ] [ birds chirping ]
well, well, well. are you all right? [ grunts ] your sister called --from tuscany. well, i hopeyou told her to come back, cut her holiday short. i did. can't imagineshe was pleased. that's putting it mildly.
what did she say? something about dianamanaging to be even moreannoying dead than alive. just make sureyou never let the boys hear you talk like that. [ pills rattle ] somethingto help you go down? no, i think i'll writemy diary a little longer. fine. i'm going to bed.
male reporter: we've heard nothing official from the palace yet. we still don't know when we're going to get any further statements from inside the palace. or, of course, when the royal family are due back. "and that's howshe will remain -- "in our minds,our hearts, forever." okay? got it. alastair:where will you do it? we'll do it at the church,on the way in.
all right,i'll organize it. male reporter: ...viscount althorp, diana's brother. oh. hang on.i want to watch this. this is not a time for recriminations, but for sadness. however, i would say that i always believed the press would kill her in the end. but not even i could imagine that they'd take such a direct hand in her death
as seems to be the case. it would appear that every proprietor and editor of every publication that has paid for intrusive and exploitative photographs of her has blood on his hands today. not the press, mate.you got the wrong villain. tony. oh, got to go. you about to speakto the queen?
yeah. ask herif she greased the brakes. now, now. thanks. [ sighs deeply ] hello? woman: putting you through,prime minister. please hold. right. okay.
is the prince of waleswith the boys? good. and he's goingto paris? i'm sorry to disturb,ma'am. ma'am. but i havethe prime minister for you, from his constituency. lucky you. thank you, robin.i'll take it in the study.
p.m. blair:good morning, your majesty. prime minister. may i say right awayhow very sorry i am and that the thoughtsand prayers of my family are with youat this terrible time. and with the princes,in particular. is it your intention to makesome kind of appearance? or statement? no. no.certainly not.
no member of the royal familywill speak publicly about this. this isa private matter. we would allappreciate it if it could berespected as such. i don't supposeanyone's had time to think aboutthe funeral yet? well, we've spokenwith the spencer family, and it is their wish --it is their express wish -- that this should bea private funeral,
with a memorial serviceto follow in a month or so. right. and given that diana was no longer a memberof the royal family, we have no other choicebut to respect their wishes. uh, y-you don't feel... that in view of her high profileand popularity, it might be an idea to pay tributeto her life and achievements?
or...evenjust to her as a mother? well, as i said,it's her family's wish. and the public, ma'am?the british people? you don't thinka private funeral might be denying thema chance -- a chance to what? to share in the grief. this is a family funeral,mr. blair, not a fairgroundattraction.
i think the princess hasalready paid a high-enough price for exposureto the press. don't you? now, if there's nothing else,i must get on. the childrenhave to be looked after. of course.well, goodbye, your majes-- [ click ] [ telephone beeps ] her instinctis to do nothing.
say nothing. and give hera private funeral. are you surprised? she hated her guts. well, i thinkit's a mistake. they screwed upher life. let's hope they don'tscrew up her death. where can i geta black tie? oh,the chaplain called.
he wanted to knowwhether we should make any changesin the service, any special mentionof diana. what did you say? well, i told himnot to change a thing. quite right. i think the less attentionone draws to it, the better. for the boys. but i think maybe we should findsome company for them,
some --some young people. i'll take themfor a long walk this afternoon. and we're going -- we're going,in fact, i believe, to sedgefield, theprime minister's constituency, where he isabout to make a statement. yes, the prime ministercoming now, with his wife, cherie. yeah, well,apart from that. he's on. alastair, he's on.come on.
...as her own life was often, sadly, touched by tragedy, she touched the lives of so many others in... in britain,throughout the world, with joy and with comfort. 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 -- in our hearts and in our memories... forever. a bit over the top,don't you think? male reporter: the prime minister paying his own tribute to the princess of wales.
"the people of britain," he said, "kept faith with princess diana. they loved her.she was the people's princess." did we rememberthe royal standard? yes, sir. and flowers? good, because if we leave itto the royal undertakers, they'll bring her backin a wooden crate. [ bell tolling in distance ]
[ cellphone rings ] this is lord airlie. may i speak withthe prime minister, please? uh, one moment,please. lord airlie. good afternoon,prime minister. it's my job to organizeall the ceremonial events. there is simply no precedentfor the funeral of an ex-h.r.h. perhaps we should planfor any contingency.
yes, i propose a meetingat 10:00 tomorrow morning at buckingham palace. officialsfrom all three palaces, representativesfrom the spencer family, the emergency services. would you sendsome of your people? absolutely.of course. [ cellphone beeps ] precedent?
where do they findthese people? i'm so sorry, sir. if there's anythingi or my government can do... they stood upas we drove past, in cafã©s, in restaurants. removed their hats. this was paris, one ofthe busiest cities in the world, and you could heara pin drop. i imagineit will be the same here.
the palace would stillprefer to see this asa private funeral. what are your feelingson that? i... i think that'll...present us...with difficulties. so do i. my mother, the queen, comes from a generationnot best-equipped. she grew up in the war. i think what we need,what this country needs,
i-is a more modern perspective,if you follow. balmoral is... i think i understand. [ footsteps ] male reporter: an aircraft of the queen's flight brought the princess's body home this evening, where the prime minister, tony blair, had gatheredwith members of his government. a single black hearse crossed the tarmac,
and a royal air force guardof honour moved slowly forward. has anyone heardfrom the spencers yet? have they made up their mindswhen the funeral will be? well, i don't know.nobody tells me anything. female reporter: president clinton was with his wife when he heard the news last night. we liked her very much. we admired her work for children, for people with aids,
for the cause of ending the scourge of land mines... on our walk today,one of the ghillies said he'd seen a large stagup craggy head. he reckoned 14 points. oh! we haven't had one as bigas that on the estate for years. no. quite. and, uh, i was tremendously impressed... anyway, i thoughtit might be a good distraction.
what -- stalking? you don't thinkthat's a bit soon, do you? i think anything that gets themoutside is a good idea. male reporter: but as their relationship deteriorated, she becamean increasingly unhappy figure. the couple divorced in august of last year. [ crowd cheering ] it was the love story that brought crowds into the streets.
they came to see the queen, of course, and the prince. but most of all, they came to see diana. but the seemingly perfect fairy tale was destined not... she gave us so much. why couldn't we have given hera little something and left her alone? [ voice breaking ]it just...hurts me so much. i've never experiencedanything like this. i can't -- i think --
i keep waiting to wake up,like it's a bad dream. [ gavel bangs ] right, it's 10:00.let's get started, shall we? and thank you all for comingat such short notice. i think we all agree that this is an extraordinarilysensitive occasion which presents uswith tremendous challenges. logistically... constitutionally...
practically... diplomatically... and procedurally. oh, christ. "after 18 yearsof opposition, "i am proudto stand before you as the new prime ministerof our country." labour prime minister. "i want to set an ambitiouscourse to modernize this country
"to breathe new lifeinto old institutions. to make privilege somethingfor the many, not the few." alastair:flippin' heck! you thinkthe royals are nutters? you should meettheir flunkies. 2 1/2 hours on whethershe should be carried ina hearse or a gun carriage. anyway, you got ravesin the press. this lot call you"the nation's mourner-in-chief." [ telephone rings ]
this lot saysyou're the only person who's correctly judgedthe mood of the country. even the mailwas impressed. "people's princess," mate.you owe me. gordon for you. tell him to hang on. alastair. so, have they cometo their senses? is it gonna bea public funeral?
yeah, saturday. it's a whopper --the abbey, the works. great. has anyone...told the queen yet? i don't know. no doubt some flunkywill be dispatched, groveling on all fours. do you think it's wise forthe boys to go stalking so soon? queen mother:anything that gets them intothe fresh air is a good thing.
maybe they shouldn'ttake their guns. i mean, if a photographerwere to see them, it might send outthe wrong signal. if there is a photographerout there, he could bethe first kill of the day. i see mr. fayedwas buried last night. at midnight --no cameras, no fuss. very dignified. why do they do that?
why do they bury their bodiesso soon after the death? islamic tradition. something to dowith the heat. it stops the bodydecomposing. yes, come in. good morning,ma'am. yes, robin.what can we do for you? uh, ma'am... there was a meetingat the palace this morning.
about the funeralarrangements, yes. the lord chamberlainfaxed over these plans for you to consider. there is nowgeneral agreement, ma'am, that a public funeralwould be more appropriate. and what formwill this funeral take? at the moment,they're suggesting... ...and, of course,these are early days... basing it on tay bridge.
tay bridge? but tay bridge isthe code name for my funeral. indeed, ma'am. but it would befor practical reasons only. it's the only onewhich has been... rehearsed. the only one that could beput together in time. but i supervised those plansmyself. indeed.
and the lord chamberlainwas at pains to stress that the spiritof the occasion will be quite different. for example, the suggestionis that instead of 400 soldiers, 400 representatives ofthe princess's various charities march behindthe...coffin. and insteadof foreign heads of state and crown headsof europe, the guests would include
a sprinkling of actorsof stage and screen, fashion designers, and other... celebrities. celebrities? um, was there --was there anything else? no, ma'am. oh, yes.one other thing. the police commissionerwas keen
that you consider the ideaof a condolence book. it would give the growing crowdssomething to do -- make marshaling themeasier. oh, yes.yes, of course. oh, a-and the flowers. what flowers? the flowersoutside buckingham palace. at the moment, they're blockingthe path through the main gate and will make thingsdifficult
for the changingof the guard. oh, fine.then just move them away. actually, the lord chamberlainwas wondering whether we shouldn'tleave the flowers and s-send the guardsthrough the north gate. yes.that's quite right. stephen lamport on 1. who? the prince of wales'private secretary -- balmoral.
he says it's urgent. lamport: good morning,prime minister. the prince of waleshas asked me to thank you again for your kind wordsyesterday. not at all. the prince feels that you and he... are both modern menof similar mind... who could work well togetherat this difficult time.
uh, well,please thank his highness and assure him he cancount on my full support. at all times. was that it? uh, yes. goodbye. [ receiver clicks in cradle ] bizarre. why is charlesdoing this?
woman: what? creeping up to melike this. banging onabout being modern. he did it at the airport, when he asked meto deal with his mother. because he knows thatif the queen continuesto get it wrong over diana, then the royals will becomepublic enemy number one. and he's terrifiedof being shot, apparently. who? charles?
his people have alreadybeen onto us to askfor extra protection. he probably thinks thatif he seems to be on our side, then that'll leave the queenin the firing line. what, so it's okayfor his mother to takethe bullet and not him? [ scoffs ] what a family. wait -- where are they? they're upat craggy head.
i'll come with you. do you want meto drive? no, certainly not. [ engine sputters, turns over ] i thought you were going to geta new one of these. what for?it's perfectly all right. [ gearshift creaks ] i was thinking last nightwhat diana might have done had it been me that diedin the tunnel in paris.
she would certainlyhave taken the boys to paris. i rather regretnot doing that now. [ scoffs ] what,and expose them to the media? that would have beena dreadful thing to do. no, they'remuch better off here. it's private.they're protected. whatever else you may havethought of diana, she wasa wonderful mother. she adored those boys --and never let them forget it.
always warm. and physical. never afraidto show her feelings. especially whenevera photographer was in sight. she may have encouragedall that, but still... that was always theextraordinary thing about her -- her weaknessesand transgressions only made the publiclove her more. yet ours only make themhate us.
why is that?why do they hate us so much? not us, dear. yesterday, when webrought the coffin back, there was a noise,a bang, and i don't mind telling you,i thought it was a gun. i thought someonehad taken a shot at me. i thinki'm going to walk back. [ gearshift clicks ] i don't feel likestalking.
oh, are you --you sure? i'll take the dogs. walkies? yes! [ bird cries ] man: do you think you'll ever be queen? [ chuckles ] no, i don't. no. why do you think that? i'd like to be a queen of people's hearts,
in people's hearts. but i don't see myselfbeing queen of this country. i don't think many peoplewould want me to be queen. actually,when i say "many people," i mean the establishment that i married into. because they've decidedthat i'm a nonstarter. charles and i had a talkin the car today. [ inhales deeply ] he was good enoughto share with me
his thoughtson motherhood. what did he say? how wonderful diana was. that's changing his tune. what a natural. they see meas a -- a threat of some kind. oh, for god's sake! maybe he's got a point.maybe we are partly to blame. oh, i can't watch this.
no, no, wait.please, no, leave it. because i don't go by a rule book, because i lead from the heart, not the head. and albeit that's got meinto trouble in my work. i understand that. we encouraged the match. we signed off on it --both of us. you were very enthusiastic,remember? she was a nice girl... then.
and i was surehe'd give the other one up. or at least make surehis wife toed the line. isn't thatwhat everyone does? is it? do you think mrs. parker-bowles was a factor in the breakdown of your marriage? well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded. i can't bear itanymore.
if you're watching,i'll sleep next door. male reporter: ...and of her obsession with the belief that charles continued to love a woman he'd fallen for years before. oh... [ channel changes ] ♪ heaven must be missing an angel ♪ ♪ missing one angel, child ♪ ♪ 'cause you're here with me right now ♪
[ groans ] [ television turns off ] the good news is thatthe palace has agreed to video screensin the royal parks. and the bad news? crash barriers. what about them? well,they're now predicting more than 2 million peoplewill descend on london.
there aren't enough barriersto line the route. so we've gone cap in handto the french for theirs. and there's something elsei think you should see. can we run that pieceagain? you're gonna love this. woman: i think it's a disgrace on the whole royal family. okay, the queen's not in residence today, but where the hell is the flag? eh? you see what i'm saying about the establishment?
don't tell me there isn't a flagflying at half-mast over buckingham palace. to people, she was their king and queen, dodi and them two were together. it was a fairy tale come true. will someone please savethese people from themselves? fine.i'll call balmoral. planet zog. becauseas prime minister,
i've really gotnothing better to do. [ lighter clicking ] oh. well, i brought some stewjust in case. i think it's lamb.we could always have that cold. no.we'll be all right. stay. robin had a callfrom the prime minister, who expressed his concern. about what?
about the flagabove buckingham palace. he thinks it should be flyingat half-mast. then i hope robin told him there isn't a flagabove buckingham palace. there'sthe royal standard, which fliesfor one reason only -- to denote the presenceof the monarch. since you're here,the flagpole is bare, which isas it should be.
isn't it possiblethat for some people, the royal standard is...just a flag? and thatthe flagpole being bare sends outthe wrong signal? no, that's not the point. the point is,it's more than 400 years old. it's never been loweredfor anyone. your grandfather didn't getthe flag at half-mast when he died.
and if your mother diedtomorrow, she wouldn't either. prince charles:yes, granny, but sometimes,in a situation like this, one has to be flexible. it is just a flag. "what about the union jack?"was mr. blair's next suggestion. [ laughs ]for heaven's sake. the next thing,he'll be suggesting you change your name to hildaand mine to hector. who does he thinkhe's talking to?
you're the sovereign,the head of state. you don't getdictated to. you've conceded the ideaof a public funeral. you've opened up the parks.that's enough. shh. the boys. you wait. in 48 hours,this will all have calmed down. [ dogs barking ] well, in one sense,it's comforting.
for the first time,my parents can see what it's been like for meall these years being up againsther popularity. but they're stillmaking the mistake of thinkingthe diana they knew from livingand dealing with her will eventually be the oneseen by the public, but it won't. the two dianas,the public's and ours,
bear no relationto one another at all. i've been thinking -- the flag of st. george'sis at half-mast over highgrove? well, make sure we geta picture of that inthe papers, will you? i'll get onto the tabloids,call in a few favors. what about a statementof gratitude to the crowds? something heartfeltfrom myself and the boys, thanking people forall the flowers and so on. that'sthe stalking party off.
we'd better havea look at those papers. "show us there's a heartin the house of windsor," says the sun. "it's proof the royalsare not like us" -- the mirror. "time to change the old guard atbuckingham palace" -- express. "one can't help wonderingwhose advice they're taking, for it's clearlythe wrong advice." i'll trynot to take that personally. "people have been yearningfor a change in this country."
"the result is a quietrevolution now taking place led by the real modernizers --the british people." revolution? who wrote this? where does thiscome from? where does it come from? you just wona huge landslide majority. people want to seea change. why? what do you thinkit meant?
hurry up, dear.your tea is getting cold. is that it? just the letterof condolence to the widowof the ambassador to brazil. good.thank you. tea! mr. janvrin. the prime ministerwishes to speak to her majesty. apparently, the prime ministeris on the phone for you.
tell him to call back. no, no. it's all right.i'll take it. good morning, your majesty.sorry to disturb. but i was just wondering whether you'd seenany of today's papers. we've managed to lookat one or two, yes. in which casemy...next question would be whether you feltsome kind of response [ on speakerphone ]might be necessary.
i believea few overeager editors are doing their bestto sell newspapers, and it would be a mistaketo dance to their tune. under normal circumstances,i would agree. but... well, my advisers... have been taking the temperatureamong people on the streets. and, well,the information i'm getting is that the mood...
is quite delicate. so, what would you suggest,prime minister -- some kindof a statement? i believe the momentfor statements has passed. i would suggestflying the flag at half-mast above buckingham palace. and... coming down to londonat the earliest opportunity. it would be a great comfortto your people
and would help them... with their grief. their grief? if you imaginei'm going to drop everything and come down to london beforei attend to my grandchildren, who have just losttheir mother... then you're mistaken. i doubt there is anyonewho knows the british people more than i do,mr. blair,
nor who has a greater faithin their wisdom and judgment. and it is my belief that theywill, any moment, reject this... this mood which is beingstirred up by the press in favor of a periodof restrained grief and sober,private mourning. that's the way we do thingsin this country -- quietly. with dignity. that's what the rest of theworld has always admired us for.
if that's your decision,ma'am, of course, the governmentwill support it. let's keep in touch. yes. let's. bloody fool. and nowyour tea's gone cold. tony... robin janvrin on 1. he was listening in.
robin. i understand how difficulther behavior must seem to you, how unhelpful. but try and see itfrom her perspective. she's been brought upto believe it's god's will that she is who she is. i think we shouldleave god out of it. it's... it's just not helpful.
she just won't have seenanything like this since the abdication, and i cannot emphasize enoughwhat effect that had on her. unexpectedly becoming kingas good as killed her father. i'm afraidshe's in a state of shock. this public reactionhas completely thrown her. all right. but first we have to dealwith these terrible headlines. i'll see what i can dowith the press.
i'm most grateful,prime minister. but i can't promiseanything. it's not methey want to see. ask alastairto come and see me, would you? okay. and cancelwhat i'm doing tonight. [ engine idling ] your majesty. morning, ma'am.
thomas,where have they gone today? up to abergavenny ridge,ma'am. all that way? remind me --that's right at the fork? that's right, ma'am. you follow the track forabout a mile past glen quarter, and thenyou come to... the river. ooh.[ inhales sharply ]
one of the ladswill drive you. no, no. that's all right.i'll manage, thank you. [ engine revs ] [ metal clanks ] [ engine stops ] bugger it. [ emergency brake engages ] ohhhhh, how stupid. queen elizabeth ii:hello, thomas.
hello, ma'am. i'm afraid i've donesomething rather foolish. i've broken the prop shaftcrossing the river. are you sure, ma'am? yes,of course i'm sure. it's the front one,not the rear. lost the four-wheel drive. don't forget -- i used to bea mechanic during the war. and are you all right?
no, no,i'm perfectly all right. we'll come outstraightaway. oh, would you?thank you. thank you very much. yes, i'll wait by the car.you are kind. bye. mm. [ exhales deeply ] [ sniffles ] [ crying ]
oh, you're a beauty. [ gunshot in distance ] shoo! shoo! go on! go on. go on! [ dog barks ] i've just been toldthere's news crews outside waiting for youto come and speak to the people.
what's all that about? i told the queen'sprivate secretary i'd do what i couldto help with the press. why? don't you thinkshe deserves it? sitting up thereon her 40,000 acres. yes, but allowing herto hang herself might not bein our best interest either. besides...
i thinkthere's something... ugly about the wayeveryone's started to bully her. the first thing that you -- you obviously think about is, uh...is -- is the rest of your family. and i think -- man: is she coming to london, mr. blair? woman: she's --she's our figurehead. she is, and her thoughts are with us all. she wanted me to pass on to the people here,
crowding around... male reporter: in a moment to spare, the prime minister went down downing street... how are the boys? prince phillip:not so good tonight. a lotof slamming doors. i thinkthey saw the papers. oh, no! i'll take them out early againtomorrow morning.
let them take it outon the stag. woman:what do you think of the waythe royal family has behaved? they've made a serious mistake. pardon? why? what do you mean? well, they should have came -- they should have -- the family should have come down to buckingham palace on sunday afternoon -- all of them.
that girl's been left on her own. she's on her own up there, and the place is empty. oh, please. sleeping in the streetsand pulling out their hair for someonethey never knew? and they think we're mad. have you seenthe latest funeral guest list? i suggestyou keep it that way. a chorus lineof soap stars and homosexuals.
apparently, elton johnis going to be singing. that'll be a firstfor westminster abbey. condolence books are nowbeing signed in our embassies in every major cityin the world. and in london alone,the number has reached 40. it reminds meof one of those films. a few of us in a fort,hordes of zulus outside. so it's vitalyou hold firm. stick to your guns.
you wait. they willcome to their senses soon. they have to. come on.move over, cabbage. [ theme music plays ] smith: good morning. it's 6:00 on thursday,the 4th of september. i'm penny smith. and i'm matthew lorenzo. as the first people start camping out
on the route of princess diana's funeral cortege, questions are being asked about why the queen hasn't addressed her subjects at this time of national grief. this is what the newspapers are saying this morning. the sun -- "where is our queen? where is her flag?" the express --"show us you care." picture of a grumpy queen. the mail -- "let the flag flyat half-mast."
and inside -- "the queen shouldbe here to show her respects." but the flip side is, "blair more popular nowthan churchill shock." but did any of them pick upon our statement of support? well, just the one.um... statements of supportdon't sell papers. robin:ma'am. ma'am. the prime ministerfor you, ma'am. i'm afraidhe's rather insisting.
i'll take itin the kitchen. good morning,i'm so sorry to disturb you. i'm just expecting a phone callto be put through here. out! oh, there it is. thank you, peter. [ inhales, exhales deeply ] good morning,prime minister. good morning, ma'am.
you've seentoday's headlines? yes, i have. then i'm sure you'll agreethe situation has become... quite critical. ma'am? a poll that's to be publishedin tomorrow's papers suggests that70% of people believe that your actionshave damaged the monarchy. and that...one in fourare now in favor
of abolishing the monarchyaltogether. as your prime minister, i believe it ismy constitutional responsibility to advisethe following... is queen elizabethup yet? mummy? one -- fly the flag at half-mastabove buckingham palace and all otherroyal residences. two -- leave balmoraland fly down to london
at the earliestopportunity. three... pay respects, in person,at diana's coffin. and four -- make a statementvia live television to my peopleand the world. swift prosecutionof these matters might, he felt, just mightavert disaster. you will have to talkto the lord chamberlainabout all this. well, i have.and to robert fellowes.
and it seems they both agreewith mr. blair. something's happened. there's been a change,some... shift in values. when you no longerunderstand your people, mummy, maybe it is time to hand it overto the next generation. oh, don't be ridiculous. remember the vow you took? "i declare that my whole life,whether it be long or short,
shall be devotedto your service." your whole life. that is a commitment to god,as well as your people. but what if my actionsare damaging the crown? damaging it? you're the greatest assetthis institution has. one of the greatestit has ever had. the problem will comewhen you leave. but you mustn'tthink about that now,
and certainly not today. oh, mummy. you must showmore strength. re-assert your authority. you sit on the most powerfulthrone in europe. head ofan unbroken line that goes backmore than 1,000 years. do you thinkany of your predecessors would have dropped everythingand gone up to london
because a bunch of hystericscarrying candles needed helpwith their grief? as for that sillymr. blair, with hischeshire cat grin... mr. janvrinon the phone for you, sir. what?! i can't hear! well, that's madness! the whole thing!
bloody madness! i've just been told. you've...decided we're to followthe prime minister's advice. i just want to say,i... admire... i thinkit's the right decision. let's hopewe haven't left it too late. male reporter: these arehistoric shots of the windsors. clearly, the queen has had a change of heart.
she's clearly responding to the need to feel that the royal family is somehow engaged. these are flowers that have been brought to the gates of balmoral so that she can actually see some token of what's been expressed down here in london. cherie: fish fingers.do you want any? be right there. thank god for that!
i'm afraidthey're a bit burnt. male reporter: from cnn international, this is world news, with ralista vassileva from cnn center. britain's queen elizabeth will deliver a televised address friday. the royal family has been accused of not showing enough remorse over princess diana's death. [ bagpipe music playingin distance ] where are the boys?have they already left?
they left for londonafter breakfast, with charles. it's not right,you know. no, but further discussionis no longer helpful either. [ sighs ] oh, well. i suppose it does givethe ghillies time to find another stagfor the boys now theirshas been shot. haven't you heard? he wandered over toone of the neighboring estates,
where one ofthe commercial guests got him. really? which estate? [ engines idling ] here's your box. there's some policy unit stuffhere that's important. and have you seenthe papers? no, i thoughti'd give them a miss today. of coursei've seen the papers.
not bad, eh? "your majesty,come down to london." "who says so?""tony blair." mr. father of the nation. [ door opens, closes ] [ dog barking ] is it his lordshipyou've come to see? oh, no, no, no.please don't disturb him. no, i've comeon another matter.
i hope you don't mind. there he is. he is a beauty,isn't he? an imperial, ma'am. 14-pointer. he was wounded. we got our guest invery close, had him lined upperfect. and still...
an investment banker, ma'am,from london. i'm afraid the stalkershad to follow him for miles to finish him off. let's hopehe didn't suffer too much. please pass my congratulationsto your guest. i will, ma'am. god bless you,ma'am. yes, robin. landing in 15 minutes.
man: and the anger,as somebody said earlier, perhaps was justthat people grieving need to target their angerat somebody. and royal protocol might have been the thingthat got in the way. but royal protocol's beingswept aside en masse today. woman: princess diana! man: ...days like trooping the colour or v-day or v-j day.
this is a tragic occasion. woman:it looks as though the queenis about to -- she is. she's getting out of the carand is going to talk to people. it's extremely unusual. this is -- this is almost unprecedented. i-i-i think perhaps the last time the queen was among her people outside the palace was -- was the day the war in europe ended. it's really as if the publicand the royal family,
the monarchy, have hada bit of a quarrel this week, and now it's being healed in some measure. like a family spat, not unlike the family spats that they could acknowledge with diana. i mean, jenny is quite right to say that whatever the professional ups and downs between the queen and the princess... they sent a copyof the queen's speech. might want to scrape the frostoff it first.
...and i think the queen is very generous in recognizing that her oldest son wasn't always the easiest chap to be married to. i've phoned themwith a couple of suggestions to make it sound likeit came from a human being. yeah, all right,alastair. well, at leastthe old bat's finally agreed to visit diana's coffin. you know, when you get it wrong,you really get it wrong.
that womanhas given her whole life in service to her people. 50 years doing a jobshe never wanted, a job she watchedkill her father. she's executed itwith honor, dignity, and, as far as i can tell,without a single blemish. and now we're all bayingfor her blood! all because she's strugglingto lead the world in mourning for someone who threw everythingshe offered back in her face
and who, for the last few years,seemed committed 24/7 to destroying everythingshe holds most dear! [ camera shutters clicking ] hello. would you like meto place those for you? these are for you. for me? there's been a last-minuteaddition from downing street. they're suggesting adding"and as a grandmother" here.
"so what i say to you now, "as your queenand as a grandmother, i say from my heart." you thinkyou can say it? do i have a choice? they're ready for you,your majesty. just to confirm,this is going out live. and you'll be at the frontof the 6:00 news on all the channels.
man:okay, nice and quiet. man #2:10 seconds, everyone. male reporter: we cross now, live, to buckingham palace for the queen's tribute to princess diana. since last sunday'sdreadful news, we have seen, throughout britainand around the world, an overwhelming expressionof sadness at diana's death. we have all been trying,in our different ways, to cope. it is not easyto express a sense of loss,
since the initial shock is often succeeded by a mixture of other feelings -- disbelief, incomprehension, anger, and concern for those who remain. we have all felt those emotions in these last few days. so what i say to you now, as your queenand as a grandmother, i say from my heart. "heart."
what heart? she doesn't meana word of this. that's not the point. what she's doingis extraordinary. in good times and bad... that's how to survive. listen to you. a week ago,you were the great modernizer, making speechesabout "the people's princess."
now you've gone weakat the knees. shh, shh, shh. ...and especially her devotion to her two boys. you know, i don't knowwhy i'm so surprised. at the end of the day, all labour prime ministersgo gaga for the queen. ...millions of others who nevermet her but felt they knew her will remember her. i, for one, believe
that there are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death. i share in your determination to cherish her memory. i hope that tomorrow,we can all, wherever we are, join in expressing our griefat diana's loss and gratitudefor her all-too-short life. may those who diedrest in peace. and may we,each and every one of us, thank god for someone who mademany, many people happy.
male reporter:diana's coffin now on the move the short distancefrom st. james's palace to her homeat kensington palace, for the final nightbefore her burial tomorrow. it's incredible --less than a week. who could have imaginedsuch scenes? [ woman and choir singingrequiem ] viscount althorp:diana was the very essenceof compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty...
a very british girlwho transcended nationality... someone with a natural nobilitywho was classless and who proved in the last yearthat she needed no royal title to continue to generateher particular brand of magic. i would like to endby thanking god for the small mercieshe's shown us at this dreadful time, for taking diana ather most beautiful and radiant and when she had joyin her private life.
above all, we give thanksfor the life of a woman i'm so proudto be able to call my sister -- the unique, the complex, the extraordinaryand irreplaceable diana, whose beauty,both internal and external, will never be extinguishedfrom our minds. [ applause ] [ bell tolls ] so, off to seeyour girlfriend?
you know, i hope she shows yousome respect this time. it's quite a debt of gratitudeshe owes you -- mr. saviorof the monarchy. i doubt she'll see it that way. robin.good to see you. "tony" -- please. the prime minister,your majesty. do sit down. uh, thank you.
it's goodto see you again. after what's been...quite a summer. i'm referring to your visitto india and pakistan, where your commentson ending historic disagreements went down very well. on the commonwealthheads of government meeting, i spoke to the prime ministerof malawi, and he was sayinghow much he appreciated your tough standson nigeria.
i meant to tell youat the time, but, uh... you were being monopolized,rather. i imagine those occasionsmust be quite difficult -- 24 heads of government, each clamoringfor a private audience. also, we haven't hada chance to speak since... that week. and i wantedto offer my apologies. whatever for?
in case you felt manhandledor managed in any way. no, not at all. i don't thinki shall ever understand what happenedthis summer. well... the circumstanceswere exceptional, ma'am. and in the end,you showed great personal strength,courage, and humility. you're confusing humilitywith humiliation.
that's not true. you didn't read the cardson the flowers outside the palacethat friday. well, i actually thinkhistory will show it was a good weekfor you. and an even better onefor you, mr. blair. but there are 52 weeksin the year, ma'am... and 2,500 in the timesince you've been queen. and when people cometo assess your legacy,
they won't rememberthose few days. oh, really? you don't thinkthat what affection people once had for... for this institution... has been diminished? no. not at all. you're more respected nowthan ever. i gather some ofyour closest advisers
were less fulsomein their support. [ chuckles ]well, one or two. but as a leader, i could never have addedmy voice to that chorus. because you saw those headlinesand you thought "one day,that might happen to me." uh... and it will,mr. blair... quite suddenlyand without warning.
so, shall we get onwith the business in hand? oh, look. oh, i do lovethis time of day. shall we walkwhile there's still light? you know, the clocksgo back next week. it'll be darkbefore 5:00. i do hopeyou're a walker. i am. i always thinkthese meetings
have a far greaterchance of success if the prime ministeris a walker. as a matter of fact, it's howi think best -- on my feet. you know, i've never been onefor sitting around endlessly. a good walk and fresh airsorts everything out. one in four, you said,wanted to get rid of me? for about half an hour. but thenyou came down to london, and all that went away.
i've never been hatedlike that before. and that must have beendifficult. very. nowadays, people wantglamour and tears -- the grand performance. i'm not very good at that.i never have been. i prefer to keep my feelingsto myself. and, foolishly,i believed that was what the peoplewanted from their queen --
not to make a fuss, nor wearone's heart on one's sleeve. duty first,self second. that's howi was brought up. that's alli've ever known. you were so youngwhen you became queen. yes, a girl. but i can seethat the world has changed. and one must...modernize. well, perhapsthat's where i can help.
ohh... don't get ahead of yourself,prime minister. remember, i am the onesupposed to be advising you. come on, dogs. so, tell me, mr. blair, what might we expectin your first parliament? uh, well, ma'am... top of the listis education reform. we want to...
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