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CNN Live Event/Special

Britain's Prince Philip Dies At The Age Of 99; Inside Myanmar As Military Tries To Control Information. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired April 09, 2021 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[13:00:00]

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: It is a sad day across Britain today, as people across this country mourn Prince Philip. Prince Philip, the patriarch of the monarchy has died. It was announced today at the age of 99. Just two months shy of his 100th birthday.

Buckingham Palace made the announcement saying the Queen's quote, beloved husband passed away this morning at Windsor Castle. Prince Philip served the crown for seven decades. He was married to Queen Elizabeth for 73 years. It was almost always seen at her side.

Now, Westminster Abbey where of course, the coronation of the Queen took place, the wedding of Prince Philip and the Queen also took place is the bells are tolling. There 99 bells, one for each year of the life of Prince Philip. Let's listen in as they ring out those bells in honor of the Duke of Edinburgh.

Yes. The plan is for Westminster Abbey, which sent its condolences to the Queen and to the royal family to essentially ring out 99 times the bells of Westminster Abbey, such an important and iconic place for the royal family where every coronation since the 11th century has taken place for the monarchs of the royal family. Let's listen in again. It seems as though there's quite a bit of a gap between each bell ringing. Let's listen in.

We were told, its one bell per minute. So it gives you a sense of just the mood, the atmosphere one of mourning, it is a sad day. This is what's happening in central London at one minute past 6:00 p.m. local time at Westminster Abbey. As I mentioned, it's a very, very important place of course in the history of the royal family, coronations take place there. Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth were married there, all the big events of the royal family unfolding there.

And there you heard it, maybe one more bell marking the second minute into the 6:00 p.m. hour here honoring Prince Philip. So as I mentioned, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth married 73 years, he is the longest serving consort to a British monarch. The Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh saying you earned the affection of generations in the U.K., across the Commonwealth and around the world. Listen to Boris Johnson a bit earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Like the expert carriage driver that he was, he helped to steer the royal family and the monarchy so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance of happiness of our national life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, British lawmakers say they will convene parliament on Monday, a day earlier than planned to pay tribute to Prince Philip. The U.K. House of Commons tweeting, the House of Commons will sit at 2:30 p.m. on Monday the 12th of April for tributes to His Royal Highness the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Well, mourners have gathered outside Buckingham Palace today to pay their respects. And CNN is learning that Prince Philip will not be lying in state which might come as a surprise to some of you watching. Instead, his funeral will take place at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Those were his wishes.

And because COVID-19 restrictions are still very much in place across the country the public will not be able to attend because of these COVID-19 safety precautions. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip married all the way back in 1947. And for the decades to come, it was quite rare to see them apart.

CNN's Max Foster takes a look back at the life of the Duke of Edinburgh and his support of Britain's monarch, Queen Elizabeth.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They were married for more than seven decades, but have been destined for each other since childhood according to one of Queen Elizabeth bridesmaids.

MARGARET RHODES, COUSIN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II: I think she fell in love when she was 13. I mean, God, he was good looking. You know, he was a sort of Viking god. She'd never looked at anybody else ever. And I think she really truly has been a rock.

FOSTER (voice-over): The couple married in Westminster Abbey on November the 20th 1947. For the rest of his life, Prince Philip was a near constant presence of the Queen side. He gave a rare insight into life behind palace walls when celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

[13:05:17]

PRINCE PHILIP, DUKE OF EDINBURGH: I think that the main lesson that we've learned is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient of any happy marriage. It may not be quite so important when things are going well. But it is absolutely vital when things get difficult. And you can take it from me that the Queen has the quality of tolerance and abundance.

FOSTER (voice-over): If this companionship came at a professional costs, it was one Prince Philip was prepared to pay. RHODES: Just have been there all the time behind her and ready to sacrifice his life. He did it to sacrifice his life because he would have loved to go on the Navy and really made a career out of that. So he sacrificed too. And so I think it's made for a wonderful solid marriage.

FOSTER (voice-over): Queen, Anne left (ph) and Mountbatten met before the Second World War when he was a young naval cadet.

ROBERT HARDMAN, ROYAL BIOGRAPHER: His number one job from the word go has been to quote support the Queen. Everything he does is in support of the Queen. And it's just been one of the great royal romances I think of history. People talk about Victoria and Albert as a phrase that trips off the tongue, and I've no doubt that in years to come people talk about Elizabeth and Philip in exactly the same way.

FOSTER (voice-over): Famous for his energy. The Dukes health inevitably deteriorated as he headed into old age.

The Royal Family Christmas was disrupted in 2011 when Philip had to be taken to hospital for minor heart surgery. Five months later, during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Philip had to go to hospital again, this time with a bladder infection.

Family came and went. And within days, Philip was well enough to return home, but not to return immediately to his public duties. In the spring of 2017, Prince Philip effectively announced his retirement, saying he would give up official royal duties. A year and a half later, he was involved in a car crash, raising questions about whether he should be driving at the age of 97.

Then public appearances were reserved for special occasions such as Lady Gabriella Windsor's wedding in May 2019. Prince Philip has been patron or president of some 800 charities, including the WWF. He was a renowned environmental campaigner. He also had his own royal heritage, being born into the Greek and Danish royal families. But he renounced those titles when he took British citizenship in 1947.

So what of his role in the British monarchy?

CONSTANTINE II OF GREECE, PRINCE PHILIP'S COUSIN: I think a pivotal, pivotal point, because he was the head of the family he was in -- it's his responsibility as a father to be that he does that extremely well.

FOSTER (on camera): Would have been difficult for him always in public to be taking a backseat to his wife?

CONSTANTINE II: I would have thought that anybody who has that responsibility will find it, I would say, taxing but you -- when you have this whole concept in your blood, and you keep your sense of humor and your sense of dignity, and you carry it out beautifully.

FOSTER (voice-over): And one thing Prince Philip certainly had was a sense of humor, and a tendency to make gaffes.

On a trip to Australia in 2002, he asked an Aboriginal leader, do you still throw spears at each other? And when meeting the Obamas in 2009, a reference to world leaders.

PHILIP: Can you tell the difference between them?

FOSTER (voice-over): Prince Philip, servicemen, campaigner, great grandfather, and a beloved husband.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Max Foster there, the legacy of Prince Philip, some of his gaffes as well, that Max mentioned in that piece.

Isa Soares is outside Windsor Castle where mourners are gathering. And I saw a little crowd just a few hours ago. What's the scene now where you are?

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: People are definitely coming out. I'm seeing more and more people now coming out to pay their respects, Hala. And I've been able to go up to the Castle, or Windsor Castle to be able to speak to a couple of people, many people saying to me that they remember him as being honorable, as being loyal, as being dutiful. So many telling me he was always the man who stood next to the Queen or just a few feet behind the Queen.

[13:10:00]

And so many more have mentioned how much pain and sorrow the Queen must be going through right now. And I think that's something that has come through from what I heard from people today here at Windsor Castle. I'm joined here by one mourner, in fact. Annabelle (ph) coming through, give me a sense, I saw you walking up with some flowers. Why are you paying your respects today? What did he mean to you?

ANNABELLE (ph): Well, he always seemed like a very genuine nice, man. And, you know, I remember actually meeting him when I was about nine years old in Richmond Park, and I was dancing with my school for there in Queen's Jubilee. And he came up to all of the girls. And, you know, he was just so, he was so welcoming. He was so warm. And he even, you know, put a few jokes in as well. Like he was just, you could actually relate to him. And he was just so nice.

So I think it really is a great loss because it's the end of an era for my parent's generation and, you know, for young people as well. So it's a great loss, and my thoughts go out to them, the royal family.

SOARES: I think it's wonderful that you've come out and you're paying your respects. I've seen, you know, an older generation. But what do you hear from your parents and your grandparents as to how they remember him? What did they mean to him?

ANNABELLE (ph): Well, like you said, they always saw him right beside the Queen in every public event. And I think therefore, a lot of people just had a lot of respect for him. And yes, he just, he was great.

SOARES: Annabelle (ph), thank you very much.

ANNABELLE (ph): Thank you very much.

SOARES: Thank you for your time to speak to us. So, Hala, this is what I've been hearing here at Windsor Castle. So many people saying he was an honorable, dutiful, loyal figure, her man who paid who really paid his life, spent his life dedicated to the woman, love his wife 73 years, but also love for his country. Hala?

GORANI: All right. Isa Soares, thanks very much outside Windsor Castle. Of course, there are still some pretty major COVID restrictions. And that's something we need to keep. And mind and people are not necessarily being encouraged to come out and lay flowers and congregate. Let's head over to Buckingham Palace where Anna Stewart is joining us. I mean, obviously you can't keep people from, you know, wanting to express their sympathies and coming over to Buckingham Palace. What's the see now because when we spoke to you last hour, there were already quite a few flowers against the gates of Buckingham Palace?

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Yes. The bouquets of flowers have been growing and it's interesting, isn't it? It's almost a natural reaction when there is sad royal news for people to flock to palaces and castles to pay their respects. It's something we saw with the Queen Mother with Princess Diana.

And really, although the crowds are much smaller than usual, it has been no different in that sense of people wanting to pay their respects, wanting to speak about the life that he led, and wanting to lay those flowers. But the Cabinet Office from the government has said that they don't want people congregating outside royal residences given we are in the midst of a pandemic, given England remains in a partial lockdown. The royal family have unveiled their book of condolences online this time so that people perhaps can pay their respects that way, but I'm not sure whether it'll fully stop people from gathering here.

It's incredible the warmth you feel. I could hear with the guest that Isa was speaking to there, great warmth, people really impressed with the duty I think that Prince Philip really represented. He was an active service in the royal family for 65 years and then the military before that. And we've been speaking to people as well that say, Buckingham Palace, just to get their thoughts on Prince Philip and what he meant to them. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was a big symbol for a lot of people in England. And it's nice to pay our respects to him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have deep respect for the Queen. I love her. I think she's a wonderful woman. And I'm very sad for today because she's lost a life partner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he embodies everything about the country, really. And I think he's just a real kind of royal car (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This morning I was in tears. And, you know, it's just a sudden, you know, news about him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he was a complicated man. But he was very hard working. And she loved him. And I think in his way he loved her. And I think that's wonderful. And it was a very, very long love story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART: And that's where people's thoughts are today with Her Majesty, the Queen, who has lost a husband of 73 years. And she of course once called him has strengthened stay and the loss must be devastating, so many people's thoughts, of course with her today. Hala?

GORANI: All right. Anna Stewart thanks very much.

Let's bring in Sean Lang. He's a senior lecturer in history at Anglia Ruskin University. He joins me from Cambridge. Thanks very much for joining us. What does this lost you think mean for the royal family and more broadly for the country? He's been front and center really in terms of public service for seven plus decades.

[13:15:04]

SEAN LANG, SENIOR LECTURER IN HISTORY, ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY: Yes, I think that's exactly the point. But it's that length of time, both in the public eye and the length of time of his marriage. And that sort of continuity, which of course, in many ways applies to the Queen as well gives us a sense, I suppose, of a connection to previous generations. It's one of those important symbols that ties the generations together.

And inevitably, you know, when, you know, he was 99, you know, these links will come to an end. So there's a sense of sadness, a sense of an end of an era, something that I suppose you sort of knew would come but sort of didn't like, didn't like to face up to. So yes, I think that it's right that it has touched people very personally, as you heard in those reports from London and from Windsor.

GORANI: Right. And we are seeing mourners here. I'm in Windsor, as you may know. And mourners are coming to pay their respects. They're laying flowers. There are though authorities are being very clear, not encouraging people to congregate, because COVID-19 restrictions are still very much in place across the country. What do you think this death means at this particular time and the monarchy's history in this country?

LANG: Well, I think that you've got to sort of comparison here with the thing, which is always in the background of any sort of royal or from political story, which is the link the war. The Queen when she spoke to the nation last year, evoked memories of this sort of crisis of the war. And there's a very strong sense of it, I suppose, in which this is -- this generation's emergency equivalent of what that generation went through in their youth.

And that, again, is something which has come out in tributes to the Duke today that he didn't just serve in the war, he served with great distinction and was as I mentioned in dispatches at the Battle of Cape Matapan in the Mediterranean as a naval officer. In fact, he had quite a promising career in the Navy, had he not married Princess Elizabeth.

So I think that there's a sense in which, you know, that wartime background has been echoed for this generation in the way that the pandemic has set us. And the way, again, in which the royal family have taken something of a symbolic lead and very much the Queen and Prince Philip, you know, doing that. He of course, having been in very poor health for different reasons, just recently, but according to this, sort of focused on him. So I think that's the sort of comparison that people are making.

GORANI: I know, but the Queen is losing her partner, she's losing the head of household publicly, of course, the Queen isn't a monarch, but privately, Prince Philip was no pushover. I mean, he was sometimes described as the one who would dispense, you know, sort of who -- the one who would be authoritarian within the family. And the Queen perhaps, and this is not an image that we have of her from the outside looking in, but more tender.

So there is -- this is something there is a very important element here, a very important member of the family that has now passed away.

LANG: Yes, absolutely right. And, of course, the difficulty, I mean, you say about the head of the family. And, you know, for his generation, normally, of course, the husband was regarded as the head of the family. But when you're married to the Queen, it's a little bit more ambiguous.

And I think that he in a sense, has acted as a contrast to the Queen in the public eye, in the sense that the Queen is very, very heavily limited and restricted by the Constitution as to what she's allowed to say and what she's allowed to do. And Philip was therefore able to speak with a sort of, I suppose, a freedom, a license, which is a little bit more like, you know, what many ordinary people would have wanted to say.

So I think in a sense, one felt that with Philip, there was someone almost like our sort of ordinary representative up at the top table of the royal family. And so, yes, you're quite right, of course, it's a huge loss in terms of the, you know, the personnel of the royal family and the leadership at the head at a time when, of course, the family is going through a difficult time anyway, in terms of, you know, relations within the family.

So it's a, it's a blow, it's a very difficult time for them. But at a time, when I think over here, there's still a huge amount of public respect and sort of people looking to the monarchy for a sort of symbolic leadership at a time when it's, you know, there's a lot of worry and a lot of fear in the population because, of course of the pandemic.

GORANI: Sure, absolutely. Sean Lang thanks very much. And as you mentioned, it's a connection to the previous generation, one that has been lost today. And you mentioned the difficulties in the royal family while we did get a reaction from Harry and Meghan on their official website. And it's very simple short one, in loving memory of His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh, 1921-2021. Thank you for your service, you will be greatly missed. So that's what we saw from Harry and Meghan who are no longer as many of you knows senior royals. Thanks very much Sean Lang.

[13:20:16]

Stay with us, ahead more on the life of Prince Philip that he led in the service of his country. We'll look back at some of his achievements as the spouse of Queen Elizabeth II. Plus, we'll be looking at another story making news today a natural disaster has struck the Caribbean, the latest on the evacuation orders in place after a major volcanic eruption. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: We'll have more on the death of Prince Philip in just a moment. But now some other big news we're following. Evacuation orders are in place in parts of St. Vincent, that's in the southern Caribbean. A major volcano is erupting there, La Soufriere. It's spewing massive plumes of ash thousands of meters into the atmosphere. Jennifer Gray joins me now with more on what's happening there. Jennifer?

JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Hala. Yes, this is still such a mystery because with the volcano unstable there we could see additional eruptions for days and even weeks to come. So that's why it's crucial to get those 6 to 7,000 people off of the island which are within this red zone. St. Vincent is under a red alert. The effusive eruption began in December of last year. That's basically just oozing out of the volcano.

[13:25:21]

And then on Thursday, that's when the tremors began. And the ash venting started. And that's when we knew an eruption was imminent. And so here we go, we have this explosive eruption that began today. And you can see all of the ash 10 kilometers high in the air, people describing this on the ground, sounding like a freight engine.

And then not only that, you have the ash that's going to be coming down on people, homes, vehicles, everything basically. You can see how dark the sky looks from the ash in this explosive eruption and even visible on satellite imagery. Now we had low level winds flowing in one direction, upper level winds flowing in the opposite direction. So you basically had ash going from east to west and west to east. And you can see that dark color just on the east side of St. Vincent. That is all ash on that satellite image.

So Hala, much more to come out in the days and weeks ahead but this is just devastating for this region.

GORANI: All right, we clearly see it on that satellite image. Thanks very much Jennifer Gray. Before we head to break, another look at our top story. Well, it's the mourning across this country and in some parts of the world, mourning for Britain's Prince Philip who passed away this morning at the age of 99. Only two months before his 100th birthday.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip married in 1947. And for seven decades, he was a constant figure at her side from the joyous moments of births and weddings to the troubled times of controversy and sorrow, the two were rarely seen apart. The Duke of Edinburgh, put a remarkable life in his own right from serving in the Navy to making more than 22,000 public appearances on his own. He also served as patron of nearly 800 organizations and charities.

Now, throughout his 70 years of service to the crown, the Duke often made headlines not always for positive reasons. But as the patriarch of the British monarchy, he surely meant so much to so many, a father of four, grandfather to eight, great grandfather to 10 with another one on the way, and he was for his family and across this country a much loved Prince. Indeed, it will be a great loss especially for the Queen.

I'm Hala Gorani live in Windsor. My colleague Richard Quest will pick up the breaking news after a short break. And I'll see you next time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:32:03]

RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. I'm Richard Quest. Funeral arrangements for Britain's Prince Philip are expected to be confirmed in the next 24 hours. Buckingham Palace says the Duke of Edinburgh died peacefully today at Windsor Castle. He was 99 years old.

Would you know the funeral will be held in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in line with Prince Philip's wishes. A state funeral is not planned. The Duke of Edinburgh served the crown for seven decades, almost always seen at the side of Her Majesty at events in Britain and across the globe. They had been married 73 years, making Philip the longest serving consort to a British monarch.

The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says Prince Philip earned the affection of generations of people in the United Kingdom Commonwealth and the world. Parliament in London will convene a special session on Monday in his honor.

International reaction is pouring and following the death of Prince Philip, President Biden and the First Lady of the United States have expressed their condolences, saying Prince Philip gladly dedicated himself to the people of the U.K., the Commonwealth, and to his family. The impact of his decades of devoted public service is evident in the worthy causes he lifted up as patron. In the environmental efforts he championed, the members of the Armed Forces he supported in the young people he inspired, and so much more.

In India, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi says his thoughts are with the family and that Prince Philip, in his words, had a distinguished career in the military and was at the forefront of many community service initiatives. May his soul rest in peace.

Another Commonwealth country where the Queen is head of stage, of course, is Canada, where the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Prince Philip was a man of great purpose and conviction, who was motivated by a sense of duty to others. He will be fondly remembered as a constant in the life of our Queen, a lifelong companion who was always at her side offering unfailing support as she carried out her duties.

Our royal correspondent is Max Foster, who's with me now from Windsor. So Max, the last time that sort of we knew what was happening with Philip was some three weeks ago when he left hospital. And one assumed then that the situation was serious, but perhaps not quite as grave as it's now turned out to be.

FOSTER: Yes. He's been in hospital several times. He's always come out and he's been OK. And he's obviously very -- he was very fit for his age. He was here, Windsor Castle for the last few months in a bubble with the Queen. But he's still going outside and he was active. So, people got used to the idea that he would go into hospital and come out and be OK. But sadly that wasn't the case this time. He had an infection in a hospital, a heart procedure as well, we're not sure if that's linked to what happened here. But I'm sure we'll get more details as time goes on.

[13:35:16]

The Queen only heard herself, obviously this morning, and she's been having to deal with funeral plans, I'm sure all day as well. We expect that announcement, as you say, tomorrow on the details of that, obviously affected as well by the pandemic. So it will be a scaled down version of any sort of royal funeral you've seen before. But he would have wanted that any way. He doesn't like a lot of fast.

I think the Queen would have always have wanted to have a larger event, but I'm sure she'll be respecting his wishes on having a relatively minor royal funeral at least it'll look that way. I'm sure it'll be here at Windsor Castle. And I'm sure it'll happen in a week or so when they've got time to get everything organized. It is very difficult. But they couldn't necessarily say which people were carrying the coffin, for example, without being near the time and knowing what people were available in these circumstances.

So we'll see how that all plays out that the Queen has lost her closest advisor, the one person she could be normal with and also, of course, her husband is a long, momentous and very close relationship.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER (voice-over): It was a love affair that lasted more than seven decades. As Queen Elizabeth celebrated Jubilee after Jubilee and went on to become the longest serving British monarch in history, Philip was always by her side. A childhood companion to the Queen Margaret Rhodes was a bridesmaid at her wedding, and was in no doubt that it was a marriage based on love.

RHODES: I think she fell in love when she was 13. I mean, God, he was good looking. You know, he was a sort of Viking god. She'd never looked at anybody else ever. And I think she really truly has been a rock.

FOSTER (voice-over): The couple married in Westminster Abbey on November the 20th 1947. Since then, Prince Philip was an almost constant presence of the Queen side. If this companionship came at a professional price, it was one that he was prepared to pay.

RHODES: Just have been there all the time behind her and ready to sacrifice his life. He did it to sacrifice his life because he would have loved to go on the Navy and really made a career out of that. So he sacrificed too. And so I think it's made for a wonderful solid marriage.

FOSTER (voice-over): The Queen and Price Philip met before the Second World War when he was a young naval cadet.

ROBERT HARDMAN, ROYAL BIOGRAPHER: His number one job from the word go has been to quote support the Queen. Everything he does is in support of the Queen. And it's just been one of the great royal romances I think of history. People talk about Victoria and Albert as a phrase that trips off the tongue, and I've no doubt that in years to come people talk about Elizabeth and Philip in exactly the same way.

FOSTER (voice-over): As part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the Queen tour the U.K. and with her the handsome Prince she met as a shy teenager, the man who was always by her side.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: An untested thing currently now is the outpouring of grief, how to express that flowers are being laid outside the castle here also at Buckingham Palace, but the Palace and the government asking people not to do that for fear of spreading the virus. So the next few days, I think will be very testing for the United Kingdom. They're going to have to find their own way people here to express their sorrow.

QUEST: Our royal correspondent Max Foster who is at Windsor Castle, Max, thank you. Kate Williams is our world commentator and historian. She joins me now. Well, Kate, over the years, I think you and I have speculated or at least wondered what it was going to be like when Prince Philip finally passed on, because he was and remains in a sense that it's such a large part of all our lives. And those of us who are British, those from the Commonwealth, he has been a presence on the world stage for eight decades.

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: You're so right, Richard. He's been a presence on the world stage such a big presence. It's as credible, isn't it to think he only retired in 2017. Up until then, he was doing nonstop engagements over 700 charities 22,000 engagements, and it is amazing to think that he was born in 1921 five years before women in Britain over the age of 30 got the vote.

So and what the world has changed technology, globalization, travel, everything has changed, he's also impacted on how monarchy works with travel, but also that the Duke he served bravely in World War II. He saved his ship from German bombers. He saved many, many lives. And he's one of the few left who could remember the war. And the Queen served in it too. And so many of that generation have been lost.

[13:40:18]

And what I find really moving is that he's really, he really was the last person who could remember the Queen as a young girl, as a young, fresh, excited young girl. That's all gone now. And we -- you were just I heard you talking earlier, which about the funeral for the Queen's mother, and also for Princess Margaret, and how the Duke supported her through that as and how he was there for her in 2002 supported when she lost her mother and her sister.

And of course, she's lost that support now. They've been married for so long. He's always been there for her. And particularly, there for her in the last year, COVID time, because they've been bubbled up together. And Christmas, which is something huge royal occasion, was just the two of them. Prince Philip to her, to the monarchy, to serving the monarchy, to modernizing the monarchy, starting from televising the coronation, right the way through to always being there, and also developing his own role of consort, science, technology, British industry, and he's given so much.

And like you say, he's such a huge presence on the world stage. And I think so many of us thought he would always be here.

QUEST: The role he played with the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme and all his public roles of the environment and World Wildlife. But he also had this central role within the family, didn't he? Because the Queen might have been the head of state but he and she was very keyed in terms of the lattice patterns and the way she structured things to make it clear that he was head of the family.

WILLIAMS: Yes, that's it, Richard. It was the deal they agreed on. And really at marriage, she when she became Queen would be head of state, and he would be her consort, and he advise her, and he'd speak to her and he'd work with her, but the decisions would be hers. And he would take, he will be the boss of the family of the firm, which we call in the word, the firm, he will be the boss of the royal family company.

And did so much I think, particularly to support those, to try to support those who married in including Princess Diana. And when he retired from both his public role in the charities, but also his role as head of the royal family in 2017, it was a great loss, he really did see the wider project, and he was a great CEO of the royal family.

QUEST: And of course, the, you know, thinking back again, on the name of the children, and the names that were going to be taken of the children, all these sorts of issues came around again and again. And many of yours of course, as the crown will be familiar with that debate and what took place. But whatever liberties they may have taken, dramatic liberties, it was an event that happened.

WILLIAMS: Yes, that's true. And of course, the very first episode of the crown, as you say, there were liberties taken but there are many true points. First ever episode of the crown showed Prince Philip and his new titles, he had to lose his world titles Danish and Greek. He was part of the Greek royal family. His uncle had been king and that's he'd been flying off the thrown was why Philip had to flee along with his family when he was just 18 months.

So Philip then got his own titles. And he really was, I think, very hurt. We know he was very hurt that his children couldn't take his name that they would be Windsor, not Mountbatten, that other men, he said, gave their children his name and he did not. There are many sacrifices he had to make to be the consort. This alpha male, this determined male, to really spend his life walking two steps behind the Queen and also for the children, the first two children not to take his name was a great sacrifice to him.

QUEST: Kate, always good to talk to you on this. Thank you. I appreciate it.

Now head, more on the other big stories we're following. CNN's remarkable access in Myanmar where prodemocracy protesters tell us they are not afraid of the generals who have taken control of their country, we'll have that story up next. This is CNN.

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[13:46:44]

QUEST: Myanmar's military has killed at least 600 people and its crackdown on prodemocracy protests. According to a monitoring group, 600 civilians and that includes dozens of children gunned down since the February coup. In a CNN exclusive our chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward and her team were the first Western T.V. journalists allowed into the country since the coup. They were there with the permission of the military and we're being escorted throughout. Here's what they saw.

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CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By day, the Junta continues its brutal crackdown, killing prodemocracy protesters who refuse to submit to military rule.

At night, the raids begin as soldiers round up activists and drag away the dead. Their bodies evidence of the military shoot to kill tactics. Two months after overthrowing Myanmar's democratically elected government in a coup, the Junta has been unapologetic in its ruthlessness and silent in the face of international outrage.

Fearless local journalists and activists have risked everything to show the world what is happening while outside access to the country has been blocked. But now the military has granted CNN the first access to visit Myanmar. From the moment we arrived, our movements are tightly controlled.

(on camera): Gives you a sense of the intense level of security with us one, two, three, another three over there, six trucks full of soldiers accompanying our every move.

(voice-over): At township offices across Yangon, alleged victims of the protest movement dutifully await us. They tell us they have been beaten and threatened and humiliated by the violators, a pejorative term the military uses for the prodemocracy protesters.

In North Okkalapa Township, the local administrator complains that the demonstrators were noisy and broke the law by gathering in groups of more than five.

(on camera): Are you seriously comparing these infractions to more than 500 people being killed among them children? Are you saying that these are equal?

(voice-over): Our minders are perturbed by the question and it goes on answered. They take us to a shopping center, one of two attacked by arsonists overnight. Like many businesses in Myanmar, they are partially owned by the military. The strong implication from our minders is that the protesters are to blame. It's a similar story at several burned out factories.

(on camera): This is the third factory that the military wanted to show us. They say its clear proof that the protesters are violent that they have been setting fire to businesses like this. But the protesters say they had nothing to do with it at all. And the factory owners who we've spoken to say they simply don't know who's responsible.

(voice-over): Sandra's (ph) Chinese own garment factory was completely destroyed. She asked we not show her face.

(on camera): Do you have any sense of what you will do now?

[13:50:01]

SANDRA (ph): Waiting for the government giving some helping. Yes.

WARD: Who is the government right now in Myanmar? Sorry, is that a hard question?

SANDRA (ph): Yes. I don't know.

WARD (voice-over): Every moment of our visit is carefully choreographed. When protesters begin posting about our movements on social media, the military cuts off WiFi across the country. Still, from the window of our convoy, we catch glimpses of reality.

(on camera): Some people from the balcony just flashed three fingers at me. That's the Hunger Games salute, which has become emblematic of this uprising. I'm speaking very quietly, because I don't want our minders to know what they just did, because, honestly, it could be a very dangerous situation for them.

(voice-over): We passed a small protest, rejecting Myanmar's return to more than half a century of repressive military rule. Their banner calls for a spring revolution. Our minders won't let us stop.

Finally, after days of pushing, we are allowed to visit a public space, an open market. We avoid approaching anyone mindful of the fact that we are surrounded by security forces. But within minutes one brave man flashes the three finger salute. (on camera): I saw that you made a sign. Tell me what you mean by making that sign. No, we don't -- will you just stand back, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is justice, justice, we want the justice.

WARD (on camera): You want justice?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice, yes.

WARD (voice-over): Moments later, another men approach us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No scared.

WARD (on camera): Not scared.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not weapons. We don't have no weapons. Not scared. But every day fighting, every day, just like that, just like that.

WARD (voice-over): As word of our presence spreads, we hear an unmistakable sound. Banging pots and pans is a tradition to get rid of evil spirits. But it has become the signature sound of resistance. This young teacher says she ran to talk to us when she heard the noise.

(on camera): You want democracy?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want democracy. We don't want military coup.

WARD (on camera): You know, we're surrounded by military, like this guy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't, I'm not afraid to at all. If we afraid we people around here would not hit the bang and the pan.

WARD (voice-over): Like many young people, she sees her future being ripped away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't want to go back to the dark age. We lost our voice and we had, we had democracy only for 10 years because we don't have weapons. We don't have guns, just only we have voice.

WARD (voice-over): But even words can be punished here.

CROWD: We want democracy.

WARD (voice-over): Not wanting the situation to escalate, we decided to leave the market as people honk their horns in support of the protest movement.

The Junta has grossly underestimated the determination of its people and the growing hatred for the military. In the capital, Naypyidaw, we finally have the opportunity to confront Myanmar senior military leadership.

MAJOR GENERAL ZAW MIN TUN, MILITARY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): I will tell you the reason why we have to crack down. The protests were peaceful from February 1st to the 8th. The reason for the crackdown was because they block civil servants. The security forces are giving warnings. Firstly, shouting to break the crowds and then shooting in the air. And the crowds are throwing stones and using slingshots.

WARD (on camera): Are you seriously comparing stones and slingshots to assault rifles? The military is using weapons against its own people that really only belong on the battlefield.

TUN (through translator): The main thing is they are not only using stones and slingshots. We have evidence they use gasoline and Molotov cocktails, you have to add those two. For the security forces, they use crackdown weapons for riots. There will be deaths when they are cracking down the riots. But we are not shooting without discipline with the rifles we use for the frontlines.

WARD (on camera): So this is CCTV footage of 17-year-old Kwa Min Lah (ph) going past a police convoy. You can see, the police shoot him on the spot. His autopsy later said that he suffered a brain injury as a result of a cycling accident, which I think we can all see, that's not a cycling accident. How do you explain this?

TUN (through translator): If that kind of thing has occurred, we will have investigations for it. We will investigate it if it's true or not. There may be some videos which looks suspicious, but for our forces, we don't have any intention to shoot at innocent people.

[13:55:12]

WARD: So, 14-year-old Tung Tung Aung (ph), who was killed by your forces, what do you say to his mother? You say that he was a violent protester? Or what would you say to the father of 13-year-old Tun Mak Nguyen (ph) also shot dead by your forces?

TUN (through translator): We have heard about the deaths of the children, too. There is no reason we will shoot children. This is only the terrorists that are trying to make us look bad.

WARD (voice-over): But the lies are paper-thin. According to the U.N., as of March 31st, at least 44 children have been killed. Back in Yangon, our minders take us to another market, in a military area. Keen to show they have popular support. But the ploy backfires.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want democracy.

WARD (on camera): I understand.

A man just told me, we want democracy, as he walked past. But he was too scared to stop and talk.

(voice-over): Others are more bold.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please save our country.

WARD (on camera): Save your country?

(voice-over): These people are not activists. They are ordinary citizens, and they live in fear of the military.

(on camera): You have goose bumps. You're like shivering.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are not -- they are not human.

WARD: Yes. They're not human?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

WARD (voice-over): They are desperate for the outside world to know their pain. One girl approaches us, shaking.

(on camera): I feel like you're very nervous. Are you OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. We are not safe anymore. Even in the night. There are shooters and the shooters shoot the children.

WARD: I don't want you to get in trouble. I don't want you to get arrested, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

WARD: All right?

(voice-over): She knows her bravery will certainly be punished, but this is a resistance movement built on small acts of great courage.

Clarissa Ward, CNN, Myanmar.

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QUEST: Now that woman was arrested. She was running away from the market. Ten other people were also arrested for talking to CNN. Thankfully, they've all been released after a couple of days. Then you can see much more from Clarissa's team at CNN.com, breaking down what Myanmar's military says to justify their brutal crackdown, and whether it matches the reality.

Thank you for your time and for joining me. I'm Richard Quest. Amanpour is next. We have more on the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

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