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CNN Live Event/Special

Queen Elizabeth Dies. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired September 08, 2022 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

CAROLYN HARRIS, HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR: Yes, the queen has overseen that transition from a British empire and dominions to a commonwealth of equal nations.

And she took her role as head of the commonwealth very seriously and became the most well-traveled monarch in history, believing that: I have to be seen to be believed.

And so she has been present in the various commonwealth countries, attended commonwealth heads of government meetings, and was key to keeping together the commonwealth when there was such a wide variety of different political views among the commonwealth realms and republics.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Sally, Sally Bedell Smith, it's so interesting the way she went about her job, and maintaining kind of the mystery and some of the magic of a monarchy.

I mean, whether people supported, like it or don't, she kept a distance, so that there was some mystery to it.

SALLY BEDELL SMITH, JOURNALIST AND ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Was wise enough, particularly after the death of Diana, to learn how to move the monarchy forward incrementally

And she was much more in touch in a personal way with people. And I think she's always been incredibly wise, and she has never sort of gone out -- she never went out sort of over her skis. She always sort of had almost a sixth sense of knowing not to be too far ahead of where the public was, but yet to bring them along when it was necessary.

And I think, in terms of the transition now, she has -- well, particularly, it's notable that over the past months, when -- or month, when Charles was up in Balmoral, he was with her many days. And I think it's important to remember that she has given him many tutorials on leadership.

And at one point, he said, we learn by observing. And he's obviously learned by doing as well. But she has -- as her father did before her, she has provided a model and a guidebook in a way for him to reign.

COOPER: Kate Williams, unclear what the monarchy will look like under the new king. But talk to us a little bit about how Queen Elizabeth defined --

defined her role and came into her role.

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: Yes, Queen Elizabeth, she has defined Britain and the countries of which she's head of state.

This is the Elizabethan era, the Second Elizabethan era, from 1952 to 2022. She's seen all the changes. When she came to the throne, most people in Britain didn't have a car, or a telephone, or many of us didn't have an inside bathroom. We were -- mostly manual laborers.

And she seen such great changes. And this little girl who was born in 1926, wasn't intended to be queen, was expected to make a good aristocratic marriage, her uncle abdicates, she is thrown into this new place, and has become -- I think people will see her as the most successful British monarch in history.

People will look back on her reign, her great legacy, and they will really say, this is the greatest monarch we have ever had. I think her reign will be the high monarch -- high moment of monarchy, the high watermark of monarchy.

And I think of when she gave her first televised message at Christmas in 1957. She said, it is inevitable that I will be a remote figure to many of you.

But that hasn't been the case. She's been held in so much affection, so much love. There's an outpouring of grief. People really do see her as the nation's grandmother. And there's going to be -- Britain, I think, is in shock. The world is in shock. This is a moment that people will never forget. And we really did think that, even though she's getting older, she's 96, she always seems so -- in such great health.

I think we really thought she'd be here forever. And it's really going to be a moment of real reflection and a lot of pain in days to come.

COOPER: Yes.

I want to go back to Buckingham Palace, Max Foster, Christiane Amanpour, Bianca Nobilo.

Max, I know there -- as we have been talking about, the schedule of events moving forward has been gone over for decades by the staff of the royal family. They have been refined.

What do we -- or what can you say or what do we know about the next 24 hours even?

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have got it.

[14:05:01]

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: He's talking to you. What do we know about the next 24 hours?

FOSTER: Sorry, Anderson. I actually just got a state...

COOPER: I know you have a lot of information coming.

FOSTER: Just got a statement from -- yes, sorry.

It's a statement from the king on the queen's death. Imagine what it's like to write these words.

"The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty, the queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the queen was so widely held."

So that's a statement from the new king of the United Kingdom. We don't yet have his name. It could be Charles. He could choose another name. He will currently be focused on arrangements at Balmoral right now. There is a set plan in place. He needs to sign that off.

So I don't want to say too much about the exact plans. But the coffin will be held in the ballroom, and, overnight, staff and family will have an opportunity to pay their respects at Balmoral with a coffin. And, tomorrow, we would expect that coffin to move to Edinburgh for another period of mourning at the capital of Scotland, before the body is brought back here to England.

So there's a huge amount for them to consider up in Balmoral right now and a huge amount for us all to consider when trying to assess what is the most incredible legacy of any head of state.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER (voice-over): Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, crowned at Westminster Abbey on June the 2nd, 1953.

This was the first time the public was able to witness this sacrosanct moment. Elizabeth had allowed live television cameras in to capture it in a powerful signal that this was a new, open and relevant monarchy.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, known as Lilibet to friends, was born on April the 21st, 1926. It was only a decade later that she knew she was truly destined to lead an empire. It was a fluke of history, a work of scandal.

KING EDWARD VIII, UNITED KINGDOM: A few hours ago, I discharged my last duty as king and emperor.

FOSTER: Her uncle Edward abdicated to marry the love of his life, Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee, and therefore spoiler to the throne. Elizabeth's father became king. She was the accidental heir, which entrenched in her a sense of duty.

She was devout, almost spiritual, about her responsibilities as a royal even before being crowned.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II, UNITED KINGDOM: I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family, to which we all belong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I seem to remember, having listened to that speech, and remember -- I remember very well -- I certainly remember reading not so much, not many years later, the way she dedicated her life to the country. And that was an example which I very much felt that, when I grew older, that that was what it was about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: British Prime Minister Liz Truss is speaking. Let's listen.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

LIZ TRUSS, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: .. is a huge shock to the nation and to the world.

Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her. She ascended the throne just after the Second World War.

She championed the development of the commonwealth, from a small group of seven countries to a family of 56 nations spanning every continent of the world. We are now a modern, thriving, dynamic nation. Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed.

She was the very spirit of Great Britain, and that spirit will endure. She has been our longest ever reigning monarch. It's an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years. Her life of service stretched beyond most of our living memories.

In return, she was loved and admired by the people in the United Kingdom and all around the world. She has been a personal inspiration to me and to many Britons. Her devotion to duty is an example to us all.

[14:10:04]

Earlier this week, at 96, she remained determined to carry out her duties, as she appointed me as her 15th prime minister. Throughout her life she has visited more than 100 countries and she has touched the lives of millions around the world.

In the difficult days ahead, we will come together with our friends across the United Kingdom, the commonwealth and the world to celebrate her extraordinary lifetime of service. It is a day of great loss, but Queen Elizabeth II leaves a great legacy.

Today, the Crown passes, as it is has done for more than 1,000 years, to our new monarch, our new head of state, His Majesty King Charles III.

With the king's family, we mourn the loss of his mother. And, as we mourn, we must come together as a people to support him, to help him bear the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all. We offer him our loyalty and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much to so many for so long.

And with the passing of the Second Elizabethan Age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country, exactly as Her Majesty would have wished, by saying the words, God save the King.

COOPER: I want to bring in our Max Foster, who's outside Buckingham Palace, since the British -- Britain's new prime minister only on the job some days, she met with the queen at Balmoral on Tuesday, as all new prime ministers do. Liz Truss is her name.

Max Foster, outside Buckingham Palace,I'm wondering what you made of her statement. She also referred to the new king as King Charles III. Is that officially his name, or do we know?

FOSTER: Well, it's difficult to know. I mean, one would assume that is the name he's going to choose.

Just to clarify for people watching, that a new monarch doesn't have to keep the name that they had as prince of Wales. So we didn't know whether he be King Charles. But there you have the prime minister referring to him as King Charles III.

My understanding was the announcement on the name would come in a placard at Buckingham Palace, but the rules keep changing. And what you have got to understand is, years and years worth of work has gone into this death plan, if I can call it that.

But, ultimately, it was king -- the king that would have to sign it off. And we're assuming that's the case. So, we're assuming he's taken the name of Charles III. And so that's interesting. We can call him King Charles now. I thought it was interesting that she opened with, I think, a very well-thought-out phrase, which is, she was the rock the country was built on.

And I think she is the rock. And I think that the foundations of that rock have slipped today. And it's going to be very hard to see how people are going to cope. And this is the typical way, of course, that we recognize someone's death. We lay flowers.

I cannot imagine how many flowers are coming to London right now. And we're going to see how the nation responds. So, that's the first official response we have really had from the prime minister. We have also heard from King Charles as well, a brief statement from him.

We will be expecting to hear a prerecorded statement from him to be played out on prime-time television tonight.

AMANPOUR: And, Max, I think one of the words that the -- that King Charles used to describe his mother in his statement was respect. And that is now being reflected from all the messages that are pouring

in from around the world. From the White House, we have heard that the press secretary has extended the condolences of President Biden. We know the president of Ireland has extended his sadness and condolences. And we're hearing even from President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, who says he's reacting with deep sadness, the prime minister, the young female prime minister of Finland as well.

So these messages are now going to be rolling in. And that's going to culminate in this -- these few days now of formalities, because it will be formalities that's hugely scripted and has been highly rehearsed, you can believe it, with stand-ins and all the others. And it will now play out

Britain will now start to do what Britain is best at, frankly. And that is pomp, that is circumstance, that is a sense of occasion, and despite the sadness of the nation, which also will be manifest, because emotion is now shown, as perhaps it wasn't before until Diana died. There will be a lot of sadness, but there will also be -- the show will go on. That's the best way to say it.

FOSTER: It's what the system is built for.

[14:15:03]

COOPER: Bianca, is it clear when the funeral will actually be? I mean, I don't want to ask anything impolite, but in different cultures or different religions, there are different times for how quickly a funeral takes place.

Obviously, this is a unique circumstance. Is it known yet when that might be?

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Our understanding is it will be around the 10 day-mark.

As Max was mentioning earlier, there are details which are yet to be finalized, because it would ultimately be at the discretion of King Charles III.

Anderson, I would say, Liz Truss, the prime minister, giving that speech on the steps of Downing Street, is just yet another example actually of the queen's ability to win people over and generate within them a sense of admiration for her duty and her self-sacrifice, because Liz Truss earlier in her career was not a fan of the monarchy.

But I'm told now from people close to her that she is now devotedly so. And that was an authentic and a genuine speech which she just delivered speaking about Queen Elizabeth II's sense of devotion, the fact she is the rock on which modern Britain was built, that she is the spirit of Great Britain, with her dignity and grace.

And I think, most pointedly as she finished that speech, saying the passing of the Second Elizabeth -- Elizabethan Age has now happened. And she said that she would end with the words that the queen would have wished, which is, God save King Charles III.

FOSTER: We are now in a period of mourning, national mourning, until the day of the funeral, which, as Bianca says, we expect to be in 10 or 11 days' time.

Before then, there will be -- the coffin will be in Scotland for a few days, and then brought down to the United Kingdom. There will be royal mourning for a month. So this will be something that no one, really very few people can remember. They have never experienced anything like this.

I think this is going to be a real shock to the United Kingdom going forward. What you will see over the next 10 or so days is a process where we look back to the previous monarchy and mark that, but, equally as important, we will be looking forward to the next monarchy.

So, each day will interchange. But, today, we're very much thinking about looking back on an extraordinary monarch's career.

AMANPOUR: I think also...

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER (voice-over): Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, crowned at Westminster Abbey on June the 2nd, 1953.

This was the first time the public was able to witness this sacrosanct moment. Elizabeth had allowed live television cameras in to capture it in a powerful signal that this was a new, open and relevant monarchy.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, known as Lilibet to friends, was born on April the 21st, 1926. It was only a decade later that she knew she was truly destined to lead an empire. It was a fluke of history, a work of scandal.

KING EDWARD VIII: A few hours ago, I discharged my last duty as king and emperor.

FOSTER: Her uncle Edward abdicated to marry the love of his life, Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee, and therefore spoiler to the throne. Elizabeth's father became king. She was the accidental heir, which entrenched in her a sense of duty.

She was devout, almost spiritual, about her responsibilities as a royal even before being crowned.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II: I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family, to which we all belong.

QUEEN MARGRETHE II, DENMARK: I seem to remember, having listened to that speech, and remember -- I remember very well -- I certainly remember reading not so much, not many years later, the way she dedicated her life to the country. And that was an example which I very much felt that, when I grew older, that that was what it was about. You dedicate your life to your country.

FOSTER: On November the 20th, 1947, she wed her childhood sweetheart, the tall and dashing Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, titled the duke of Edinburgh.

The following year, their marriage bore Elizabeth's heir, Prince Charles. For more than half-a-century, the queen led her empire, before overseeing its managed decline, as it became known as the commonwealth, an association of now independent countries.

ANNOUNCER: So, Winston and Lady Churchill came to receive Her Majesty.

FOSTER: Her first prime minister was Winston Churchill. During her rule, she met every acting U.S. president, bar one, meetings that she always prioritized.

[14:20:00]

ROBERT HARDMAN, AUTHOR, "OUR QUEEN": She remembers learning from her parents how important keeping America onside was during the war. and then America came into the war. She remembers that so well. She remembers the American troops, D-Day, all that. To her, it's very -- it's a very important part of her growing up.

FOSTER: Whilst the British monarch has no political power, Elizabeth wielded immense power as a figurehead, as demonstrated in 2011, when she became the first monarch to visit neighboring Ireland since its separation from the United Kingdom.

QUEEN ELIZABETH: We can all see things which we would wish...

FOSTER: Then-Prime Minister David Cameron described the trip as a game-changer in Anglo-Irish relations. A year later, the queen traveled to Belfast in another significant moment of her reign, an historic handshake with former IRA commander Martin McGuinness, a public symbol of peace following decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.

There was, nonetheless, a very private side to this wife, mother and grandmother. Stiff-upper-lipped in public and guarded, there's little footage to show the sense of humor she's reputed to have displayed behind closed doors. On occasion, she did open up with uncharacteristic candor and emotion. The queen herself marked 1992 as a very bad year.

QUEEN ELIZABETH: It just turned out to be an annus horribilis.

FOSTER: Punctuated by several family splits and a fire at her beloved Windsor Castle.

Three of her four children would divorce, Charles most famously, and then that crash.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are just getting word that the French government has informed all of us that Princess Diana has died.

FOSTER: The royal family's restrained response collided with a British public convulsing in heartache.

Elizabeth learned a tough lesson through all of the grief. She wasn't merely a mother or a grandmother, rather, a queen to a people, no matter what, an enduring image, the queen baring her head to Princess Diana's coffin, marking a sad period for the royal family, Britain and its relationship with the monarchy.

Over more than a decade, however, public faith in the royal family did rebuild. The queen was visibly thrilled by the show of support for the royal wedding between her grandson William and partner Kate in 2011. Then, the following year, polls show the British royal family at the height of their popularity, as the queen celebrated 60 years on the throne.

She used her diamond jubilee to present a slimmed-down monarchy. Only the key royals paraded and waved, a sign of a more economic family for the 21st century. In later years, the queen welcomed several additions to the family, including Prince George, her first great-grandson and future heir to the throne, born in 2013 to the then-duke and duchess of Cambridge.

Reflecting the modern age, Prince Harry later married Meghan Markle, the royal family extending a game to embrace an actress with African- American ancestry, in time welcoming baby Archie.

Prince Philip retired from public duties in 2017. Meanwhile, the queen continued, indefatigable. She gradually slowed her busy schedule, certainly in terms of travel, but, in September 2015, whilst opening a new railway in Scotland, without ceremony or commemorative fireworks, Queen Elizabeth II passed her revered predecessor, Victoria, to become Britain's longest reigning monarch.

Controversy visited the family again in 2019, as the queen's second son, Prince Andrew, gave an ill-advised interview to the BBC amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

PRINCE ANDREW, DUKE OF YORK: I let the side down.

FOSTER: Any hopes for a quieter year ahead were dashed when Harry and Meghan, the duke and duchess of Sussex, made a shock announcement at the start of 2020.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the last time they will be walking into the abbey.

FOSTER: Giving up their public roles and duties, they moved to North America, with a mission to become financially independent.

Crisis talks and another contentious interview soon followed. In 2021, at the age of 99, Prince Philip, the duke of Edinburgh, passed away. Senior royals attended the funeral, scaled back due to coronavirus, to celebrate his seven decades of service and mourn the passing of a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We therefore pray.

[14:25:00]

FOSTER: Elizabeth stood alone soon as she watched his coffin lower into the royal vault in Windsor, bidding farewell to her husband of 73 years, the man she described as her strength and stay.

She will be remembered as one of the great monarchs, able to handle a strengthened crown her heir, despite raining over a period of tumultuous change.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Today, the crown passes, as the prime minister says, as it has done for more than 1,000 years, to our new monarch, our new head of state, His Majesty King Charles III.

And, as Christiane says, life goes on. Prince William now becomes the duke of Cornwall and Cambridge. Kate is the duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. And they will, as tradition dictates, become the prince and princess of Wales. The king will bestow those titles, I'm sure, in the coming days.

But we now look ahead, Christiane, to a state funeral unlike anything I think we have seen before, certainly not in the media age.

AMANPOUR: Well, exactly. I mean, you look back at some of the great funerals that have happened in this country during her reign, first, obviously, Winston Churchill's was a huge, huge affair.

And I covered the funeral of her mother, Queen Elizabeth, the widow of King George V. And that was a huge affair. But this is bound to be much, much bigger. And, as you said, her body will lie in state for a period of time for people to view. And this country and this city, you can be sure, they're already putting up the barricades along the mile and along the famous routes that royal corteges take.

There will be a huge turnout for that and for all the steps before that.

FOSTER: I think they're planning on queues for miles going into Westminster Hall.

AMANPOUR: Yes. Yes. There's no doubt about it.

And when you look at these pictures in the obituary that you made so well, you just -- A, you have to say, wow, what about those outfits? I'm sorry to sound sort of trivial, but that also defined her, the hats, the gloves, the coat.

FOSTER: Color.

AMANPOUR: Everything matched perfectly, and often with certain messages for whatever occasion she was at. So, remember, leading to one of her great recent meetings in green,

the color of Ireland, with Martin McGuinness, a former IRA member who was devoted to blowing up the monarchy and, in fact, is considered to have had part in the death of her beloved uncle Lord Mountbatten, who was the last governor general of India before independence.

In an event, he was assassinated. And all those years later, as you saw in those pictures, Queen Elizabeth stepped along with history and was able to shake his hand.

FOSTER: To put duty first.

AMANPOUR: And shake his hand.

FOSTER: Unbelievable.

AMANPOUR: And, actually, there was a little bit of fondness between. Martin McGuinness talked about it too before he died.

NOBILO: And we've just had a heartfelt message of condolence as well from the leader of Sinn Fein.

But I think what Christiane says is an important point. When we think back to her outfits, today, we keep speaking about her as the 96-year- old woman that she was. But in her youth, she was...

COOPER: Bianca, I just have to interrupt.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada is speaking, so I just want to go out there...

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: ... the world. And I will miss her so.

(SPEAKING FRENCH)

COOPER: Prime Minister Trudeau speaking about his feelings, clearly emotional, at the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Here in New York with Zain Asher.

And, Zain, I'm wondering the -- Julia Chatterley as well. I'm sorry. I had a brain freeze there for a moment.

There is so much now that is regimented that will take place over the next several days, but for this funeral, the exact date for it has not been set. But the plans have already been made. I mean, this is sort of already planned out. Every detail as -- all the details we have been seeing just over the last hour or so, those were all planned out.

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN BUSINESS ANCHOR: As Christiane and Max were saying, the blueprint for this is enormous. It can be tweaked with and I'm sure has been tweaked with over the past weeks and months as well. I think the way that we tend to talk about this is nothing's confirmed

until it's officially confirmed. So, while we have loose guidelines -- and I know Max said and Bianca was saying there are around perhaps 10 days to the funeral -- nothing, nothing at this stage, despite all the preplanning that goes into place and the operational names that they have for this, is concrete yet.

So it's just a case of feeling our way. I think some of the very important questions, though, are what happens with the government, with Parliament, because the country does go into a period of mourning. And things do grind to a halt.

COOPER: Even the currency. You were pointing out to me something which I hadn't considered, but the currency changes.

(CROSSTALK)

ZAIN ASHER, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Currency, the national anthem, the police uniforms, passport, eventually, all of that will have to change.

CHATTERLEY: These are the longer-term things.

[14:30:00]