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CNN Live Event/Special

The State Funeral Of Queen Elizabeth II. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired September 19, 2022 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:11]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR & ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: It's such a seismic moment for the United Kingdom, isn't it? But this is -- when you think, look at those castle walls and think about the history. It's -- I'm not saying it's just another moment but in it's story is another monarch.

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Another monarch.

FOSTER: The longer serving, though, so.

WILLIAMS: The longest serving monarch.

FOSTER: She was resident there more than any other monarch in that 1,000 years.

WILLIAMS: Yes, she was there for longer, it was her home for longer, a young girl who promised her service age 21, could never have known how long she'd live, how long she'd be on the throne, a 70-year reign, a record in our history, nearly a record in world history.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: She also died on her own terms which many of the other monarchs in the past did not.

WILLIAMS: And the working until the end. And really, her children stressed her humility. They said, the daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, and the granddaughter said, you being you would never know the impact you had on the world. And Prince William went down to the queue who were waiting to see her line in state and said she would never have believed these crowds out for her or the crowds that we've seen, Anderson, all in Windsor, all in London, all out on the route to Windsor in London, so many people wishing to pay their respects. And so many who are watching at home, really remembering the Queen, this rate longest reigning monarch, a girl who was never expected to become a Queen, and became such a success.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that's part of why people did love her so much because she understood and really genuinely believed in a profoundly humble way that the institution was so much greater than any individual. And to see that level of duty and selflessness and determination and devotion is quite frankly a rare thing in this day and age. And you see so many people who have come out, who are not necessarily Arden monarchists, but who can at least appreciate that this is an extraordinary woman who gave her life and service. COOPER: Max if you can just for viewers who may be just joining us or just explain what we are going to see in this service, which will be extraordinary, which we have not seen before.

FOSTER: I've just been given something quite poignant from the palace, which is that the Princess of Wales is wearing jewelry that was loaned to her by the Queen but was also previously worn by her predecessor, Diana, Princess of Wales today, and also the brooch that Princess Charlotte has been wearing was a gift from the Queen and also the earrings that the Duchess of Sussex is wearing are from the Queen.

You're going to see a very solemn religious service. It will have lots of meaning for Her Majesty. I think this service is very much her choosing, the one that Westminster was in consultation with the King very much. And you're going to have readings and then at the end is this really poignant moment where you see the instruments of the crown, the crown, the scepter, the orb detached from the coffin. And we've never seen this before.

The crown jeweler is there, and the Dean of Windsor has been given special dispensation to touch the crown jewels just for today.

COOPER: And normally only three people allowed to.

FOSTER: Yes, normally the Archbishop of Canterbury were allowed him to crown the monarch and then the monarch themselves and crown jeweler, but the dean is going to -- the crown jeweler was going to detach them, the dean is going to put them on the altar. And then you're going to see the coffin lowered. But you're also going to have this extraordinary moment where the Lord Chamberlain who's the -- who was the Queen's most senior palace official and advisor will break his wand of office, literally a wand, placed it on the coffin as it's lowered into the vault.

You can see Prince George there, arriving in the car with the Princess of Wales and Charlotte and also, I think it's the Queen Consort there. So that's going to be quite an extraordinary moment. I don't think we'll see the coffin lowering because we weren't allowed to see that for Philip. But then the coffin will rest underground with kings and queens from the many ages on the shelves before it's buried later on.

COOPER: This is such an extraordinary moment. Let's just listen in to the sights and the sounds.

[11:05:04]

We will not see anything like this for quite some time.

FOSTER: No. And the procession begins in the actual chapel, you're going to see the spouses joining them. So you're going to see the Duchess of Sussex and the Princess of Wales and Queen Consort joining that procession. We're not going to see George and Charlotte, I believe in the procession, but they're also going to be part of the service. But this is true history. It hasn't happened for a long.

WILLIAMS: The Queen's father is 70 years. And then Winston Churchill was in 1965, but --

FOSTER: But not this particular, Sir Winston Churchill obviously didn't have this part of it. And it's not been televised before.

COOPER: And it's the last time we'll see a Queen being buried for --

WILLIAMS: I guess we will never have another Queen in our lifetime. And this as President Biden said she defined an era and she did the second Elizabethan age so different to the first Elizabethan age, but an age which she presided over great change, technological, global, the end of the British Empire, the start of the Commonwealth. And really this -- she was both constant and progress within it, this great moment.

We see there the royal standard, the Imperial state crown, the all preceptor, the symbols of Her Majesty over the last 70 years. And this great moment of the state funeral that we will never see another one like this ever again, this moment of significant history, and the Imperial state crown that we're getting closer to there, that she will be, it will be taken from her as Max was saying, this crown that was always her crown, the last 70 years will now become the kings.

FOSTER: And it's interesting, the Queen Consort Camilla did an interview recently about the Queen which was only released last night. And what she chose to talk about was how the Queen Elizabeth at the age of 25 when she became Queen was the only woman, she said there were no female prime ministers, no female presidents there were no women in her world and that's what she found to be most defining about that moment when the Queen became the monarch.

WILLIAMS: We're hearing the master bands of the Scots and Irish regiments here and the final moments when the Queen is lowered, her coffin is lowered, be her personal piper who is Major Paul Burns from the Scots regiment, he will play over the "Sea to Sky" and that will be an incredibly poignant moment as we hear that music and the Queen's coffin is lowered.

FOSTER: In many ways, what you're looking at here as well the Queen being reunited with her soulmate, Prince Philip. These images you'll remember, Anderson, from Prince Philip's memorial here and she's going in to be buried next to him so in many ways for the family I think watching now they're going to have that in min.

COOPER: Really glorious St. George's Chapel.

(MUSIC)

RT. REV. DAVID CONNER, DEAN OF WINDSOR: We have come together to commit into the hands of God, the soul of his servant Queen Elizabeth here in St George's Chapel where she so often worshipped. We are bound to call to mind someone who's uncomplicated, yet profound Christian faith bore so much fruit, a fruit in a life of unstinting service to the nation, the Commonwealth and the wider world that also and especially to be remembered in this place in kindness, concern and reassuring care for our family and friends and neighbors in the midst of our rapidly changing and frequently troubled world, her calm and dignified presence has given us confidence to face the future as she did with courage and with hope. As with grateful hearts, we reflect on these and all the many other ways in which her long life has been a blessing to us.

[11:25:02]

We pray that God will give us grace to honor her memory by following her example and that with our sister, Elizabeth, at the last, we shall know the joys of life eternal.

(MUSIC)

CONNER: I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more to see. And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. And God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain for the form of things are passed away. And he that sat up on the throne said, behold, I make all things new.

[11:29:45]

And he said to me, right, for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, it is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He then overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.