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CNN Live Today

Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee Celebration Nears End

Aired June 04, 2002 - 12:35   ET

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

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In London today, there has been a remarkable show of how much affection there is for Queen Elizabeth II.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour has the latest on the events marking the queen's Golden Jubilee -- quite a party, Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, this is due to wrap up in about half an hour from now, if all goes according to schedule.

And we have had several hours of immensely colorful parades. Right now, it's what is known as Commonwealth Parade. The queen, as you know, is not only queen of Britain, but also of a very large commonwealth that stretches from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, Australia, New Zealand, North to South Africa and East to West Africa. Even India and Pakistan are just amongst the few of those countries which are in the commonwealth.

Now, we are joined here by Robert Jobson, a royal commentator, for just a little bit of context as to why this commonwealth is so important.

And do you think people know quite how many subjects the queen has around the world?

ROBERT JOBSON, ROYAL COMMENTATOR: I don't think they really do.

It is terribly important to the queen. It's one of her passions of her reign, I think, because, when she became queen, her father, of course, was emperor of a great empire around the world. She didn't inherit that. She inherited the commonwealth. And she's taken her duties incredibly serious.

I was in Jamaica at the start of this jubilee celebrations earlier this year. And there she is queen of Jamaica. And the response and respect she had was immense.

AMANPOUR: What do you think this is telling the palace, telling the world, really, about the affection that the British public hold her in?

JOBSON: Well, I think the British people here clearly adore the queen. I think, in the past, we have had a lot of affection towards the queen mother. And the queen, in many ways, has not been seen in that role. But now, with her sad passing, the queen has adopted that matriarchal role, where she will be seen with a great affection. And that's what we are seeing today.

amnesty Now, you are a royal commentator. You know very well that there are a lot of very vocal voices in this country who are saying that this institution is just not necessary: "It is undemocratic. We are a leading democracy. And why do we need a head of state who is not elected?"

What sort of standing do you think they have after today?

JOBSON: Well, I think that there has always been an element of that. In Britain, we are conservative with a small C. But I think most people respect the traditions and respect the queen, particularly.

I think that issue will come to pass more when the queen has passed away and Prince Charles is on the throne. Now, that whole issue will be addressed then, particularly if he tries to put Camilla Parker-Bowles, make her his queen.

AMANPOUR: Now, we have been seeing these parades. And a lot of them have been basically highlighting the enormous amount of culture and business and pop culture and theater.

But Britain has exported, really, over the last 50 years. Are you surprised when you just are confronted by it all to just see just how much this country has contributed to the world, because it is always thought of as sort of a little, kind of poor little neighbor, isn't it?

JOBSON: Well, I'm very proud to be British. And I think today, what we have seen over the past is really what Britain has contributed to the world over the past 50 years. Yes, it's a celebration of the queen's reign, but this is also a celebration about being British and what Britain represents and has brought to this world.

AMANPOUR: All right, thank you very much, Robert.

And later this evening, as I said, this is going to conclude with a fly-past of the Concorde and some vintage as well as modern British fighter jets. And then the queen and her family will also be on the balcony at Buckingham Palace behind me.

But, earlier today, just before this parade that we have been showing you, there was quite an extraordinary moment when the Hells Angels came roaring down the mall, the Hells Angels on their Harley- Davidsons, and roared towards the queen in a moment that really drew a lot of applause. It was a very, very anti-establishment moment, if you like. And there was the queen, sitting, politely waving to them and looking quite amused.

Just before that, of course, you had seen a complete contrast, the queen going from Buckingham Palace towards St. Paul's Cathedral for that ceremony of thanksgiving, being drawn in her gilded stagecoach. So, you couldn't have seen a bigger contrast today. And, really, that has embodied the celebration: how things have changed so much over 50 years, but how the queen herself has remained a unifying personality in the last 50 years. And that's the tribute that people say they are paying to her -- Carol.

LIN: Thank you very much for all of that, Christiane Amanpour, live in London.

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