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American Morning

Queen Elizabeth's Knee Surgery and Palace Panic Rooms

Aired January 14, 2003 - 07:51   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.


JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Blame it on Hollywood, when the movie "Panic Room" came out last spring, it struck a nerve with some Americans leading to the construction of real life safe rooms in homes. Now comes word that fear of a terrorist attack prompted the Queen of England to order the installation of panic rooms at the Royal palaces.
And Richard Quest joins us from London now with more.

At first I misunderstood, I thought it was one of those rooms, one of those I've fallen and I can't get up rooms, but I guess it's about terrorism, right?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now this isn't funny banging mind (ph) Her Majesty and her poor lad. Seventy-six years old.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

QUEST: And she -- of course she was in hospital yesterday having a cartilage operation. I can bring you the latest pictures -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: That'd be great.

QUEST: Her Majesty has now left hospital. Now poor woman, there she is, she was determined she wasn't going to be wheeled out of that hospital.

CAFFERTY: She looks pretty good...

QUEST: So she...

CAFFERTY: ... for 76, I've got to tell you.

QUEST: Under general anesthetic. I think there must have been a bit of a Royal wince as she got into the back of this car. I think you can almost see as she sort of throws the stick into the back of the car. But you know she did have a general anesthetic yesterday. But there she's oh, oh, you can feel -- you can feel everything before you can groan. But the Queen did get back into the car, and she's off back to Sandringham to recuperate. Those are the latest pictures.

Now, the panic room that Her Majesty is having installed, it's all as a result of possible threats of al Qaeda. And also, Windsor Castle, which is on the flight path of Heathrow Airport, one of the world's busiest airports, so general fears. So they're spending over $1.5 million to build these rooms at Buckingham Palace, Windsor and Windsor Castle. They will have walls roughly a foot thick. Wait for this. They will be -- the walls will be bullet resistant, fire retardant, made of reinforced steel with an inner layer of carbon fiber. And the Queen's will be able to withstand a mortar attack. And best of all, they will be hidden in the palaces by suitable paneling walls, pictures. You know you'll go to the wall, you'll pull a lever, the portrait goes zip, and the Queen will disappear off into her panic room.

CAFFERTY: You just hope after the thing's over they remember how -- where she is and can find her again. I mean if she's hidden away, those are big buildings.

QUEST: Well, she's intended to be there for at least a week. And now there is supposedly going to be room for the Corgis as well, because most people believe there's no way the Royal Family would leave the -- would leave the animals outside. And incidentally, you're supposed to take your animals with you into a panic room because if an assailant arrives, the dogs will probably be pining outside the door. How's that for you?

CAFFERTY: Yes, that's more than we need to know.

(LAUGHTER)

CAFFERTY: I'm just kidding. That's very interesting, Richard, and we'll look forward to visiting with you on Friday.

We were also going to talk about that butler that Diana had the affair with, but we've run out of time. We'll save it for Friday...

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Wait, wait, wait, she had no affair with any butler.

CAFFERTY: No, she didn't?

ZAHN: No.

CAFFERTY: This Hewitt guy?

ZAHN: Oh, you're talking about James Hewitt?

CAFFERTY: Yes.

ZAHN: Oh, the guy who's trying to sell the love letters?

CAFFERTY: Yes.

ZAHN: Yes, he wasn't the butler.

CAFFERTY: Then what was he?

ZAHN: He trained her, right, Richard, he trained her how to ride horses? He was an expert equestrian.

QUEST: Yes, he -- absolutely, Paula. He trained her how to ride horses. He had an affair with her and now he's trying to flog the letters. And Prince William and Harry are said to be wanting to buy them, but I'll tell you more about that anon.

CAFFERTY: Well, thank you, I was under the impression he was a butler. I had no idea he was an equestrian.

(LAUGHTER)

ZAHN: Jack just loves these Royal matters.

CAFFERTY: Yes (ph).

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: If he can't sell the letters, maybe he'll be a butler.

ZAHN: We will update you during the break.

CAFFERTY: Yes, keep me posted, will you,...

ZAHN: Yes, we will.

CAFFERTY: ... because I'm a little behind the curve on this stuff.

HEMMER: Yes, we'll do (ph).

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 14, 2003 - 07:51   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Blame it on Hollywood, when the movie "Panic Room" came out last spring, it struck a nerve with some Americans leading to the construction of real life safe rooms in homes. Now comes word that fear of a terrorist attack prompted the Queen of England to order the installation of panic rooms at the Royal palaces.
And Richard Quest joins us from London now with more.

At first I misunderstood, I thought it was one of those rooms, one of those I've fallen and I can't get up rooms, but I guess it's about terrorism, right?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now this isn't funny banging mind (ph) Her Majesty and her poor lad. Seventy-six years old.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

QUEST: And she -- of course she was in hospital yesterday having a cartilage operation. I can bring you the latest pictures -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: That'd be great.

QUEST: Her Majesty has now left hospital. Now poor woman, there she is, she was determined she wasn't going to be wheeled out of that hospital.

CAFFERTY: She looks pretty good...

QUEST: So she...

CAFFERTY: ... for 76, I've got to tell you.

QUEST: Under general anesthetic. I think there must have been a bit of a Royal wince as she got into the back of this car. I think you can almost see as she sort of throws the stick into the back of the car. But you know she did have a general anesthetic yesterday. But there she's oh, oh, you can feel -- you can feel everything before you can groan. But the Queen did get back into the car, and she's off back to Sandringham to recuperate. Those are the latest pictures.

Now, the panic room that Her Majesty is having installed, it's all as a result of possible threats of al Qaeda. And also, Windsor Castle, which is on the flight path of Heathrow Airport, one of the world's busiest airports, so general fears. So they're spending over $1.5 million to build these rooms at Buckingham Palace, Windsor and Windsor Castle. They will have walls roughly a foot thick. Wait for this. They will be -- the walls will be bullet resistant, fire retardant, made of reinforced steel with an inner layer of carbon fiber. And the Queen's will be able to withstand a mortar attack. And best of all, they will be hidden in the palaces by suitable paneling walls, pictures. You know you'll go to the wall, you'll pull a lever, the portrait goes zip, and the Queen will disappear off into her panic room.

CAFFERTY: You just hope after the thing's over they remember how -- where she is and can find her again. I mean if she's hidden away, those are big buildings.

QUEST: Well, she's intended to be there for at least a week. And now there is supposedly going to be room for the Corgis as well, because most people believe there's no way the Royal Family would leave the -- would leave the animals outside. And incidentally, you're supposed to take your animals with you into a panic room because if an assailant arrives, the dogs will probably be pining outside the door. How's that for you?

CAFFERTY: Yes, that's more than we need to know.

(LAUGHTER)

CAFFERTY: I'm just kidding. That's very interesting, Richard, and we'll look forward to visiting with you on Friday.

We were also going to talk about that butler that Diana had the affair with, but we've run out of time. We'll save it for Friday...

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Wait, wait, wait, she had no affair with any butler.

CAFFERTY: No, she didn't?

ZAHN: No.

CAFFERTY: This Hewitt guy?

ZAHN: Oh, you're talking about James Hewitt?

CAFFERTY: Yes.

ZAHN: Oh, the guy who's trying to sell the love letters?

CAFFERTY: Yes.

ZAHN: Yes, he wasn't the butler.

CAFFERTY: Then what was he?

ZAHN: He trained her, right, Richard, he trained her how to ride horses? He was an expert equestrian.

QUEST: Yes, he -- absolutely, Paula. He trained her how to ride horses. He had an affair with her and now he's trying to flog the letters. And Prince William and Harry are said to be wanting to buy them, but I'll tell you more about that anon.

CAFFERTY: Well, thank you, I was under the impression he was a butler. I had no idea he was an equestrian.

(LAUGHTER)

ZAHN: Jack just loves these Royal matters.

CAFFERTY: Yes (ph).

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: If he can't sell the letters, maybe he'll be a butler.

ZAHN: We will update you during the break.

CAFFERTY: Yes, keep me posted, will you,...

ZAHN: Yes, we will.

CAFFERTY: ... because I'm a little behind the curve on this stuff.

HEMMER: Yes, we'll do (ph).

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com