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CNN Live At Daybreak

50th Year of Queen Elizabeth's Reign

Aired June 02, 2003 - 05:44   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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In London today it's a rather subdued commemoration ceremony, as Queen Elizabeth II marks the 50th year of her reign.
CNN's Richard Quest is live outside of Buckingham Palace.

Good morning -- Richard. I can't think -- "subdued" and "you" don't go together, Richard.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, just like it was 50 years ago when her majesty was finally crowned, so the heavens have once again opened here in London. Back in 1953, it was a truly dreadful day, and the only person who kept their carriage open was the queen of Tonga, and she won the applause of the crowd.

Look, things are perhaps going downhill at the palace, because behind me in Buckingham Palace they are inflating the bouncy castles for the children's party that will happen later on this afternoon. This is going to be a somewhat different celebration to that which was seen last year when, of course, there was lots of pomp and ceremony.

In just about half-an-hour from now the queen will go to Westminster Abbey for a service of thanksgiving. Camilla Parker- Bowles, Prince Charles' companion, is already at Westminster Abbey. She received an invitation as Prince Charles' companion.

Look, royal watchers -- Carol, royal watchers like myself get very excited about this sort of thing, because in the glacial movement of royalty this is considered important. Now -- and, oh, here we have the whole pageantry of royalty being brought out to some extent.

One other thing. Let me put this into perspective for you about why it is so important. Carol, the Abbey, Westminster Abbey, where she is going, has been the home of coronations in Britain for 900 years. The service the same as in 1066. The chair that she sat in when she was crowned goes back to Sir Dentwood's (ph) chair of 1300. Everything about this goes back not just in the decade but into the centuries.

Now, get a word in.

COSTELLO: Oh, well, I'm still wondering what a bouncy castle is.

QUEST: You know! It's one of those things that children go in and they bounce up and down, and then they all sort of -- you know, that sort of thing. We call them "bouncy castles." You'll see plenty of them. There's also a circus inside. It's human performers, not animals, but we won't make any reference to the royal family in that regard.

COSTELLO: Well, the important thing about Camilla Parker-Bowles is the invitation came from the queen herself.

QUEST: Yes, now, that was significant, because whenever Camilla Parker-Bowles has been invited before to royal events, there has always been -- they've always managed to fudge the issue. So, the queen mother (UNINTELLIGIBLE) it was because Camilla was a friend of the queen mother or this or that. There has always been a reason other than saying she's being invited as Charles' companion.

Now, on this occasion they seem to be saying, all right, let's spread the, you know, the fact she is Charles' companion. We have invited her. But, you know, this wouldn't be the British royal family. They won't go all the way. So, she won't be sitting next to Charles. She won't be arriving with Charles. He arrived just before her majesty, the queen.

COSTELLO: Oh, that seems so silly. I mean, maybe I shouldn't say that, but it does.

QUEST: Well, listen, talking of first families and first ladies, your own first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, Jacqueline Bouvier as she was back in 1953, she actually attended the queen's coronation as a journalist, one of 2,000 that was here when she was a reporter for the "Washington Times Herald."

COSTELLO: Gotcha. I don't know how that's connected, but it must be something.

QUEST: Oh, hang on! Hang on! Don't you be going off anywhere. Look, we've got the changing of the guard here at Buckingham Palace. Let's look at a bit of pageantry from London. You may as well enjoy it. We don't put all of this on for free. Get a bit of tourism out of it. Roll up, roll up.

This is the household cavalry, which most days during the summer will come along to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard. You know the old nursery rhyme? "They're changing guards at Buckingham Palace."

They will now move up towards Westminster Abbey, and within the next half-hour, Carol, we expect to see the queen, who will be leaving the palace on her way to the Abbey for the service of thanksgiving.

COSTELLO: Well, we'll certainly rejoin you then. Richard Quest, many thanks, and that was a treat, the changing of the guard. Thank you so much.

QUEST: Thank you.

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 June 2, 2003 - 05:44   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In London today it's a rather subdued commemoration ceremony, as Queen Elizabeth II marks the 50th year of her reign.
CNN's Richard Quest is live outside of Buckingham Palace.

Good morning -- Richard. I can't think -- "subdued" and "you" don't go together, Richard.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, just like it was 50 years ago when her majesty was finally crowned, so the heavens have once again opened here in London. Back in 1953, it was a truly dreadful day, and the only person who kept their carriage open was the queen of Tonga, and she won the applause of the crowd.

Look, things are perhaps going downhill at the palace, because behind me in Buckingham Palace they are inflating the bouncy castles for the children's party that will happen later on this afternoon. This is going to be a somewhat different celebration to that which was seen last year when, of course, there was lots of pomp and ceremony.

In just about half-an-hour from now the queen will go to Westminster Abbey for a service of thanksgiving. Camilla Parker- Bowles, Prince Charles' companion, is already at Westminster Abbey. She received an invitation as Prince Charles' companion.

Look, royal watchers -- Carol, royal watchers like myself get very excited about this sort of thing, because in the glacial movement of royalty this is considered important. Now -- and, oh, here we have the whole pageantry of royalty being brought out to some extent.

One other thing. Let me put this into perspective for you about why it is so important. Carol, the Abbey, Westminster Abbey, where she is going, has been the home of coronations in Britain for 900 years. The service the same as in 1066. The chair that she sat in when she was crowned goes back to Sir Dentwood's (ph) chair of 1300. Everything about this goes back not just in the decade but into the centuries.

Now, get a word in.

COSTELLO: Oh, well, I'm still wondering what a bouncy castle is.

QUEST: You know! It's one of those things that children go in and they bounce up and down, and then they all sort of -- you know, that sort of thing. We call them "bouncy castles." You'll see plenty of them. There's also a circus inside. It's human performers, not animals, but we won't make any reference to the royal family in that regard.

COSTELLO: Well, the important thing about Camilla Parker-Bowles is the invitation came from the queen herself.

QUEST: Yes, now, that was significant, because whenever Camilla Parker-Bowles has been invited before to royal events, there has always been -- they've always managed to fudge the issue. So, the queen mother (UNINTELLIGIBLE) it was because Camilla was a friend of the queen mother or this or that. There has always been a reason other than saying she's being invited as Charles' companion.

Now, on this occasion they seem to be saying, all right, let's spread the, you know, the fact she is Charles' companion. We have invited her. But, you know, this wouldn't be the British royal family. They won't go all the way. So, she won't be sitting next to Charles. She won't be arriving with Charles. He arrived just before her majesty, the queen.

COSTELLO: Oh, that seems so silly. I mean, maybe I shouldn't say that, but it does.

QUEST: Well, listen, talking of first families and first ladies, your own first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, Jacqueline Bouvier as she was back in 1953, she actually attended the queen's coronation as a journalist, one of 2,000 that was here when she was a reporter for the "Washington Times Herald."

COSTELLO: Gotcha. I don't know how that's connected, but it must be something.

QUEST: Oh, hang on! Hang on! Don't you be going off anywhere. Look, we've got the changing of the guard here at Buckingham Palace. Let's look at a bit of pageantry from London. You may as well enjoy it. We don't put all of this on for free. Get a bit of tourism out of it. Roll up, roll up.

This is the household cavalry, which most days during the summer will come along to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard. You know the old nursery rhyme? "They're changing guards at Buckingham Palace."

They will now move up towards Westminster Abbey, and within the next half-hour, Carol, we expect to see the queen, who will be leaving the palace on her way to the Abbey for the service of thanksgiving.

COSTELLO: Well, we'll certainly rejoin you then. Richard Quest, many thanks, and that was a treat, the changing of the guard. Thank you so much.

QUEST: Thank you.

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