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Queen Elizabeth: A Look Back at 70 Years on the Throne; Queen Elizabeth Marks 70 Years on the British Throne; Jury: Movie Starts Johnny and Amber Defamed Each Other; Britons Mark Jubilee by Planting Trees. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired June 02, 2022 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: There's little footage to show the sense of humor this wife, mother and grandmother is reputed to show behind closed doors. On occasion there has been little to laugh about, however.

QUEEN ELIZABETH: It has turned out to be a horribleness.

FOSTER (voice-over): During the 1990s, three of her four children were divorced, Charles most famously and then that crash.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Getting word that the French government has informed all of us that Princess Diana has died.

FOSTER (voice-over): The royal family's restrained response collided with a British public convulsing in heartache. Elizabeth learned she's never merely a mother or grandmother, rather a Queen to her people no matter what.

Over more than a decade, public faith in the Royals gradually rebuilt, the Queen was advisably thrilled by the show of support for the wedding between her grandson William and partner Kate in 2011. The family soon welcomed several additions, including Prince George, future heir to the throne, born in 2013.

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. Elizabeth was forced to stand alone as she watched his coffin lower into the royal vault at Windsor Castle. A fitting farewell to her husband of 73 years, the man she described as her strength and stay. For more than half a century, Elizabeth had led an empire before overseeing its managed decline.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Royal pair stopped first at this soon to be independent colony before touring their dominions in the West Indies.

FOSTER (voice-over): Known as the Commonwealth, an association of now independent countries, 15 of which had kept the Queen as a symbolic head of state. After 17 momentous years, her majesty celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, the longest serving British monarch in history.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER (on camera): It was in Kenya when the Queen learned that she would take the throne. The year was 1952. Her majesty along with Prince Philip have been part of the Commonwealth tour on behalf of her father when she learned of his passing and she of course returned immediately to the U.K. CNN's Larry Madowo joins us now live from a watch party in Kenya. Hopefully watching CNN, Larry.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Max. And she was here just a few miles away from where that happened, the Queen and Prince Philip were here -- then she was Princess Elizabeth when she learned that her dad had died and she had to cancel the rest of her Commonwealth tour. She was supposed to go on to New Zealand and Australia and she had to hurry back to the U.K. to become the new Queen.

And so, this is a place that has special connection to her majesty and this Platinum Jubilee. And I have someone with me who has actually met the Queen, because Douglas Mwangi was a Queen's young leader. You met the Queen in 2018. You are originally from here. What was it like that moment to meet somebody who became Queen in your own hometown?

DOUGLAS MWANGI, QUEEN'S YOUNG LEADER AWARD RECIPIENT, 2018: It was one of the best moments I'll never forget in my life. I mean, receiving the Queen her majesty, it's really met a lot for me and for my organization. Because you know, it gave us a lot of credibility which we normally need especially for young social entrepreneurs.

MADOWO: And your work is in Nyeri, which is an informal settlement in Nairobi. You work around tech. But you are doing something special here in the area.

MWANGI: Yes, yes, to mark the Jubilee Platinum, we are doing something really, really exciting. So, we'll have virtual experience, a virtual true experience for people to learn how Buckingham looks like. And then Buckingham Palace as well as Windsor Castle. So, we'll be doing that at 3:00 p.m. Kenya time.

MADOWO: So, that's exciting too. You are allowing these people of this community to get a chance to see what Buckingham Palace and Windsor Palace look like. And you are also lighting a beacon.

MWANGI: Yes, definitely. Our beacon is a bit different. Because we are tech organization. We're doing a beacon that is voice activated. So, you give it a command and then it lights up. Yes, and as well as showing the part of technology to these people in a rural area.

MADOWO: Douglas Mwangi, thank you so much. We're looking forward to seeing that. We'll be here to watch that and see how the local community is marking 70 years of the Queen who became Queen while she was right here in Nyeri in Kenya about three hours out of Nairobi.

FOSTER: Larry in that area with amazing connection to the Queen here in the U.K. Thank you. We've got much more coverage of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee

Celebrations ahead. Plus, our top stories coming up after a short break.

[04:05:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAMILLE VASQUEZ, JOHNNY DEPP'S ATTORNEY: Today's verdict confirms what we have said from the beginning. That the claims against Johnny Depp are defamatory and unsupported by any evidence. We are grateful, so grateful to the jury for their careful deliberation, to the judge and court staff who have devoted an enormous amount of time and resources towards this case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The verdict is in, in the legal battle between Hollywood actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. The defamation trial has made the U.S. headlines for nearly two months -- global headlines really -- where the jury finding them both at fault for libel. CNN's Jean Casarez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A jury ruling in favor of Johnny Depp and his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, finding her liable on all three counts.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you find that Mr. Depp has proven all the elements of defamation? Answer, yes.

CASAREZ (voice-over): The jury also ruling in favor of Heard on just one claim of her counter-suit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you find that Ms. Heard has proven all the elements of defamation? Answer, yes.

CASAREZ (voice-over): This decision coming after six weeks of a dramatic testimony, with the former couple facing off.

AMBER HEARD, ACTRESS: Nothing I did made him stop hitting me. Nothing.

[04:10:00]

JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: I have never, in my life, committed sexual battery, physical abuse.

CASAREZ (voice-over): At the center of the trial, abuse allegations Heard made in a 2018 "Washington Post" op-ed. Though she never named Depp in the article, he sued his ex-wife for defamation, claiming in a $50 million suit that his career suffered as a result. Heard countersued Depp for $100 million.

The former couple met in 2009 while filming the movie, "Rum Diary".

DEPP: He wrote that when he was 25 years old.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Both testified the relationship became violent and abusive overtime, including two incidents which took place in Australia, where the actor was filming the fifth "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie.

DEPP: I'm so sorry, were you still talking?

CASAREZ: Leading Heard to file a temporary restraining order against Depp in 2016.

DEPP: She threw the large bottle and it made contact and shattered everywhere. And then I looked down and realized that the tip of my finger had been severed.

HEARD: I felt this pressure, I felt this pressure. On my (INAUDIBLE) he was punching me.

CASAREZ (voice-over): That testimony was not all he said/she said. With recordings of fights and photos of alleged injuries introduced as evidence.

HEARD: By this point in our relationship, we are both saying awful things to each other, screaming at each other.

CASAREZ (voice-over): On the stand, Depp denied abusing Heard.

DEPP: I would never -- did I myself reach the point of striking Ms. Heard in any way. Nor have I ever struck any woman in my life.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Witnesses for both Depp and Heard gave sometimes emotional testimony about what they saw and the former couple's counselor testified about their relationship.

LAUREL ANDERSON, DEPP AND HEARD'S CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: They engaged in what I saw as mutual abuse.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Depp was not in court to hear the verdict. Instead, he was performing in London, Monday night.

Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still ahead, we're counting down the minutes until Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee kicks off here in London. We are hearing horses in the background. There will be 240 eventually. The latest on the royal celebrations after the break.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: God save our Queen.

[04:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) FOSTER: Welcome back to our special coverage of Queen Elizabeth's

Platinum Jubilee Celebrations. I'm Max Foster live from Buckingham Palace in London. In honor of her Majesty, the royal family has invited people around the world to plant a tree for the Jubilee. And outside the gates of Buckingham Palace, the sculpture known as "Tree of Trees" stands as a message of hope, regeneration and sustainability.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trees have always been important to the Queen. She's planted over 1,500 across the world during her reign.

PEACHES GOLDING, HER MAJESTY'S LORD LIEUTENANT FOR BRISTOL: Those trees that her Majesty has planted are right across the world. You know, the Commonwealth countries from the Caribbean to Africa to Asia are all involved in celebrations. There have been forests and canopies that are all linked together right around the world in her majesty's name.

THOMAS HEATHERWICK, TREE OF TREES DESIGNER: The Platinum Jubilee is an excuse to bring a country together and make a focal point that celebrates environment and also literally changes the landscape of this country.

KAREN DUNSTAN, FORREST SCHOOL LEADER, WILLIAM TORBITT PRIMARY SCHOOL: There are 350 different species of trees. They are all native to the British Isles and each tree has got its own special Dominion bucket and then these trees will be distributed around the country at the end of the two-week project.

HEATHERWICK: It will be 70-foot high and which happens to be the length of her reign. And I wish that I could say that was deliberately done, but I was also told that somebody in the palace has described this as being three giraffes high.

DUNSTAN: The metal is from oil rigs. The aluminum has all been recycled. And at the end of this project, the metals will be recycled again.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is like a once in a lifetime opportunity. Like, you can't just do this anytime. So, it is really fun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are not many children who can see this. We want to save the planet. We want to add to the planet with their climate change and things like that.

DAN REX, CEO OF QUEEN'S GREEN CANOPY: We wanted to really highlight the vital importance of what we already have in the form of our ancient trees and ancient forests. And really these are nature's crown jewels. So, our call to action is plant a tree for the jubilee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Does look pretty amazing once it's lit up. And we'll see that tonight as they like the beacons around the Commonwealth. Once again, our team of CNN reporters standing by ahead of the celebrations. Anna Stewart is live at the mile where fans are waiting for the festivities to begin. CNN's Larry Madowo is at the watch party in Kenya. CNN's Bianca Nobilo and "Hello" magazine's Emily Nash are all here. Anna, first of all, to the crowds because that's where it is at right now.

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: The crowds are getting increasing by the second I should say, actually getting pretty hard to move around and even harder to hear you, Max.

[04:20:02]

But it's lots and lots of excitement here. Everyone wants to get a good spot to see the procession going past, I think. So, some people were camping overnight. People have come from all sorts of places from as far as South Africa and Canada. I've met all sorts of people who come over specifically for this event. And it is really interesting when you ask people why they do come here in person because I imagine that they could see it better on television or watching of course, CNN.

But they are here very much to show their respect to the Queen. They think this is the last Jubilee Celebration that there will be for the Queen. And also, they're here for the atmosphere. And it is absolutely electric and it's infectious. The excitement levels are so high right now. Some people who have camped out have had practically no sleep. But they are so awake and I think that we're running off at this stage sort of emotional happy -- Max.

FOSTER: Larry, they're not camping out in Kenya but they're all tuning into watch from what we can tell.

MADOWO: They are. The fact that there is a celebration and a watch party and this event happening in this rural part of Kenya speaks to the enduring legacy of Queen Elizabeth and how far the reach of the Commonwealth is.

And an interesting story, I remember when my sister was born 1,000 years ago it feels and my parents look at her and they thought she was so pretty and beautiful and perfect, they named her Elizabeth after the Queen. And when we got here this morning, we went to a small hotel back there, small restaurant and what do you know, the server asked her what her name is, and it's Elizabeth. That's an extremely common name here. And it is all because of the Queen who even people who don't know she became Queen while she was here in Nyeri. In this part of the country still love that name and I think that's just one connection to the royal family and her even when people will be very critical of the colonization and legacy of that, but there's still a soft spot for the monarch.

FOSTER: Yes, Larry, it's so interesting, isn't it, Bianca, because whether you are a monarchist or not, the Queen has been around for so long, and these events do sort of punctuate our own lives and they create almost chapters in our own lives. So, we remember this moment not necessary because we're into the Queen but because it's a moment in our own history. BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: It is. And the Queen

herself is a through line through so many history. Obviously, she was alive during the Second World War, she played a part as well in the later years. But she's seen, you know, the building and fall of the Berlin Wall. The beginning and end of Britain's relationship with Europe. She has been the consistent force throughout so much turbulent history.

And I think that is why this is such an interesting moment as we see the shifts in the monarchy as Queen Elizabeth II is taking a step back although the country celebrates her over the next few days. And we look ahead to what is next and that is why it is considered to be potentially problematic for monarchists and maybe an opportunity for Republicans, but she herself is so popular and so widely respected. But what comes after is much more of a question mark.

FOSTER: This is definitely part of the palace thinking. Isn't it? We don't want to talk about the inevitable. It's very tasteless to talk about the inevitable. But they've got to plan for it because monarchies -- you know, the monarchy never dies and they have to plan for the next monarch and we're going to see that today.

EMILY NASH, CNN ROYAL CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely. We have the Prince of Wales stepping in and he's been delegated this task of taking the royal salute on Horse Guards Parade. And that's the first time this has happened in the Queen's reign. So, it's a really significant moment for him and all eyes will be on him. You know, I'm sure she'll be watching behind us somewhere inside the palace. It's a lot of pressure on him, but you know, he's watched and learned over the years. He's taken part in the ceremony countless times. It's a very special moment and it's a time for us at well to get a glimpse into the future.

FOSTER: When we go around the world, what we learn, isn't it, Bianca, is that the Queen actually transcends the monarchy in a way sort of what you are saying, that there is so much connection with her personally. Would you describe her as sort of the one living historic figure that, you know, is on the world stage right now?

NOBILO: Well, I think that's accurate. And she is, you know, the longest reigning British monarch. She's the third longest reigning monarch ever. If she continues another two years, it will be the longest reigning monarch in all of history. And even though of course, even in a 70 year career on the throne, there will be missteps and things were tonally off. And a couple of famous years which were particularly grueling for her and the monarchy and the country indeed.

But she really has managed to remain above the fray. You know, she's appointed 14 Prime Ministers, but she isn't a political figure. She is a symbolic figure. She has a constitutional role, but she doesn't get involved. No one really knows that much about what she thinks about politics or indeed many, many things. And that's what has enabled her to maintain that level of respect and devotion across the world. Obviously, there are challenges to that now, but it is simply because she has been restrained, kept to herself to herself, never complained. Never explained. FOSTER: The image, the abiding image from today will, if we go by

other jubilees, be the balcony moment when we see the family come out.

[04:25:00]

She always uses that to define the modern monarchy. So, what will we see today?

NASH: Well, I think crucially we are going to see her directors. We're going to see Charles and William and their families. We're going to see her cousin as well. He has loyally her supported her for so many years. But we're also going to see we'll the Cambridge children. So, we are having four generations of members of her family and three future kings lined up alongside her. I think that that is really her demonstrating that, you know, the monarchy has a future and it's in safe hands.

FOSTER: Thank you both, also Larry and Anna out there on the streets. She is going to be right in the middle of the party. And this doesn't script coming up doesn't reflect my writing but I'm going to read it nevertheless an attribute it to the writer.

If happiness is a warm puppy, here is probably the most adorable of the Queen's jubilee celebrations. A pop-up Corgi cam in London. Leadenhall Market is inviting people to take photos with Queen Elizabeth's favorite dog breed Corgis. That's not right actually is it. They're doggies. According to the organizers the Queen has owned doggies/Corgis since she was 18.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We been here for about two hours and it was worth it, they brought the Corgis out so we could pet them while we waited.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it didn't feel that long.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is really sweet. I loved it. Honestly, I thought it was really nice. We're like dog lovers, so it was a nice experience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The pop-up photo studio offers different backdrops even to choose from, to cozy up to the Queen's beloved breed. One thing the market advises don't bring other dogs. They will not be welcome. There's a huge amount of snobbery in this area of the dog world.

Thanks for joining us. I'm Max Foster at Buckingham Palace in London Our coverage of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebrations continues throughout the morning. Up next, "EARLY START" with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett. You're watching CNN.

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