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Buckingham Palace Queen's Doctors are Concerned for Her Health; Bannon Surrenders on Charges Tied to Border Wall Fundraising. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired September 08, 2022 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: A very good Thursday morning to you and welcome to our viewers here in the U.S. and around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Poppy Harlow. We're glad you are with us as we follow breaking news out of the United Kingdom. Buckingham Palace says 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth is under medical supervision because doctors are concerned for her health. Her son and the heir apparent of the throne, Prince Charles, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland to be by her side. Her other three children along with Princes William and Harry are also headed there right now.

SCIUTTO: Our reporter, correspondents are standing by, Anna Stewart at Buckingham Palace, CNN Royal Historian Kate Williams joins us from London as well.

And, Kate, I wonder if I could begin with you because we've been speaking in the last hour about the enormous span of her leadership, the longest serving monarch really in history, certainly in the U.K. history, more than 70 years celebrated earlier this year. We came across something she said at the young age of 21 on a visit to South Africa before she assumed the throne, which struck us as telling of the life that she would lead and the service she would give. We're going to play that right now. I want to get your reaction.

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ELIZABETH II, QUEEN OF ENGLAND: I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me as I now invite you to do. I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it.

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SCIUTTO: Her vow there in 1947 for a lifetime of service. She actually referenced it in her platinum jubilee commonwealth speech when she talked about renewing the promise made there. Tell us, Kate, through history, she did, didn't she?

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: She did, and it is such a powerful speech, isn't it, Jim, and I'm so pleased you picked it, because here she is, a 21-year-old girl on her birthday saying, my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be dedicated to your service. And what a life it has been and what a life of service it has been for her. She is this incredible queen, and always throughout her reign, she's thought of service. She, most recently, actually, signed herself, your servant Elizabeth R. She is one who believes in duty, in service, and that was a vow she made when she was just 21. She would keep it throughout her life and, as you say, what an incredible reign.

She was born in 1926. She is the longest reigning monarch in British history. And just we recently were just celebrating her fantastic platinum jubilee. And I think what a striking image yesterday of the queen meeting new the prime minister, Elizabeth Truss, and saying goodbye to the old prime minister, BORIS JOHNSON. She can't have been feeling well but yet she still came out there to do her duty and that, I think, is an incredible testament to her strength of will.

HARLOW: Anna, you were at Buckingham Palace. For our viewers that just may be joining us, can you bring us to speed on the developments this morning? We've heard really from everyone of significance around her, not only the palace but the new prime minister, from the archbishop of Canterbury. Bring us up to speed, if you would.

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: So, a few hours ago, we had that short statement from Buckingham Palace that has caused such deep concern for the health of her majesty. In the statement, they said, following further evaluation this morning, the queen's doctors are concerned for her majesty's health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision.

The queen remains comfortable at Balmoral. And moments after that, we were told that some of her children were on the way to Balmoral and that, indeed, in fact, all of her children have now traveled to Balmoral or are on their way, including grandchildren, Prince William, Prince Harry and the duchess of Sussex as well.

[10:05:09]

That is how deep the concern is.

So, often there are concerns about the queen's health. She is 96 years old. We know that she's suffered from episodic mobility issues now, at least since October of last year when she spent a night in hospital. But we are generally, I would say, steered away from being overly concerned about her health and the palace spokespeople often tells us they won't give a running commentary on her majesty's health. That is not the case today.

And I can tell you the Buckingham Palace here is lined with live physicians (ph). U.K. news outlets are doing rolling coverage on this news. And I am not sure if you can see, but people are beginning to gather outside the gates of Buckingham Palace even though, of course, her majesty isn't there, she is in scotland. But I think they are awaiting any further news from the palace. And at this stage, that is what we're doing. We're awaiting sort of further statements from the palace.

But in the meantime, we are getting statements from, as you say, all sorts of people, former prime ministers, including the new prime minister, Liz Truss. Let's bring her at speed (ph). She said the whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime. My thoughts and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom are with her majesty the queen and her family at this time.

I think it is worth noting that Liz Truss, who has only been prime minister, of course, since the beginning of the week, she met the queen on Tuesday in Balmoral for a formal appointment by her majesty the queen, invited to hold this government. But that was done not here at Buckingham Palace, as you would expect. That was done at Balmoral, and that was on the advice of doctors. And then yesterday, the queen was meant to do a privy council meeting with the new prime minister and new members of the cabinet, and, unfortunately, even though that was a Zoom meeting, that was called off.

So, there have been a number of events this week, I would say, that have perhaps risen the cause of concern, but today, in the last few hours, these statements really troubling, indeed.

SCIUTTO: Notably, Kate, and you've covered the queen for so many -- and the royal family for so many years, in other instances when there were concerns, though clearly not as deep as today's concerns about her health, And I wonder when you look at these various signals here, family members traveling to her side at Balmoral, the BBC going into rolling coverage and not being cautioned off that rolling coverage of these events, notes being passed to the labor and conservative leaders while they were on the floor of parliament. Do you see some preparation here perhaps for the population to lessen the blow of any news that may come going forward? Is there significance in these steps?

WILLIAMS: I think, Jim, this is very serious. This is very concerning. Just as Anna was saying, usually, the palace say the queen is fine, it's just a few tests, nothing to worry about. But this, they really did say that doctors are concerned and I think that it is very significant that the family are at or on their way to her bedside. Really, this is a very serious moment for the queen. And I think it is very notable that she didn't meet with the Privy Council last night. She would have if she could and she clearly wasn't feeling up to it.

So, I think we are looking at quite a serious moment. The palace is being honest with us. And, obviously, this is what's causing a lot of concern, a lot of distress. As Anna was saying, people are lining up outside Buckingham Palace. I was just coming into London on a train earlier and all the train we're talking about it, people were really wondering what was going on because she is someone who means so much, held in so much affection.

So many people -- they respect her but they also hold her in this great affection. They love her. And, really, she's always been the queen. She's been here since 1952. Very few people can remember a time without her. And that is why she has this huge significance in their hearts and people can't imagine the thought of her not being here anymore.

HARLOW: I mean, Anna, exactly Kate's point, it is so notable that a woman who was born never expecting to be queen becomes queen in her 20s, reigns for 70 years on, and is someone who 80 percent of the population in Britain have lived their entire lives with only her as the monarch.

STEWART: Yes -- a reign of longevity. It's been a reign of stability for the British people, for the commonwealth. And this queen, as you heard from the speech she gave at her 21st birthday, where she dedicated her whole life, whether it'd be long or short, to public duty, that is very much what we have seen now for 70 years. And you're right.

This was a queen that wasn't born into the role. It was the abdication of her uncle that threw her and her father into that limelight. It is amazing to think of the history that she had witnessed, the fact that her father served in the First World War and her husband in the Second World War. You consider the incredible events that have unfolded here in U.K. and around the world during her reign. And you're right, over 80 percent of the public here have no other monarch.

So, people will be deeply concerned by this news, deeply worried.

[10:10:02]

I think that we saw it very much in the platinum jubilee celebrations earlier this year where I met people who weren't necessarily royal fans but they turned up out of respect and love, really, for her majesty the queen.

And that is something that I've seen throughout my reporting. I'm always amazed at how many people, not just even in the U.K., but how many people travel from overseas -- various events where her majesty is and the dedication that she has shown. She's always said that she needs to be seen to be believed and she's done just that for 70 years.

SCIUTTO: Yes, British 15 prime ministers, she's met 13 U.S. presidents during that time period. It is quite a span of history. And, Poppy, we were saying earlier going back to the role her family played in World War II in terms of bucking up the British population through the blitz. She's been there through it all.

HARLOW: She certainly has. Thank you both. We'll get back to you very shortly. So, stay with us.

We are continuing to follow the latest on Queen Elizabeth's health as members of the royal family are heading now, some already there, at Barmoral Castle. They'll be by her side. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta will join the conversation right after this.

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SCIUTTO: We're watching the breaking news, concerning news out of the U.K. this morning, where Queen Elizabeth is under medical supervision after Buckingham Palace announced her doctors concerned for her health.

HARLOW: That's right. And her son, Prince Charles, has already arrived at Balmoral Castle, her other children on the way there, as well as her grandsons, Princes William and Harry.

Let's bring back in CNN Royal Historian Kate Williams and our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Thank you both very much for being with us as we continue to monitor this.

Sanjay, just -- I'd like your take on the statement that the palace put out this morning, because it begins by saying, following further evaluation, the queen's doctors are concerned for her majesty's health and have recommended that she remain under medical supervision. Further evaluation but yet she's not going to the hospital. What does it tell you?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, I can only read into that as much as I think anybody else. And I think there is not a lot of details and I think that that is by design. Further evaluation, we know that she's been evaluated over some time, but now it has turned in to more of a constant medical supervision as opposed to intermittent sort of checks. So, that is obviously of concern.

We have some idea of her past medical history. That is known, you know, she was hospitalized, for example, in October of last year but we didn't have a lot of details about that. But to your point, they told us that she was hospitalized.

So, what we're hearing now is sort of a little bit difficult to reconcile in the sense that this is obviously a very concerning situation, but it does not appear that she has gone to the hospital. So, why doesn't someone go to the hospital if they don't think someone is ill enough to warrant that, or if they don't think there would be any benefit of going to the hospital.

So, I don't know. And I don't think anybody else really knows and I think it's people -- you know, I think it is probably not right to speculate on specifically what is happening other than whatever it is, the doctors have significant concern, significant enough to release that statement and we know at least we're being told that she has not gone to the hospital for this.

SCIUTTO: Kate, you have witnessed in the past when there have been concerns about the state of the queen's health. There have been times, for instance, going back to when she was testing positive for coronavirus earlier this year. There have been times when some in the press, in the public, have raised the level of concern and the palace pushed back and said no, not now. In effect, things will be okay.

This time you, our reporters in London, have noted it is different. The BBC is covering this wall to wall. They deliberately, the palace, released this statement and now her family traveling to be by her side. Can you describe the significance of those differences?

WILLIAMS: Yes, it is incredibly significant. So, as you say, normally, the queen's health, she always has this fantastic health. She's in radiant health considering she is 96. It's always been incredible. She's hardly ever been in the hospital. And, obviously, last year, she was in hospital and the palace just said this is a few tests, nothing to worry about. And every time people started to panic, they said, no, nothing to worry about.

And this, it is more serious, this, they've said very clearly. They haven't said she's just taking a day off, she's just taking a day to rest. They have said -- they have really made it clear it is serious concerns. And I think there are a lot of serious concerns. It is very obvious that this is different to the previous, smaller health scares we've had before. The family are on their way to her and that I think is very significant.

The palace are keen to be honest with us at this point. It is clear that although the queen looked frail yesterday when she was meeting Boris Johnson to say goodbye as prime minister and then Liz Truss, our 15th prime minister, meeting her to welcome her, she looked frail, but she still looked happy, she still looked on top of the job, but it was obvious that that was quite exhausting. The Privy Council Zoom meeting that evening that she was scheduled for was canceled. And today, obviously, something different very has happened this morning. So, in the early hours of this morning, there has been a decline and palace are concerned.

And we obviously, just as you've been saying, we don't know anything, there's nothing to speculate and we don't know anything, but it is very concerning that the queen, who has always had such fantastic health, it does seem to be a different situation at this point.

HARLOW: And Sanjay, she has had health concerns relatively recent health incidents. But she's pulled through them.

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I mean, what do we know about what she has been through?

GUPTA: Yes. I mean, it is kind of remarkable, as was just being said. I mean, for 96 years old, she has had, you know, pretty good health. I mean, the timeline of her medical history, at least over the last 20 years or so, you know, going back to 2003, that is when she had this operation for her knee. And she was 77 years old at that point. And then, you know, ten years later in 2013 is when she was hospitalized for gastroenteritis. And, again, she was 87 years old at that point. And then as we were just discussing more recently, you know, there was this hospitalization again on October of last year, which she seemed to have recovered from. She had COVID February of this year, which she seems to have recovered from. She did have these more recent issues with mobility problems and having to miss events.

But 96 years old, you know, this is what we know. There may be things that we don't know specifically about her overall health, but overall pretty good. But, again, the most recent thing about the doctors being concerned, as was just stated, seems like something happened to go from let's keep an eye on the queen to saying, look, medical supervision, sort of denoting around the clock sort of, you know, care now being provided or at least checks being provided. We don't know. I think it is good to say we don't know regarding what is specifically driving this, but whatever it is, it is pretty serious.

SCIUTTO: Kate, you can almost feel the collective lump in the throat of the British people and others outside of the U.K. who have followed the legacy of this queen so closely through the years and the decades as they hear this news, and concerning enough that her closest family members are going by her side. Can you describe how the British people take this moment? Describe the level of concern and emotion.

WILLIAMS: There is a huge amount of concern here in London. People are very concerned. Everyone is talking about it. Everyone is worried about it. And that reflects the country and I think the whole world. People are really -- they are so fond of the queen. They have got so much affection for her. And also, really, as you were saying earlier, only 80 percent of us have never had any other monarch. My parents can only vaguely remember a time when the queen wasn't the queen.

And, simply, when you look at it, when you think that just a few months ago she was looking great at the platinum jubilee celebrations, and then in May, she opened the Elizabeth line, which is our new underground line in London, it's a bright purple underground line in tribute to her love of bright colors. She was wearing yellow. She was discussing how to put money on your travel card to the member of staff (ph). She looked great. She sounded great. It was all fabulous.

And I know we were all hoping and planning that she was going to have a 100th birthday in a few years time. And so, really, it is very, very worrying and very concerning. And there is so much love for her, so much affection for her, so much respect for this woman who never was expected to be queen. She was thrust into a new role when her uncle abdicated at the age of ten and she was suddenly pushed into this new role, came to the throne when she was a very young mother because her father died very young, and has served the role with such duty.

To think someone who was born just after the end of -- not long after the end of World War I when women didn't all have the vote in the United Kingdom and what she's seen, globalization, technology, she has been around the world 42 times on state visits. She has really transformed the face of the monarchy in terms of service and in terms diplomacy and in terms, really, of extending the hand of friendship around the world. What she's done, incredible achievement.

And we also expect her to be here during sad times. In the COVID pandemic, she gave this fantastic address, in which she talked about how it was hard times, but we would all meet again, and that was so moving.

HARLOW: It certainly was. Thank you very much, Kate, for helping us remember all of that. Stay close as we continue to follow this breaking news. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you, as always.

We are also following several develops stories right here in the United States and around the world within the last hour. Former Trump aide Steve Bannon turned himself into authorities in New York. We'll take you live to New York for the latest on that.

SCIUTTO: And U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as the U.S. announced additional military assistance to Ukraine. I spoke this morning with the NATO secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, as he prepared to meet Blinken. Hear how he thinks the battlefield has changed to Ukraine's favor in this war.

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HARLOW: Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon has surrendered to authorities in New York. He faces state-level charges for an alleged scheme to defraud donors in an effort to build a wall at the southern border.

SCIUTTO: You may remember that just before he left office, former President Trump pardoned Bannon on similar federal charges but presidential pardons do not apply to state investigations.

CNN's Kara Scannell is outside the courthouse in New York where this is taking place. Kara, what do we expect to see in court today?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim and Poppy, Steve Bannon arrived just a little more than an hour ago, when he walked into the Manhattan D.A.'s office to surrender, to, again, be processed on these charges and arrested. He said this is all about 60 days to the day referencing the midterm elections, clearly trying to make the case that this was a politically motivated prosecution.

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