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King Charles III Returns to Buckingham Palace. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired September 09, 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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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love you, Charles. King Charles.

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POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: That was an extraordinary moment last hour. The new king, Charles III, shaking hands with the throngs of people that have gathered to greet him outside Buckingham Palace, there to pay respect also to the late Queen, as you heard them singing the new national anthem, "God Save the King."

Good morning to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. We are so glad you're with us on this day in particular. I'm Poppy Harlow.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Jim Sciutto. And they have, in fact, already changed those he lyrics just, well, less than 24 hours after the passing of Queen Elizabeth.

King Charles III, the new monarch, has now entered Buckingham Palace. He's asked for a period of royal mourning to be observed starting today. That will last until seven days after the Queen's funeral. A sense of loss there. Later today St. Paul's Cathedral in London will hold a service of prayer and reflection. Hours from now we will hear from the new king and CNN will bring you that address to his royal subjects when it happens.

HARLOW: Our reporters, our correspondents are covering all of this developing story. CNN anchor and correspondent Max Foster is outside Buckingham Palace with Matthew Chance in London, Scott McLean in Windsor.

Thank you all for joining us for this special coverage, and, Max, let's begin with you. Walk us through what we saw last hour as King Charles III arrived right behind you at Buckingham Palace.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think there's a huge moment, actually historically speaking, because, you know, this is the first day we've seen King Charles III in his role, and you know, he's there not just to mourn his mother today. It's about meeting the public, and share in the grieving because she was a mother to them in many ways as well, and I think when we saw Prince Charles arrive there outside Buckingham Palace, and those crowds gathering, they were pleased to see him fundamentally.

I think this had been hugely reassuring to him. He's waited all this time to become king and he didn't know how he would be received, and this is quite an incredible moment, and then they started singing the national anthem in his honor and they were saying "God save the king." And there's the Queen consort as well coming out of the royal limousine.

There was, you know, just to show how excited people got, let's just show you this little moment from earlier on as King Charles was going along the crowds. I think people were quite overcome with emotion, and they were sort of leaning forward to him, and then look at this. Wait for this. Now that was just a few minutes ago.

JENNY ASSIMINIOS, KISSED KING CHARLES III AS HE GREETED THE MOURNERS: Yes.

FOSTER: And our producer went on an intrepid search to find the perpetrator of that kiss and your name is Jenny.

ASSIMINIOS: Assiminios.

FOSTER: What went through your mind in that moment when you saw the new king?

ASSIMINIOS: Just a king. I've seen him in front of me. I couldn't believe it and I said, may I kiss you? He's saying, well, yes. So I grabbed him, and I'm very happy, very, very much. Thank you for letting me see him and kiss him.

FOSTER: How did you feel when you saw him? Why did you want to do that?

ASSIMINIOS: I love the royal family. Always, I'm watching them, buy souvenir, from small babies to growing up.

FOSTER: Did you ever think you'd kiss a king on the lips?

ASSIMINIOS: No. No. Never crossed my mind.

FOSTER: He looked relaxed. Didn't he? I mean, considering what he's been through?

ASSIMINIOS: Yes. He looked sad. He looked sad.

FOSTER: He did.

ASSIMINIOS: I say, sorry for your loss. He said yes. And I say, may I kiss you, well, yes.

FOSTER: And why were you doing that? To comfort him? To reassure him?

ASSIMINIOS: Yes.

FOSTER: Or is it just a feeling that overcame you?

ASSIMINIOS: It's the feeling, actually.

FOSTER: Yes.

ASSIMINIOS: And there I think (INAUDIBLE). Oh, my god. He's in the front of me.

FOSTER: Yes.

ASSIMINIOS: Yes.

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FOSTER: Well, I think it would have been very heartening for him to see the reaction from the crowds there. The warmth.

ASSIMINIOS: Yes.

FOSTER: Did you get a sense that it was comforting for him?

ASSIMINIOS: I think so, yes, because he was -- he's smiling.

FOSTER: Yes.

ASSIMINIOS: Yes. He didn't say like anything. He's lovely and started smiling in the front of me.

FOSTER: And it shows that he's not as uptight as people expect a king to be. He's not as nervous. He's not at --

ASSIMINIOS: No, no. He's perfect.

FOSTER: How would you describe him from your moment with him up there?

ASSIMINIOS: He's lovely. He's perfect. I'm always liking him.

FOSTER: Where are you from?

ASSIMINIOS: I come from Cyprus, and my late husband was from Greece. And Prince Philip was from Greece.

FOSTER: The prince of Greece.

ASSIMINIOS: Yes. So we go close to --

FOSTER: And you feel like kinship?

ASSIMINIOS: Yes.

FOSTER: What was the atmosphere like out there amongst the crowds?

ASSIMINIOS: It's OK. Everybody happy.

FOSTER: OK.

ASSIMINIOS: Yes. Everybody laughing --

FOSTER: Jenny, you're going viral as we speak around the world. Your moment with the new king.

ASSIMINIOS: My sons -- the other day, (INAUDIBLE), and he see me and just called me. Yes.

FOSTER: Your son, what did he say?

ASSIMINIOS: (INAUDIBLE), I'm busy now.

FOSTER: OK. There's a story to tell the rest of the family.

ASSIMINIOS: Yes. And I'm very happy.

FOSTER: Jenny's video now world famous. Back to you guys.

SCIUTTO: Well, I'll tell you, as journalists there are times when you're lucky enough to witness historic, memorable moments, in the moment, and I think that was just one of them. Certainly the bigger picture. The new king greeting the crowd, but I think we're going to be talking about that kiss --

HARLOW: The kiss for the history books.

SCIUTTO: Kiss heard around the world.

HARLOW: Jenny's kiss.

SCIUTTO: Jenny's kiss.

HARLOW: So good.

SCIUTTO: With the new king.

CNN senior international correspondent Matthew Chance is also in London. Downtown London.

I see you there just down the street I think from Buckingham Palace. Tell us what you're hearing from the people?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Jim. In fact, you can see Buckingham Palace in the distance behind me. This is the Mall, which is the big sort of red paved avenue which leads right up to that main royal residence up there, and you can see. There are lots of people. Thousands of people, that are taking some time out of their day to go towards the gates of Buckingham Palace where they can, you know, actually there to meet King Charles III, as we've just seen some of them are doing, but also to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II who, of course, passed away yesterday.

It's interesting for me because I've been speaking to a lot of people throughout the course of this morning, and I have to say, there's a little bit of a division between the level of sadness that people are expressing. I mean, there's a general sadness of course. People are very affectionate towards Queen Elizabeth and they are sad to see her go, but when you speak to old people, you know, the older generations here, they're very much of the mind that this is a person who is incredibly iconic, who has been them throughout most of their lives, all of their lives in many cases. And they've known no one else.

And so the Queen occupied this incredibly iconic and unique position in British society. The younger generation of, you know, sort of general, unscientific straw poll, also had affection towards the Queen, but obviously she's not played a bigger role in their lives as, you know, the people who are in their 60s, 70s and 80s. And so I think there's a diminishing amount of, you know, sense that she embodies the people, and, you know.

But I think what's interesting is that even though the accession of the throne has been automatic, from Elizabeth to Charles, the transmission of the authority and of the respect the Queen has isn't necessarily automatic. So that's why it was so important to see King Charles III out there today and receiving that very warm welcome from the crowds.

HARLOW: Matthew, thank you so much. It's great to see all of these images played again there from just moments ago.

Let's go to our colleague, CNN international correspondent Scott McLean. He's outside Windsor Castle.

And Scott, as I understand it, you have some new details about the funeral preparations for the Queen? Is that right?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, Jim and Poppy, we don't have the official word on what the funeral arrangements will be. The expectation is that we will get those at some point tomorrow, but the expectation at this stage, of course, this has been planned for many years, decades, perhaps in advance is that the main funeral would be held at Westminster Abbey and Central London across from the Houses of Parliament and then the burial service would be held here on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

And let me just set the scene for you. If you look down this way, you can see there's a steady stream of people walking into this area just outside of the castle gates to leave flowers. And I'll just take you a little bit closer to where they're actually being laid. And you can see just the volume of the flowers here. Now, at nighttime, beginning tonight, we think, they'll actually be taking the flowers here, once it's filled up and actually putting them inside of the castle grounds out of public view.

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And the reason that they're doing that is so that when the burial service takes place here the Queen will see all of these tributes when she actually comes here to Windsor.

Let me just take you over this way. This part of the city is called the Long Walk. It's just outside of the castle gates. And just on the other side of these trees is more of sort of the castle estate and there is a cottage over there called Adelaide Cottage, and that is actually where Will, William, the heir apparent and Kate, his wife, now the Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, that is where they live.

We understand that William is returning, in route right now, to Windsor. Perhaps he's already arrived already. His family just moved here from Kensington Palace in London and yesterday, of all days, was the very first day that his children, George, Louis and Charlotte, went to school, at a school about 15 minutes from here.

Also behind these trees is Frogmore Cottage. That's the U.K. house of Harry and Meghan. We know, of course, they're in the U.K., and those two houses, those two cottages, as they call them, are only about 600 yards away from each other. So if the death of the Queen does sort of bring some sort of miraculous reconciliation process between these brothers, they won't have to go far to find each other.

SCIUTTO: Must have been quite a first day at school for those great- grandchildren there. And for the whole family.

Scott McLean, Matthew Chance, Max Foster, thanks so much.

HARLOW: Thank you all.

We have much more ahead on the king's pending address. That's coming this afternoon as really touching tributes come in from around the world. Some making a special impact on people trying to cope with the loss of their monarch, including this cartoon. You see the Queen at end of the rainbow with one of her beloved corgis. A nod to the rainbows we saw in London, look at that, remember that? As the news broke yesterday.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Feel like you've lost a family member. She's been there our whole lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It's all we've ever known. Having children, we feel like it's really sad that they won't ever, I think, really remember her, and because she's been such an integral part of the country and the world, with commonwealth and everything. It's just -- such a monumental loss.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it does feel like somebody that you have known and you're close to has gone.

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HARLOW: Well, today British newspapers are paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth. Here are a few. "The Journal" leading with "Farewell to a Cherished Sovereign and Beloved Mother." The front page of "The Daily Mail" says, "Our Hearts are Broken." "The Daily Mirror" simple yet powerful, thank you message for her majesty's life of service.

SCIUTTO: And online, this is a royal family that's online. The Web sites of the British monarchy and prince of Wales commemorating the Queen's legacy as well including a link for visitors to send their own messages of condolence to the family. The home page of the Archewell Organization. This is the one founded by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has a moving message. "In loving memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II." It's all you see there.

As the world mourns alongside the royal family, Brit King Charles III is preparing for perhaps one of the biggest moments of his life. In a few moments will address the world for the first time as the new king.

HARLOW: So let's talk about what is ahead with British broadcaster and current affairs commentator, Bidisha Mamata, and Bonnie Greer, an American British playwright and former deputy chair at the British Museum.

It's wonderful to have you both. And Bonnie, I was struck by one of the ways that you described the royal family as the last silent movie actor. What do you mean?

BONNIE GREER, FORMER DEPUTY CHAIR, THE BRITISH MUSEUM: Well, you know, most people will never ever meet them. Except we had a lady, Poppy, on set who jumped out of the crowd and kissed the king.

HARLOW: Jenny.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

HARLOW: Jenny.

GREER: But -- yes, Jenny. She was here and she didn't know what hit her, you know, suddenly. But that's a very rare thing. But you know, most of us -- I've met the king several times and the late Queen, but most people never will, and so what we do as a consequence is we put ourselves on them, and it's quite an incredible thing because this family is very adept at knowing how to make this -- I don't want to say use, but they make this as a way for them to communicate with us.

So it's brilliant today, because Charles, and what King Charles has done is he's come out into the crowd and he's shaking hands and greeting people. A king -- no king has ever done that before. So -- in this country, so it shows how he's placing himself in the 21st century and he understands his kingship very well.

SCIUTTO: That's a great, great point, and, listen, we've been talking, of course, about the enormous span of time that his mother, Queen Elizabeth, was the monarch, but, really, in the lives of the British people prior even to her coronation, and as a measure of that, I want to play her first radio address. She was 14 years old. This is in the midst of World War II and her taking on a role even then to encourage the British population at a time of war. Have a listen. [10:20:00]

This is in the midst of World War II and her taking on a role even then to encourage the British population at a time of war. Have a listen.

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QUEEN ELIZABETH II, THEN AS PRINCESS ELIZABETH: Before I finish, I can truthfully say to you all that we children at home are full of cheerfulness and courage. We are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers and airmen, and we are trying, too, to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war.

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SCIUTTO: Gosh, you could hear the strength even in her voice as a young 14-year-old some 80 years ago.

Bidisha, tell us about that legacy and what Charles does to carry it on, and make really his own mark?

BIDISHA MAMATA, BRITISH BROADCASTER AND CURRENT AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: The legacy is really one of strength, resilience, duty, service, care. The Queen is/was exceptionally self-aware and poised, and you heard it just there in her voice. The young 14-year-old high-pitched, sweet schoolgirl voice reading so dutifully. Those qualities are what she brought to bear through the many decades of her life and her reign. A kind of knuckling down to what is required. Now, Prince Charles is much more quirky. Much more of a character in himself.

I think he tries incredibly hard to look stoic and not show any emotions but they tend to leak out with him. I actually feel he's quite an emotional creature. In the past he didn't say lots of things which are very unfashionable but which are fashionable now. Talking about the environment, talking about food, talking how we create livable cities, and all live alongside each other, despite all our social inequalities.

He may be exactly the kind of king that the very politically active 11- to 15-year-olds in Britain today can recognize. Maybe he'll be able to speak with them and connect to them.

HARLOW: That is so interesting.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

HARLOW: And Bonnie, so weigh in. Because you've met, multiple times met him?

GREER: Yes. I mean, I've -- he gave me my honor, insignia, and I've been an ambassador for his trust. I've even been in his house which is a couple of streets from here, but I wanted to add to what Bidisha brilliantly said. One of the things that I've noticed, being American, I've been here half my life, is with my American ear. I can hear the very subtle changes in her accent. As a 14-year-old she is the accent of her class. Absolutely, a very

sheltered, young girl, and at the end of her life, you could hear, she's got much more chilled out accent. Much more relaxed, and she did that as she got older, which is a very difficult thing to do. So she was very entuned with her people, and I wanted to add one more thing. Just over the span of her life. Her first prime minister, Winston Churchill, was born in 1874. Her last prime minister, Liz Truss, was born in 1975. So that is the breadth of this woman, of the late Queen's reign, and what she covered.

C Speaking of women. There's the queen consort. Princess -- well, she's the queen consort now, she's no longer princess of Cornwall,

HARLOW: Yes.

SCIUTTO: And, Bidisha, it was only last year that King Charles III lost his father, Prince Philip, and of course, Queen Elizabeth's husband there after 74 years, I think the marriage. A marriage that extended longer even than her monarchy, and she at the time spoke very publicly about how much he was a rock for her through her leadership as Queen. And I wonder when you look at Camilla now and look at them arm-in-arm there and we saw them today walking into Buckingham Palace together.

Tell us about Camilla's role, well, leading up to this moment, but going forward as rock for the new king, Bidisha?

MAMATA: It's very interesting because I had met Camilla a couple of times because she is extraordinarily supportive of a youth literacy project. She's a passionate reader. And so I met her in that context in my own work and she is extraordinarily charismatic. I do understand the attraction. I think there's no doubt at all that Prince Charles, now King Charles, was engaged emotionally in a lifelong love affair with her, and they all weathered public opinion, scandal, infamy.

And this is what's interesting about the royals. In actual fact, watching the royals for thousands of years, it's like a million episodes of "dynasty" or "Dallas." I mean, everything is possible to happen.

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To ordinary people in daily life, just happens in a slightly more well-dressed and better jeweled garb to the royal family, and then they have to put a poker face on the top of that. And try not to react. So the strength that's been accumulated from all of those experiences is exactly the strength that you need as a monarch going forward, because this is a very -- disunified, divided time in the U.K.'s current political, current events.

Everyone is looking forward to the new king and also the new prime minister to lead us forward with a sense of hope and unity.

HARLOW: That is, Bidisha, such a great point. And Bonnie, I wonder if you could speak to that? I mean, Liz Truss literally leading this government just for days. You have now a new king, and you have -- you have the United Kingdom entering a very difficult fall and winter, energy crisis. Just the start of it. There are so many challenges ahead, just for most people to be able to make it right now financially. So they have a lot on their shoulders.

GREER: You know, Poppy, this is an extremely complex country. This is a United Kingdom which it really isn't united so much anymore. I mean, we've got four nations here. Scotland, which has a very strong independence movement. Wales, which is a very strong language maybe independence movement, and Northern Ireland which can't even get its government together because of the breaches there.

So it's a very, very -- on the surface and underneath, very tense time in the history of the nation, and in the history of the United Kingdom. You know, people sometimes called the monarch the, something of England. No. The monarch is the king of the United Kingdom, and it will be Charles' job, with, as Bidisha says, his very charismatic wife, because I met Camilla a few times as well. They will have to be able to hold this ship together because it is not together, and I think if anyone can do it, I think it will be Charles, because he is a person who will come down as we know today, of this lady Jenny who burst out of the crowd.

He didn't even flinch. And she walked up to him and she kissed him. That's the kind of openness this country is going to need, and, also, he's going to need the support of his eldest son and he's going to have that support because his eldest son has now taken on one of the major titles, Duke of Cornwall, and that's a signal to us all that this is going to be in a way a cool kingship I think, and it's going to be a very, very interesting time.

SCIUTTO: No question. And as you say, it's that moment, it was unique, hasn't happened before for the new monarch to mix in the crowd as he did and take that kiss. Is that a defining one for his leadership.

Bonnie Greer, Bidisha Mamata, so good to have you on. Thanks so much.

HARLOW: Thank you both.

Well, this morning, church bells tolled across the United Kingdom to honor the late Queen.

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HARLOW: London's Westminster Abbey and cathedrals of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales all took part in that tribute. The Queen visited many countries throughout her reign. Up next we'll take a look at how the commonwealth nations are remembering this monarch.

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