Return to Transcripts main page

New Day Sunday

Queen's Coffin On Journey To Scottish Capital; Public Proclamations Of King Charles III Being Read; Families Pay Tribute On 21st Anniversary Of 9/11. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired September 11, 2022 - 07:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:00:28]

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Don Lemon in Edinburgh, Scotland, alongside my colleagues Richard Quest, Max Foster and Christiane Amanpour. We're going to take you throughout the day here and show you everything that's happening.

We're going to get now to the proclamations that they are reading in different places here in the U.K.

Let's listen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lifetime of service given by our longest reigning monarch. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE). I call upon the Wales herald of arms extraordinary Thomas Lloyd, and the lord lieutenant of South Glamorgan, Morfudd Meredith, who will read the proclamation.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You reign to bless his majesty for long and happy years to reign over us given at St. James' Palace on the 10th day of September in the year of Lord 2022.

(CEREMONY OF THE PUBLIC PROCLAMATIONS OF KING CHARLES III)

[07:05:27]

LEMON: As we watch these pictures play out, these are probably public proclamations that are traditional ceremonies announcing the ascension of the new monarch. The first one was one from Cardiff Wales and they were speaking Welsh. Richard Quest is with me, we've been discussing that.

The second one is here in Edinburgh. And this is a repeat of what we saw yesterday, the public proclamation of the new monarch and it is a traditional ceremony, and it also signals a return to the flag's been at full staff, until they return to half staff or half mast to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: We're seeing all of it. I think this is worth mentioning. LEMON: Also, there's another ceremony that we did not have picture of,

and that was in Northern Ireland, Belfast.

QUEST: We are seeing all of it. It must seem a bit overwhelming and redundant, a bit too much, but think about it in terms of previous years, Don, previous ages. You have only seen the one in your area. Then you get on with your own life. We are seeing them all because of the modern life. We can see it, take part of it.

LEMON: Yeah, it was part of our discussion yesterday with you and I, and Max Foster, we were talking about how this is, the technological age, right? We're getting to see all of this.

QUEST: Can I just bring you up to date --

LEMON: Of course.

QUEST: -- with where we are at the moment. We're getting -- the cortege has gone Peterculter, five or ten minutes away from Aberdeen, which is its first seriously major city, and we expect them to seek it through Aberdeen anytime now. We probably won't have pictures from the helicopter at the moment because we are being respectful and the helicopter is not going into towns.

LEMON: Yeah. Speaking of just the proclamation in Edinburgh let's get Isa Soares in Edinburgh. She can tell us what she is seeing there.

Talk to us about what you're seeing, Isa.

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what you're seeing on your screen, the proclamation here in Edinburgh, it's just behind me. We expect to see in the next few minutes would be a procession, really, that will lead past me here on the main street and go all the way to Edinburgh Castle. You may be able to hear them just behind me.

In terms of what they consist of, we know over his majesty, state trumpeters, we saw them as they were making their way down past St. Charles Cathedral, city officer, and what you heard from there, the person you heard from them, that's king of arms, of course, who read the proclamation.

And I think I've just heard the 21 gun salutes from Edinburgh Castle. I think I could hear it by I'm waiting for confirmation. This is, of course, what we are seen as well in Wales. We heard it at the top of the hour, as well as in Belfast.

Meanwhile, what you are seeing there on you screen me is really the journey of what King Charles called his mother's last great journey as she makes her way from the beloved Balmoral to Edinburgh.

I want to move out of the way cause I want to show you what I'm seeing right now. That procession of the proclamation that we have just seen really an announcement of the accession of King Charles III. It's been led there, as you see, by his majesty, state trumpeters. They're leading that procession. Let's listen in.

(CEREMONY OF THE PUBLIC PROCLAMATIONS OF KING CHARLES III)

SOARES: Then we have the moderator, the office bears, of the society of high constables of Edinburgh. Then that follows, you can see there, by city officer. The mace to the court of law, as well as the heralds of Scotland. We also expected to see lord legal, king of arms, as well as city mace and city sword.

Many people lining the streets already, many have been here, Don, for many hours. They are waiting to be a part of the history that pay tribute to a woman who was defining their generation -- who said to me, this monarch is the only monarch I have ever known. She is not just a mother to so many, but she is also a grandmother, she was telling me, and a grandmother to her children.

[07:10:04]

And they will be making their way now all the way to Edinburgh Castle where the second part of the proclamation will be announced as well, by Lord Leon (ph). This is something that we have seen, in London of course. We are seeing it here in Edinburgh as well. We expect to see in -- we saw it in Wales, as well as in Belfast and northern Ireland.

Really, what we expect. This is part of the constitution. It's a moment where everyone wants to be here, be a part of history. In terms of the images that we have been seeing this morning, the cortege of seven cars, we've been keeping an eye on. This is been going for various towns and villages, very picturesque images we've been seeing, Don.

We know it's paths -- of the town -- picturesque city, a town next to Balmoral, the queen's beloved Balmoral. Then it went on to Banchory, a Boylan, and now, I think, it's just passed Peterculter -- it's about, that's on the outskirts of Aberdeen. We are very close again to Aberdeen, as Rich just said. As you are seeing there, they gun salutes from Edinburgh castle as I was just mentioning.

We're not far now, don, from the big major city here as we leave beautiful highlands going into Aberdeen where we expect to see large crowds. From Aberdeen, we then go to Dundee, Perth, and then come back at the royal mile here are, passing Charles Cathedral to the Palace of Holyroodhouse where you and Richard are. That is, of course, the royal residence of the monarch.

She is expected to stay there, the queen, to lie in the throne room overnight. And then on Monday, what we're expecting to see is the procession that has been led by King Charles III, and his family. And would be from the Palace of the Holyroodhouse. She would lie in rest for 24 hours giving Scots an opportunity to pay their respects and show really their affection, their deep love for a monarch, a matriarch, who's really defined so many generations, Don.

LEMON: Yeah. Isa, thank.

We'll bring in Richard Quest here.

Richard, we have to be mindful that we are marking really two occasions here. The transition of power, and honoring the life and death of Queen Elizabeth, all the same time.

QUEST: Like a pendulum, the story, this event, it goes backwards and forwards between them, Don. So, we've got the proclamation, which is the new era. You got the funeral, you got the cortege -- making its way to Aberdeen, and to Edinburgh. And that's going to be the contradiction of emotions that's the British people, those members of the realms and commonwealths will face for the next week, until things have become a little more certain.

LEMON: Yeah, let's tell people who we are. I'm Don Lemon, here with my colleague Richard Quest. Also, joining us from Buckingham Palace, our colleague CNN royal correspondent Max Foster, along with CNN's chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour.

As we've been listening to the salutes there, and listen to proclamations, why don't we listen in for just a bit, then we will continue our conversation? Here it is.

(CEREMONY OF THE PUBLIC PROCLAMATIONS OF KING CHARLES III)

[07:15:01]

LEMON: This is again, a repeat of what we saw yesterday. The initial -- just want to make sure that I don't speak over the national anthem. You can see the royal band and they are in Cardiff, Wales. This is a proclamation ceremony happening here, are also happening in Belfast in Northern Ireland, as well as in Edinburgh as well. This is all going on, this is in tandem as the queen is making her journey back to London to Buckingham Palace, which at first, stopping here in Edinburgh, where folks will be able to pay tribute and honor her life.

My colleagues, Christiane Amanpour and Max Foster, are at Buckingham Palace.

Let's continue the conversation that we've been having over the past couple of days. Max Foster, we talk about the ceremonies, the exact same ceremony, the exact proclamation, the exact same event happening in different cities throughout the commonwealth, and the importance of this.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: This is, you, know in times before TV, Don, they would have to announce the new cases on this states, the pillars of state would agree to proclaim the new king. So, yesterday, we saw the state, church, judiciary, fully sign up for this new caring, this new monarchy. That message is being proclaimed now to the different parts of the kingdom and the commonwealth.

I think, you know, in modern times, the importance of this is to show that Cardiff, Belfast, in Edinburgh, are important. The Union is important. This is king of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. So, four nations.

So, Cardiff, it was simply reading this is the ceremony around the moment, of course, but fundamentally, it's a message that all the authorities have gathered. The first minister of Wales, you got the key figures in Wales standing there saying we are behind this new carrying.

So, this is all very important ceremony. The last proclamation will be in Edinburgh, and after the last proclamation the flags will go back to half staff. During the proclamations, this is about looking forward to the king's reign.

We are now going to look back at the queen's reign as the coffin comes into Edinburgh and goes up to the Holyrood Palace where the body will later rest overnight, giving the an opportunity to the household staff at Holyrood to play their respects. Tomorrow, we'll see the coffin move to the cathedral so the people of Scotland can pay their respects.

LEMON: Christiane Amanpour, the network here is so full because so many people are showing up. So many people are flying blind here. We can see the images of what's happening either with the proclamations, or the queen's body being carried through the countryside here, but we are having these two events happen in tandem and they are each as important as the other, not only for the people but also for the transition of power.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, you put your finger on. Again, the queen always said they have to see it to believe it. So what are we seeing right now? The seamless and constitutional transfer of the authority, of power, of reign as the monarch changes, and as the government, nonetheless, elected democratic government in this country, continue.

So, it's a constitutional monarchy, we're seeing it play out. The demise of one monarch and the ascension of another monarch being broadcast around the constituent nations, and the same time, a very important democratic process that it envelops as well. It is, again, showing the world that there is such a thing as a peaceful and seamless transfer of power.

And I think, to be frank, even though it's highly choreographed, it goes back to ancient tradition, some of it may seem agnostic today, but it gives a visual of something that's at stake right now, even in our democratic world, the idea of peaceful transitions of democracy, the idea of democracy surviving as we see it under threat in the United States and all the way over to the eastern parts and Poland, Europe, Hungary and all the way to the battlefield of Ukraine as this is a real live issue, this is a live issue, the fight to maintain the existing world order and the democratic process.

It might sound weird to say that in terms of a monarchy, but this monarchy is about, also, protecting the democratic process.

[07:20:01]

So, I found this incredibly, you know, interesting and important in terms of political science, if you like.

LEMON: Yeah.

But don't you -- don't you think Richard also gives the people time to process? So it's not such a lurch in a different direction, perhaps. It happened yesterday, we can see it again, and you're going to see it a few more times until the queen, the funeral, I think it also gives people a time to process all of this, at least a moment.

QUEST: Completely, because people have to process the fact that the woman who led this country for 70 years, of whom we know no other, has gone. And I think any psychologists and therapists will tell you that it has to be a grieving process.

Now, is that the same grieving process as if it was your own mother? No, of course, it's not, but it's like a relative. It's like that person whom you knew.

And so, yes, I think you nailed it there. This is absolutely a process. Each part of the next week to ten days will add a piece to the jigsaw that is monarchy, Britain, and moving audience (ph).

LEMON: This is what we call a split screen moment in television. As you have the celebratory music plane on one screen, and then you have the queen's cortege on the other screen. It is and -- it's completely different fields.

ENGEL: Two sides of the same coin.

LEMON: Yeah.

ENGEL: We say goodbye to the queen -- I mean, when the monarch dies, the first thing you say is, the queen is dead, long with the king.

LEMON: Right.

ENGEL: There is no interregnum in power. It just transfers. This is why, of course, the world standard is never flown at half staff. The royal flag never -- because there's always a monarch on throne.

LEMON: The -- Max, the monarchy is keenly aware of the moments, and obviously, we talk about how a political this queen has been over the 70 years and the importance that she saw in that -- the New Canaan has promised the same thing. And so, we will see moving forward if he indeed abides by that promise, as of being a political. There are certainly causes that are important to him, and that our port into the people who are celebrating him being proclaimed the king.

FOSTER: He will I think distance himself I think in the more opinionated views he has over the years developed. And he says he's going to leave those issues behind and leave them to other people. The challenge there is that we got very used to having those opinions, and we're very aware of how he feels.

So, let's take an example of the Queen. She might look at a bill dame, skyscraper in London, she looks at it and if we like a skyscraper, then we kind of think she does. If we don't like it, we think that she doesn't. We project onto her.

With Prince Charles, we know that he doesn't like the skyscrapers in London. He sees them as pockmarks to the skyline of London. He's expressed that.

So, we know how he feels about stuff. That's a really fundamental difference between this king and the previous queen.

There is another difference, which is he's more emotional. He's softer. We've seen that play out over the last few days. I think he's going to be very open about his feelings about staff.

I think that's okay, I think there's more in keeping with the current generation. The queen, in war time, we expected to be the stiff upper lip, that's been very helpful over the areas to help us get through tough times. I think when there's a moment of crisis, as with this, gang he will express himself more. And that will be fine, as long as he reflects the feelings of the nation. It's a big risk and him expressing himself, something that the nation doesn't feel the same way about. That's why the queen never expressed anything. She didn't want to get it wrong.

We've seen gun salutes here taking place at Cardiff Castle. This is Wales effectively getting behind the new king. Charles is prince of Wales, of course, for decades. They now have a new Prince of Wales. William is committed to the people of Wales when that announcement was made about his new title. We'll see William going much more into Wales and being seen as the principal royal for Wales now.

Prince Philip was the duke of Edinburgh, where you are. He had a very close relationship with Edinburgh. As I understand it, Prince Edward will adopt that tile when the time is right, we were told, at the death of Prince Philip.

I expect, Christiane, that you think that the king will announce probably or bestow that title of Prince -- Duke of Edinburgh to Edward now. And also to Sophie, she'll become the duchess of Edinburgh, I think, so that Scotland will have their first royals as well.

AMANPOUR: I'm sure, that's all, planned it will come out in the correct time.

[07:25:01]

Again, as you said, it's all highly choreographed. We've seen all of this.

He did, and you mentioned, and we were all kind of surprise, I guess, in his first actual address to the public, that he named Prince William, Prince of Wales, so quickly.

FOSTER: Yes.

AMANPOUR: We thought maybe there was going to be some time between it, but why should there be?

You know, this is -- this is what's happening. He's come out to say it.

I was just -- I was just told that even the leader of China, as we're talking about democracy and autocracy, even the leader of China, Xi Jinping, has today reached out, congratulated King Charles III, hoping --

FOSTER: Do you think he would come --

(CROSSTALK)

AMANPOUR: That would be very interesting. That would be very interesting because Chinese presidents have been here obviously before on state visits and --

FOSTER: Sitting in the church with the COVID rules as they are in China.

AMANPOUR: Well, he's a zero COVID kind of guy, so probably not.

FOSTER: No.

AMANPOUR: Yeah.

FOSTER: Who would you expect, I mean, I think Putin would come if it wasn't for sanctions. Do you think that's a misjudgment?

AMANPOUR: I don't now. To be honest with you, I don't know, but possibly, but certainly, from the United States, all across Europe, all of Africa, all of north and south America, I think we'll see a lot of Asia as well, Middle East, you know? There are kings still in the Middle East. King Abdullah of Jordan, for instance, a very tight relationship with the British --

FOSTER: With tiny islands like Tuvalu, where the prime minister will have a front seat at this major state event because the king is head of state there.

QUEST: Well --

LEMON: Images now from Cardiff countryside, also images on your screen from the Scottish countryside. You can see the final journey of Queen Elizabeth II.

And we're going to continue our coverage here, right after a very quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Welcome back, everyone.

[07:30:01]

You're watching CNN live coverage and you're looking at pictures of the Queen -- the Queen's coffin being carried to here to Edinburgh where I am with Richard Quest and then on to London in the next day or so.

Around the Commonwealth, nations are marking the new royal era after the loss of the only British monarch many here have ever known. Australia officially proclaimed King Charles III as a new head of state in a ceremony that happened just today. Meanwhile, India is holding a national day of mourning for the Queen.

I want to bring it now CNN's Angus Watson live for us from Sydney, Australia.

Angus hello to you this proclamation of Charles is king of Australia today. How have Australians been viewing the pomp and the circumstances going on?

ANGUS WATSON, CNN NEWSDESK PRODUCER: Well, Don, those ceremonies that you're seeing now in the U.K., those proclamations that have been carried out across Australia today. It was led by the Governor General, the Queen's representative here in Australia in Canberra today.

And it had all the pomp and circumstance that you wouldn't expect but it did have an Australian stamp on it most importantly, in the welcome to country that the First Nations traditional custodians of the land gave.

That really underscored the fact that Australia is not a new place, this country did not begin with British colonialism just over 200 years ago. There's a 65,000 year old ongoing culture here that celebrated and that just continues to flourish.

But that's at the heart of this tension here that we have in Australia, it's a modern 21st century democracy which does have these legacies of colonialism in its constitution and that is giving rise to a growing republican movement here in Australia. That's something that King Charles III will have to deal with at some point during his reign.

The prime minister here, Anthony Albanese, is a supporter of the republic, he thinks the best should be an Australian as head of state, not the king of Great Britain. Now, until then, we do have this period of mourning here in Australia as Australians record recognize the life of service that Queen Elizabeth gave to them. The prime minister will be on a plane to the United Kingdom this week to go to that funeral, a day of mourning when he arrives home, Don.

LEMON: All right, thank you very much, Angus. We appreciate that.

CNN's Richard Quest is with me here in Edinburgh. I'm also joined again by CNN's Christiane Amanpour and Max Foster and also CNN Contributor Sally Bedell Smith.

Sally, why don't we bring you in as we await the arrival of the Queen's arrival at the Palace of Hollywood -- Holyroodhouse, I should say. Let's talk about the events of the day. What is standing out to you? What's on your mind now?

SALLY BEDELL SMITH, AUTHOR, "ELIZABETH THE QUEEN": Well, it is -- on the one hand, it's obviously a ratification of Charles being queen -- I mean, excuse me, Charles being king, being recognized in all parts of the United Kingdom and on the other hand, we're seeing the slow procession of the Queen's hearse to Edinburgh. And I couldn't help thinking as I was seeing the scenes in Ballader (ph), which is right next to Balmoral, how many times she traveled there, how many times she got to know the people who live there.

The same with Prince Charles they. They know a lot of the ordinary people who surrounded Balmoral Castle. And you know, it's a place where they spent so much time, where their roots are so deep. And now she has left it for the last time and she's going to Edinburgh and to Holyroodhouse, again, places where she has spent -- where she spent many, many visits. She would have an annual visit every summer and would do a whole series of tours and events.

My mind took me back to the first time, actually, when she was 11 years old and she and Princess Margaret went with their mother and father, the recently crowned King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and they went to Hollyroodhouse and they went to St. Giles' Cathedral and they drove around in carriages and Princess Elizabeth and her mother watched their mother being invested in the Order of the Thistle, which is the highest order you can have in Scotland. So, her memories and her experiences in Scotland were so deep.

[07:35:00]

And so, I think it's -- I mean it's unusual for this to be happening in Scotland and it's so happened because she was at Balmoral when she died. I suppose that could have just flown her to London, but I think it obviously had to be her Express wish, if she happened to die in Scotland that she wanted to be honored and recognized and lie in state at St. Giles' and at Hollyroodhouse, because they were both very, very important to her, not only in her role as Queen, but also her role with the Church of Scotland, which was very important to her.

So, I think we're seeing, obviously, an unusual split screen perspective on proclaiming the new king, but at the same time, honoring the Queen who's served the Scottish people, and all the people of the United Kingdom for an extraordinarily long time.

LEMON: But it also speaks to the importance, Richard, and the enormity of the United Kingdom, of the union of the different realms, just talking to Angus Watson who was in Australia, there's Canada, Ireland, Wales, and so on.

QUEST: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, that's what it says. And my passport says on the front cover, have majesty requests and requires in the name of Her Majesty to allow the bearer to pass.

LEMON: So listening to Angus, it's important to moving forward for the monarchy and whether it will even be involved in --

QUEST: But the queen and Charles have always, always said, this is a decision for those countries. So when Charles went to Barbados recently for the E.U. became an independent country, he's got invaded Hong Kong, he's the numerous countries Charles, which have decided to throw off the queen as head of state. The big issues will be in the next 10, 15 years, Australia, New Zealand, probably not Canada, some of the Caribbean islands, Jamaica, for instance. But the important point, I think, is that the Queen recognized it, she was comfortable with it. And Charles knows that that is something he will have to deal with.

And some call it the sort of diminishing of empire. Other people say the right sizing of Britain. Doesn't matter what you call it.

LEMON: Yes,

QUEST: The reality is it's happening.

LEMON: Well, she had a really keen, I would say, Sally, sort of internal compass about where the monarchy needed to go. And if it was off a bit, there were circumstances that would put her on track, i.e. the death of Diana and other tragedies or circumstances that happen throughout her reign.

Sally?

SMITH: Yes. Sorry, again. Yes, absolutely. She had an almost sixth sense about how far to go. She was very aware that she had to keep absolutely in step with where British public opinion was, and her whole approach to change. And she did embrace change throughout her rain. But her former private secretary, Robin Janvrin, referred to it as the marmite theory of monarchy.

And it has to do with the label on the marmite jar, which is what every British person knows it's yellow and red and green, and you would look at it and think, oh, that's the same label that's been there for the past 50 years, but it's actually changed in very significant and almost -- well, it changed in ways that may not be readily apparent.

And the same goes for the British monarchy. The Queen has never been averse to change, but she is -- she was always very mindful of doing it in a measured and incremental way.

LEMON: Sally Bedell Smith, thank you very much. My colleagues who are joining me here, standby, we're going to get a quick break in. You're watching CNN's continuing coverage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:42:28]

LEMON: Welcome back, everyone. You're looking at live pictures as the Queen's coffin makes its way to the palace of Holyroodhouse here in the capital of Edinburgh. And that's the official Scottish residence of the British Royal Family.

The journey is expected to take about six hours, we are two hours into this. Mourners are lining the streets in Scotland they -- just to say their farewell to their queen. And this is the first portion of a really solid yet picturesque return to London. The details were released just yesterday afternoon. Monday, her coffin will be taken in procession from the palace at St. Giles to -- St. Giles' Cathedral, I should say, where it will lie in at rest. And that'll be until Tuesday and then it's going to be flown back to London on Wednesday. What's going to happen is her coffin will move again from Buckingham Palace Westminster Hall for the lying and stayed there.

That period will last for four days until her stage funeral on Monday, Monday, September 19 at Westminster Abbey. And then once the funeral services have ended, her coffin will travel to Windsor Castle where she will be laid to rest within St. George's Chapel next to her late husband, Prince Philip.

Let's bring in my colleagues now, Richard Quest's here with me in Edinburgh, also joined by Christiane Amanpour, Max Foster, they are at Buckingham Palace in London.

Christiane, I want to bring you in and talk about the importance of the monarchy now, the enormity of it. We're listening to our colleague in Australia, Richard and I were having a conversation about just how much influence the monarchy will have in the Commonwealth and even in the realms and even if some of them will even want to be part of it anymore. This is a moment of transition.

AMANPOUR: Look, it is and everybody will be asking once the formalities are over and people actually start to take a good hard look at the monarchy and maybe now the press is not doing that because we're in -- you know for Britain is in national mourning and the rest of the world is mourning as well in solidarity, but for sure they will start measuring, you know, the strength of this nation and its constituent parts on the world stage.

They will start comparing how this Elizabeth an age actually saw and oversaw slightly weaker, you know, less globally important Britain. I mean, that's just a fact. It's smaller, it's less strong, it's not even connected to the European Union anymore where it used to hold a very special position as that fundamental and important bridge between, let's say, the United States and the rest of the alliance, it was the transatlantic bridge.

[07:45:13]

It isn't anymore, no matter how much goodwill people want to put to the historic role that Britain has played, and as I always say, punching above its weight even after the loss of empire and the loss of its major role in terms of global economy and this and that. So that's going to be an interesting situation.

On the other hand, during the war in Ukraine, Britain did step up very, very quickly, loudly and with money and weapons to help the democratic process and the fight against fascism and totalitarianism that is being waged on the battlefield of Ukraine. So Britain was an early adopter of that position. So that's important.

You know, if you go back to the last Elizabethan age unit, you know, that was the golden era of this nation. Elizabeth I also rain for a long, long time, more than 40 years. Queen Victoria reign for about 64 years. The Victorian era was massively important not to mention.

And of course, this is a point of controversy right now, but back then, Britain was collecting jewels in the crown, so to speak. It was collecting an empire, the sun never set on the British Empire as the so -- as the saying went. And that was a period of not just owning stuff, but projecting power all over the world, which it just doesn't do any more. So, in that regard, Britain will have to reassess its role on the world stage.

And I think there will be a lot of goodwill and Prince, now King Charles, who is a known quantity to the rest of the world will, you know, will get his honeymoon period, as they say, in the United States.

FOSTER: It's so interesting to hear you mentioned Elizabeth I, Victoria and the Elizabeth II, because historians are pretty agreed on the fact that those three were the three great monarchs. Well, they're not quite agreed on this, which was the greatest of them all, it could arguably be Elizabeth II, but the three great monarchs over 1000 years of history is, you know, it's not contested, was a woman.

AMANPOUR: I think that's a great point. That's a great point. There will obviously many, you know, very important kings in terms of moving this nation forward. But yes, I mean, in those three major eras, and let's face it, man or woman, that era in 15, 1600s when --

FOSTER: Yes.

AMANPOUR: -- Elizabeth I was there was the golden era. In every which way, the economy, the strength of culture, you know, all of that.

FOSTER: I would probably argue, it's Victoria for this one reason that Elizabeth II would always refer and compare herself to Victoria and her reign. And for key moments, you'd have Victoria monument behind her or an image of Victoria. And she was the one she always aspired to be.

AMANPOUR: And as I said, obviously had the empire but also came in at the tail end of the Industrial Revolution, which changed everything in Europe, changed everything in the economy.

FOSTER: In the sense that parts of the empire, she also the sort of -- so that's been reassessed, isn't it?

LEMON: We want to look at these images that are happening now because they're getting closer to Dundee. As we're looking at these pictures, imagine being on the highway on the other side, and there you are, you know --

QUEST: No they haven't close both sides of the road.

LEMON: Right, right.

QUEST: Then you close the side of travel.

LEMON: Yes. QUEST: We've done Aberdeen, it's on now the motorway heading down the main road heading to Dundee where, of course, it will be another opportunity to slow down.

LEMON: Quickly, can you put this into perspective for us here, Richard, because --

QUEST: Yes.

LEMON: -- listen, we are -- this obviously in a moment of mourning, but there is hope that there optimism for the new king, and that he has accepted and that he moves us in the direction that is a positive one.

QUEST: And you see exactly that in Charles's behavior.

LEMON: Yes.

QUEST: He's mourning his mother, but he's getting on with the proclamation. This pendulum will swing backwards and forwards many times.

LEMON: Yes. Thanks to all my colleagues. Stay with us, everyone, and stay with CNN for our special coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:51:42]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, the U.S. is marking 21 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks when nearly 3,000 people were killed across three locations.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: This morning in lower Manhattan, families who lost loved ones that day are going to read aloud their names. And throughout the ceremony, they're going to have six separate moments of silence. CNN's Polo Sandoval has more on that commemoration.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Amara, Boris, good morning to you. 9/11 families, once again, they are coming together here where the Twin Towers once stood. They will be certainly leaning on each other as they will lead, not only the country but the entire world, in marking 21 years since that awful day.

Today's events will include six moments of silence. They will acknowledge the moment that those two hijack planes hit each tower at the World Trade Center when they fell and then also when those hijacked jet liners crashed into the Pentagon and also a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Those nearly 3,000 names, they will once again echo through this memorial plaza in downtown Manhattan.

In the meantime, we know that there will certainly be several dignitaries and officials on hand that will include Vice President Kamala Harris will be joined by New York Senator Chuck Schumer, and also Mayor Eric Adams of this -- of New York City. And then tonight, that iconic tribute in light, those two powerful beams of light that will once again shine into the sky from dusk to dawn. Amara, Boris.

WALKER: Polo, thank you.

Well, 1000s of families lost loved ones on 9/11, some were young children who lost out on years with their parents.

Joining us now are Ashley Bisman and Charlie Greene, who both lost their fathers in the attacks.

Ashley and Charlie, welcome to you both. And, you know, we've been so inspired to see how you have found ways to honor your fathers in different ways.

Ashley, let's start with you this morning. I understand you were 16 years old when your father died in the September 11 attacks. What do you remember about that day? And how do you honor him today?

ASHLEY BISMAN, LOST HER FATHER IN 9/11, PARTICIPANT OF TUESDAY'S CHILDREN: Well, that day is always very clear in my mind. I was a junior in high school at the time and I was sitting in my social studies class and I found out that an airplane had hit Tower One and I knew that it was going to be horrible from that moment on because my dad worked on the 101 floor of the North Tower.

And to keep his memory alive, every day, I just think of him and try and say his name as much as I can. And I, you know, have my memoir chasing butterflies, which recounts all of my amazing memories and moments with him, and that's all I can do.

WALKER: What a way to put all your memories in one place and for people to remember and honor your dad with you.

Charlie, so your story is that you were just 10 years old when your dad died on flight 93 fighting back against the terrorists, you know, when that plane went down. Were you able to grasp the heroic actions of your dad on that day? And also how are you honoring him today?

CHARLIE GREENE, LOST HER FATHER IN 9/11, PARTICIPANT OF TUESDAY'S CHILDREN: Well, it's been a journey certainly over the last 21 years. And there has not been a day that's gone by that I haven't thought about him and a guy that he was, and so wish that I could understand more of the person he was, and to hear his stories. That's why when my mom was diagnosed with cancer five years ago, I knew how important it was to record her stories.

And hearing her stories changed our relationship and my life forever, which is exactly why I'm so excited to have worked to build a mobile application that makes it easier than ever to capture the stories that will bring you closer than ever to someone you love.

[07:55:41]

WALKER: Yes, tell us more about your app. It's called Remento.

GREENE: Yes, that's exactly right. The app draws on the best technology and storytelling expertise and memory science to enable you to sit down with someone that you care about, to recommend exactly what to ask, to help you record these conversations using the technology in your pocket and to bring the stories to life in a way that's never before been possible.

WALKER: And Ashley, I know you are a mother, what do you tell your children or your child about this day, September 11?

BISMAN: It's extremely difficult to explain September 11. My daughter is four and a half and my son is two and a half and that's why I started writing a children's book called "September" to explain to them what happened to my dad on 9/11. And all I can say is that he was loved and I describe the kind of person that he was.

And it's more important for me that my children, not necessarily know how my dad died, but know that he was an incredible dad and the amazing man that he was. And of course, the events of 911, I'll teach them as they get bigger and as they get older.

WALKER: What a way to channel your grief and, again, to honor your father to both of you.

And Charlie, could you tell us a little bit about Tuesday's Children and how this nonprofit has helped you?

GREENE: Yes, well, Tuesday's Children has been a phenomenal organization to bring those of us who have been impacted by 9/11 together and to be able to reflect on what 21 years actually has meant to each of us, and how it's taught us about love and about loss. And I would say maybe most importantly, for me at least, is the realization of just how important it is to never take anything or anyone in our precious lives for granted.

WALKER: I can only imagine both your fathers, Ashley, and your father, Charlie, are looking down on you beaming with pride. Thank you so much for joining us today on this solemn day that we must always remember. Ashley Bisman and Charlie Greene, thank you.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)