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Charles III Shares Grief And Gratitude In First Speech As King; Emotional Service Starts Official Farewell To Queen Elizabeth; Key Midnight Deadline In Mar-A-Lago Special Master Fight; World Leaders Pay Tribute To The Late Queen. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired September 09, 2022 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:04]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: You can tweet the show @theleadcnn. If you ever miss an episode of the show, you can listen to "THE LEAD" from whence you get your podcasts, just sitting there like a juicy peach.

Our coverage now continues now with one Mr. Wolf Blitzer right next door in a place I like to call THE SITUATION ROOM. I will see you next week.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, a message filled with grief and gratitude from Britain's new king. Charles III delivering his first speech of his reign, vowing to carry on Queen Elizabeth's unwavering service to her country, and joining with the people he serves in mourning his mother's death.

Crowds packed into St. Paul's Cathedral to honor the queen and her legacy, beginning the official farewell to the most famous monarch in modern history.

Our correspondents are at key locations across London and in Scotland as the United Kingdom and the world remember the queen.

Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM as CNN's special live coverage continues.

We begin with Charles III's debut as king. The new monarch facing a moment he acknowledges he's been dreading, the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth.

CNN's Bianca Nobilo is outside St. Paul's Cathedral where a service for the queen was held today. Bianca, this has been a very, very emotional day for the British people and their new king.

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: It has, Wolf. I've been speaking to those who attended this service, 2,000 members of the public. First come, first serve were given wristbands this morning, and they were coming from all over the world. These were people from Australia, Cuba, Italy that I spoke to. They were going past the tourism office where they were giving out tickets to this remembrance service and service of thanksgiving. And they just happened to be in the right place and the right time. And they told me when they came out of the service that it was a beautiful, poignant, and quite simple affair that they felt moved and tearful, especially at that moment where they sang, God Save the King, for the first time.

But, Wolf, this was a day where it was the start in earnest of King Charles III's reign, and also the start of people saying their goodbyes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO (voice over): A kiss of approval for a new king, King Charles III arriving to applause at Buckingham Palace. Flowers lay just feet away mourning his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The cheers reassuring for a king who has not always enjoyed the country's full support as prince of Wales. Commencing his reign, there was no time to show his personal grief. His first act, to greet and reassure his subjects, an early hint of his sovereign style.

KING CHARLES III OF ENGLAND: And wherever you may live in the United Kingdom or in the realms and territories across the world and whatever may be your background or beliefs, I shall endeavor to serve you with loyalty, respect, and love, as I have throughout my life.

NOBILO: In his first address as king, pledging to faithfully serve his subjects in his mother's footsteps.

KING CHARLES III: To my darling mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late papa, I want simply to say this, thank you. Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

NOBILO: He thanked his wife, Camila, now the queen consort, named Prince William and Kate the prince and princess of Wales, and thanked Harry and Meghan as well.

But as the new era of the British crown begins, so does a period of royal mourning. The other new leader, British Prime Minister Liz Truss, just four days into her role, met with the new king and led tributes in The House of commons.

KING CHARLES III: It has been so touching this afternoon when we arrived here, all those people would come to give their condolences.

A moment I've been dreading, as I know a lot of people have.

LIZ TRUSS, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely.

[18:05:00]

NOBILO: Truss also attended the first service for the accomplish public at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

Members of the royal family are back in England to prepare for King Charles III's accession ceremony on Saturday. The burden is heavy, King Charles III facing rising Republicanism, the task of consolidating the monarchy in the modern age, and carving his own identity in the long shadow of his much beloved mother.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO (on camera): Even though King Charles III is already the sovereign, tomorrow on Saturday will be the accession ceremony when he is formally proclaimed monarch of the country. The United Kingdom and all of the commonwealth of countries of which he is head of state. And that will take place on the balcony of St. James' Palace in London. It will be attended by the Privy Council. It's just another step towards his full investiture and the countries step forward to accept King Charles III as their new head.

BLITZER: Bianca Nobilo outside St. Paul's Cathedral in London for us, Bianca, thank you very, very much.

Here in the United States, by the way, President Biden now says he plans to attend the funeral for Queen Elizabeth. We're going watch to see when those details are announced. Stand by for new information. We're waiting to get that and we'll share it with you as soon as we do.

In the meantime, I want to bring in CNN's Isa Soares, she's outside Balmoral Castle in Scotland, also with us, Simon Perry, the chief correspondent for PEOPLE Magazine, and Royal Commentator Hillary Fordwich.

Simon, today is the first time Charles address the British nation, as we know, indeed he addressed the world as king for the first time. Did he rise to meet this moment?

SIMON PERRY, CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, PEOPLE: I think he did, Wolf, yes. He's well-known as being a sensitive man and a caring man as well, and quite a dramatic in his language. And I think all those things came to the fore in that speech. He obviously, as your correspondent said, emotionally touched on the loss of his mother. He was a little red-eyed, I thought, as well towards the end.

But he has some great flourishes in there, that bit of hamlet at the end and underlining the drama and his own love of Shakespeare, and while also moving ahead and talking about his sons and so on. So, it sort of, I think, summed up what most people would have wanted from him.

BLITZER: Yes. I think remarks in his speech was very well received.

Isa, you're there in Balmoral for us. What are people there telling you about the loss of the queen and their thoughts on the new king?

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Well, the scenes, Wolf, that we saw, the scenes of jubilation that we saw obviously today outside of Buckingham Palace very different to what I've been seeing here for the past 24 hours, slightly more somber, people taking their time to reflect on 70 years of duty and service, many shedding a tear, but also, of course, reflecting on her legacy.

Of course, in many ways, this is very poignant that she spent her last days here in Balmoral in the highlands, 50,000 acres, of course, of land, and a place, of course, where she felt that she could be herself. She could walk her corgis, ride her horses, drive her Land Rover.

And so many people I spoke to today, Wolf, told me she was one of us. I would bump into her, one lady said, as I went for a walk with my dog. I met her butcher, the queen's butcher, who said, well, she would come into my shop, so would King Charles, and they're just normal people.

And the message I have been getting in terms of the future monarch is that they're hoping they're optimistic that he will continue his mother's legacy and that he will continue coming here to Balmoral in keeping that bond alive, Wolf.

BLITZER: I suspect he will. Hillary, King Charles also spoke about how the queen balanced her love of tradition and fearless embrace of progress. How does he strike that balance when it comes to this new era of the monarchy?

HILLARY FORDWICH, ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Well, he is going to do many things, Wolf. And it's interesting that he doesn't refer to her as mummy, as he used to always call her, as he did that on her 92nd birthday back in '18 in public, but he did in private.

But he will be making many changes. He's actually declared that he does want to slim down monarchy. Of course, that has fraught -- that's fraught with many different challenges. If you slim down the monarchy, who is going to attend all of those formal engagements that the royals do?

So, he is going to slim down the monarchy, but also, he rather enjoys his homes. He has a home at Highgrove. He has a home up at Balmoral, Birkhall and he has also at St. James' Palace. But it's purported that he probably will open Balmoral far more to the public. It's already open some of the year. And then likewise, Buckingham Palace, already open for charitable events, maybe a lot more events will be held there, and he'll have it way more open to the public.

[18:10:07]

Lots of those progressive ideas he's already announced he would like to undertake.

BLITZER: Yes, very good ideas indeed.

Isa, King Charles also mentioned how much the U.K. has changed in terms of its people and its institutions. He is facing a new generation, as we all know, some of whom question the role of the monarchy, isn't he?

SOARES: Indeed, Wolf. And I think that's going to be one of his challenges because, of course, his mother, as we have seen the past 24 hours, was so deeply loved right across generations and right across the world.

And I think he touched on that today when he said his promise was to serve rather than rule. And this is something that I've seen here today because throughout the day, I've seen young people coming here in uniform to actually praise and to honor, of course, the queen, but many hopeful, of course, that he will continue with that legacy. Big shoes to fill, one lady said. Let's hope he's half the man that she was.

But you're right. Many young people are anti-monarchy, but they always, always loved the queen dearly. And I think that's going to be one of his main challenges, Wolf.

BLITZER: I think you're right.

Hillary, what did you make of King Charles' reference to his, quote, darling wife, now queen consort, Camila? His relationship with the British public, as we all know has, of course, been greatly influenced by his first marriage to Princess Diana.

FORDWICH: Yes. Well, obviously, Wolf, it's rather contentious. Unfortunately, he only has ever had a 47 percent approval rating, and one can speculate that a lot of that is due to the fact that, of course, not only did he commit adultery on his first wife, Princess Diana, but that as the head of the church of England, of course, you're supposedly not supposed to be divorced. So, yes, there is a sort of contentious relationship.

I will say that he has garnered a lot of respect due to his duty that he has -- what he has done in the last few years and dedicated to duty with now consort Camila. They have served all of the charities, and they have been very diligent about serving. But you're totally and utterly right. It is contentious. And I think during these next ten days through the funeral, you're going to see nothing but an outpouring of support for Queen Elizabeth. After that, we shall see.

BLITZER: We certainly shall. Hillary Fordwich, Simon Perry, Isa Soares, guys, thank you very, very much.

Just ahead, public reaction to the king's speech and the start of a new reign amid mourning for the late queen. We'll go back live to London.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:00]

BLITZER: As Britons hear from their king for the first time, they're mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth. The piles of flowers, piles of cards are growing outside Buckingham Palace.

CNN Senior International Correspondent Matthew Chance is on the scene for us over there tonight. Matthew, so, what are you hearing from folks there on the ground?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, a real kind of turnout of thousands of people still. Even though it is, what, nearly quarter past 11:00 here local time, there are still thousands of people making their way through to the gates of Buckingham Palace, which is where we are now, laying flowers, paying their respects. There's a little bit of sadness, of course, for the loss of Queen Elizabeth.

I would say the overriding sense that is here is the emotion of gratitude. People are writing their little cards saying, thank you, Queen Elizabeth, for everything you've done, laying these flowers.

And let's speak to some people here. It's fascinating that there are young people and old people and some people in between. You guys, we spoke to you earlier. You've come here. Why have you chosen to come here at this moment to pay your respects?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's a very historical moment, isn't it? It's nice to come out and pay your respects to a monarch that's ruled our whole lives, and it's going to be different since (INAUDIBLE) ruled over the country. So, yes.

CHANCE: How old are you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 22.

CHANCE: And so it's interesting because, you know, you have only experienced Queen Elizabeth, and, of course, that's the experience of most people, if not, most people in this country. But, of course, you could be in the position where you could see many monarchs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it will be weird. Because, obviously, especially for the older generation, I imagine it's a lot sadder than for us, because they've seen her grow up her whole life as we've only seen her in later years. But for the older generation, like specifically I know my mom is very sad about the situation because she's seen her grow up, mature. But, yes, we could see a couple more, yes.

CHANCE: And how do you feel about the new king, Charles III? How does he compare?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, as a new generation, we've yet to find out, right? I suppose somewhat an (INAUDIBLE) on the situation, we'll find out how it goes about the current situation. And like we say, we're her to sort of pay our respects and join everyone here and see how the situation unfolds.

CHANCE: Thank you very much. It's very good to speak to you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

CHANCE: There you have it, Wolf, young and old coming out tonight, as I say, Buckingham Palace, laying flowers and that sign of gratitude to Queen Elizabeth.

BLITZER: Important indeed, a very important sign of gratitude. Matthew Chance, thank you very, very much. And joining us now, CNN's Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour. Christiane, thanks so much for joining us.

You heard King Charles and his first address as king say it will no longer be possible for him to devote as much energy to the issues he's passionate about. What does that tell you about how he might approach policy or political issues now that he's king?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: I think it's a fascinating thing that he said, because he is obviously patron of a lot of charities and through his foundation, the prince's foundation, he has really devoted himself to some very key issues that are of the moment and particularly resonate with the British people, whether it's the environment, whether it's about poverty, urban planning, diversity, multi-faith, all those things.

[18:20:15]

So, I think what he is saying is don't worry, guys. I know that this is a constitutional monarchy. There is an elected democratic government. I know what my role is, and I will now fulfill that role, which will be slightly different in terms of publicly verbalizing issues than it was when he was prince of Wales. But I don't think it means he will drop the care and involvement with those kinds of issues.

And I think it's going to be fascinating, Wolf, because he is now forging a relationship with a new prime minister. Basically, both of them assume their new roles at the same time because of the death of his mother, and he will have this -- well, she will have this audience with him every single week. And, you know, it will be something that's very profound because she'll be able to draw on him, he'll be able to advise her, and it all stays within the room, really.

BLITZER: Well, speaking about the new prime minister, as you know, King Charles met with Prime Minister Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace today. It will be particularly interesting given what you're saying to see how this relationship actually develops, especially given the fact that, as a teenager, Truss once said that the monarchy was, in her word, disgraceful.

AMANPOUR: Well, yes. I mean, look, truss is now a Thatcher Tory. She started off life as a liberal democrat. And this was at a liberal democratic conference when she did make this intervention, this speech, talking about the monarchy and saying that it was -- I'm paraphrasing -- potentially an outdated institution. She has since said that that was wrong, and now she has a different view, and that she calls herself a monarchist. And she says particularly that she believes the monarchy even strengthens the democracy of this country.

So, I think that's put in past, and she'll probably attribute it to youthful indiscretion or youthful belief, but I do think also she hits upon a point. It is going to be interesting to see how people in this country continue to react to the monarchy and I think that's where his challenge is. He has to make it relevant to people now, not think that he can coast on the queen's coattails, who made it so relevant throughout her 70 years because of who she was, and as he said, because of her life well lived and because of her promise of duty and dedication and diligence kept.

BLITZER: Good point indeed. And quickly, Christiane, you actually had the opportunity to meet the queen, to shake her hand, and to actually share a few words with her. What do you remember most about that experience?

AMANPOUR: Well, what I really remember most is that anybody who got anywhere near the queen was rightly sort of -- look, everybody knows what it's like to meet their heroes, celebrities, however they are, right? When you get to meet the queen, it's another layer because you're given all these rules and regulations, and you can't speak first, and you have to wait to be addressed and it must be short and it must be brief. So, she decorated me with a high civilian honor, which is fabulous for services to journalism it was for. And I was really proud and I remain proud of it, of my CBE, and I was simply able to thank her for actually opening the CNN office here in London back in 2001.

She came to CNN in 2001 here in London as part of media day at the palace. She chose us and the BBC. And so that was a great thing for CNN. And we have this plaque. And so I thanked her for it. And I think I mentioned horses too, like she hadn't heard that before, and tried to get out of there without tripping over or making a fool of myself. But it was great experience.

BLITZER: I'm sure it was. Christiane Amanpour, thank you so, so much. I appreciate it.

AMANPOUR: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: And coming up, he spent 70 years as heir to the throne, making headlines along the way. We'll take a closer look at the triumphs, the tragedies and the controversies that have marked the new king's life.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:25:00]

BLITZER: Britain's new king addressed his nation for the first time as monarch today. And tomorrow, he will be officially proclaimed king, the oldest person ever to become the British sovereign, at age 73.

Here again is CNN's Bianca Nobilo with a closer look at the years Charles spent in training, some marked by controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING CHARLES III: I would hope that we might strive for an age of reverence, reverence for what gives us life, and for the fragile world in which we live.

NOBILO (voice over): Charles was born on November 14th, 1948 to then heir to the throne Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the duke of Edinburgh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To Princess Elizabeth, heir is presumptive to the throne, a son had been born, glad news that was soon echoing around the world.

NOBILO: Charles was bestowed a host of titles at a young age, but did not become prince of Wales until 1969, a role he sought to professionalize and redefine.

Many of Charles' predecessors treated the title princes of Wales as a ticket to a luxury lifestyle, notably the previous princess of Wales, the short-reigned King Edward VIII.

While Charles did indulge in partying years, the British press giving him the nickname the Playboy Prince, he didn't want to wait until he became king to make a difference.

[18:30:06]

Following his studies at Cambridge University, Charles went into the military. After leaving the Royal Navy in 1976, he founded the Prince's Trust.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Prince's Trust is something that he cares deeply about because he's done it so long. It's one of his first causes, his first charities. But it also speaks to something he feels very strongly about, which is youth unemployment.

NOBILO: On top of his own charities, he is patron of over 400 more, dedicated to subjects close to his heart, youth, environment and education. His schedule notoriously intense. In a typical year, he would carry out more than 500 royal engagements, official duties coordinated from his London base at Clarence House.

FOSTER: So, he is a perfectionist. He wants to know everything about all of his different projects and causes and roles.

NOBILO: Charles will forever be associated with his marriage to Princess Diana. He first met Lady Diana Spencer in 1977 at her family home of Orford (ph). She was 17 at the time. Four years later, they were married.

KING CHARLES III: I'm amazed that she has been brave enough to take me on.

NOBILO: In 1982, William was born, and Harry in 1984, their parents going against the royal tradition of home births. Cracks in the marriage were soon apparent. Both began extramarital relationships. Charles admitted to an affair with Camila Parker Bowles, who he went on to marry many years later in a quiet ceremony in 2005.

Charles and Diana divorced in 1996. The following year, Diana died in a fatal car crash alongside her lover, Dodi Fayed, in Paris.

FOSTER: His priority was to look after the boys and there has been a huge amount of criticism over the years of both the queen and Charles for the fact that they didn't come down to London and support the nation. But they very clearly made the decision to prioritize family over duties at that moment.

NOBILO: In that tumultuous time, Charles did what he had always done, put his head down and focused on his work.

His campaign sometimes sailed dangerously close to the line dividing the monarchy and politics. The infamous Black Spider memos revealed his passionate pleas on issues he was concerned about and gave him the nickname of the Meddling Prince.

FOSTER: The head of state, which is the monarch, they have a duty to remain independent. Charles always took the view that he had more leeway before he was on the throne. But he always made it very clear that when he became monarch, he would no longer express opinions in that way.

NOBILO: Arguably, the cause he has championed the most is the environment. His home at Highgrove was set up to become an organic farming powerhouse. He talked about pollution issues long before they were mainstream, becoming a leading figure in the fight against the climate crisis and plastic pollution.

KING CHARLES III: Global warming, climate change, and the devastating loss of biodiversity are the greatest threats humanity has ever faced.

NOBILO: Charles is now the oldest royal to be crowned king or queen, much of his legacy already written.

Bianca Nobilo, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Thank you, Bianca. Joining us now, Paddy Harverson, former communication secretary to the princess of Wales, and Simon Lewis, former communications secretary to the queen.

Paddy, as someone who knew and worked very closely with Charles as he prepared to become king, what qualities do you believe he brings to the throne?

PADDY HARVERSON, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY TO THE PRINCE OF WALES: I think he brings a deep understanding of his country and its people and the issues that we all face, a deep respect for the role that he's now taking on. I mean, his message tonight was beautifully judged combination of the personal and the constitutional. And he pledged to everyone to uphold our constitutional conventions in his role as monarch. And I think he will bring a ferocious dedication to service. I mean, he is the hardest working person I've ever known. He never stops.

And I think he'll bring that passion, that energy, and that determination to fulfill a role in the best way he possibly can and completely within the conventions that his mother followed for so many years so brilliantly. BLITZER: Simon, the last time you and I spoke, you shared with us what it was like to work for Queen Elizabeth and how warmly she treated you. How do you expect King Charles to connect with the British people?

SIMON LEWIS, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN: Well, I think we've seen today how he is going to connect. I mean, at the start of the day, we didn't know how it was going to go. But, I mean, frankly, I thought those images outside Buckingham Palace, the walk about, were tremendous and moving. These are the British people warming to their new king. I thought the way that he and the queen consort dealt with it was absolutely spot-on, and then to make a speech like that as a grieving son about his mother, the late queen, and as Paddy so well put it, cover all those important issues.

[18:35:11]

And I felt what was really interesting is, once again, the institution of the monarchy thinking about the future, carefully arranging for the success for the prince and princess of Wales. So, I thought looking back on what's been a very long day for the new king today could not have gone any better.

BLITZER: Yes, a lot of people agree with you.

Paddy, I know you also worked for King Charles' sons, William and Harry. What sort of changes will this bring across the royal family?

HARVERSON: I think very evident ones for his eldest son and his heir. So, Prince William, you know, today was made prince of Wales, and his wife, Catherine, princess of Wales, and they step up within the institution, take on a much more public role. They've still got the9r young children and a young family to look after, but they're going play a greater role in all the affairs of state, as William's father did.

And for Harry, of course, I mean, I thought the reference to Harry and Meghan was beautifully judged again in his message today and I can see that the new king wants to heal the wounds in his family and wants to lead the mourning of both his family and the nation in memory of his mother, the queen.

BLITZER: Yes, I think you're absolutely right.

Simon, what do you see is the biggest challenges King Charles will face in this new era for both the British monarchy and the British nation?

LEWIS: Well, obviously, we're going through a very challenging time as a country, economically in particular. And I think what the queen did incredibly well was to just represent the best of British during her time on the throne. I'm sure that the king will do exactly the same thing. There will be key moments where he will want, as he did today, to connect with the British people. He is, of course, going to need to develop -- I'm sure he will -- a relationship with his new prime minister. Quite extraordinary that in this week, a new prime minister has her first audience of the new king, and that's such an important relationship, often misunderstood how important it is. And it's really at the center of the constitution, that relationship between the sovereign and his or her prime minister.

But the great thing is that he's had huge preparation, as Paddy knows, for this role. And I'm absolutely convinced that he will step up into this role with all that experience behind him and all that determination and drive and hard work that we've heard about.

BLITZER: Simon Lewis and Paddy Harverson, thank you very, very much for joining us.

And we'll have much more on Queen Elizabeth just ahead, mourners gathering for a memorial service as the nation remembers her life and her remarkable 70-year reign.

Plus, a midnight deadline in the Mar-a-Lago investigation, what we're expecting to learn from the U.S. Justice Department and the Trump legal team tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

BLITZER: You're watching CNN's coverage of Queen Elizabeth's death and the beginning of a new royal era, King Charles III taking the British throne. That coverage will continue just ahead.

But, first, we're also following important developments right here in the United States, including new details in the Mar-a-Lago investigation.

Our Senior Washington Correspondent Pamela Brown is on the story for us.

Pamela, you're watching an important midnight deadline map. What can we expect to learn tonight from the Trump legal team and from the Justice Department, for that matter?

PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Yes. In fact, this is expected to be a joint submission by both DOJ and the Trump lawyers. And what they're going to be putting forward in this filing that we're expecting are lists of who they want to be the special master from their respective sides here, and how they believe this process should work, how the special master should review these classified documents.

Of course, looming over all of this is the fact that these are classified documents, and anyone reviewing them would need a top secret security clearance.

Now, the judge had asked both sides to figure out where they agree, where they don't agree, that's why, in part, this is a joint submission. But, Wolf, as you well know, all along, there has not been much agreement between the two sides. You can expect the same when this filing comes out tonight. Both sides have different visions.

But the judge said look, once this submission comes in, then she will make a decision expeditiously about how the process is going to play out.

BLITZER: Because the judge said the U.S. intelligence community, as you well know, can still go on while the special master does its work.

BROWN: Right.

BLITZER: So, why isn't that happening?

BROWN: Yes. So, it's interesting because the judge said, yes, okay, DOJ, you have to hit the pause button, but, intelligence community, you still can do the assessment. However, the intelligence community has also hit the pause button. In fact, the director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, said that, look, it's on hold until the court figures out what's going on here and all the back and forth.

And also, DOJ has made the case that the intelligence community needs its help with doing the intelligence assessment, with figuring out whether anyone who shouldn't have had access to these documents did have access in order to make that overall assessment. So, there is a couple of factors at play here as to why the intelligence assessment is also on hold.

BLITZER: Good point, Pamela, thank you very, very much.

I want to bring in CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst Andrew McCabe for some analysis right now. Is there any way lawyers, Andrew, for the Justice Department and the former president, for that matter, don't make this deadline tonight?

[18:45:00]

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: I don't think so, Wolf. They'll submit something. But it's entirely possible that they are not in agreement with the two programs that they put forward to the judge.

As you know, Wolf, yesterday the justice department filed a motion for a stay in the judge's order, essentially asking for judge. As you know, wolf, yesterday the judge. As you know, wolf, yesterday the Justice Department filed a motion for a stay in the judge's order, essentially asking for permission to continue working with the 100 classified documents that were recovered in the search, and then turning all of the rest of the documents, the several thousand other government documents that they seized at Mar-a-Lago over to the special master process. I would expect that's what the Justice Department will pursue in their filing, and I would also expect the Trump team to not agree with that.

BLITZER: It's going take, as you well know, a very unique person with very specific credentials to fill this role of special master. How hard do you think it's been for these two teams to actually come up with a recommendation? MCCABE: You know, if the two teams are both focused on just getting

someone who's qualified, who has the requisite security clearances and experience to do this quickly and effectively, they could probably agree to a short list of the same names. But if both sides are trying to select someone who they think is going to be more favorable to their side than the other, they are likely going to be in disagreement.

So it's really no way to tell whether there is any overlap in their lists until we see the filing that comes in this evening.

BLITZER: After tonight's deadline, Andy, shouldn't we expect to have a much clearer picture of how the special master review of documents will actually work?

MCCABE: I hope so. I hope so, Wolf. But really, it is all up in the air right now. I think DOJ's filing yesterday requesting to kind of retain access to the 100 classified documents is likely going to set DOJ up to have to appeal the entire judge's order to the 11th Circuit. We won't know that until next Thursday.

So, unless, the judge is willing to come out based on the submission this evening and essentially take DOJ's position on this and sort of admit that she was wrong in her initial ruling, I think that the case is likely to go up to the 11th Circuit on appeal, and that will but the whole thing into a more substantial delay. So this could really take a lot more time.

BLITZER: Were you surprised to hear the Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines say the intelligence community is now pausing their work as well?

MCCABE: I'm not surprised by the fact that DNI Haines says she basically needs the assistance of the FBI to conduct that assessment that could be for several reasons. First, it's the FBI investigators that are able to advise the intelligence community on whether or not these documents were actually ever exposed to other people while they're at Mar-a-Lago. They might be able to do this based on the surveillance video that they've gotten their hands on.

And secondly, some of these documents might actually be FBI documents. And for that, the intelligence community would need to know what the FBI's position was about threats to sources and methods and things of that nature. So the FBI is an important part of that process.

BLITZER: Certainly is. Andrew McCabe, thanks very much for joining us.

Coming up, tributes around the world to Elizabeth II, the late queen of 14 countries in addition to the U.K.

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[18:53:00]

BLITZER: Queen Elizabeth is being remembered around the world, tonight, especially in the commonwealth countries of which she was also queen, including Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

CNN's Anna Coren reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Queen Elizabeth II sailed into Sydney Harbor in 1954, her arrival electrified a young nation.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II, UNITED KINGDOM: I want to tell you all how happy I am to be amongst you and how much I look forward to my journey to Australia.

COREN: As the only reigning monarch to visit Australia, this was the start of a love affair that would last throughout her 70-year reign.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: There is comfort to be found in her majesty's own words. Great is the price we pay for love. This is a loss we feel deeply in Australia.

COREN: Across the Tasman, similar sentiments for a woman who was a constant. Not only for her country but the 14 other nations she served as head of state and the dozens of others in the commonwealth.

JACINDA ARDERN, NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER: There is no doubt that a chapter is closing today and with that, we share our thanks for an incredible woman who we were lucky enough to call our queen.

COREN: The French President Emmanuel Macron was one of the first world leaders to comment on her death, tweeting: I remember her as a friend of France, a kind-hearted queen who has left a lasting impression on her country and her century.

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called her a stalwart of our times. And that she provided inspiring leadership to her nation and people.

China's President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin offered their condolences, proving that as queen she managed to transcend politics, borders and continents.

From Asia to Africa, Europe to the Americas. The tributes flooded in from leaders across the world.

[18:50:03]

Anna Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Just ahead, our coverage continues. Britain entering a new royal era as the nation welcomes in its new king and prepares to say goodbye to a beloved monarch.

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[18:59:26]

BLITZER: Finally tonight, here's Sir Elton John, one of the many performers paying their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELTON JOHN, BRITISH SINGER: I'm 75. She's been with me all my life and I feel very sad that she won't be with me anymore. But I'm glad she's at peace and I'm glad she's at rest. And she deserves it. She's worked bloody hard.

I send my love to her family and her loved ones and she will be missed. But her spirit lives on. And we celebrate her life tonight with music. Okay?

(CHEERS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A beautiful song indeed.

Thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.