Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
Queen Mother Celebrates Birthday at Clarence House
Aired August 04, 2001 - 08:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
REA BLAKEY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Britain's beloved queen mum is celebrating her 101st birthday today and displaying the kind of old- fashioned grit the public has come to expect.
CNN's Walter Rodgers is there for today's festivities in London -- good morning, Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
The crowds are now leaving Clarence House -- that is the queen mother's official residence -- because the entire British royal family, or nearly all of it, has assembled inside. At this hour they've having lunch, a birthday party honoring the queen mother, Queen Elizabeth.
They, this is her 101st birthday. And earlier this morning, just about an hour and a half ago, she was out on the grounds at Clarence House in something resembling the royal buggy. That is to say, the royal golf cart. This is the way the 101-year-old queen mother navigated and received the well wishes of the crowds at Clarence House.
Children, scores and scores of them, rushed up to press flowers on the queen mother. The queen mother, of course, in the golf cart wearing that famous aqua blue dress she has with the blue hat and the feathers. And besides that, additionally, there was a lady in waiting to collect all the flowers because there's no way in the world that little golf cart could have held all the flowers which were pressed upon the queen mother this morning.
Shortly after that there was a family photo of sorts, the queen mother standing on the steps of Clarence House with her grandson, Prince Charles and, of course, Prince Charles' youngest son, Prince Harry, Prince Phillip there, the queen, current queen's husband.
Everyone was there clapping and wishing the queen mother the very best on this 101st birthday. She actually handled this ordeal rather gamely. She was in hospital at midweek. She had a blood transfusion and was suffering from anemia. She was somewhat weakened. Nonetheless, she came out with her canes, received the greetings of the crowd and despite the fact there was one slight stumble, the queen mother recovered quickly and it has so far been an extraordinarily happy day here in London -- Rea.
BLAKEY: All right, CNN's Walter Rodgers. Thank you, Walter.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
