The State Visit The Queen prepares for a
state visit to the United States, marking the 400th anniversary of the founding of the
Jamestown Settlement in
Virginia. Before leaving for the US, the Queen has a photo session with
Annie Leibovitz and holds a reception at
Buckingham Palace for prominent
American expatriates. In
Washington, DC, the
White House and the
British Embassy are also getting ready for the visit, with President
George W. Bush preparing to host a
white-tie banquet, which would turn out to be the only one of
his presidency.
Headquarters A
state banquet is held at
Buckingham Palace for the
President of Ghana,
John Kufuor. The Queen takes part in her annual
birthday parade and an investiture ceremony where
Steven Gerrard and
Penelope Keith are among those to receive an
honour. The episode also looks at the day-to-day workings of the Monarchy's headquarters, Buckingham Palace, including an interview with the Queen's
ladies-in-waiting as they sort through the royal postbag.
Head of State Just a few weeks before he resigns,
Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife
Cherie spend the weekend with the Royal Family at
Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Back in
London, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer (and future Prime Minister),
Gordon Brown, briefs the Queen in advance of his
budget speech. The palace prepares for the
State Opening of Parliament, as the Royal coachmen repair and clean their 100-year-old uniforms and the
crown jewels are taken from the
Tower of London to the palace. In
Estonia,
British Ambassador Nigel Haywood is getting ready for the Queen's first ever tour of the
Baltic states.
The Queen and Us The Queen presides over the annual
Royal Garden Party, for which every invitation is written by hand and checked by the 'Garden Party Ladies'. One of the guests at the Garden Party is Pearl Mitchell from
Northern Ireland, who nervously prepares to meet the Queen. Following the Garden Party, the Queen visits a
Hindu Temple and has a feast of
Kashmiri
delicacies. In
Northumberland,
the Prince of Wales and
the Duchess of Cornwall have tea with an
organic farming family. Meanwhile,
the Duke of Edinburgh travels to the official opening of the
Emirates Stadium, but not all goes to plan.
Inside the Firm The
Prince of Wales, the
Princess Royal, the
Duke of York and the
Earl of Wessex talk about their work as part of the Royal Family.
Prince William makes coffee and breakfast for residents at a London inner-city hostel and
Prince Harry attends a strategy meeting for
Sentebale. At the palace, the
Keeper of the Privy Purse,
Sir Alan Reid, releases details of the Royal Family's annual expenses to the press. At the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the Queen and other members of the Royal Family attend Prince William's
passing out parade. == Reception ==