Elizabeth the great! Losing her sister Margaret before welcoming Camilla into the family, the news stories of the Queen in the 2000s 

After almost seven happy and glorious decades on the throne the Queen has now become Britain's longest serving monarch. On Wednesday, she will overtook the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. Today, in the fifth in a series of features to mark the historic occasion, we look back at her reign in papers. This time the focus is on the 2000s.

Happy 80th birthday, Ma'am: A radiantly happy Queen reads some of the congratulations sent to Buckingham Palace. She received 20,000 cards and 17,000 emails

Happy 80th birthday, Ma'am: A radiantly happy Queen reads some of the congratulations sent to Buckingham Palace. She received 20,000 cards and 17,000 emails

2002: Two shattering blows in two months: A tear for dear sister Margaret

by Richard Kay 

All the elements of Princess Margaret’s life came together at her funeral yesterday. Her family, her friends and her lovers.

As the Queen wiped away a tear, the Queen Mother hid her feelings to the last behind the palm of her hand. Her face, which has witnessed so many triumphs, was composed in sadness.

She left St George’s Chapel, Windsor, as she had arrived, alone. All her magnificent achievements were suddenly dwarfed by the unique pain of outliving a child.

The Queen, who so often exercises ridged control, wipes away a tear at the funeral of her glamorous younger sister Margaret 

The Queen, who so often exercises ridged control, wipes away a tear at the funeral of her glamorous younger sister Margaret 

Pain could be seen etched on the face of the Queen Mother as she was driven away from St George's Chapel, Windsor, after the service

Pain could be seen etched on the face of the Queen Mother as she was driven away from St George's Chapel, Windsor, after the service

In church she sat with her head bowed, a tiny figure further diminished by grief. But she did not cry. The Queen, who so often exercises such rigid control over her emotions in times of public mourning, was overwhelmed by the loss of the sister she adored.

On the steps outside the great west door of the chapel, one hand gripped the desolate figure of her niece Lady Sarah Chatto, the other reached up to her eye.

Princess Margaret, aged 35 in 1965, had planned her funeral 

Princess Margaret, aged 35 in 1965, had planned her funeral 

The Queen, Prince Philip, Sarah and her brother Viscount Linley stood to one side as the coffin of the Princess was manoeuvred into a hearse. And out of the absolute stillness came a haunting Scottish melody.

Never was a lament so sorrowful. Never was its sound so poignant. It bears the most beautiful title — The Desperate Struggle Of The Bird. It was chosen by Margaret’s daughter and surely there could be no better metaphor for her mother’s life.

Margaret, the royal who tried to rebel but who found being royal was all she had. A woman whose lifestyle was sometimes a byword for excess. Imperious and haughty to some, loyal and kind to others.

She had chosen the details of the funeral herself, right down to the scriptures, the prayers and the hymns. And after the splendour of Windsor, she had chosen the cremation, in the humility of the municipal crematorium in Slough.

No member of the Royal Family accompanied Margaret on this last journey. Not even the children of whom she was so proud and whose dignity marked the day.

It was a day when the solemnities and traditions of royal life were put to one side to celebrate ‘Margo’, the free spirit of the Queen’s family.

Among the 400 guests were old showbusiness friends such as jazz musician Johnny Dankworth and his singer wife Cleo Laine, actresses Felicity Kendal and Dame Judi Dench and director Bryan Forbes and his wife Nanette Newman. ‘We had been friends since 1960,’ said Miss Laine. ‘She was wonderful and we had some very happy moments.’

They were reminders of the days when Margaret’s home in Kensington Palace glittered like Hollywood.

Sitting near his children in the choir was the Earl of Snowdon, Margaret’s former husband, whose own health is not good. And there in the back of the nave sat Roddy Llewellyn, the man 17 years her junior who became her lover.

He was with his wife Tania and he looked shattered. As the coffin, draped in the Princess’s standard, passed him he put on his glasses. Beside him his wife quietly wept. They were all among friends, of course, because the mourners were those whom Margaret wanted to come. There were no politicians and no dignitaries — no one, actually, who didn’t know Margaret.

Outside, after the service, as the coffin was lowered into the hearse, above the pipes came the mournful tolling of the Curfew Bell. The moment was shattered by the roar of a jet heading for Heathrow.

Margaret’s ashes will come back home and rest next to the remains of her father’s in the Castle where she had the happiest of childhood memories. ‘At peace at last,’ a mourner said.

THE QUEEN MOTHER WAS DETERMINED TO BE AT THE FUNERAL OF HER DAUGHTER MARGARET

The Queen Mother was determined to be there despite being very weak from persistent illness. A helicopter flew her from Sandringham to Windsor where she spent the night. Her seat was made ready, but even so, no one was really sure if she would make it to the funeral. But five minutes after the Queen arrived, she came in, sitting in a wheelchair and looking dignified in mourning black.

The Queen held her mother's hand as she softly slipped away 

By Paul Harris

They carried the coffin silently into the little chapel and placed it gently on two Windsor oak trestles. A single wreath of flowers rested on the top.

So began the Queen Mother’s final journey — just seven weeks after she buried her daughter Margaret. It was a simple but deeply poignant ceremony: no procession, no pomp, no crowds.

Outside, the air was so still that you could hear the pallbearers’ shoes on the gravel, and the first of the evening songbirds in the distance. Inside, only a solitary coffin in a small country church.

Grieving: A red-eyed Queen leaves the chapel after all 16 senior members of the Royal Family gathered to say farewell

Grieving: A red-eyed Queen leaves the chapel after all 16 senior members of the Royal Family gathered to say farewell

In her final days she had become increasingly solitary and uncharacteristically reclusive. In a gesture as touching as it must have been painful for those around her, she gave presents to the closest members of her family, as if she knew she was never going to see them again. In her room at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, she sat for long periods with the Queen, reminiscing about her life. Her late husband and Princess Margaret were constantly in her thoughts.

Then she asked the Queen to leave her alone. It was, said one observer, as if she knew the end was near. A few hours later, her daughter returned to find her beautifully dressed, wearing pearls and earrings. After a clergyman had said prayers, the Queen held her mother’s hand while she peacefully slipped away.

The only other person present was the Queen Mother’s devoted niece, the Hon Margaret Rhodes, who described the scene as ‘extraordinarily emotional and very moving’.

Yesterday, all 16 senior members of the Royal Family gathered. In the short time before all the fuss and mechanics of her formal funeral are put into place, it became a day of private prayer and reflection.

The sorrow was carried in their faces and reflected in the way they kept deliberately away from the crowds gathered at royal residences around the country.

Yet there was clear relief, too, that she had died without pain. That showed in the smile with which the Queen greeted members of the Royal Household at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park, where the coffin had just been taken.

Six pallbearers carried it past spring daffodils to the modest church, where the Queen Mother worshipped as a young Duchess of York and continued to pray for the seven decades that followed.

Had it not been for the personal royal standard draped over the coffin, and for the presence of so many familiar faces, the occasion could have passed for a simple funeral in a country church.

Except this was being witnessed through TV pictures across the globe in communities in which affection for the Queen Mother became boundless during the best part of the last century.

The Queen Mother's coffin was draped with her personal flag and carried from Royal Lodge to the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor

The Queen Mother's coffin was draped with her personal flag and carried from Royal Lodge to the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor

For the young Princes, William and Harry, the occasion must have been horribly familiar. They had already stood alongside their mother’s coffin and seen their grandmother lose her sister — now they had lost the great-grandmother they adored.

For Charles, who doted on her, the loss of someone aged 101 could hardly be unexpected, but it was nevertheless sad.

OUTCRY OVER BUNGLED BBC COVERAGE

The BBC was accused of insensitivity yesterday over its meagre coverage of the Queen Mother’s death.

Complaints poured in from viewers upset by a lack of programmes devoted to the event, as well as a gaffe by newsreader Peter Sissons.

BBC1 screened just three-and-a-half hours of news and tributes on Saturday, while BBC2’s coverage lasted less than 30 minutes. The Corporation, which received more than 500 calls, admitted some viewers were critical but refused to reveal numbers. What coverage BBC1 did show included newsreader Peter Sissons stumbling through an interview with a niece of the Queen Mother, the Hon Mrs Margaret Rhodes.

Sissons asked Mrs Rhodes, who had been at the Queen Mother’s side when she died at 3.15pm, for intimate details of the death. When he continued to ask her, she told him to stop.

Despite the complaints, BBC executives believe they judged the public mood correctly, with more people watching ITV’s Stars In Their Eyes than BBC1’s obituary.

According to one source, he knew the end could not be far away but was ‘obviously shocked’ when told the news. Yet there could probably be no better example of how family life has changed during the century the Queen Mother’s life spanned than to note that this Easter, one grandson, Prince Andrew, was in Barbados with his ex-wife and their children, while Charles was skiing with the sons from his broken marriage to the late Princess Diana.

Yesterday, however, they rallied to the side of the woman who became a linchpin for the entire family, and, at times, for large sections of the nation.

Five years ago, when Prince Charles stepped on to the apron of RAF Northolt, he was returning from Paris with the body of Diana and was on his way to comfort his sons. Yesterday, it was the turn of William and Harry, both now towering over their father, to help him through his grief.

The three Princes, who had been only two days into their annual holiday in Klosters, stepped down from a jet from the Queen’s Flight.

The Queen gave special permission for Charles to travel on the same aircraft as William and Harry, a BAe 146 from Zurich to Northolt, so that neither would be deprived of the other’s company. Normally, Charles, as heir to the throne, and William, as heir apparent, travel separately in case of mishap.

Charles last saw his grandmother on Thursday morning when he dropped by at Windsor to check on her before flying to Switzerland. Though frail, her condition gave no indication that he would never see her alive again.

A senior source said: ‘They were always extremely close. He regularly phoned her and would often pop over to Clarence House when she was in London, which is just next door to his apartment at St James’s Palace. He simply adored her.’

There was a further indication of her widespread appeal in the messages left at Windsor yesterday with the bouquets. No one who witnessed the public outpouring of grief over Princess Diana would have missed the significance of a tribute to the Queen Mother which read, ‘To the first Queen of Hearts’.

Others found that the fewest words were easily able to convey the deepest sentiments. ‘Goodnight Ma’am. God Bless. Thank You.’ Or: ‘Goodbye Queen Mum our perfect royal lady’, and ‘The Queen’s mother; the nation’s grandmother’.

Tomorrow, the coffin will leave All Saints chapel for St James’s Palace, before being taken on Friday to Westminster Hall and to Westminster Abbey. After the funeral, the coffin will then return to Windsor so that the Queen Mother can, at last, be reunited with her King.

2005: Marriage of Charles and Camilla: Wills' kiss for Camilla (and Harry gives her a peck too!)

By Rebecca English

She is the woman for whom he risked crown and country.

But as Prince Charles proudly introduced his new bride to the world she was, simply, ‘my darling Camilla’.

The tender tribute at their wedding reception typified a day which saw the former Mrs Parker Bowles’s place in the heart of the Windsor dynasty confirmed — by a kiss on the cheek from the Queen.

It was followed in quick succession by kisses from the Prince’s sons William and Harry in the clearest sign that they, too, are happy to welcome her.

Happy family: The Queen and Prince Philip pose with, from left, Harry, William, Charles, Camilla, Tom Parker Bowles, Laura Parker Bowles, and Camilla's father Major Bruce Shard

Happy family: The Queen and Prince Philip pose with, from left, Harry, William, Charles, Camilla, Tom Parker Bowles, Laura Parker Bowles, and Camilla's father Major Bruce Shard

Indeed, so determined is Charles to prove that the new Duchess of Cornwall is an asset not just to himself, but to the Royal Family as a whole, he intends to take her on a tour of the entire country.

Starting in Scotland on Thursday, followed by England next month and Wales in July, the newlyweds will travel Britain, meeting and greeting members of the public.

Yesterday, on their first full day as husband and wife, their delight was palpable as they attended church near the Balmoral estate. ‘I’m so lucky — she’s special,’ Charles told wellwishers.

His mother once infamously called her new daughter-in-law ‘that wicked woman’.

But on Saturday, the Queen laid the trials of the past to rest as she praised her daughter-in-law in the warmest possible terms.

Seal of approval: Prince William kisses his new step-mother - a gesture that tells the world the bitter past is behind them and Camilla is welcomed into the family by Charle's sons

Seal of approval: Prince William kisses his new step-mother - a gesture that tells the world the bitter past is behind them and Camilla is welcomed into the family by Charle's sons

She began her speech at the reception by revealing the result of the Grand National (provoking a cheer from Camilla’s son, Tom, who had won ‘a fortune’ on Hedgehunter in the race).

Turning to her son and his bride, with the racing still in mind, she continued: ‘They have overcome Becher’s Brook and The Chair and all kinds of other terrible obstacles.

‘They have come through, and I’m very proud and wish them well. My son is home and dry with the woman he loves. Welcome to the winner’s enclosure.’

Visibly moved by the tenderness of his mother’s tribute, Charles replied with a warm and witty speech, thanking ‘my darling Camilla who has stood by me through thick and thin — and whose precious optimism and honour have seen me through’, before proposing toasts to his family, including his late grandmother, and sons William and Harry.

Camilla could not hide the tears that sprang to her eyes.

And afterwards she was ‘moved beyond words’, according to friends, when the Queen broke with protocol and insisted on joining William and Harry at the Sovereign’s Entrance to Windsor Castle to see the happy couple off.

BUT MORE WATCHED KEN MARRY DEIRDRE! 

The event was the least-watched Royal Wedding in TV history, drawing just 7.3 million viewers.

This was the same as the Grand National and well behind Saturday’s episode of Doctor Who, which attracted 8.3 million.

The BBC claimed the lion’s share of wedding viewers, with 6.2 million, while ITV had 1.1 million. It was a stark contrast to the 28.4 million who watched Charles’s wedding to Diana in 1981. More than 20 million saw Prince Andrew marry Sarah Ferguson in 1986, while in 1999 the wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones attracted 14 million viewers.

It will be a huge disappointment to Clarence House, which had expected a 16 million audience.

A BBC spokesman said: ‘We’re delighted the country is drawn to the BBC for major national events.’

However, ITV pointed out that it showed the most watched wedding of the week — 13 million saw Ken and Deirdre Barlow remarry on Friday in Coronation Street.

As Camilla turned round to say goodbye, the Queen leaned forward and encouraged her daughter-in-law to kiss her on the cheek, then reciprocated.

That moment symbolised the seismic shift in Camilla’s fortunes —from one-time social outcast to the second highest ranking woman in the land. Charles has admitted his decision to marry Camilla — whose name still provokes hatred in some quarters — is a gamble with public opinion. But basking in the glow of an undeniably successful day, aides felt confident enough to speak openly of the new Duchess’s role.

‘We have been inundated with requests for her to take on charity work and, once we have got the General Election out of the way, she will be hitting the ground running,’ said one.

‘There will be a tour of the country and a solo engagement, probably in aid of the National Osteoporosis Society, of which she is patron.’

A note of caution was sounded, however, by several weekend opinion polls. One, in the Sunday Times, suggested the wedding had done nothing to increase Charles’s popularity.

It reported that 60 per cent of those interviewed said they still wanted Prince William to accede to the Throne by leapfrogging his father. Many of them still blame Camilla for the break-up of Charles’s marriage to Princess Diana and insist that in conducting his affair with her, Charles forfeited his right to the Throne.

But as they left for their ten-day Scottish honeymoon, Charles and Camilla were more than entitled to reflect on the happy memories of their day.

Unlike the Prince’s first marriage, protocol and formality went out of the window. It was, in the words of one guest, ‘all about family and fun’.

The theme was set by the arrival of the small wedding party at Windsor Guildhall in two ordinary white coaches.

Led by William, Harry and Camilla’s children Tom and Laura, the group sauntered inside waving to the crowds. As they took their places in St George’s Chapel later in the afternoon, William and Harry cracked joke after joke and, as they left, linked arms with cousins Zara and Peter Phillips and pretended to high kick like a chorus line.

Afterwards, the formal wedding reception in the castle’s Waterloo Chamber also turned into something of a knees-up.

Hundreds of bottles of champagne were opened and more than 16,500 canapes devoured. ‘When the speeches started it was more like a football match than a Royal wedding, with people laughing, shouting and stamping their feet — there was a wonderful, happy atmosphere,’ said one guest.

‘It was also lovely to see the Queen walking around with such a big smile on her face, chatting to anyone who approached her.’

According to friends, however, Camilla was ‘literally sick with nerves’ throughout her big day.

At the reception, she insisted on sticking to water instead of her customary vodka but confided in one close friend that she would ‘need the real thing later’.

JOKER PRINCE HARRY COULDN'T RESIST PELTING HIS FATHER WITH CONFETTI  AFTER HIS MARRIAGE TO CAMILLA

Wait for it: Prince Harry can be seen in this picture with a fist full of confetti as he prepares to launch the attack on his father

Wait for it: Prince Harry can be seen in this picture with a fist full of confetti as he prepares to launch the attack on his father

Take that: The young prince scores a direct hit on his father's head as he prepares to get into the wedding car with his new wife

Take that: The young prince scores a direct hit on his father's head as he prepares to get into the wedding car with his new wife

No holds barred: That's the cue for other members of the congregation to join in with the confetti fun with the newly weds

No holds barred: That's the cue for other members of the congregation to join in with the confetti fun with the newly weds

Sign of the times: The happy newlyweds head to their car, daubed with 'Prince + Duchess' after the wedding service

Sign of the times: The happy newlyweds head to their car, daubed with 'Prince + Duchess' after the wedding service

2002: Golden Jubilee: A glorious reminder of who we are

by Lynda Lee Potter 

Over the Bank Holiday weekend Britain was garlanded in flags. There were strings of Union Jacks festooned across suburban streets, flags fluttering on poles in front gardens and from lamp posts.

The overall impact was cheering, uplifting, merry and somehow very moving. I drove from London to Gloucestershire, to Dorset, and every village and small town appeared to have hung out the bunting.

It was all done in a mood of celebration because, for the first time in years, people felt that they could display flags with pride and without any danger of accusations of being xenophobic, provocative or anti anybody.

In the party mood: The Queen and Prince Philip watch a parade in Victoria Park as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations

In the party mood: The Queen and Prince Philip watch a parade in Victoria Park as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations

It was a joyous reminder that there is nothing racist in feeling glad to be British, proud of one’s country, and knowing, despite the fact that we’re going through difficult times, we wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

So often we fear that the community spirit no longer exists, that we all lead selfish, separate lives and we’re only out for ourselves.

However, across the country these past few days, communities were united, convivial and thriving. There were street parties in cities, towns and villages.

There was Morris dancing, brass bands, tugs-of-war, three-legged races, sing-alongs and knees-ups with much laughter and friendship fuelled by thousands of cups of tea.

There were no riots, rows or disputes. In Stepney, East London, 500 residents gathered for a multicultural celebration. I walked down a country lane to our local street party where men wore Union Jack bowler hats, and we all arrived with scones, cakes, cucumber sandwiches and meringues, and shared a feast fit for a queen.

Children played on a trampoline, a barefooted toddler staggered across the newly-mown grass, fringed with cow parsley, as old men sat reminiscing in deckchairs under umbrellas.

The sun shone, the countryside was at its greenest and everything felt right with the world. It was a timely reminder that, fundamentally, people don’t change.

Most of us want to get on with our neighbours, feel involved in the community and would rather do a kindly deed than a bad one.

Meanwhile, in London yesterday, a million people packed the streets to watch the glorious pageantry.

Many travelled long distances to camp overnight on the pavements, and one middle-aged woman from Oldham said: ‘We’ve come to show what we feel.’

The reaction has been instinctive:not programmed, forced or manufactured.

This Bank Holiday has been a reminder that, despite our abysmal railways, our patchy health service and devious politicians, the vast majority of us feel proud of our heritage, our history, our families and our people.

We believe in fair play, justice, decency, democracy, helping others and doing our best. We have a deepseated affection for our land.

We sometimes despair at what is happening all around us, but, overall, we’re optimistic about our common sense, work ethic and ability to survive.

These happy few days have concentrated our minds on much that is good about Britain and lifted our hearts.

The Queen’s Golden Jubilee, in the end, was a triumph.

WILLS AND HARRY LEAD A VERY ROYAL MEXICAN WAVE WHILST WATCHING THE GOLDEN JUBILEE PARADE

Getting into the spirit: Prince Harry, Prince William, Peter Phillips, Countess of Wessex, and Earl of Wessex while watching the parade

Getting into the spirit: Prince Harry, Prince William, Peter Phillips, Countess of Wessex, and Earl of Wessex while watching the parade

By Rebecca English 

Polite smiles are their speciality. Yesterday, the Royal Family had no need for them. It was a day when genuine enjoyment beamed from every face.

A laughing Prince William, a grinning Prince Harry and a delighted Prince of Wales led the family celebrations on a day no one wanted to end.

Getting into the spirit of things was clearly a delight, not a duty. They waved, laughed, pointed out faces in the crowd and even took part in a massive Mexican wave.

Taking their places on the dais outside Buckingham Palace, the younger family members especially made the most of their front-row view as the spectacular multicultural pageant unfolded before them.

The Prince of Wales and the Duke of York share a joke during the parade

The Prince of Wales and the Duke of York share a joke during the parade

William, Harry and their cousins Zara and Peter, Princess Anne’s children, smiled and laughed uproariously as the parade passed by. William was particularly tickled as scores of Hell’s Angels roared up The Mall towards them.

Earlier, he and his brother showed an easy rapport with the crowd, smiling at the screaming, pop star-style welcome which greeted them as they embarked on a walkabout. For more than 25 minutes the Princes moved slowly along the line of faces stretching up to the royal box at the Palace, shaking hands and thanking everyone for turning out to celebrate their grandmother’s Golden Jubilee.

William, 19, smart in a navy suit, won over everyone with his customary coy charm.

Groups of girls waved home-made signs dotted with hearts. One was inscribed with an optimistic: ‘Marry Me William’.

Some of the braver girls plucked up the courage to kiss his hand. Seventeen-year-old Harry, dressed like his father in charcoal grey, also showed an increasing confidence, striking out on his own and chatting happily with the crowd.

Among the crowds was 13-year old Rachel Auster from Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, who squealed with delight as she shook William’s hand.

‘It was so exciting to see him close up,’ she said afterwards. ‘You could hardly hear him because there was so much screaming, but he leant forward and said Hello.

‘All my friends like him as much as any pop star.’

HATLESS AND YAWNING, A DISRESPECTFUL CHERIE BLAIR..... 

Glum: Cherie Blair's behaviour angered the television viewers at home who accused her of showing a lack of respect for the Queen

Glum: Cherie Blair's behaviour angered the television viewers at home who accused her of showing a lack of respect for the Queen

The Prime Minister's wife was pictured yawning during the service of thanksgiving at St Paul's

The Prime Minister's wife was pictured yawning during the service of thanksgiving at St Paul's

By Richard Kay

Cherie Blair was at the centre of complaints about her contribution to the Jubilee last night after she was accused of showing the Queen a lack of respect.

The Prime Minister’s wife shocked television viewers when she was pictured yawning live on camera during the service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s.

And she raised eyebrows among the crowds by failing to wear a hat to the service. It was only hours after the Blairs had caused concern with their behaviour during the pop concert at Buckingham Palace on Sunday.

After both repeatedly waved to the crowd from the royal box, Tony Blair went on an impromptu walkabout in the Queen’s garden, shaking hands with well-wishers to the amazement of officials.

It was the ‘blatant disrespect’ of his wife at St Paul’s that irritated royal fans yesterday, including dozens who rang the Mail to complain.

Mrs Blair, wearing a glittering gold suit, was not the only woman in the cathedral without a hat, but she was the most prominent.

Viewer Patricia Wells, who was watching at her home in Scunthorpe, said: ‘For Mrs Blair not to wear a hat was unforgivable and in the worst taste.

‘There were some other ladies who did not have a hat, but we should see a better example from the Prime Minister’s wife.’

Those watching on giant screens put up round Central London were equally indignant when Mrs Blair began yawning. Unaware the camera was on her, she made no effort to cover her mouth as she stood up for the first hymn.

She had already been yawning as she sat for an hour waiting for the Queen to arrive at the cathedral.

Buckingham Palace insisted that Mrs Blair’s failure to wear a hat had not upset the Queen. ‘She doesn’t notice things like that,’ said one official.

Mrs Blair is not known as a supporter of the monarchy and in Labour circles is rumoured to have argued with her husband over whether she should curtsey when introduced to the Queen.

Last month, at a No 10 dinner to mark the Jubilee, observers noted that when Mrs Blair met the Queen, her head bobbed but her knees did not bend.

When the two met at Balmoral shortly after Mr Blair became Premier in 1997, she apparently made a double faux pas — wearing trousers and failing to curtsey.

2002: Golden Jubilee: Our Golden Monarch 

Fifty years of duty: The Queen waves to the crowds as she travels in the golden coach she used for her Coronation and Silver Jubilee to St Paul's for a service of thanksgiving

Fifty years of duty: The Queen waves to the crowds as she travels in the golden coach she used for her Coronation and Silver Jubilee to St Paul's for a service of thanksgiving

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