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Watch Buckingham Palace A Year in the Life Spring, Season 1 Episode 3 on Dailymotion (2026).
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00:00:01Buckingham Palace, a royal residence for nearly 200 years.
00:00:07It combines the ceremony and the royals at work, and that's why it's so interesting.
00:00:13365 days a year, the palace is a hive of activity.
00:00:19Now, we're going behind the famous Black Gates, as we follow palace life through all four seasons,
00:00:27talking to those who are really in the know.
00:00:31Spring is a magical time, as the garden comes back to life.
00:00:36And we reveal who does what, where and when, at the most famous of royal residences.
00:00:43There's so much pride when it comes to looking for the perfect trees for the palace.
00:00:49From the secrets of the royal kitchen summer menus...
00:00:53The height of summer is all about entertainment.
00:00:55...to dealing with some unwelcome palace guests.
00:00:59This time of year, autumn, you've got this migration of rodents and other pests.
00:01:04And we hear of some surprise encounters in the palace hallways.
00:01:09This little old lady came out of one of the doors down the corridor, and it was Her Majesty.
00:01:13It could have sworn she had rollers in her head.
00:01:15In this episode, it's springtime at Buckingham Palace.
00:01:22Behind closed doors, planning goes into overdrive as 800 staff prepare for a packed calendar of springtime royal events.
00:01:33When you get an invite from the palace, you know it's from the palace, because it weighs a ton.
00:01:37New life emerges in the famous royal gardens after the winter.
00:01:42Suddenly the garden's just full of colours and purples and pinks, and the scent is amazing.
00:01:47It really does come alive at this time of the year.
00:01:49In the palace kitchens, fresh produce is the order of the day for a seasonal loving king.
00:01:54I'd say this is the king's typical spring and starter dish.
00:01:58Asparagus, new potatoes, broad beans, and fennel salami.
00:02:03And a unique collection of royal fashion will be revealed at the palace's annual spring exhibition.
00:02:10It's the largest exhibition ever mounted of her fashion.
00:02:15Spring has sprung at the palace.
00:02:28At the start of spring, it's not the impressive palace itself that steals the show.
00:02:36It's the gardens.
00:02:39Spread across 39 acres, Buckingham Palace has the largest private garden in London.
00:02:45It's home for over 1,000 trees, more than 300 types of wild plants,
00:02:51and over 50 bird species, including kingfishers, herons, and the elusive sparrowhawk.
00:02:58In the middle is a secret 19th-century oasis,
00:03:02a huge lake that was once fed by the serpentine in Hyde Park.
00:03:07And standing guard over it all, the colossal 30-tonne Waterloo vase.
00:03:14Spring is a magical time as the garden comes back to life.
00:03:18It's a very, very powerful time in the garden.
00:03:28It's an amazing explosion of colour, where it's been quiet and grey during the winter climes.
00:03:33Come the springtime, that's when you first see that really hot colours coming back into the garden.
00:03:37It's designed to be at its best.
00:03:42Few people know the palace gardens better than Stuart Bourne,
00:03:46who spent nearly eight years working there as a gardener.
00:03:50He now tends the gardens at Belgrave Square,
00:03:54just a stone's throw from the palace walls.
00:03:59The great thing about the spring display at Buckingham Palace is they've taken the time
00:04:02to really look at the succession of different plants.
00:04:05Therefore, there's always a bit of colour at some point.
00:04:07First of all, you see the snowdrops in the January-February time.
00:04:10Then you have the crocuses, then you have the tulips and the fritillarias all coming out.
00:04:15So you have a series of different colours all the way up until April.
00:04:18And then you'll get these wonderful, classic English shrubs coming out.
00:04:21The rhododendrons, the camellias,
00:04:23and suddenly the garden's just full of colours and purples and pinks,
00:04:27and the scent is amazing.
00:04:29It really does come alive at this time of the year.
00:04:33Spring brings daffodils across Britain.
00:04:37But in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, it's a carefully curated display.
00:04:43From classic trumpet varieties like King Alfred,
00:04:46to rare doubles such as Tahiti
00:04:49and the finely detailed heirloom, Rick Van Winkle.
00:04:54There are many different species and varieties of daffodils around Buckingham Palace Gardens.
00:04:59One of my favourites is the one that we planted up for the Diamond Jubilee,
00:05:02called Diamond Jubilee,
00:05:04and this was planted around the garden to celebrate it.
00:05:07And it's a really wonderful daffodil,
00:05:09a lovely bright white one with a little hint of yellow in the centre,
00:05:12and it was a fantastic plant to look at.
00:05:17Maintaining the palace gardens is a year-round effort,
00:05:21but come spring, the team's workload is at its height.
00:05:25It's a myriad of different kinds of jobs that we have to do right now
00:05:29before the garden gets really overgrown.
00:05:31Pruning back overgrown shrubs,
00:05:33making sure they're nice and tight and compact,
00:05:35clearing out any more debris from the beds.
00:05:39While many tasks are the same in any garden,
00:05:43the scale of Buckingham Palace is industrial.
00:05:47Pruning, weeding and deadheading thousands of daffodils keeps the team busy.
00:05:53But there are rarer, more exotic plants to contend with as well.
00:05:59The 150-metre herbaceous border features plume poppies,
00:06:05pale yellow catkins and blue potato bush,
00:06:08each requiring specialist care.
00:06:16At the heart of the 39-acre garden sits a sweeping lawn,
00:06:21large enough to host up to 8,000 guests
00:06:24at one of the three royal garden parties held here in the coming months.
00:06:29But this isn't your average lawn.
00:06:31It's a carefully balanced mix of chamomile and grass,
00:06:35designed to release a delicate fragrance underfoot.
00:06:39Getting the prep right in the spring is vital.
00:06:43It's one of the first things the garden party guests see in the summer,
00:06:46so we have to make sure they're looking good.
00:06:48As soon as they walk through those gates,
00:06:49they'll see those big, wide-open green lawns,
00:06:52and that's why we've got to make sure they're nice, clean,
00:06:55really nicely cut, so you've got the nice stripes down there as well.
00:07:03Spring is also the time when the trees surrounding the lawn
00:07:08in the Buckingham Palace Gardens burst into colour.
00:07:13Flowering cherry and magnolia blossom alongside mature horse chestnuts,
00:07:18limes and cedars.
00:07:23With its winding paths and soft curves,
00:07:27the Buckingham Palace Garden has a beautiful, natural feel.
00:07:32But back in 1703,
00:07:34when the Duke of Buckingham owned the house,
00:07:36it was very different.
00:07:39It was laid out in a very formal way,
00:07:42which was very popular at the time.
00:07:43Straight lines,
00:07:44very symmetrical squares of beds,
00:07:48very formal, same colour planting in there,
00:07:51very uniform,
00:07:52very symmetrical.
00:07:53And then you also have an avenue of trees,
00:07:55so very strong, straight lines,
00:07:58completely manicured lawns,
00:08:00everything's neat and tidy.
00:08:01The idea is that you're controlling nature
00:08:03and you're harnessing it,
00:08:05and that was the style of the time.
00:08:19King George IV completely re-landscaped the gardens
00:08:24and made them into what we know today.
00:08:26You can actually see the features that I recognised whilst working there.
00:08:29The big Serpentine Lake,
00:08:31rolling lawns,
00:08:33curvy, winding paths
00:08:35that go round all the way round the garden.
00:08:37And it's really recreating
00:08:39that picturesque English country landscape
00:08:40that they wanted to bring into their own gardens.
00:08:44Lots of shrubs,
00:08:45lots of trees,
00:08:46lots of foliage,
00:08:47but nothing formal,
00:08:49nothing in a straight line.
00:08:50And these sorts of landscape gardens
00:08:51are perfectly in spring,
00:08:53because at this time,
00:08:53they were planted up
00:08:54with lots of spring flowering shrubs
00:08:56all on a big mass bank of shrubberies.
00:08:59and wonderful flowering trees
00:09:01like cherries and chestnuts.
00:09:03So this landscape garden is perfect in spring.
00:09:14A springtime brings the palace gardens to life.
00:09:18Inside, something far rarer is revealed.
00:09:21Treasures long hidden
00:09:23are unveiled in the spring exhibition.
00:09:27Spring represents a reawakening
00:09:29at Buckingham Palace.
00:09:31The King's Gallery starts to be open
00:09:33to the public again
00:09:35for its annual exhibitions.
00:09:38The spring exhibition
00:09:40is made up of rare items
00:09:42from the Royal Collection,
00:09:43and with over one million pieces,
00:09:45including art, antiques,
00:09:47jewellery and furniture,
00:09:48It's a very personal record
00:09:50of 500 years of the British monarchy.
00:09:53The Royal Collection is absolutely vast.
00:09:57It contains priceless artifacts
00:09:58from pieces of artwork
00:10:00to mosaics, sculptures,
00:10:02jewellery, clothing
00:10:03that members of the Royal Family
00:10:05have worn through the ages.
00:10:06And the thousands of people
00:10:07that go to visit it every year
00:10:09have a real unique insight
00:10:11into life behind the palace walls.
00:10:15Many of the items on display
00:10:17have been hidden away
00:10:18behind closed doors for generations.
00:10:22I've been fortunate enough
00:10:23to go to several exhibitions
00:10:25over the years
00:10:26from the Royal Collection,
00:10:27and one of the ones
00:10:28that stood out most to me
00:10:30was witnessing
00:10:31the tour artist exhibition
00:10:33that the King
00:10:34had hand-picked himself.
00:10:36King Charles normally takes
00:10:37a tour artist abroad with him
00:10:40when he's going on royal tours
00:10:41to represent the country
00:10:43and the royal family.
00:10:44He's done this for over 40 years.
00:10:45And in this exhibition,
00:10:47King Charles chose the artworks
00:10:49from 43 artists
00:10:50representing 70 different tours
00:10:53over 95 countries.
00:10:55And it gave you a really unique insight
00:10:58into what royal tours are like.
00:11:00And it was one of the most
00:11:01interesting exhibitions I've ever seen.
00:11:05These images revealed
00:11:06how carefully the royals
00:11:08managed their public image.
00:11:09and that never matters more
00:11:11than in the clothes they wear.
00:11:14In the spring of 2026,
00:11:16a unique exhibition revealed
00:11:18how the late Queen
00:11:19used fashion to curate her image
00:11:22on a global stage.
00:11:24It's called Queen Elizabeth,
00:11:26Her Life in Style,
00:11:27and it's to mark the centenary
00:11:29of her birth year.
00:11:31And it's the largest exhibition
00:11:33ever mounted of her fashion.
00:11:35It contains around 200 items,
00:11:37around half of which have never been displayed
00:11:39publicly before.
00:11:41And it's a real celebration
00:11:42of her decades of style
00:11:45and the approach
00:11:46that she had to fashion.
00:11:48The exhibition shows
00:11:50that the Queen's dresses are modern,
00:11:52but never tied
00:11:53to that particular year's fashions.
00:11:55So they wouldn't soon
00:11:56look outdated in photographs.
00:11:58She was also set to plan
00:12:00and all her outfits in advance
00:12:02using a colour diary system
00:12:04so that she never repeated
00:12:06similar shades
00:12:07at major events and tours.
00:12:08It's this real blend
00:12:10of glamour,
00:12:12but also royal pageantry
00:12:13all together
00:12:14in one incredible spectacle.
00:12:18Coming up.
00:12:20As the palace prepares
00:12:22for the start
00:12:22of the spring social season,
00:12:24invitations are sent out
00:12:26to the fortunate few.
00:12:28I was terrified.
00:12:29I didn't know
00:12:30what I was going to talk about.
00:12:31And we discover
00:12:32the proper way
00:12:33to enjoy a spring afternoon tea
00:12:35at the palace.
00:12:36What we do
00:12:37is we twist horizontally.
00:12:39So, like this.
00:12:42Very, very delicately.
00:12:44We don't use a knife
00:12:45to break a scone.
00:13:00Tucked away
00:13:01at the south-western edge
00:13:03of the vast
00:13:03Buckingham Palace Gardens
00:13:05lies a secret world.
00:13:07Their very own
00:13:09kitchen garden.
00:13:11As spring arrives,
00:13:12the greenhouse
00:13:13transforms
00:13:14into a busy nursery
00:13:15with specialist plants
00:13:17like the heritage
00:13:18Golden Queen Tomatoes.
00:13:20Outside,
00:13:21it's packed
00:13:22with everything
00:13:22from dwarf French beans
00:13:24to onions
00:13:25to leeks, carrots
00:13:26and red-ace beetroot.
00:13:29And in true royal fashion,
00:13:31the palace grows
00:13:32its own botanicals
00:13:33like lemon verbena
00:13:35destined for a special royal gin.
00:13:39The kitchen garden
00:13:40at the palace
00:13:41really aligns
00:13:42with King Charles' values.
00:13:44He's really interested
00:13:45in organic farming.
00:13:47He really wants Buckingham Palace
00:13:49to be sustainable.
00:13:50He wants to produce food
00:13:52for guests
00:13:52that have been grown
00:13:53in the garden.
00:13:55The kitchen garden
00:13:56supplies the royal household
00:13:58throughout the year.
00:14:01With spring providing
00:14:03plenty of produce
00:14:04for the king's chef
00:14:05to create simple,
00:14:06seasonal dishes.
00:14:08I'd say this is the king's
00:14:10typical spring and starter dish.
00:14:12which incorporates
00:14:13four spring ingredients
00:14:14from the garden.
00:14:15Asparagus,
00:14:17new potatoes,
00:14:18broad beans,
00:14:19peas,
00:14:20watercress
00:14:20and the fennel salami.
00:14:23Visan Anenden
00:14:24was head chef
00:14:25to King Charles III
00:14:26and Queen Consort Camilla
00:14:28for nine and a half years.
00:14:31He knows exactly
00:14:32what the king wants
00:14:33at different times
00:14:34of the year,
00:14:35like this spring salad,
00:14:37one of His Majesty's favourites.
00:14:42We'll start off
00:14:43by taking all the
00:14:44woody stems
00:14:45off the asparagus,
00:14:46season the water.
00:14:48These will just take
00:14:49roughly about a minute,
00:14:50two minutes.
00:14:52Whilst the asparagus
00:14:53is cooking,
00:14:53we'll start on the potatoes.
00:14:56The king does not like
00:14:58the potatoes to be peeled.
00:14:59He likes everything
00:15:00to look organic.
00:15:02The asparagus are cooked,
00:15:04so we'll just
00:15:05take those out.
00:15:07Next stage
00:15:08is to
00:15:09colour the potatoes.
00:15:11Just put a bit of olive oil.
00:15:15Salt.
00:15:17We'll put the potatoes,
00:15:19which are being
00:15:20nicely coloured off,
00:15:22into here.
00:15:22We'll take the asparagus.
00:15:25We'll just cover them in half.
00:15:27Broad beans
00:15:28and peas.
00:15:31And then,
00:15:32so now,
00:15:33I will make a vinaigrette
00:15:33to go with it.
00:15:38Some Dijon mustard,
00:15:40honey.
00:15:43The beehives,
00:15:44the king keeps,
00:15:45they produce
00:15:45the most amazing honey.
00:15:49Not too much,
00:15:50if you don't want it too sweet.
00:15:52A dash of sherry vinegar.
00:15:55The acidity,
00:15:56white wine vinegar.
00:15:59Start.
00:16:01Small and royal.
00:16:03This dish is so highly regarded,
00:16:06it's served at some of the palace's
00:16:08most prestigious dinners.
00:16:10For major royal occasions,
00:16:12such as a state banquet,
00:16:14starters like this
00:16:15must be prepared
00:16:16in their hundreds.
00:16:18But whatever the occasion,
00:16:20there's one item on the menu
00:16:21that always makes an appearance.
00:16:24The starter would always have to involve an egg.
00:16:30The king loves eggs.
00:16:32I mean,
00:16:32he loves eggs to the point
00:16:35that we have to incorporate eggs
00:16:37in every menu.
00:16:38Even desserts could be egg-based.
00:16:39I think he would prefer
00:16:40if he could eat an omelet every day,
00:16:42I think.
00:16:44The king's passion for eggs
00:16:46also sparked a rumour
00:16:48about his breakfast habits,
00:16:49involving his daily
00:16:51earth mole.
00:16:52That's a soft-boiled egg
00:16:54to you and me.
00:16:56Whilst I was working
00:16:57for King Charles,
00:16:59there was an article
00:17:00about him
00:17:01demanding 12 different
00:17:03earth moles
00:17:04culted different times,
00:17:06which he will then be able
00:17:08to choose the best egg,
00:17:10which he thought
00:17:11was good at the time.
00:17:13I thought,
00:17:14what a load of rubbish,
00:17:15because I was working,
00:17:16I was never told
00:17:18to cook 12 eggs
00:17:18at a time.
00:17:20It goes against
00:17:20everything he believes in.
00:17:21It's wasteful.
00:17:23There's no way
00:17:23he would allow it.
00:17:24He just would not allow it.
00:17:25He only has one
00:17:26earth mole a day.
00:17:31Right.
00:17:32Let's put that there.
00:17:33And there it is,
00:17:35a dish fit for the royals,
00:17:37king's salad.
00:17:39Spring is particularly
00:17:41busy in the kitchens
00:17:42as it marks the start
00:17:43of the hospitality season.
00:17:48The palace place hosts
00:17:50to 50,000 guests
00:17:51throughout the year.
00:17:53Whether it's garden parties,
00:17:55investitures,
00:17:56lunches or dinners,
00:17:58hosting is where
00:17:59the palace excels.
00:18:04So many of the royal
00:18:05and official events
00:18:06are held there
00:18:07and so many guests
00:18:08go through those doors.
00:18:09It's actually quite staggering.
00:18:10And anybody can go there.
00:18:12It doesn't matter
00:18:13where you come from
00:18:14or who you are.
00:18:14Everybody is going to be
00:18:15treated like royalty.
00:18:17And that's really
00:18:18equalitarian
00:18:19and really quite remarkable.
00:18:23The hospitality at the palace
00:18:24is unforgettable.
00:18:25You talk about it
00:18:26to your friends.
00:18:27You never guessed
00:18:28where I was yesterday evening.
00:18:30I was having a glass of wine
00:18:33in Buckingham Palace.
00:18:34There's a good sound to that.
00:18:38But how does one receive
00:18:40an invitation to the palace?
00:18:42Whilst anyone can visit
00:18:44the palace on a public open day,
00:18:46attending official events
00:18:47strictly by invitation only,
00:18:50as spring gets underway,
00:18:52those nominated by charities,
00:18:54community groups,
00:18:55local authorities
00:18:56and other public bodies
00:18:57begin to receive
00:18:58official-looking envelopes
00:19:00through the letterboxes.
00:19:02When you get an invite
00:19:04from the palace,
00:19:04you know it's from the palace
00:19:05because it weighs a ton.
00:19:07This is not normal paper,
00:19:09you know,
00:19:09it's a proper card.
00:19:10And the writing
00:19:12is so beautiful.
00:19:13Everything is embossed.
00:19:14You've got gold letters.
00:19:16It's just from another world.
00:19:19And while receiving
00:19:21a coveted invitation
00:19:22can be thrilling,
00:19:23it can also be daunting.
00:19:26For many first-time guests
00:19:28at Buckingham Palace,
00:19:29the scale and grandeur
00:19:30of the setting
00:19:31can be overwhelming.
00:19:33The first time I actually
00:19:34got to go into Buckingham Palace
00:19:36and I can remember
00:19:38just really being like,
00:19:39what a pinch me moment
00:19:40and seeing how grand it is.
00:19:44The very first time
00:19:45that I met Queen Elizabeth II,
00:19:48I just started blurting out,
00:19:49Your Majesty,
00:19:50congratulations
00:19:51on your wedding anniversary.
00:19:53It was my grandparents' anniversary.
00:19:54Their party wasn't quite
00:19:55as big as yours
00:19:56and suddenly I found myself
00:19:57with verbal diarrhoea,
00:19:59the nerves making me
00:20:00unable to stop speaking.
00:20:03and I felt this sort of
00:20:04crimson blush going up me
00:20:06and the Queen
00:20:07could not have been more pleasant.
00:20:09Oh, how wonderful,
00:20:10she said.
00:20:10Do pass on my congratulations.
00:20:13I was terrified.
00:20:15I didn't know
00:20:15what I was going to talk about.
00:20:16So what I decided
00:20:17to talk about
00:20:18was my father's
00:20:19old knitted swimming costume
00:20:21that used to drop
00:20:22when it got wet.
00:20:24And apparently
00:20:25it was a great success
00:20:26because afterwards
00:20:27a lady-in-waiting
00:20:28came up to me
00:20:29and she said
00:20:30the Queen rocked.
00:20:32While the weather
00:20:33in spring
00:20:33isn't always warm enough
00:20:35for events in the gardens,
00:20:37some lucky guests
00:20:38get to experience
00:20:39one of the palace's
00:20:40most enduring traditions.
00:20:43Afternoon tea
00:20:44served in the grand surroundings
00:20:46of the 1844 room
00:20:48or the music room.
00:20:51It's lovely to be invited
00:20:53to something like a tea party.
00:20:55We feasted on delicious cups of tea
00:20:57and we had chocolate biscuits
00:20:59which I think had gold leaf in them.
00:21:01I'm not sure
00:21:01if that's the fair every day
00:21:03but they were delicious.
00:21:06We had tea with the Queen
00:21:08and a large teapot
00:21:10was placed on the table
00:21:11and the Queen said,
00:21:12shall I pour?
00:21:16I had spoken on that occasion
00:21:18about how much
00:21:19our teenage sons ate
00:21:21and that obviously proved
00:21:22to be quite a good topic
00:21:24because the Queen said,
00:21:25it's just the same
00:21:27with William and Harry.
00:21:28She said,
00:21:28they eat us out of house and home.
00:21:30So that was nice.
00:21:35Laura Windsor
00:21:36is one of Britain's
00:21:37leading etiquette experts
00:21:39and knows a thing or two
00:21:40about the quintessentially British
00:21:42mid-afternoon treat
00:21:43served up at the palace.
00:21:45Very picturesque.
00:21:47What you're looking at
00:21:48is a traditional British afternoon tea.
00:21:53Buckingham Palace hosts
00:21:54a lot of these wonderful
00:21:56afternoon tea events,
00:21:57especially in springtime
00:21:58when it's a bit cold outside.
00:22:02Afternoon tea has been
00:22:03a British tradition
00:22:04since Victorian times
00:22:06when Anna Maria Russell,
00:22:07the Duchess of Bedford,
00:22:09started feeling a little peckish
00:22:11before dinner.
00:22:13She introduced afternoon tea
00:22:15as a meal
00:22:16because lunch was normally
00:22:18at noon
00:22:18and dinner became
00:22:21fashionably late
00:22:22and one would eat
00:22:23at around 8.30
00:22:24and between noon
00:22:26and 8.30
00:22:27there's a lot of time
00:22:28to kill.
00:22:29So the Duchess
00:22:30used to get hungry
00:22:31at around 4 o'clock
00:22:32and she decided
00:22:33to ask the servants
00:22:34to bring her some tea
00:22:35and cakes
00:22:36and sandwiches
00:22:37to her bedchamber
00:22:39and it completely revived her.
00:22:41so she thought,
00:22:42wow, this is a lovely thing
00:22:44that I should be doing
00:22:44with my friends
00:22:45and it became so popular
00:22:47that it moved
00:22:48from the bedchamber
00:22:49to the grand drawing rooms
00:22:51of the aristocracy.
00:22:52Afternoon tea
00:22:53at Buckingham Palace
00:22:54is a classic royal spread.
00:22:56Finger sandwiches,
00:22:57warm scones
00:22:58with clotted cream and jam
00:23:00and an array
00:23:01of bite-sized pastries
00:23:03all served
00:23:04on tiered stands.
00:23:06Alongside the familiar
00:23:07cream cheese
00:23:08and cucumber sandwiches,
00:23:09the late queen
00:23:10was partial
00:23:11to one childhood favourite
00:23:13she had every day
00:23:14for afternoon tea.
00:23:16Jam pennies.
00:23:18Small rounds
00:23:19of buttered white bread
00:23:20spread with jam
00:23:21and cuts
00:23:21into little circles
00:23:22the size of an old penny.
00:23:25While the food on offer
00:23:26might look familiar,
00:23:27there are certain rules
00:23:29to remember
00:23:29before you eat.
00:23:31You have a three-tier stand
00:23:33and it goes from savoury
00:23:36to sweet
00:23:36and we start
00:23:37with the savoury first.
00:23:39So, the sandwiches.
00:23:41Remember,
00:23:41they're finger foods
00:23:42so you won't be asking
00:23:43for a knife and fork.
00:23:44Just because they're
00:23:45nice and small
00:23:46doesn't mean
00:23:47that you take
00:23:47a huge bite.
00:23:49Petite bites.
00:23:51You don't want
00:23:51to appear greedy.
00:23:53and once you've bitten,
00:23:54you place it back
00:23:55on the plate.
00:23:58These lovely little things
00:24:00are called scones,
00:24:02not scones.
00:24:03Just think of prom
00:24:04and not prone.
00:24:07But before you reach
00:24:09for your cutlery
00:24:09to tackle your scone,
00:24:11you may be surprised
00:24:12to learn that this
00:24:13isn't the proper way
00:24:14to do it.
00:24:15What we do
00:24:16is we twist horizontally.
00:24:18So,
00:24:20like this,
00:24:21very, very delicately.
00:24:23We don't use a knife
00:24:24to break a scone.
00:24:28And if you're wrestling
00:24:29over the great debate
00:24:30of whether it's jam
00:24:31or clotted cream first,
00:24:33there's no need to worry
00:24:34as the palace
00:24:35has no protocol
00:24:36for this divisive dilemma.
00:24:38But does the king
00:24:39have his own preference?
00:24:41Given that King Charles
00:24:43spent a lot of time
00:24:44in Cornwall,
00:24:44I have a funny feeling
00:24:46that he likes
00:24:47to see the clotted cream
00:24:49on top
00:24:50and the jam underneath.
00:24:52When you pick up
00:24:54either the jam
00:24:55or the clotted cream,
00:24:56you don't automatically
00:24:58put it directly
00:24:59onto the scone.
00:25:01What you do is
00:25:01you put it on
00:25:02the rim of the plate.
00:25:06Like so.
00:25:07Communal foods
00:25:08always go first
00:25:09on the plate.
00:25:12I'm going to do
00:25:13what I think
00:25:14the king would do.
00:25:15I will put the jam first
00:25:18on the scone
00:25:18and then allow
00:25:19the clotted cream
00:25:20to beautifully sit
00:25:22on top like that.
00:25:25All of this will be served
00:25:27with a pot of tea
00:25:28and the palace
00:25:29will ensure
00:25:30there's plenty of choice
00:25:31from English breakfast
00:25:32and Earl Grey
00:25:33to lighter darjeeling
00:25:35all served
00:25:36in fine china cups.
00:25:38Tea poured first,
00:25:39milk second.
00:25:40Of course.
00:25:42And once again,
00:25:43there is a correct way
00:25:44to drink it.
00:25:45A lot of people
00:25:46do it
00:25:47in a circular motion
00:25:49like this
00:25:50and make noise
00:25:51by banging
00:25:52the teaspoon
00:25:53against the rim.
00:25:54The proper way
00:25:56to do it
00:25:56is to do it
00:25:58in an up
00:25:58and down motion
00:25:59like this.
00:26:01No noise
00:26:02and then a quick
00:26:03flick of the spoon
00:26:05and place
00:26:06the spoon
00:26:07behind the cup.
00:26:08And when you're
00:26:09drinking tea,
00:26:10try and look
00:26:11inside the cup
00:26:13because it looks
00:26:13more elegant.
00:26:14There's nothing worse
00:26:15than sipping your tea
00:26:16with googly eyes.
00:26:20So always look
00:26:21into the cup
00:26:22and Princess Catherine
00:26:23does this beautifully.
00:26:25She looks inside the cup.
00:26:26She knows exactly
00:26:27what she's doing
00:26:28and that is all
00:26:29about elegance.
00:26:32With the sandwiches,
00:26:34cakes and scones
00:26:35enjoyed
00:26:35and the tea finished,
00:26:37there's one final
00:26:38point of etiquette
00:26:39to observe
00:26:40because like all good things
00:26:42it must come to an end
00:26:43although sometimes
00:26:45not everyone
00:26:46is quite ready to leave.
00:26:49some people
00:26:50like to hog
00:26:51a certain member
00:26:52of the royal family
00:26:53and try and keep
00:26:54their attention
00:26:54for minutes on end
00:26:55so you will often find
00:26:57that members
00:26:58of the palace team
00:26:59will do a polite
00:27:00tap on the shoulder
00:27:01to encourage
00:27:02the wrap-up
00:27:03of the conversation.
00:27:04This is such
00:27:05a significant moment
00:27:06when you meet
00:27:07a member
00:27:08of the royal family
00:27:08particularly
00:27:09when you meet
00:27:10the sovereign
00:27:11and I think
00:27:12anyone can be
00:27:13forgiven
00:27:13for getting it
00:27:14a little bit wrong.
00:27:44coming up
00:27:45probably royalists
00:27:46but you never know
00:27:47you never know
00:27:48you have to be aware
00:27:49that something
00:27:49might go wrong.
00:28:00spring at the palace
00:28:02is a time
00:28:02for new beginnings
00:28:07but also a time
00:28:09for remembrance
00:28:12and on the 8th of May
00:28:14each year
00:28:14the palace observes
00:28:16one of its most
00:28:17important events
00:28:18V-Day
00:28:19commemorating the end
00:28:21of the Second World War
00:28:22in Europe.
00:28:27It was May 1945
00:28:29it was spring
00:28:30the crowds were out
00:28:32the crowds were out
00:28:33in their tens of thousands
00:28:34once the king
00:28:36the queen
00:28:36and the two princesses
00:28:38Elizabeth and Margaret
00:28:39had appeared
00:28:39on the balcony
00:28:40the crowds outside
00:28:42just wouldn't let them go.
00:28:45It was also a time
00:28:47when
00:28:47and the only time
00:28:48really
00:28:49when Princess Elizabeth
00:28:50and Princess Margaret
00:28:51actually were able
00:28:53to escape the palace
00:28:54and to go out
00:28:56amongst the people
00:28:57kind of incognito
00:28:59and they enjoyed
00:29:01themselves
00:29:02with the crowd.
00:29:04And there was a sense
00:29:05of you know
00:29:06great joy
00:29:07and celebration
00:29:08and
00:29:11the palace
00:29:11and the members
00:29:13of the royal family
00:29:13were very much
00:29:14identified
00:29:15with that
00:29:16the spirit
00:29:18of Britain.
00:29:20Buckingham Palace
00:29:21played such a central role
00:29:22in that first
00:29:23V-E Day celebration
00:29:25that it becomes
00:29:26the natural
00:29:26return
00:29:27and focal point
00:29:28for all of the
00:29:29commemorations
00:29:30of V-E Day
00:29:31that will follow.
00:29:32How V-E Day
00:29:33is marked
00:29:34at Buckingham Palace
00:29:35each May
00:29:35varies depending
00:29:37on the significance
00:29:38of the anniversary.
00:29:39On milestone years
00:29:41including the recent
00:29:4280th in 2025
00:29:43the palace
00:29:44was the focus
00:29:45of national events
00:29:46as the country
00:29:47remembered
00:29:48with military processions
00:29:50huge crowds
00:29:51the famous
00:29:52royal appearance
00:29:53on the balcony
00:29:53and of course
00:29:55a fly past.
00:29:57And the particularly
00:29:59chilly spring weather
00:30:00of the 80th anniversary
00:30:01also produced
00:30:02a memorable
00:30:03and tender moment
00:30:04to the day's proceedings.
00:30:07At the 80th anniversary
00:30:09of V-E Day
00:30:10Buckingham Palace
00:30:10was once again
00:30:11front and centre
00:30:12obviously over the decades
00:30:15the number of survivors
00:30:16from the war itself
00:30:17have dwindled
00:30:18but those who are
00:30:19still with us
00:30:20have certainly not lost
00:30:21their pluck
00:30:21and civility.
00:30:23101 year old
00:30:24Jack Mortimer
00:30:25was sitting next
00:30:26to Queen Camilla
00:30:27in the royal box
00:30:28of Buckingham Palace
00:30:29where he was spotted
00:30:30tucking Queen Camilla
00:30:32in with her tartan blanket
00:30:33to keep her warm
00:30:34and then chivalrously
00:30:36kissing her hand.
00:30:37So that connection
00:30:38between Buckingham Palace
00:30:40and V-E Day
00:30:41is one that endures
00:30:43as does its ability
00:30:44to counter
00:30:45very memorable moments
00:30:46for the cameras.
00:30:53The V-E Day
00:30:54commemoration
00:30:55is just one
00:30:56of the important days
00:30:58in the palace's
00:30:59May calendar.
00:31:00It's one of the busiest months
00:31:02in the royal year
00:31:03as official engagements
00:31:05ramp up across the board
00:31:06from receptions
00:31:08at Buckingham Palace
00:31:09to charity visits
00:31:11and appearances
00:31:12across the UK
00:31:13taking place
00:31:14almost every day.
00:31:22In spring
00:31:23senior royals
00:31:24typically carry out
00:31:25around 20 to 30 engagements
00:31:27every month.
00:31:29With longer days
00:31:30growing crowds
00:31:31and the royal family
00:31:32on the move
00:31:33security around Buckingham Palace
00:31:35moves up a gear.
00:31:41Now elite protection officers
00:31:43need to work harder
00:31:44than ever
00:31:44to keep the palace
00:31:46and their royal charges safe.
00:31:49I think what one has to remember
00:31:50of course
00:31:50is this is a tourist hotspot.
00:31:53Buckingham Palace
00:31:54even today now
00:31:55you can see
00:31:56is much busier
00:31:57than it was
00:31:57a month ago
00:31:58in the winter.
00:31:59So this becomes
00:32:00an additional problem
00:32:01for police
00:32:02because it's not
00:32:02an area
00:32:03that you can police
00:32:04exactly
00:32:04and know exactly
00:32:06who is who.
00:32:07Thankfully
00:32:0799% of them
00:32:09are there
00:32:09because they're
00:32:10probably royalists
00:32:11tourists
00:32:11and want to see
00:32:13you know
00:32:13what's happening.
00:32:14But you never know
00:32:15you never know
00:32:16you have to be aware
00:32:17that something
00:32:17might go wrong.
00:32:21Ken Worf
00:32:22was royal protection officer
00:32:23for the princes
00:32:24William and Harry
00:32:25and their late mother
00:32:27Diana
00:32:27the Princess of Wales.
00:32:30He escorted members
00:32:31of the royal family
00:32:32in and out
00:32:33of Buckingham Palace
00:32:34hundreds of times.
00:32:38Situated slap bang
00:32:40in the middle
00:32:40of the biggest
00:32:41and busiest city
00:32:42in the UK
00:32:43unsurprisingly
00:32:44Buckingham Palace
00:32:45has a world-class
00:32:46security system.
00:32:49Buckingham Palace
00:32:50is referred to
00:32:51as a fortress.
00:32:52It's protected
00:32:53physically
00:32:54by uniformed officers
00:32:56of the metropolitan
00:32:57police
00:32:57that patrol
00:32:58the palace
00:32:59regularly
00:32:59on 365 days a year.
00:33:02They are supported
00:33:03by the latest
00:33:04physical technology
00:33:06as well
00:33:07and there is
00:33:07a very complex
00:33:08control room.
00:33:10The palace
00:33:11also boasts
00:33:12panic rooms
00:33:13and no-fly zone
00:33:14and towering
00:33:16perimeter walls
00:33:17topped with
00:33:17anti-intruder spikes.
00:33:19Hardly a place
00:33:20anyone would dare
00:33:21to breach.
00:33:23But it hasn't
00:33:24always been this way.
00:33:27Over the years
00:33:28a surprising number
00:33:29of would-be thieves
00:33:30intruders
00:33:31and even assassins
00:33:32have tested
00:33:33palace security
00:33:34sometimes coming
00:33:35dangerously close.
00:33:39I think the most
00:33:40significant breach
00:33:42of security
00:33:42was in 1982
00:33:43when Michael Fagan
00:33:45managed to scale
00:33:46the perimeter fence
00:33:47just beyond
00:33:48these traffic lights.
00:33:51Fagan managed
00:33:52to walk in
00:33:52and then sat
00:33:53on the queen's bed.
00:33:55The queen's page
00:33:56was able
00:33:56to effectively
00:33:57detain Fagan
00:33:58and he was arrested.
00:34:01But that was
00:34:02perhaps the most
00:34:03major breach
00:34:04of Buckingham Palace
00:34:05in the last 50 years.
00:34:09Shocking security
00:34:10breaches like this
00:34:11are a constant reminder
00:34:12of the need
00:34:13for vigilance.
00:34:16keeping the royals
00:34:17safe indoors
00:34:18is one thing.
00:34:19The tourists
00:34:20who begin
00:34:21congregating outside
00:34:22come the spring
00:34:23bring an even
00:34:24bigger risk
00:34:24when the royals
00:34:26come and go
00:34:26from the palace.
00:34:29Whenever a member
00:34:30of the British royal family
00:34:31either leaves
00:34:32Buckingham Palace
00:34:32or arrives at Buckingham Palace
00:34:34that's always
00:34:35the danger point.
00:34:36Now in the springtime
00:34:37you're getting
00:34:38more and more people
00:34:38that are there
00:34:39as tourists
00:34:40seeking an interest
00:34:41in seeing
00:34:42or meeting
00:34:42a member
00:34:43of the royal family
00:34:43so they tend
00:34:44to congregate
00:34:45outside
00:34:45that point
00:34:46of arrival
00:34:47because that's
00:34:48one thing
00:34:49that people
00:34:50will know
00:34:50that they
00:34:50will leave here
00:34:51and they
00:34:51will always
00:34:52come back
00:34:52to here.
00:34:54Mitigating
00:34:55the danger
00:34:55requires meticulous
00:34:57timing,
00:34:58communication
00:34:58and experience.
00:35:02And while
00:35:02there are
00:35:03three main gates
00:35:04along the front
00:35:05of Buckingham Palace
00:35:05the majority
00:35:06of entrances
00:35:07and exits
00:35:08by members
00:35:08of the royal family
00:35:09take place
00:35:10here
00:35:11at the north
00:35:12centre gate
00:35:13given that
00:35:14you cannot
00:35:14enter that gate
00:35:15at speed
00:35:15it is the most
00:35:16critical point
00:35:17and that's
00:35:18where the police
00:35:18the uniformed
00:35:19officers
00:35:19and the protection
00:35:20officers as well
00:35:21need to be
00:35:21very aware
00:35:22of that moment.
00:35:25Let's just
00:35:26presuppose
00:35:27for a moment
00:35:27I'm with
00:35:28His Majesty
00:35:29the King
00:35:29travelling down
00:35:30the mall here
00:35:31in order to get
00:35:33into Buckingham Palace
00:35:34over there
00:35:34you need to
00:35:35drive it up
00:35:36at a reasonable
00:35:37speed of course
00:35:38for security purposes
00:35:39we'd have
00:35:40the special escort
00:35:40group
00:35:41which is a
00:35:41motorcycle group
00:35:42of experts
00:35:43normally of
00:35:44three to four
00:35:45officers
00:35:45that would be
00:35:46part of this
00:35:47protection package
00:35:47and clearing that
00:35:48route from the mall
00:35:52The north centre gate
00:35:53is likely to be
00:35:54a potential problem
00:35:56because there will
00:35:57be people there
00:35:57particularly now
00:35:58at springtime
00:35:59so I would say
00:36:00at some point
00:36:01in the mall
00:36:02probably 30 seconds
00:36:03away
00:36:03to the police
00:36:05at Buckingham Palace
00:36:06that I was travelling
00:36:06along the mall
00:36:07then I would be
00:36:08entering in
00:36:09to the north centre gate
00:36:10to the right hand side
00:36:11that would give them
00:36:12the opportunity
00:36:13to make sure
00:36:14that whatever
00:36:15members of the public
00:36:15were there
00:36:16were corralled
00:36:16correctly
00:36:17and safely
00:36:18particularly this time
00:36:19of the year
00:36:19in the springtime
00:36:20where you're getting
00:36:21more and more tourists
00:36:22arguably there is
00:36:23a potential threat there
00:36:24each member of the Royal Family
00:36:26does have a coded name
00:36:27so rather than
00:36:27over the airway
00:36:28say I'm coming
00:36:29or travelling along
00:36:30with the king
00:36:31or the prince of Wales
00:36:32you'd have a coded format
00:36:37once we've actually
00:36:38gone in
00:36:39through the north centre gate
00:36:41we'd go through
00:36:42the centre arch
00:36:43and then
00:36:44into the courtyard
00:36:45and every member
00:36:46of the Royal Family
00:36:47has their door
00:36:48of entrance
00:36:49if the king
00:36:50the princess royal
00:36:51or any other member
00:36:52of the Royal Family
00:36:52would visit
00:36:52they would actually
00:36:53go to their own
00:36:54private entrances
00:36:57with their royal charges
00:36:59safely back
00:36:59inside the palace
00:37:00protection officers
00:37:02face another challenge
00:37:03monitoring a residence
00:37:05that spans around
00:37:0619 acres of internal space
00:37:09there's always going
00:37:10to be security elements
00:37:11involved with Buckingham Palace
00:37:13and you won't necessarily
00:37:14see the security
00:37:16with the new season's
00:37:18social events
00:37:19in full swing
00:37:20staff must keep track
00:37:22of everyone
00:37:22coming and going
00:37:24there is always
00:37:26a guest list
00:37:27or there is always
00:37:28a security list
00:37:29as who's coming in
00:37:30and out
00:37:31of the palace
00:37:32so we always know
00:37:33who's in the building
00:37:34who we're expecting
00:37:35and also how they're arriving
00:37:39first of all
00:37:40you've got to show
00:37:41your passport
00:37:41or your ID
00:37:42to the police there
00:37:43you've got to meet
00:37:44the footman
00:37:44they've got to show you
00:37:45where to park your car
00:37:46or if you arrive by foot
00:37:48where to go and walk
00:37:49and then
00:37:50and only then
00:37:51do you then approach
00:37:52the gates
00:37:52of the palace
00:37:54they know
00:37:54whether you have been
00:37:56invited to be there
00:37:57or not
00:37:58and then you're taken
00:37:59round through the courtyard
00:38:00you're never allowed
00:38:02to lose your place
00:38:04you are escorted
00:38:07pretty closely
00:38:08and shown to
00:38:10exactly where you should go
00:38:13coming up
00:38:15the palace is buzzing
00:38:17with life
00:38:18quite literally
00:38:20so the bees love it
00:38:22in Buckingham Palace
00:38:23they produce a lot of honey
00:38:24in late spring
00:38:26and the spring sunshine
00:38:27brings warmer days
00:38:29and that means
00:38:30the search is on
00:38:31for the queen
00:38:32we look for the queen bee
00:38:34every week
00:38:34really just to make sure
00:38:36she's still there
00:38:36because you're in trouble
00:38:37if your queen goes
00:38:48the palace in spring
00:38:49is a hive of activity
00:38:54and nowhere is this more true
00:38:56than on an island
00:38:57in the middle
00:38:58of the garden's lake
00:39:00tucked away
00:39:01on the edge of it
00:39:02is something
00:39:03a little surprising
00:39:06four beehives
00:39:08and around 80,000 bees
00:39:13so the beehives
00:39:14were something
00:39:15that was very much
00:39:16an innovation
00:39:17introduced by the late queen
00:39:19in the noughties
00:39:19and it resulted
00:39:20from a conversation
00:39:21between her brilliant head gardener
00:39:23and the head gardener
00:39:25of Lambeth Palace
00:39:25so the head gardener
00:39:27of Lambeth Palace
00:39:27said I've got amazing beehives
00:39:29and we get prodigious
00:39:30amount of honey
00:39:31so the head gardener
00:39:33of Buckingham Palace
00:39:34went to see his boss
00:39:35Her Majesty
00:39:35and she's oh
00:39:36that's a very good idea
00:39:42installed in 2009
00:39:44the Buckingham Palace hives
00:39:46have become an important part
00:39:47of the garden's ecosystem
00:39:48helping to pollinate
00:39:50its flowers
00:39:51and fruit trees
00:39:52in spring
00:39:53the bees forage
00:39:55across a three mile radius
00:39:56gathering nectar
00:39:57from the palace's gardens
00:39:58and beyond
00:39:59so the bees love it
00:40:01in Buckingham Palace
00:40:02so they produce
00:40:04a lot of honey
00:40:05in late spring
00:40:06the beekeepers
00:40:07the beekeepers come in
00:40:08once a week
00:40:09and tend them
00:40:12springtime is very important
00:40:14for beekeepers
00:40:15the bees have been
00:40:17keeping warm
00:40:18and doing very little
00:40:20inside the hive
00:40:21during the winter
00:40:21but now it's warm enough
00:40:24for them to come out
00:40:25and start foraging
00:40:26collecting pollen
00:40:27and it's a very busy time
00:40:29of year for bees
00:40:30and beekeepers
00:40:36Sarah Nicol Khan
00:40:37has been a beekeeper
00:40:39for 13 years
00:40:40at nearby Fulham Palace
00:40:42she's responsible
00:40:44for keeping the bees
00:40:45happy, healthy
00:40:46and most importantly
00:40:48productive
00:40:49and just like
00:40:51at Buckingham Palace
00:40:52as soon as the March
00:40:53or April temperatures
00:40:54rise above 15 degrees
00:40:56Sarah will be out
00:40:58to see what's buzzing
00:40:59with her swarm
00:41:02we're going to be
00:41:03checking that the queen's there
00:41:04checking that she's
00:41:06laying properly
00:41:07so we look for eggs
00:41:09we look for new brood
00:41:10which are the little larva
00:41:12that are in there
00:41:15when Queen Camilla
00:41:16was the Duchess of Cornwall
00:41:18she came on a visit
00:41:20to Fulham Palace
00:41:21and asked about
00:41:22our bee hives
00:41:23she loves bees
00:41:26the royal family
00:41:27are all very keen
00:41:28on bees and beekeeping
00:41:29they'll be doing
00:41:31the same things
00:41:32as all beekeepers
00:41:33at the springtime
00:41:34which is to start
00:41:36inspecting their hives
00:41:37making sure
00:41:38that they're in good health
00:41:39that they've got
00:41:40enough to eat
00:41:41and that all is well
00:41:43in the hive
00:41:45the keeper's priority
00:41:47is ensuring
00:41:48that the hive
00:41:49can thrive
00:41:50and in the realm
00:41:51of apiculture
00:41:52there is more than
00:41:53one queen bee
00:41:55across the hives
00:41:57rival monarchs rule
00:41:58each one solely responsible
00:42:00for producing
00:42:01the next generation
00:42:02we haven't had a look in here
00:42:04for about four or five months
00:42:06because it's been too cold
00:42:08but now that it's spring
00:42:09we can start having a rummage
00:42:15looking after bees
00:42:16is a delicate business
00:42:19this is the insulation
00:42:20that we've used
00:42:21over the winter
00:42:24now I'm going to
00:42:25inspect each frame
00:42:27in turn
00:42:27to see what's on each one
00:42:29and I'm looking for stores
00:42:31which might be honey
00:42:32or pollen
00:42:33or perhaps nectar
00:42:37we look for the queen bee
00:42:39every week
00:42:40really just to make sure
00:42:41she's still there
00:42:42and that she's still laying eggs
00:42:43because you're in trouble
00:42:45if your queen goes
00:42:50too little attention
00:42:51and the hive can struggle
00:42:54too much
00:42:55and they'll let you know
00:42:57about it
00:42:58they hate sudden noises
00:43:00and banging around
00:43:01if you bang into the hive
00:43:03they'll all fly up
00:43:03and get quite angry
00:43:07and you should always
00:43:08put your frames back in
00:43:09quite gently
00:43:10again so that
00:43:11they don't get startled
00:43:13because you really
00:43:14you don't want
00:43:15an angry bee
00:43:18now I'm gonna
00:43:20oh yeah
00:43:22there are a lot of bees
00:43:23in here today
00:43:25oh lordy
00:43:28and even with decades
00:43:29of experience
00:43:30if an unhappy bee
00:43:32doesn't like what you're up to
00:43:33you'll soon find out
00:43:38oh ow
00:43:41I don't think
00:43:42they stung me very much
00:43:44I'll start again
00:43:49right
00:43:51well basically
00:43:52they're just all
00:43:53really busy
00:43:55and this is actually
00:43:56quite a short frame
00:43:57doesn't go the full
00:43:58depth of the
00:44:00of the box
00:44:01but they've made
00:44:02their own little extension
00:44:04rather like putting
00:44:05an extension on your house
00:44:06so that they can
00:44:08there's more room
00:44:09for the queen
00:44:09to lay eggs
00:44:10and if you want
00:44:11if you look there
00:44:12you can see
00:44:13the little lava
00:44:14just there
00:44:15there's lots
00:44:16of little white grubs
00:44:17that's all the honey
00:44:18at the top
00:44:21so hopefully
00:44:22will make us
00:44:23a lot of honey
00:44:23but it depends
00:44:24on the weather
00:44:25it depends on
00:44:26how many flowers
00:44:27and trees come out
00:44:28and it's
00:44:29what we call
00:44:30raw honey
00:44:30which hasn't been
00:44:32heated at all
00:44:32the stuff you buy
00:44:34in a supermarket
00:44:34heated
00:44:35not so good
00:44:36because it kills
00:44:37the enzymes
00:44:37raw honey
00:44:39is the stuff
00:44:39you need
00:44:40and we're
00:44:41constantly looking
00:44:42for the queen
00:44:43who has a blue
00:44:45mark on the back
00:44:46of her thorax
00:44:46which is like
00:44:47on the back
00:44:48of her neck
00:44:49the entire colony
00:44:51relies on its queen
00:44:52her work is vital
00:44:54a healthy queen
00:44:55means more bees
00:44:56and more bees
00:44:58means more honey
00:44:59so it's imperative
00:45:01that this spring
00:45:02check-up
00:45:02finds her
00:45:04but she doesn't
00:45:05exactly make
00:45:06herself known
00:45:06in fact
00:45:07she can be
00:45:08rather shy
00:45:11she's quite
00:45:11secretive
00:45:12and she might
00:45:12be hiding
00:45:13let's have a look
00:45:14and see what's
00:45:14on this one
00:45:17Buckingham Palace
00:45:18will be doing
00:45:18the same
00:45:19making sure
00:45:19that all the
00:45:20hives have
00:45:21got a queen
00:45:22which is the
00:45:23most important
00:45:24thing
00:45:25okay
00:45:27well this is
00:45:28good
00:45:32oh I can see
00:45:33the queen
00:45:33on here
00:45:35she's got a
00:45:36blue dot
00:45:37on her neck
00:45:39and a blue
00:45:41dot indicates
00:45:42that she was
00:45:43born last year
00:45:442025
00:45:46because each
00:45:47year of five
00:45:48years gets
00:45:49a different
00:45:49coloured spot
00:45:50so that we can
00:45:51tell how old
00:45:51the queen is
00:45:55she's got a
00:45:55beautiful blue
00:45:56mark on her
00:45:58thorax
00:45:58which is very
00:46:00elaborate
00:46:00we usually do
00:46:01it with a
00:46:02special bee
00:46:03marker pen
00:46:03but we bought
00:46:04this queen
00:46:06she came in
00:46:07the post
00:46:07in a jiffy bag
00:46:09and she's been
00:46:10very very
00:46:11productive
00:46:12if she has
00:46:14died or gone
00:46:15somewhere
00:46:16then we might
00:46:17be in trouble
00:46:17but the bees
00:46:18will almost
00:46:19invariably
00:46:20take an egg
00:46:21that she's
00:46:22previously laid
00:46:23and turn that
00:46:24into a queen bee
00:46:25for us
00:46:25so they
00:46:26will reproduce
00:46:28a queen
00:46:28by themselves
00:46:30it's magical
00:46:31really
00:46:34I'm going to
00:46:35pop her back
00:46:35now
00:46:36out the way
00:46:37girls
00:46:40alright
00:46:41lid back
00:46:42on
00:46:46there we are
00:46:49good
00:46:53with bees
00:46:55under increasing
00:46:56threat
00:46:56the hives
00:46:57at Buckingham
00:46:58Palace
00:46:58are about
00:46:59more than
00:47:00royal tradition
00:47:01they're a small
00:47:02but important
00:47:03step in protecting
00:47:04the natural world
00:47:05that the king
00:47:06is so passionate
00:47:07about
00:47:10and while
00:47:11most of
00:47:11Sarah's work
00:47:12is perfectly
00:47:12normal
00:47:15one task
00:47:16is anything
00:47:17but
00:47:19by tradition
00:47:20bees are told
00:47:21of great
00:47:22royal milestones
00:47:23births
00:47:24weddings
00:47:24and deaths
00:47:25regardless of
00:47:26whether they live
00:47:27at Buckingham
00:47:28Palace
00:47:28or not
00:47:30given
00:47:31Fulham Palace's
00:47:31deep ties
00:47:32to the monarchy
00:47:33Sarah was tasked
00:47:34with delivering
00:47:35some important
00:47:36news
00:47:39when Queen
00:47:40Elizabeth died
00:47:40I was told
00:47:42that it was a
00:47:42tradition for
00:47:43beekeepers
00:47:43to go to the
00:47:44hive
00:47:44and tell the
00:47:46bees what
00:47:46had happened
00:47:47that the monarch
00:47:48was dead
00:47:49so I did that
00:47:50and I thought
00:47:51it was best
00:47:51to tell them
00:47:52that it was
00:47:53alright
00:47:53and that they
00:47:54should keep
00:47:54calm
00:47:55because we
00:47:55now had
00:47:55a new king
00:47:57and so not
00:47:57to panic
00:47:58and it seems
00:47:59to have done
00:48:00the trick
00:48:01but I'm not
00:48:02I don't know
00:48:02if that's just
00:48:03an old wives
00:48:03tale
00:48:04but I thought
00:48:05it was worth
00:48:05doing
00:48:05just in case
00:48:11superstition
00:48:12or not
00:48:12it's said
00:48:13that without
00:48:14this
00:48:14the hive
00:48:15could suffer
00:48:15the honey
00:48:16will stop
00:48:17flowing
00:48:17or even worse
00:48:18the bees
00:48:19might leave
00:48:19altogether
00:48:23and with the
00:48:24palace bees
00:48:25producing around
00:48:25300 jars of honey
00:48:27used by palace
00:48:28chefs
00:48:28not to mention
00:48:30the spoonful
00:48:30his majesty likes
00:48:32in this cup of tea
00:48:33it's not a risk
00:48:34the beekeepers
00:48:35are prepared to take
00:48:38coming up
00:48:40we discover
00:48:41one spring job
00:48:42at Buckingham Palace
00:48:43that takes more time
00:48:45than all the others
00:48:45combined
00:48:46and it happens
00:48:47when the clocks
00:48:48go forward
00:48:48every march
00:48:49it's a big
00:48:51big job
00:48:52it has to be handled
00:48:53very carefully
00:48:54as the whole
00:48:55weekend is devoted
00:48:56to keeping the palace
00:48:58on time
00:48:59each sequence
00:49:00has to be done
00:49:00very carefully
00:49:01it is blind surgery
00:49:03can't see anything
00:49:20March at Buckingham Palace
00:49:22is a chance to reset
00:49:24for the season ahead
00:49:25and there's one job
00:49:27that demands
00:49:27more precision
00:49:28than most
00:49:29on the last Sunday
00:49:31in March
00:49:31hundreds of clocks
00:49:33across Buckingham Palace
00:49:34have to be changed
00:49:35as the palace moves
00:49:36into British summertime
00:49:38which
00:49:38despite the name
00:49:40begins each spring
00:49:41one of the things
00:49:43Buckingham Palace
00:49:44has got a lot of
00:49:45is clocks
00:49:46you're never short
00:49:47of finding
00:49:47what the time is
00:49:50the palace is home
00:49:52to 500 clocks
00:49:53many of which
00:49:54are centuries old
00:49:57I think the only clocks
00:49:58where there's a discrepancy
00:50:00on real time
00:50:01is in the kitchens
00:50:02they like to know
00:50:03that they're going to get
00:50:04everything ready on time
00:50:06so their clocks
00:50:07are set five minutes fast
00:50:08so that there's no danger
00:50:10that they're going to be
00:50:12late with the food
00:50:14would never do to be late
00:50:15with food at the state banquet
00:50:18on the last Sunday of March
00:50:20while most of us
00:50:21wrestle with our cookers
00:50:23and microwaves
00:50:23with an hour's less sleep
00:50:24spare a thought
00:50:26for the royal timekeepers
00:50:27who have hundreds
00:50:29of priceless
00:50:29and complicated
00:50:31timepieces
00:50:31to deal with
00:50:33it's a big
00:50:34big job
00:50:35it has to be handled
00:50:37very carefully
00:50:41Malcolm Archer
00:50:42has been a horologist
00:50:43a clock specialist
00:50:44for 28 years
00:50:46and has always been
00:50:47fascinated by the timepieces
00:50:49of the royal collection
00:50:50he's a tutor
00:50:52at the renowned
00:50:53West Dean College
00:50:54in Sussex
00:50:54the place where
00:50:56Buckingham Palace's
00:50:57horologists of the past
00:50:58and present
00:50:59learned their art
00:51:01at Buckingham Palace
00:51:03there's a very large
00:51:05variety of clocks
00:51:06and watches
00:51:06in the collection
00:51:07from astronomical
00:51:09clocks
00:51:10to musical clocks
00:51:12a variety
00:51:13of different makers
00:51:13across quite a wide
00:51:15time period
00:51:16so it really does
00:51:17require expert
00:51:18training
00:51:19to be able to
00:51:20work the kind of clocks
00:51:21that are in
00:51:22the palace
00:51:24and it's when you see
00:51:26some of the
00:51:26Buckingham Palace
00:51:27clocks
00:51:28that the skill
00:51:29and precision
00:51:30needed to change
00:51:30the time on them
00:51:31really hits home
00:51:34like the elaborate
00:51:351768 astronomical clock
00:51:38by Christopher Pinchbeck
00:51:40there'll be hundreds
00:51:41of components
00:51:42in a clock like this
00:51:43lots and lots
00:51:44of wheels
00:51:46and pinions
00:51:47very carefully designed
00:51:48very intricate
00:51:50very delicate
00:51:51and very precisely made
00:51:53there's no
00:51:54there's no diagram
00:51:56for this clock
00:51:56there's no
00:51:57handbook
00:51:58on how to take it apart
00:51:59the former students
00:52:00who work at the palace
00:52:01now and actually
00:52:02recently they have been
00:52:03working on this clock
00:52:04it's been necessary
00:52:06for it to be dismantled
00:52:07and repaired
00:52:08cleaned
00:52:08and documented
00:52:10and it's taken them
00:52:12many many hours
00:52:13to do that
00:52:14it's a very
00:52:15impressive
00:52:18achievement
00:52:19keeping the clocks
00:52:20running smoothly
00:52:21is a major operation
00:52:23but in spring
00:52:24they all need
00:52:25the same adjustment
00:52:26when the clocks
00:52:28go forward an hour
00:52:29to manage this
00:52:31the royal collection
00:52:32employs three
00:52:33full-time horologists
00:52:34supported by assistants
00:52:36based in the
00:52:37on-site workshop
00:52:40it's better to
00:52:41always have
00:52:42an on-site facility
00:52:43in somewhere
00:52:45like a palace
00:52:45everything's bespoke
00:52:50just like at
00:52:51Buckingham Palace
00:52:52many of the clocks
00:52:53at West Dean
00:52:54are priceless one-offs
00:52:56designed
00:52:56by master craftsmen
00:52:58hundreds of years ago
00:52:59so in spring
00:53:01when they move
00:53:02the clocks forward
00:53:02for summertime
00:53:03it isn't as simple
00:53:05as just flicking
00:53:06a switch
00:53:07each clock
00:53:08is different
00:53:08so whilst
00:53:10one clock
00:53:10you can just go
00:53:11and move the
00:53:12minute hand
00:53:12carefully around
00:53:13another clock
00:53:13it's a bit more
00:53:14involved than that
00:53:16each of Buckingham Palace's
00:53:18intricate timepieces
00:53:19must be carefully
00:53:20adjusted by hand
00:53:23and it takes a team
00:53:24of expert horologists
00:53:26two days of
00:53:27painstaking work
00:53:28to adjust
00:53:29the 500 clocks
00:53:34meaning for a day
00:53:35or two
00:53:35some of the palace
00:53:36clocks are not
00:53:37to be relied on
00:53:38as they await
00:53:39the attention
00:53:39of the timekeepers
00:53:48on this particular clock
00:53:50it's relatively
00:53:51straightforward
00:53:52to move the hands
00:53:53forward one hour
00:53:53but if the striking
00:53:55is out of position
00:53:55I have to go through
00:53:56the sequence
00:53:57of moving the pendulum
00:53:58and then releasing
00:54:00the lever up here
00:54:01to allow the clock
00:54:02to strike
00:54:03and have to do it
00:54:04every quarter of an hour
00:54:05a lot of care is needed
00:54:07because these clocks
00:54:09they're quite delicate
00:54:10but very delicate
00:54:11and any mishandling
00:54:12you can destroy them
00:54:16there's a little lever
00:54:17which I can release
00:54:21to set the striking off
00:54:26here we are
00:54:27it is blind surgery
00:54:29can't see anything
00:54:31each sequence
00:54:32has to be done
00:54:33very carefully
00:54:35once the chimes
00:54:36and pendulum
00:54:37are set
00:54:38and everything
00:54:38is checked
00:54:39the hands
00:54:40can finally
00:54:41be moved
00:54:41forward an hour
00:54:42so I'm now going
00:54:44to move this
00:54:44through to the quarter
00:54:55and that's it
00:54:56it's now on time
00:54:57it's now correct
00:55:00so I can restart the clock
00:55:05and close the door
00:55:07and after 40 hours
00:55:09of painstaking work
00:55:10the palace's 500 clocks
00:55:12are finally set
00:55:13to British summer time
00:55:16coming up
00:55:17early spring marks
00:55:19the opening
00:55:19of another
00:55:20less well-known
00:55:21part of Buckingham Palace
00:55:22to the public
00:55:24at the back
00:55:25of Buckingham Palace
00:55:26you've got the Royal Muse
00:55:27and this is effectively
00:55:28a really magnificent garage
00:55:30and we discover
00:55:31the four-legged residents
00:55:33who must be carefully prepared
00:55:34for the tough work ahead
00:55:35in the ceremonial season
00:55:37at springtime of year
00:55:39you can bring those horses
00:55:41back in
00:55:41you can start a nice
00:55:42slow gradual build-up program
00:55:44ready for that summer ceremonial
00:55:59every spring of Buckingham Palace
00:56:02the famous pompom pageantry
00:56:03begins to take centre stage
00:56:05once again
00:56:06after the dreary winter months
00:56:08and behind all that grandeur
00:56:10there's a lot of work
00:56:11that goes on
00:56:12to keep everything
00:56:13looking just right
00:56:16from the luxurious
00:56:18Bentley state limousines
00:56:20to the magnificent
00:56:22ceremonial horses
00:56:23and carriages
00:56:24every detail matters
00:56:25and all
00:56:27must be picture perfect
00:56:28and tucked away
00:56:30behind the palace walls
00:56:31lies a hidden gem
00:56:33a remarkable world
00:56:35of royal transport
00:56:37you'd be forgiven
00:56:38for not even knowing exists
00:56:42at the back of Buckingham Palace
00:56:44you've got the gorgeous
00:56:45royal muse
00:56:46and this is effectively
00:56:47a really magnificent garage
00:56:50and it's also home
00:56:52to many of the royal carriages
00:56:54that you see
00:56:55possessing
00:56:55at Trooping the Colour
00:56:56at coronations
00:56:58and those grand state events
00:57:00you've got about
00:57:0130 horses stabled
00:57:03in this wonderful building
00:57:05finished in 1825
00:57:07built by the great architect
00:57:09John Nash
00:57:09it's the most elaborate
00:57:11stabling for horses
00:57:12and garaging for cars
00:57:14that you'll see
00:57:15anywhere in the world
00:57:22originally the royal muse
00:57:24was home to hawks
00:57:26and falcons
00:57:26but when they were
00:57:28transformed into stables
00:57:29and carriage houses
00:57:30the name muse
00:57:32simply stuck
00:57:38in spring
00:57:39preparations
00:57:40start to ramp up
00:57:41the carriages
00:57:43at Buckingham Palace
00:57:44are meticulously maintained
00:57:47but the real work begins
00:57:49when the muse's
00:57:50four-legged residents
00:57:51start preparations
00:57:52for the upcoming
00:57:54ceremonial season
00:57:55some of the royal horses
00:57:57have even had a short break
00:57:59at Hampton Court
00:58:00away from the rigors of duty
00:58:02but before any of them
00:58:04can take part in the parades
00:58:05they must undergo
00:58:07a thorough spring check-up
00:58:12having a little bit of a break
00:58:14can be really really helpful
00:58:15at springtime
00:58:16you can bring those horses
00:58:17back in
00:58:18you can start a nice
00:58:19slow gradual build-up program
00:58:21ready for that summer ceremonial
00:58:23would you like this?
00:58:25this hat for you?
00:58:26there we go
00:58:27big good boy
00:58:27the grand little secret
00:58:29at the bottom of the garden
00:58:30is part of the palace
00:58:31that Nicola Howersby-Skakes
00:58:33knows well
00:58:34there we go
00:58:35don't be angry with me somewhere
00:58:36for more than five years
00:58:38she served as the vet
00:58:39for the working horses
00:58:40of the household cavalry
00:58:43now she looks after them
00:58:45in their retirement
00:58:46you're a good boy
00:58:48you're a good boy
00:58:51the royal muse of Buckingham Palace
00:58:53is a really beautiful place
00:58:54and I think what's really amazing about it
00:58:56is you can walk around the outside of Buckingham Palace
00:58:59without realizing there were other horses inside there
00:59:02and yes it's a really really special place
00:59:07the horses at the muse
00:59:09have many important jobs
00:59:10from pulling historic carriages
00:59:12to delivering royal mail
00:59:13and of course
00:59:14leading spectacular parades
00:59:18and spring is a testing time for them
00:59:20only the fittest make the cut
00:59:23so health checks are vital
00:59:26hello sweetheart
00:59:27right go and put your nose in that bucket over there
00:59:30one illness can put the whole season at risk
00:59:33which is why every horse is checked
00:59:36not just for health
00:59:37but to see which role it can safely perform
00:59:40because not every horse suits every task
00:59:45the muse mainly relies on two breeds
00:59:50the dazzling Windsor Greys
00:59:52pull the monarch's state carriage
00:59:53while the rare and powerful Cleveland Bays
00:59:57carry out many of the other ceremonial duties
01:00:01so you want big strong sturdy horses
01:00:04that can develop the right muscles for carriage driving
01:00:06and those breeds have been the ones that
01:00:08over time have shown themselves
01:00:12to be the right breed for that job
01:00:14come on then Meg
01:00:16Meg is a Windsor Grey
01:00:17and was one of the late Queen Elizabeth's favourite horses
01:00:20she's now retired
01:00:21and living happily at the horse's trust
01:00:25but like the horse is currently living at the muse
01:00:27she's getting her spring MOT
01:00:30Meg was a carriage horse
01:00:32she was one of the Windsor Greys
01:00:34so her job would have been to pull the raw carriages
01:00:37as part of a team
01:00:38coming into the ceremonial season
01:00:40she would have a check over
01:00:42just to make sure she didn't have any injuries
01:00:44check nothing had changed for her
01:00:45see what her weight was doing
01:00:46see what her muscles were doing
01:00:50right let's have a little look at you Poppet
01:00:54over the winter the horses can lose condition
01:00:57but any animal not in peak fitness
01:01:00simply can't take its place in the ceremonial parades
01:01:04and from state visits to the opening of parliament
01:01:07this is the time of year
01:01:08when the state coaches start to be rolled out
01:01:12and with some of them weighing several tons
01:01:14even the fittest horses can struggle to pull them
01:01:17so their hearts are constantly monitored for issues
01:01:21and even now in retirement
01:01:22Meg still has hers checked
01:01:25it all sounds very normal
01:01:27there's no arrhythmias
01:01:28there's no murmurs
01:01:29and that would impact their ability
01:01:31potentially impact their ability to work
01:01:33so it's something we really need to be quite mindful of
01:01:35but Meg's heart sounds very very healthy at the moment
01:01:38can I have a look at your teeth?
01:01:40have a big smile?
01:01:42at the Royal Muse
01:01:43the horse's diet of hay and oats
01:01:45is carefully controlled
01:01:47but between ceremonial seasons
01:01:49they're allowed to graze on pasture
01:01:51and in the spring
01:01:52this grass can be particularly calorific
01:01:55so they're weighed regularly
01:01:59815 Meg, big girl
01:02:01okay
01:02:03and once they pass their physicals
01:02:05the hard work begins for the muse horses
01:02:10like many of us
01:02:11to rebuild their fitness
01:02:13after a more leisurely winter
01:02:14the spring months
01:02:16see the horses embark on a fitness programme
01:02:18they follow two routines
01:02:20some days in harness
01:02:22pulling carriages
01:02:23to build strength and practice for ceremonies
01:02:25other days under saddle
01:02:27to improve balance
01:02:28focus and calm
01:02:29but there's one final test
01:02:32before they're ready for the ceremonial season
01:02:38on parade
01:02:39they face marching bands
01:02:41flashing cameras
01:02:42and the roar of the London crowd
01:02:44through it all
01:02:45they must remain perfectly composed
01:02:49nobody wants horses that are frightened
01:02:51and aren't enjoying their job
01:02:53so we want horses to become conditioned
01:02:55to those sights and sounds
01:02:56so that they enjoy the job
01:02:58that they're being asked to do
01:02:59but one April
01:03:01during a routine drill
01:03:03that training was pushed to its limits
01:03:07in 2024
01:03:08one of the king's horses Quaker
01:03:11was spooked during a rehearsal
01:03:12when rubble suddenly fell
01:03:14from a construction site
01:03:16despite years of experience
01:03:18Quaker bolted
01:03:19and collided with a double-decker bus
01:03:21and suffered serious injuries
01:03:25you can desensitize them
01:03:27and you can train them
01:03:27but there's always that scenario
01:03:29where something unexpected happens
01:03:34they found themselves on the streets
01:03:36in London with lots of traffic
01:03:37different people
01:03:38the whole thing became very panicked
01:03:40and so those horses
01:03:41were wound up
01:03:43and just kind of kept running
01:03:47after several minutes
01:03:48Quaker was calmed
01:03:49and returned to the royal muse
01:03:53and after a good rest
01:03:54he made a full recovery
01:03:59with health checks complete
01:04:00the horses of the royal muse
01:04:02are ready for the year ahead
01:04:03champing at the bit
01:04:04to get on with their ceremonial duties
01:04:08with the spring preparations complete
01:04:10Buckingham Palace stands ready
01:04:12for the next season
01:04:14in a royal year
01:04:15that is only just beginning
01:04:18next time
01:04:20autumn arrives at the palace
01:04:22as it gears up
01:04:23for one of the most important
01:04:24state occasions of the year
01:04:26this is written
01:04:27showcasing itself
01:04:29on the world stage
01:04:30rolling out
01:04:30the red carpet
01:04:32the palace undertakes
01:04:34some vital repairs
01:04:35the façade
01:04:37was really really crumbling
01:04:38a bit of ancient stone
01:04:40fell off
01:04:41and nearly hit
01:04:42Princess Anne's car
01:04:43and the palace
01:04:45fights off
01:04:45some unwelcome
01:04:46autumn visitors
01:04:48as soon as the leaves
01:04:49come off the trees
01:04:50you've got this
01:04:51migration of rodents
01:04:54and that's new next Saturday
01:04:56at the slightly earlier time
01:04:57of 8.35
01:04:58Michael Palin's
01:04:59brand new adventure
01:05:00in the Philippines
01:05:01takes him to the longest
01:05:02underground river
01:05:03in the world
01:05:03Monday at 9
01:05:04stream episode 1
01:05:06now on 5
01:05:07next they quit the roles
01:05:09as working royals
01:05:09and that's new