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Prince Philip Hospitalized; Awaiting Queen Elizabeth; Alleged U.S. Spy Arrested in China; Global Manhunt For 'Canadian Psycho' Ends

Aired June 4, 2012 - 17:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Happening now, the world erupts in celebration of Queen Elizabeth's 60 years on the throne. As we speak, a ring of fire is being lit all around the UK and just minutes from now we're going to bring you the queen lighting the historic National Beacon. We'll bring that to you live.

Plus an alleged spy for the United States arrested inside China. Ahead we have details on how serious this reported intelligence breach may have been.

And it's been conventional wisdom for years and years. Too much salt is bad for your health. But is it true? Why some now say too little could actually do more harm.

I'm Wolf Blitzer, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

A monumental day not just for the United Kingdom, but for the world. This hour thousands of torches or beacons as they're called are ablaze in communities all around the U.K. Not to mention members of the Commonwealth, such as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. To mark Queen Elizabeth's 60 years on the throne, the Diamond Jubilee celebration. Soon the queen will take the stage and light the National Beacon with a diamond made of crystal glass.

We plan to carry that live for you. Our viewers in the United States and around the world. CNN is working this historic event from every vantage point.

Our Richard Quest is in Trafalgar Square, Becky Anderson is in our London bureau, but first other news developing amid the festivities. Prince Phillip, the duke of Edinburgh, was hospitalized with a bladder infection today and forced to miss part of the celebration.

Our senior international correspondent Dan Rivers is standing by in London outside the hospital with the latest information.

What do we know about this -- Dan?

DAN RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, a very short statement has been issued by the queen's press secretary here simply saying that the duke of Edinburgh was brought with a bladder infection which is now being treated. They think he'll remain under observation here for a few days. This is the King Edward VII Hospital in central London, which is the hospital that many royals in the past have been treated at, including the prince on a number of occasions.

And it just finished by simply saying he is understandably disappointed about missing this evening's Diamond Jubilee concert and tomorrow's engagement. So we have no real idea of how long he'll be in here for or any updates on his condition. Normally this would be a pretty straight forward complaint which could be treated with a course of antibiotics, but I suppose because of his age -- he's going to be 91 on Sunday -- this isn't as routine as perhaps it would be in someone who's younger and so of course they're playing it safe and keeping him in here just for a few days to check that those antibiotics do work.

BLITZER: He's 90 years old now, he's going to be 91, as you say, Queen Elizabeth is 86 years old. But at least until now, I mean, the bladder infection may be minor, maybe more serious, both were seen as being in pretty good shape, isn't that right -- Dan?

RIVERS: Yes, I mean he certainly seems to be in pretty good form yesterday, extraordinarily really he's spent such a long time standing up in the cold in the rain on that boat as part of the jubilee pageant yesterday. No sign then that he was feeling poorly. As you alluded to, he has had a recent health incident last Christmas when he had to go into hospital two days before Christmas, and ended up having a minor surgical procedure, a stint put in to improve the blood flow to the heart but made pretty quick recovery and was only in the hospital for four days and then rejoined the rest of the royal family at Sandringham.

And that gives you perhaps a sense of otherwise in what great shape he is for his age. And everyone obviously hoping that the same will happen here, that as unfortunate as the timing is, he will be able to make a complete and speedy recovery.

BLITZER: And we certainly hope he does. Thanks very much, Dan Rivers.

Let's stay in London right now. Richard Quest is joining, Becky Anderson is joining us as well.

Richard, first to you, how important would you say Prince Phillip is to Queen Elizabeth II?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: I cannot overstate the importance in any shape or form. Prince Phillip is the backbone, the rock, the queen has admitted on numerous occasions, back to their silver wedding anniversary, just how significant he is to her. There is no question that he is the master of his own household. He decided what was going to happen with the family. She deferred to him on those issues.

And even if he doesn't see protocol papers and matters of state, when it comes to the relationship between Phillip and the queen, he is the only person who can tell her things that she might not want to hear and they have a relationship of brutal honesty. BLITZER: Becky, how much of a damper does Prince Phillips' hospitalization put on all of these celebrations?

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, it's a really good -- that's a really question and one I put to one of my guests this evening on my show who is very, very close to the royal family. He said, look, you know, the queen will go on, the show must go on, she would use that term herself. But she also -- and this is Sandy Higgs (ph) who was speaking to me earlier, he's part of the commenting team over this period, this Diamond Jubilee period. She said that he would have missed the pageant, the river pageant yesterday a lot more and they would have missed him a lot more than perhaps they would miss him today if he had -- if he had to not be at one of these events, as it were. Perhaps the concert and possibly tomorrow's celebrations would be those that he would choose to miss.

I mean this is a man who gave up his naval career to marry the then princess. I mean that was a real love story, but he absolutely loves his boats and that pageant yesterday on the tent, the first or the likes of which we haven't seen in 350 years. He would have been absolutely mortified if he had missed it.

And as Richard say, I mean, you know, they sat for hours yesterday. They're in the pouring rain to watch those boats, those thousand small crafts go by. It was absolutely tremendous. So if he -- if he had to miss any day I think perhaps today would be the one that he would have chosen to miss -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes. Sorry he has to even miss today.

Richard, we're standing by this where the queen will be lighting what's called the National Beacon. Thousands of these beacons are being lit across the UK, the commonwealth countries.

Explain to our viewers what this is all about.

QUEST: Well, it's a relatively new phenomenon and by that to mean 200 or 300 years, maybe 400 years. Well, the idea was these beacons would be used to transmit messages, so in some cases it would be -- I mean you're familiar with one if by land, two if by sea from Paul Revere. Same idea in the sense that you light a beacon and X miles away they see another beacon and on it goes around the country.

And that was a way news would be passed and events having taken place. So in that genre they're doing the same thing. In -- the first beacons were lit in Tonga and New Zealand. They're all realms where the queen, particularly in New Zealand, is head of state as well as being head of the commonwealth.

In Australia the prime minister ironically, Wolf, Julia Gillard is a Republican, and she would like to see the monarchy removed at some point. Although even she accepts that will be after the queen's reign. And then on we go around the world, South Africa, all the other commonwealth countries, right the way through to the UK tonight.

BLITZER: The crowds, Becky, have been really impressive, all over the UK. People are really excited by what's about to happen.

ANDERSON: Yes, and the weather will not put them off. You know that. We talked yesterday when we were down at Piccadilly, for what was the largest street party at the event yesterday. It was a real Don Cox (ph) spirit. You know, I mean, it was extremely cold and wet on the river, it was just as cold off the river yesterday.

But, you know, people were out in their droves, some six million in the end attended street parties over the Saturday and Sunday event and we've got people sleeping on the Mall which is the road that takes you up to Buckingham Palace in anticipation of tomorrow's event. Of course there was a church service at St. Paul's Cathedral and then the royal family going through a number of functions, one of the place called Mansion House with the Lord Mayor of London resides.

And then on to Westminster where they will have a lunch and then back to Buckingham Palace tomorrow, down the Mall where you see people right here out in whatever they can sort of cover themselves up. I mean the weather is perfectly fine at the moment, at 10 past 10 London Time on Monday night. The forecast is, well, iffy. Let's call it iffy for tomorrow. And it was awful yesterday. I mean really awful.

But as I said, yes, it really, really doesn't stop people. People have been out in their droves, waving those flags. One person -- one supermarket chain told me that in last week and the week before, one supermarket chain alone sold 400 miles of bunting and half a million flags. People are loving this.

BLITZER: They certainly are. We're going to have a -- lot more coverage, including live coverage of Queen Elizabeth herself lighting the final beacon. That's going to happen this hour but take a look all over the United Kingdom. These are where the beacons have been lit indeed. They have been lit all over the world in the commonwealth countries, as I mentioned New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and elsewhere.

All right. Only minutes from now we're going to bring you the lighting of the historic National Beacon by Queen Elizabeth. We'll watch that unfold. Stand by. Much more of our special coverage coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

But there's other news we're following, including news in China. Reports that an alleged spy for the United States has been captured inside the country's government security ranks.

Brian Todd is working this story for us.

So, Brian, what are you learning?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, this could be the deepest American penetration into Chinese intelligence since a high level Chinese official defected 27 years ago. Right now the stakes are huge, live were at stake and the Chinese Intelligence Services are said to be boiling over this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TODD (voice-over): From deep inside Chinese intelligence, word of a high level breach, an aide to a vice minister in China's State Security Ministry has been detained, suspected of spying for the United States. That's according to the Reuters news agency whose sources say the aide had passed information to U.S. officials for several years.

(On camera): What do you think could have been compromised specifically?

CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: I think it's highly likely that sitting in a position that he was, that he would have had access to ongoing Chinese intelligence operations in the United States.

TODD (voice-over): Chris Johnson, until recently a China analyst at the CIA, says the Chinese are probably trying to recover any of their compromised spies right now. A source tells Reuters the spy for the U.S. was recruited by the CIA, that he was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for political, economic and strategic intelligence, and that he was detained by the Chinese sometime between January and March.

(On camera): What kind of head rolling, do you think, we're seeing in Beijing now as a result of this?

JOHNSON: I think that they'd be looking at the State Security minister itself, the vice minister who apparently has already been put under detention and is being looked at and they would take whatever he would tell them in the course of the investigation and look to spread the net to capture as many people as they could who might have been compromised in this way.

TODD: Contacted by CNN no one at the CIA or other U.S. intelligence agencies would comment on the case. No official comment from Chinese officials in Beijing or Washington.

(On camera): But Chris Johnson says word of this alleged spy's arrest could have been leaked by Chinese officials themselves. He says the Chinese government initially allowed Web sites like this one, China's equivalent of Twitter, to run the story and then they censored it.

(Voice-over): Why would the Chinese leak this? To send a signal to the Americans, Johnson says, that they've nailed this apparent spy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: And he says the Chinese might have wanted to settle scores internally and externally over the cases of defected Chinese dissent, Chen Guangcheng, and disgraced Communist Party (INAUDIBLE) whose wife is implicated in a murder. Both high profile cases had significant involvement by U.S. officials, both cases were very embarrassing to the Chinese security apparatus, Wolf, and this could be some payback.

BLITZER: What about China's reported cyber warfare against the United States? Could this alleged spy have been providing information to the U.S. on this sensitive issue?

TODD: A key question here, because cyber warfare is so crucial right now, Chris Johnson says the ministry that this official was in, the State Security Ministry, is not the heavy hitter in cyber warfare. He says that's handled mostly by to the Chinese military. He says this ministry and this particular guy could have had his hands maybe in a little bit of it but it's the military that does the heavy hitting there. So maybe there's some intelligence void still left for the U.S. in that regard.

BLITZER: We'll stay -- we'll stay on top of it together with you. Lots of ramifications.

Brian, thank you.

The international manhunt ends for a porn star suspected of killing a man and putting the body parts in the mail. We'll have the latest on the arrests.

Also the death toll expected to climb after an horrific, horrific plane crash. We're going to the scene of the wreckage, where investigators are now trying to determine what went wrong.

And Queen Elizabeth II expect to light the historic National Beacon only minutes from now. You're going to see it now right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're awaiting Queen Elizabeth II. She's getting ready to light the national beacon as it's called. We have live coverage only minutes from now in London. Stand by for that. We'll also hear from Prince Charles. He's getting ready to speak as well. Lots coming up on this jubilee anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II, 60 years on the throne.

Meanwhile, other news we're following. The international manhunt for a Canadian porn actor accused of killing a student then mailing the body parts to key politicians. That manhunt is now over. The suspect nicknamed the Canadian psycho was nabbed in Berlin only hours ago. CNNs Diana Magnay is joining us now. She's got the latest on the arrest. What happened here, Diana?

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. Yes. That huge international manhunt ending up in an internet cafe just about half an hour from where I am now. Just before noon local time, Magnotta wooed (ph) into that internet cafe and spoke to the man behind the council, lifted his sunglasses and said, "internet, monsieur (ph)."

And the guy behind the counter said that he recognized him at that moment. He showed him to a computer, and then, he double checked on his own internet to see whether this man was indeed Magnotta, the man who's been all over the national press, obviously, and the international press with his photo wanted for this grizzly crime in Montreal, Canada where he's supposed to have murdered his lover, dismembered him, and then videoed that process, mailing his body parts to politicians and posting that video online.

Anyway, the man in the internet cafe said that he was pretty sure that this was the guy that Interpol was looking for. He went outside, trying to hail down a police car. He didn't want to call the police, he said, because he was nervous about not being right. Anyway, eventually hailed the police car.

The police came in. They spoke to Magnotta. Magnotta initially denied that it was him, gave a false name, but eventually, when he realized the game was up, Wolf, he said, OK, you've got me. And he's now in police custody, Wolf.

BLITZER: And presumably, is he going to stay there or going to be sent to Canada? What's going to happen?

MAGNAY: Well, the extradition process will probably take a quite long time. The police here in Berlin said to me that it will be at least a week, and other people are saying that it could be months. First of all, Canada has to submit a sort of request for extradition, then Germany has to issue a warrant to commit to that extradition process, and then, Magnotta, himself, has a choice to sort of go to the courts and to question that extradition process.

So, this could all take really quite a long time. And also, there will be sort of investigations into whether he was involved in any other murders or any other crimes, while he was on the run from police in Canada, Wolf.

BLITZER: Diana Magnay in Berlin for us, thank you.

Investigators are desperately working to determine what brought down a commercial airplane killing all 153 people on board and at least 10 people on the ground. We'll go to the scene of the wreckage for the latest information.

Also, we're awaiting Queen Elizabeth II live for historic national beacon lighting ceremony expected only minutes from now. We're expecting to also hear from Prince Charles. He's speaking at the event. This is a major moment in the jubilee, all that coming up right here on the SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A suspected drone strike targets militants in Pakistan's tribal regions. Lisa Sylvester is monitoring that and some of the other top stories in the SITUATION ROOM right now. What's going on, Lisa?

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, an official in Northwest Pakistan is reporting that missile from a suspected U.S. drone killed 15 militants and wounded three others. It's the 21st (ph) suspected drone strike in Pakistan this year and the third in three days. U.S. officials say the covert strikes are legal and effective in the fight against militants.

And jury selection in the trial of former Penn state assistant football coach, Jerry Sandusky gets underway tomorrow. The 68-year- old Sandusky has been under house arrest since being charged with sexually abusing ten boys over a 14-year period. He has pleaded not guilty.

And firefighters in Southwestern New Mexico are battling what officials are calling the largest wildfire ever in that state. It was formed with two fires that were ignited by lightning last month merged. All together, more than 241,000 acres have been charged. That's about 380 square miles to put it in perspective. Authorities say it's only 18 percent contained -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Lisa, thank you.

Take a look at this. It's a live picture of the crystal glass diamond the queen will use to trigger the national beacon. That's expected to happen only minutes from now. We'll bring it to you live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Take a look at this, there's a beacon lighting ceremony that's taking place in Wales. There are thousands of these beacon lighting ceremonies happening all across the United Kingdom. Earlier, they're happening in many of the commonwealth nations. We're watching what's going on.

We certainly want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world right now. I'm Wolf Blitzer in the SITUATION ROOM.

Only minutes from now, we're all going to be seeing history unfolding live in the United Kingdom where Queen Elizabeth II will take the stage and light what's called the national beacon, the final touch in an international ring of fire as it's being described, a set of blaze and honor over 60 years on the throne.

CNN is covering this story from all vantage points. We have all of our reporters and analysts standing by. Let's bring in Richard Quest and Becky Anderson. They're both in London right now. Richard, first of all, walk us through for viewers who aren't necessarily familiar with this beacon lighting ceremony, what we're about to see from the queen herself?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What are we going to see is the queen placing the crystal that you've just been showing, this diamond crystal that was specially cut and has been cut within an inch of its light. She will place it into a receptacle which will end fire a very large flame into the air and that will be, if you like, the final moment of this triumph.

I can tell you, next to me here in London in Trafalgar Square, which is the center of London on Canada House, on the roof of Canada House, two beacons have just been lit. That's obviously a marking of what the Canadian where the queen has also had a stage. And, we've seen it in New Zealand, we've seen it in Australia, South Africa, Canada, Wales tonight.

And the idea is a simple. It is a way of sending the message up and down the land and in this case around the world, and the flame that her majesty will be lighting tonight is a gas powered flame. It is the equivalent and this is -- this shows the sort of information that you do pick up when you cover these sort of stories; it's the equivalent of the heat and power necessary to boil 4,000 kettles. Now Wolf, do not ask me how anybody worked that out or how I remembered it. But the fact is when that diamond crystal gets put into the receptacle, and the flames whooshes up that is going to be the moment, the culmination of this beacon ceremony.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST: And it's amazing, when you think about it, Becky, the queen will light what's called this ""National Beacon"" emerging from this really wonderful concert that invited guests have been allowed to see where you are right now. Tell us a little bit about what the concert was all about.

(CROSSTALK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, and excerpts of that will be showing of course on CNN is -- in the coming out. And Richard can probably hear it from where he is. It's outside Buckingham palace, you'll see Queen Victoria Memorial (INAUDIBLE) of our viewers have been to see the changing of the guard there they'll know what I'm talking about, some of the roundabout Buckingham Palace and there tonight the most remarkable star studded concert. It's going to (INAUDIBLE), Paul McCartney playing just as we speak. There's a band called "Madness" here who were huge in the 1980's.

They have been on the roof of Buckingham Palace singing a song called "Our House" and Buckingham Palace is being lit up tonight with the most remarkable light display that I've ever seen on any building anywhere in the world. So we look forward to seeing the excerpts of that as -- when this concert culminates. But it will, as Richard, said culminate in the queen lighting at this national monument. Her son, Prince Charles, will speak just before that and introduce Her Majesty onto the stage.

And the queen's pageant master, a guy called Runo Peak (ph), has said that he's been overwhelmed by the response to the queen's Diamond Jubilee Beacon event. He said the aim originally was to get 2012 beacons lit across the country and around the world. And he said he couldn't believe the response because these are just local social events at the end of the day. They're big, small, there may be 20 people lighting one, and as you see tonight on the mall outside Buckingham Palace where the queen will light the ""National Beacon"", there are tens of thousands of people, so it is a remarkable event after what has been a star-studded (INAUDIBLE) to say.

BLITZER: Yes, we'll have some excerpts from that concert here in THE SITUATION ROOM later this hour. Also we're standing by to see the queen actually light this final ""National Beacon"" as it's called. You know, Richard, a lot of us our viewers especially here in the United States want to know about the involvement of Kate Middleton and Prince William in all of this. What can you tell us?

QUEST: Very interesting. The queen adores Prince William. Prince William can do no wrong in the queen's eyes and the queen has gone out of her way to build a relationship with Katherine, the relationship -- excuse me Wolf -- the relationship that she never had with Diana, Princess of Wales. Now we can discuss and we can debate who has moved, has the queen learned or is Katherine a different animal and a different breed? It's a combination of both. But the fact is in recent moves we have seen the queen going shopping at Fordham (ph) and Masons (ph) with Camilla and Katherine. We have seen the queen going to a fashion show with Katherine. This tells us volumes about the determination to get it right there.

And if you look at that queen (ph) dress that Katherine wore yesterday, the Duchess of Cambridge, the one that you're seeing, people are saying it is the most -- they have never seen her looking more spectacular. Katherine is the new star on the block, the new kid on the block, but nobody should be under any illusion, the queen is what this is really all about and what is perfect and different in a way, different to Diana is that Katherine seems to know instinctively that nothing upstages the queen. No matter how great or how famous or how glitzy Katherine is, the queen is where this buck stops as they would say.

BLITZER: As they certainly say, she knows exacts what her place is. She does look remarkable obviously in red. Becky, what about her sister Pippa and for that matter Prince Harry, what are their roles in all of this?

ANDERSON: Well I think it was fairly clear that Prince Harry is also very much loved by the queen. I mean they were at his brother's side yesterday for the royal pageant, the pageant on the Thames, thousands more boats. First time we've seen something like that in 350 years and the Middletons were on a boat very close to that royal barge yesterday. You saw both Pippa Middleton and her parents there, again, not upstaging by any stretch of the imagination the royal family, but they were there -- they're there to support Katherine as much as anything else.

And you can see they're very much enjoying what they're doing. I have been watching the audience tonight as I do see the queen now approaching the stage, in watching the audience tonight, and of course Prince Harry, Prince William and Katherine all being in that audience. I think we should just let just -- let the queen take over at this point.

BLITZER: Yes. There she is. She's about to light the ""National Beacon"" over there at the Diamond Jubilee. You know what, let's just watch and listen and enjoy this historic moment, Queen Elizabeth II, walking up and getting ready to light the ""National Beacon"", the final beacon in the thousands that have been lit across the United Kingdom. Listen in.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

PRINCE CHARLES: Your Majesty, mommy.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

PRINCE CHARLES: I'm sure you would want me to thank on your behalf all the wonderful people who have made tonight possible. All the performers, the artists, the musicians, the comedians who made such jolly good jokes.

(LAUGHTER)

PRINCE CHARLES: (INAUDIBLE) helping to make the (INAUDIBLE).

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

PRINCE CHARLES: And above all, all those remarkable technicians, all 600 of them behind the scenes --

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

PRINCE CHARLES: -- without which nothing would happen. And if I may say so, Your Majesty, thank God the weather turned out fine.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

PRINCE CHARLES: And the reason of course, is because I didn't do the forecast.

(LAUGHTER)

PRINCE CHARLES: Your Majesty, millions, we are told, dream of having tea with you. Quite a lot of people have very nearly had a picnic dinner with you in the garden of Buckingham Palace. The only sad thing about this evening is that my father couldn't be here with us because unfortunately, he has taken unwell, but ladies and gentlemen, if we shout loud enough, he might just hear us in hospital --

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (INAUDIBLE)

PRINCE CHARLES: Your majesty, a Diamond Jubilee is a unique and special event. Some of us have had the joy of celebrating three jubilees with you. And I have the medals to prove it. And we are now celebrating the life and service of a very special person over the last 60 years.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

PRINCE CHARLES: I was 3 when my grandfather, King George VI died and suddenly, unexpectedly, your and my father's lives were irrevocably changed when you were only 26. So as a nation this is our opportunity to thank you and my father for always being there for us, for inspiring us with your selfless duty and service, and for making us proud to be British.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

PRINCE CHARLES: Proud at a time when I know how many of our fellow countrymen are suffering such hardship and difficulties. Proud to be lining the banks of the Thames in their millions, despite the rain and the cold, proud to be part of something as unique as the Commonwealth, which through your leadership has given us that essential sense of unity through diversity. So, Your Majesty, we offer you our humble duty, and with it three resounding cheers for her Majesty the Queen. Hip, hip --

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Hooray!

PRINCE CHARLES: Hip, hip --

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Hooray!

PRINCE CHARLES: Hip, hip --

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Hooray!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(MUSIC)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(MUSIC)

(SINGING)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, her Majesty the Queen will now light the ""National Beacon"".

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(MUSIC)

(FIREWORKS)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BLITZER: All right so there you have it, what an amazing, amazing sight as Queen Elizabeth II lights the ""National Beacon"", the music, the fireworks, simply amazing. CNN's Max Foster is there at Buckingham Palace. You were there for the concert. You've been watching all this unfold. Give us an eyewitness account from the scene Max. What did you see? What did you feel?

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well I can't believe what an evening we have really seen here. I mean, maybe it's because I'm here it is the most spectacular evening I can remember from London, in London for a very, very long time. It was all set, the tone was set, just before the concert when we heard that news that Prince Phillip had been hospitalized and it set this very mixed tone, a determination really for everything to carry on so the presenters, the musicians, the junior members of the royal family and then the queen herself coming out, showing a determined front of just how the front page of the telegraph sent to me, Wolf, and the headline simply says "the show must go on". I think that encapsulates not just tonight but also the queen's philosophy. She had to be here tonight. An immensely emotional moment at the end when Prince Charles made a speech and he said if we can shout loud enough then perhaps Prince Phillip, his father, can hear them in his hospital bed and I tell you, it was the most deafening roar I have ever heard. I mean the stage here shook from the sound of that. Before all of that, Wolf, a spectacular evening of entertainment, you had "Madness", a British band playing, "it is our House" from the top of the roof. You had Stevie Wonder, spectacular performance by him, Paul McCartney of course and then I have to say a tribute from my perspective at least to the projectionist.

I don't know if you can see this flag waving, but when you get the footage of the concert, throughout the concert, you had the most spectacular projections on the palace added a huge sense of anticipation excitement to this and this is just a small part of what's going on in London. The mall is filled right to the end. Wolf, when that happened for the royal wedding we estimated there are a million people in the mall, there has got to be that here tonight.

BLITZER: It is truly an amazing, an amazing celebration, an amazing sight. Becky Anderson was watching it in London. Give me a thought or two, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, I was thinking about the projections as well and I was going to bring those up. I have never seen anything like it. It looked almost like the Else (ph) Palace, didn't it, (INAUDIBLE) with the red, white and blue. You've seen that Union Jack across the building. As Max suggested, you saw "Madness" on the roof of the building with the most amazing projections at one point during the concert as well. I thought it was interesting to see one, how the queen looked.

She looked absolutely beautiful tonight in sort of yellow with a gold cardi (ph) on and to hear Prince Charles thanking on her behalf the performers, the comedians, the artists in the show tonight, but also thinking of those who are working behind the scenes. He said some 600 technicians and a big roar when he thanked them and he thanked Gary Barlow (ph) for producing the entire event as well. As he was thanking people on her behalf, on the queen's behalf, you saw Paul McCartney on one side, Elton John on the other, Sheryl Carl (ph); I mean the names just went on and on and on.

He reminded us that he was only three when King George VI died. His mother was only 26. As a nation Prince Charles said this is an opportunity to thank you and he calls her mommy for making us proud to be British and then the fireworks, of course, unbelievable.

BLITZER: It's certainly unbelievable. We're getting ready to play some of that concert for our viewers in the United States, indeed around the world. We'll take a quick break. When we come back we'll hear some of the concert as this jubilee celebration continues.

(MUSIC)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: You saw it live here on CNN in the United States and around the world, an amazing culmination at least on this day of this jubilee celebration celebrating 60 years on the throne for Queen Elizabeth the II. Richard Quest was watching it. Give us a thought because simply to see what was going on, they really did a wonderful production.

QUEST: What you saw was a sincerity, an authenticity, a deepness of feeling, of gratitude, of integrity of the way in which the British people wanted to say thank you. And that spectacle at the end it's something I have never seen before and it left me thinking me Wolf what on earth are we going to do for the Olympics? Because let's face it with the palace, the queen, the fireworks, the diamond, the flame, the beacons, it has all been put together with incredible thought Wolf, and that's what made these last 24 hours so special.

BLITZER: And Becky Anderson, give us a final thought as well as we get ready for tomorrow.

ANDERSON: Yes, I thought you were going to ask me what they were going to do for the Olympics and I was going to say I've got no idea. Please don't ask me that. I will find out and get back to you on that. Tomorrow is going to be another great day, Wolf. We have got a service at St. Paul's Cathedral, but you'll see the family not just there, but driving through the streets of London as they make their way from a lunch in Westminster back to the palace and it's one of the reasons you will see people on the mall tonight camping out because they want to be there once again for what will be the end of a four- day period of celebrations, but of course this is a "Diamond Jubilee" year. Those celebrations will go on, but we will (ph) see a fly-by tomorrow and we will (ph) see the queen at the palace on the balcony and we are really looking forward to that as will the -- as will those on the streets.

BLITZER: All right. And we certainly will have extensive coverage tomorrow as well. I want to leave you this hour here in THE SITUATION ROOM with some of the sights and sounds from this wonderful concert that preceded Queen Elizabeth the II lighting the "National Beacon".