Queen officially opens BBC's new Broadcasting House building
The Queen appeared behind newsreaders live on the BBC News Channel
The
Queen has officially opened the BBC's rebuilt Broadcasting House,
prompting laughter when she appeared behind the newsreaders live on TV.
She declared the building open with a broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and also visited BBC Radio 1 and the BBC newsroom.The Queen said it was a "great pleasure" to declare the building open.
The Duke of Edinburgh had also been expected to attend, but was admitted to hospital on Thursday for an operation.
Crowds gathered outside the building, which is flying the Royal Standard, to await the arrival of the Queen, who is wearing a powder blue coat and hat.
The Queen officially opened Broadcasting House with a live message on BBC Radio 4
BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten and BBC director general Lord Hall are escorting the Queen on the visit.She started the visit, her first visit to the corporation's recently expanded headquarters, by visiting BBC Radio 1 and meeting presenters including Nick Grimshaw, Trevor Nelson and Sara Cox.
She then visited the station's famous Live Lounge to watch a live performance by The Script, whose lead singer is Danny O'Donoghue, also well-known as a judge on BBC One show The Voice.
Her next destination was the building's third floor, where Fran Unsworth, the BBC's acting director of news, introduced her to several BBC Radio 4 staff, including Today presenter John Humphrys.
- Peter Hunt @BBCPeterHunt The Quern smiles at the end of the performance
- Peter Hunt @BBCPeterHunt Before going to hospital, Philip cancelled 2 engagements in the past six days. On Monday he missed a reception because he'd lost his voice
- Peter Hunt @BBCPeterHunt Buckingham Palace will not give more details about tomorrow's abdominal operation.
- Peter Hunt @BBCPeterHunt Routine tests led to what the Palace call "abdominal investigations" and tomorrow's operation .
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She then joined another Today
presenter, James Naughtie, and Sian Williams live on Radio 4 where she
gave a short address to declare the BBC's new home open.
"I hope this new building will serve you well for the future and I delighted to declare it open today," she said.Afterwards, she met Huw Edwards and Sophie Raworth at the start of a tour of the BBC newsroom.
She then appeared in the background of the BBC News Channel's studio, prompting laughter and a round of applause from those gathered to see her.
The Queen has visited Broadcasting House on five previous occasions but those were all before the BBC's extensive project to overhaul, modernise and expand the building to accommodate staff being moved from Television Centre, which closed in March.
The building is now home to nine radio networks, three 24-hour TV news channels, all of the BBC's main news bulletins and is the workplace for 6,000 BBC staff from the BBC's television, radio, news and online services.
At the end of her visit, the Queen will unveil a plaque marking the occasion at a reception attended by BBC staff, presenters and trustees.
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