Exploring Buckingham Palace's Throne Room with Dame Floella Benjamin | Lorraine

Now we are in one of the most important rooms in the palace. This is the throne room and here they are. These ones were made for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip but as you can see they've been updated for the king's coronation with the initials of Charles and Camilla. These aren't the only ones though. Queen Victoria's throne is just over there. It's nearly 190 years old and just to the side I have to say I think this is my favourite portrait of the late queen. It was painted for her diamond jubilee and you can see the gorgeous little dogs, their corgis. Aren't they absolutely beautiful? I love that painting. She looks so kind and so happy as she would be with her doggies. Lots of famous photos have been taken in this room as well at the coronation for example but also royal weddings. This is where William and Kate were pictured when they came back from Westminster Abbey. Now in recent years though this is where you might come to collect an honour from the royal family, an MBE or an OBE. It's where investitures happen and joining me now, a real life Dame, Dame Fluella Benjamin and you collected your award in this very palace. And I'm wearing it today. It's beautiful. That is a very beautiful piece of jewellery. It really is. That must have been an amazing day. It was, it truly was. I just wish that my beloved mother were here to see it, was there to see that day. But I did wear a handbag that she left to me and my sister came and she wore a scarf so my mother was present with that. You felt as if she was part of something. I mean it's a big deal for you isn't it? It's a big, big honour and of course you'd already got the OBE hadn't you? You got that but that was from the late queen. That's right, the queen. What a wonderful woman she was. She was like a walking encyclopaedia. She knew everything about everything. She did, she really, really did and you can feel her presence everywhere, absolutely everywhere. That beautiful painting we just saw with her beloved dog of course. But she had a great sense of humour. I think you know it was a shame that the general public didn't really get to know the real queen. She was very, very kind of full of life, real like comedy. She just loved mimicking other people and she just loved telling stories. She said so many stories with me that I just felt quite honoured to have got to know that side of her. Oh that's lovely because a lot of people don't, we don't. So that's a beautiful memory for you of course, as was the coronation. You were front and centre of that coronation. That was incredible and all of the rehearsals that you would have had to have done, all of that. Yeah we had the rehearsals here and I remember everybody was a bit nervous because they sort of laid the whole thing out like Westminster Abbey and I was carrying the sceptre with Dove but not here because it's worth over 400 million pounds. 400 million? Million. Crikey, what a responsibility. But no, I was carrying the broomstick here. So we were all kind of learning our parts, what we had to do, walking in unison and I looked down on the red carpet and there was a white feather inside Buckingham Palace. That represented my mum. I said to everyone, don't worry, everything's going to be wonderful because my mum is here. She's looking over at everything. Like an angel looking at you. That was a great day. It was just an incredible kind of thing to be part of, part of history. I feel that with the coronation, it was like a glimpse into the future. Embracing diversity and inclusion in the most natural, wonderful way and I think the King has been very visible about doing that sort of thing. He has. He's been doing that for the last 50 years. He's way, way, way ahead of his time. He always was a bit of a pioneer in many things but you're right, diversity, absolutely, you know, and with being aware of the planet and climate change, all of these things. Exactly. You know, he's always been so far ahead sometimes. People are like, what's going on there? But he was right. I remember writing him a letter in 1984, thanking him for making the world a better place for our children. Because childhood lasts a lifetime and we've got to prepare the world in the most beautiful, natural way for our children and that's what he was doing. And when I got my Order of Merit, I said to him, sir, do you remember I wrote you a letter in 1984 and he said, did I answer it? I hope I answered you. Yes, he did. Oh, well, that's good. I'm sure he does. That's one of the things, you know, taught good manners by his mum, that's for sure. There is something very special about coming here. I was lucky enough to come here to an event that Queen Camilla had hosted and there is, you know, they just, that's the thing that they can do so, so well, you know, when it comes to charity events, when it comes to just spreading the word, you know, just making it, just raising everything up a little bit. Exactly, exactly and I know the wonderful thing, once you do get invited here, is to be able to bring your mum or your dad here. Getting an honour like that is showing that you've done your job, you've done the hard work and you've been recognised for what you have contributed to society. So, I was pleased that my mother at least got to see me receive my OBE. Oh, it's wonderful. Thank you so much for talking to us today. It's great to see you and that is just, wear that with pride. Honestly, I'd be wearing that to take the bins out, that is just the best. Well, I did it just for you. Thank you so much, it's brilliant.