For those who found out about the Queen’s death while watching the BBC, it was 61-year old veteran news anchor Huw Edwards who broke the historic news.
But while Edwards has been widely praised for how he handled the announcement, the BBC newsreader has opened up on the pressure of reporting the Queen’s passing.
Speaking to Radio Times magazine, he revealed that he only learned the news about 10 seconds before it was announced to the nation.
“Usually, when you have a breaking story there’s a lot of shouting in your ear from the gallery, saying, ‘Go to the news, go to the news,’ but this time was different,” he explained.
“The announcement came up on the wires and the gallery said, ‘The announcement is here. Take your time. Speak when you are ready.’”
Recalling his emotional reaction to the Queen’s passing, Edwards continued: “I was sad… It was the end of an era in British history, the end of a presence that has been with many people throughout their entire lives.”
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In the days that followed the Queen’s passing on 8th September 2022, Edwards continued to lead reports on the channel before fronting coverage of the State Funeral, which took place on 19th September.
He was widely praised at the time for his unfaltering coverage and shortly afterwards was tipped for a knighthood from King Charles III in honour of his career as a journalist.
But Edwards recently admitted he is “embarrassed” by the calls for him to be knighted over his coverage.
“I am embarrassed,” he said. “Although I don’t mean it disrespectfully, the idea of a knighthood embarrasses me.”
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