Britain's Queen Elizabeth officially opened the BBC's Broadcasting House today (07.06.13).
The monarch paid a visit to the new state-of-the-art centre in London, which took a decade to build and cost over £1 billion, where she was treated to a tour of the revamped building and even listened in on a performance by Danny O'Donoghue and his band, The Script.
Elizabeth - who was due to visit the corporation's headquarters with the Duke of Edinburgh but was forced to travel alone after he was admitted to hospital last night following abdominal pain (06.06.13) - marked the occasion by giving a rare live speech on BBC Radio 4.
She said: " I remember first coming to Broadcasting House with my father the King and my mother and sister shortly before the war. I came again with the Duke of Edinburgh shortly before the coronation in 1953.
"I was struck then, as I am now, by the sheer pace of change which has transformed your industry over the past 60 years, years during which broadcasting has enriched our lives in so many ways."
Before adding: "I hope this new building will serve you well for the future and I am delighted to declare it open today."
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