Today marks 60 years on throne for Queen Elizabeth II

Video: A ‘360-degree view’ of Queen Elizabeth

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   >>> it's a big year for queen elizabeth ii . she's celebrating her diamond jubilee in 2012 . 60 years on the throne. in those six decades she's experienced highs and lows both personally and politically. we have sally smith , the author of " elizabeth the queen , the life of a modern monarch." good morning.

   >> good morning. great to be here.

   >> kudos on the timing of the book, timing it to the diamond jubilee . you did not interview the queen but you interviewed 200 people described as being close to her -- friends, family? how close did you get?

   >> her inner circle of close friends who have known her for her whole life. family members, close advisers and then a wonderful gamut of people like men who run her estate, the people who trained her dogs and her horses, the crown jeweler. it enabled me to get a 360-degree view of her.

   >> as a result, the l.a. times notes despite the fact that you're writing about someone so well known over the decades there are things to be learned about queen elizabeth ii . for instance, when the queen and prince philip -- at the time they were the william and kate of their time. they had very serious battles because of her station, specifically over the naming of their children.

   >> that happened right after she became queen in 1952 . she had to make a decision. her family was the house of windsor. really out of loyalty to her father and her grandfather before her, she chose that as her name. philip was upset. he wanted his family name to be the one. that hung in the air for a number of years until finally, right before the birth of their third child, prince andrew , she came one a compromise that the nonroyal successors, those who didn't have the h.r.h., her royal highness , attached to oh the name would be called mount baton windsor.

   >> you say the queen saw the breakup of charles and diana as perhaps a replay of history that could threaten charles's opportunity to ever be king.

   >> yes. in the middle of all the trouble she was counseled by the archbishop of canterbury . he said she never really -- her mood was always very calm. but she was worried. he said they were talking about the possibility of divorce and she said, i really worry that history may be repeating. she was obviously thinking of the duke and duchess of windsor and when edward viii her uncle abo abdicated the throne to marry her.

   >> we dug through our archives and found a clip of prince philip being interviewed by barbara walters . take a look.

   >> -- of the queen abdicating at some future date. is this something that's been considered or is it a rumor?

   >> as far as i know it's a rumor. i mean, it has its attractions.

   >> what did you learn about whether the queen would ever abdicate?

   >> it's a job for life. she's made that clear from the beginning. sh she gave a touching speech when she was 21. she said, i pledge to you however long i live, whether my life be long or short i will be at your service for the rest of my life. she has repeated that over and over throughout her 60-year reign. the reason is that she has -- it's almost -- she's been consecrat consecrated. the coronation in 1953 was a solemn, important act for her. being anointed and taking the oath to serve her people for the rest of her life.

   >> unless, of course, she has alzheimer's or some other failing. that would be her word.

   >> one of her cousins told me that. no one's mentioned that. she said she wouldn't step down, but her son, prince charles , could step in as prince regent .

   >> we have a few seconds left. you found out what's in her purse.

   >> i did. the kinds of things we would think. lipstick, coin purse, kleenex, comb.

   >> a practical woman. we'll have more after this.

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