Behind the scenes at President Sarkozy's visit to Broadcasting House

It was to be a big event, and we had to make every effort to get it right. President Sarkozy et Madame Bruni would be paying us a visit, and I was to do the honours in French. Not just because I was a native French speaker, or happen to be "Controller, Languages" in BBC Global but, I strongly suspected, because my size (5ft nothing) helped a great deal. I could look President Sarkozy in the eye.

Monday - I meet Robert Seatter, Head of BBC History, and quickly realise he hasn't left anything to chance. Robert has done his homework thoroughly. He tells me it will be a whirlwind visit - all of 10' from the moment le President et Madame set foot through the door of Broadcasting House. And it will be timed to the nearest second. I have a minute and a half to do my piece, and so does Jean-Louis Cremieux-Brihlac, the 94 year old resistance fighter who witnessed it all and will talk about what the broadcast meant to him and his compatriots.

Robert and I agree on the gist of my talk - a couple of words about BH and the circumstances in which De Gaulle made his appeal, exactly 70 years ago on 18 June 1940. I will explain that the British government at the time was not terribly keen but Winston Churchill put his foot down and made it happen. A grateful De Gaulle wrote in his memoirs: "Winston Churchill put the BBC at my disposal".

For the next 4 years, at 20.30 every single day, from a small studio on the 4th floor of BH and then from Bush House, the "Resistance" would speak to France through the BBC French Service. And 70% of the population of France would be listening. (The French Service - where I incidentally started my BBC career- is still in very good health, broadcasting to Francophone Africa where our audiences are in the millions.)

Friday - when he arrives, at 0945 precisely, President Sarkozy seems in a great hurry. Much more so than Carla Bruni who's calm and collected. 

Led by the BBC chairman and the DG they step with their retinue into the main area where a display of BBC archive pictures had been organised.

I greet them, try to capture their attention (much easier with Madame Bruni then the President), say my bit, and as I'm about to introduce Jean Louis, I notice M Sarkozy focusing on the tapestry behind me. So I explain that it was a gift from the French government to thank the BBC for its help and support during the war, that it was permanently on display and that it was inspired by Eluard's poem Liberte. Upon which Mr Sarkozy smiles broadly and recites to himself the last verse: "Je suis né pour te connaître pour te nommer Libérté". (I was born to know you, to name you, Freedom).

Anyone who's been through the French education system will know this poem off by heart. So I whisper it to myself too then handover to Mr Cremieux-Brihlac who declares that without the BBC there would have been no Resistance and the course of French history would have been altered. Applause. Our 3' are up. President Sarkozy is ushered into the main entrance with dozens of photographers fighting to get an angle whilst he and his wife are being introduced to World Service staff.

And then it's all over. The visit did indeed last 10', and we're left discussing the the beautiful Madame Bruni, and whether President Sarkozy enjoyed touring the heart of British Broadcasting.

 Liliane Landor is the BBC's