The Queen: 'My mother had a wonderful life'

4th April 2002
The Queen spoke publicly for the first time today about the death of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Talking to well-wishers while surveying a sea of flowers left at Windsor Castle, she said: "It's an amazing sight, isn't it? People are so kind."

The Queen, who was dressed in black, said: "My mother lived to 101 which is a great age - she had a wonderful life." She looked at the flowers collected outside the castle and said to the Duke of Edinburgh: "They're from everywhere, you know - America, Australia, New Zealand and Canada."

Later, the Queen and Prince Philip went inside St George’s Chapel, where preparations for Tuesday’s private committal service and interment are already under way, to look at a book of condolence which some 7,000 people have signed since Monday.

Tomorrow, Princes William and Harry will walk behind the Queen Mother's coffin when it is drawn through the streets of the capital tomorrow in a spectacular military procession.

In a break with royal tradition, the Princess Royal will also join the procession, a ceremony usually reserved for men.

Fourteen senior members of the Royal Family will walk behind the coffin on its 28-minute journey from the Queen’s Chapel at St James’s Palace in central London to Westminster Hall.

Peter Phillips, the Princess Royal’s son and the Queen Mother’s great grandson, will be in the procession.

Others walking behind the coffin are the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, Viscount Linley, the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent, the Princess Royal’s husband Commodore Timothy Laurence and Lady Sarah Chatto’s husband Daniel.

Lady Sarah, a granddaughter of the Queen Mother, will travel to Westminster Hall with the Queen. The sight of Prince William, 19, and his 17-year-old brother Prince Harry, walking behind the Queen Mother’s coffin will bring back memories of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales’s funeral procession five years ago.

Early this morning, more than 1,600 soldiers gathered at St James's Palace in a dummy run for the procession.

At the centre was the horse drawn gun carriage which was led along tomorrow's actual route in full ceremony. A coffin, in a Union Jack flag, was placed on the gun carriage with a mock crown resting on the top.

At the stroke of 6am the procession was ordered to march and the carriage, pulled by four black horses, made its way past St James's Palace accompanied by an Army band.

As the sun came up the procession made its way along The Mall, around Horse Guards' Parade and along Whitehall to Westminster Hall. After half an hour, the rehearsal procession arrived outside Westminster Hall and the coffin was taken inside.

The procession then snaked its way back through the streets towards the barracks as cordons were lifted and London life resumed as normal. Military top brass were meeting this morning for a debrief to discuss how the dress-rehearsal of the procession went.

Squadron Leader Ian Smith, of the Queen's Colour Squadron, which performs ceremonial duties for the RAF, said: "It went very well considering it's the first time the parade has been put together. "The contingency plan has been in place for some years but because of sensitivity we don't go out and practise it."

About 80 soldiers from the squadron, which is based in Uxbridge in Middlesex, will line the route between Horseguards' Parade and the Cenotaph tomorrow.

He said that the soldiers were used to the ceremony of marching but that the event would put added pressures on them. He said: "We are very proud and it's a particular honour to be the RAF guard, although this event is in very sad circumstance.

"There are always butterflies in your stomach and you can't get over that fact because of the circumstances. The men will be making sure we get it right for the Queen Mother."

In total about 600 members of the RAF, including two bands, will take part in the procession and route-lining duties. Meanwhile final preparations were continuing in Parliament Square and around Westminster with workmen repainting the traffic light posts and preparing the road surface.

Many of the capital's streets were sealed off for the massive operation. Tomorrow at 11.30am, the real procession will take place. The Queen Mother's coffin, borne on a horse-drawn gun carriage and surmounted by her crown, which usually resides behind armoured glass at the Tower of London, will be taken from the Queen's Chapel at St James's Palace to the medieval setting of Westminster Hall where her body will lie-in-state.