Remember the Queen Mother as a great woman

For 9 days, until April 9, Great Britain will be in mourning. April 9, at 11.30 (Greenwich time), the official ceremony of the Queen Mother’s burial in Westminster Abbey will take place.

The Royal Family will be in mourning until April 19. This decision was taken by Queen Elizabeth II. In connection with her mother’s death, she cancelled her participation in the Easter mass.

According to some reports, the Queen Mother’s burial will be as great as the burial for Princess Diana. Representatives of British Commonwealth of Nations will participate in the burial.

At the moment, the coffin with the body is located in the royal chapel in Windsor. In two days, it will be transported to London, to the royal chapel in St James’s Palace, where everybody who knew the Queen Mother or was connected with the Royal Family will be able to bid farewell to her. During April 5-8, the coffin will stay in the massive Westminster Hall, where all guests can bid farewell to the Queen Mother. In Great Britain, there has been nothing of the kind since 1965, the year when Churchill died.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a letter of condolence to Queen Elizabeth II, the president’s press service reports. In particular, the condolence letter reads: “In Russia, we knew Her Majesty very well and paid high tribute to her contribution to the Anti-Hitler coalition’s joint efforts and to the consolidation of allied relations between our countries at the time of World War II. Her Majesty enjoyed true love and respect of the British people and of millions of people around the entire world. Accept, please, the most sincere condolence of the heavy loss You, the Royal Family and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have suffered.” The Queen Mother, who was 101 years, died Saturday at 15.15. At that moment, Queen Elizabeth was at her bed. According to Prince Charles, he is “empty.” After having learned about the death, the prince interrupted his vacation in the Swiss Alps and returned with his sons to the country to participate in the mourning ceremony. According to Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Queen Mother was the symbol of “dignity and fortitude” of Great Britain. George Bush said that his wife Laura and he were “deeply saddened” with what had happened, because the Queen Mother was an example of “power and inspiration for many people in the world.”

Prime Minister of Canada Jean Cretien said that the Queen Mother was s “symbol of permanent charity, dignity, and personal fortitude.” In his telegram to Elizabeth II, German President Johannes Rau writes: “We will remember the Queen Mother as a great woman who throughout her long life was example for many people, not only in Great Britain.”

Sergei Yugov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/04/01/39053.html