LONDON (voa) – Queen Elizabeth has thanked the British people for their tributes to the Queen Mother saying she was deeply moved by the outpouring of affection. In a nationally broadcast address Queen Elizabeth offered a personal eulogy to her mother, who died last month at the age of 101.
The queen said her mother had enjoyed a long and happy life and had, what the queen called, an infectious zest for living. She said she hoped the sadness of her mother’s passing would blend with a wider sense of thanksgiving for her life.
In the hushed majesty of Westminster Hall, where the Queen mother’s body lies in state, her four grandsons held a solemn vigil Monday standing guard for 20 minutes at the four corners of the catafalque holding her coffin. Tens of thousands of people have lined up since Friday, some waiting for up to 12 hours, to pay tribute to the Queen Mother.
The Queen Mother’s funeral will be held Tuesday at Westminster Abbey ahead of burial at Windsor Castle in the same vault as her husband, King George the Sixth, who died 50 years ago. The guest list for her funeral includes some 25 foreign royal dignitaries, the prime ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand and U.S. First Lady Laura Bush.
