LONDON (voa) – World leaders are paying tribute to Britain’s Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth, who died early Saturday at age 71, after suffering a series of strokes.
In a statement, the Queen paid tribute to the woman she called her “beloved sister.” Prime Minister Tony Blair, currently visiting West Africa, said he was deeply saddened by the news.
Pope John Paul II and the leaders of the European Union, France, Italy, Kenya, Australia and Morocco have also expressed their sympathy to the royal family.
Buckingham Palace says the princess died peacefully in her sleep at a London hospital. A palace statement says she will be buried next Friday at Windsor Castle, west of London.
Her death comes three days after Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 50 years on the throne.
Born August 21, 1930, Princess Margaret was known as an imperious and rebellious woman who was unlucky in love. In the 1950s, she clashed with Queen Elizabeth over her plans to marry a divorced man, which she eventually abandoned. Her later marriage to photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones, Lord Snowdon, ended in divorce in 1978. The couple had two children.
Britain’s Princess Margaret – dead at 71.
STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA
February 9, 2002
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today issued this statement on the news that Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret had passed away:
“I was very saddened to learn that Her Royal Highness had passed away. Princess Margaret was well-known to Canadians and admired for her tireless advocacy on behalf of youth, children and the care of the sick. Indeed, one of her lasting legacies in Canada is the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, one the leading centres of cancer research in the world.
Her Royal Highness also favoured Canadians often with her company, paying us 11 visits during which she travelled to every region of Canada. I had the great privilege of meeting her and was deeply impressed by her grace, style and sense of compassion.
The news is doubly sad for the Royal Family coming the very week that we marked the Queen’s Golden Jubilee accession to the throne. Aline joins me in extending our deepest sympathies to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, to the Royal Family and to the people of the United Kingdom.”
