London | Sunday
BRITAIN on Sunday mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who passed away at the age of 101.
Newspapers published special editions in memory of the mother of Queen Elizabeth II, following her death on Saturday as she slept peacefully at her daughter’s side.
”Passing of the matriarch from a bygone Britain” read the front page of The Sunday Times.
”1900-2002” was the simple headline in The Sunday Telegraph – the date was accompanied by a full length colour photo of an elderly but elegant Queen Mum.
Broader coverage and comment was to be found in the popular tabloids: ”She was not just the Queen’s mother, she was the nation’s mum,” said the editorial in the Sunday People.
”She was a shining example to her daughter and the rest of the royal family. And we shall never see her like again,” it read.
Earlier, television and radio made radical changes to their programming following Buckingham Palace’s announcement that ”Britain’s favourite granny” had passed away.
BBC channels carried rolling news, refusing to broadcast the national lottery draw as a mark of respect.
Meanwhile, commercial radio played sombre music and one station quickly moved to suspend adverts until Monday.
Prime Minister Tony Blair led glowing tributes to the Queen Mother, calling the elderly royal, mother of Queen Elizabeth II, a symbol of British ”decency and courage.”
Religious, political and civic leaders also paid warm tributes, praising the Queen Mother for devotion to duty, charm, dignity and courage.
Blair said the Queen Mother, also called Elizabeth, had been loved and admired across Britain by people of all ages for ”her grace, her sense of duty and her remarkable zest for life.”
”She was part of the fabric of our nation and we were immensely proud of her. Along with her husband, King George VI, she was also a symbol of our country’s decency and courage.”
He said the royal couple’s refusal to leave London under Nazi German bombing during World War II ”epitomised both her own indomitable spirit and the spirit of the nation in its darkest hours.
”Later, as Queen Mother, she was a unifying figure for Britain, loved by all, sharing in its joys and troubles,” he said.
Many of the tributes came in from organisations in fields associated with the Queen Mother, from horseracing to charity.
The Queen Mother had been president of the British Red Cross since 1936 and the organisation paid tribute to her long-standing support. – Sapa-AFP