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Tributes pour in for Queen Mum

LONDON, England (CNN) -- The United Kingdom and the world were saddened by the death of the Queen Mother. Soon after her passing was announced, tributes quickly poured in for the monarch, known affectionately by Britons as the Queen Mum.

'Her remarkable zest for life'

'Her remarkable zest for life'

"During her long and extraordinary life, her grace, her sense of duty and her remarkable zest for life made her loved and admired by people of all ages and backgrounds, revered within our borders and beyond.

"She was a unifying figure for Britain, inspiring love and affection in all she met.

Queen Mother
1900~2002

  

"The respect she received and the outpouring of affection after her death is not the result of her long life. The tributes could have been a ritual, but they were not. They were genuine and heartfelt and from young and old from all walks of life.

"It is the belief in duty that catches her spirit best. Yet it is not duty in an arid or formal sense; she enjoyed life, lived it and loved it to the full.

"She loved her country and in turn her country loved her."

-- Tony Blair, British prime minister

'Radiated warmth and charm'

'Radiated warmth and charm'

"The Queen Mother radiated warmth and charm with a sense of fun that captivated everyone who met her."

"When the country needed her most, she gave her inner strength and wonderful personality. In doing so she embodied what is good and noble about the people of our country.

"The Queen Mother's life was long, well lived and for the benefit of many. She was, frankly, the best of us.

"We are proud to have shared in the life of this deeply loved and remarkable lady."

-- Iain Duncan Smith, Conservative Party leader

'She responded to people'

'She responded to people'

"We are obsessed with institutions and with structures, but people really respond to people. She responded to people. She liked people and as a result they liked her.

"She was really the key bond between the monarchy and the people of our country.

"Her's, without doubt, was the story of the 20th century, and what an extraordinary story it has been."

-- Charles Kennedy, Liberal Democrat leader

'An extraordinary person'

'An extraordinary person'

"[The Queen Mother was] a wonderful queen and an extraordinary person. Her death is more than a source of grief to the royal family. It is an irreplaceable loss to the whole nation."

-- Margaret Thatcher, former British prime minister

'Our country is the richer'

'Our country is the richer'

"Our country is the richer for her life and the poorer at her death."

-- John Major, former British prime minister

'I was utterly devoted to her'

'I was utterly devoted to her'

"She was quite simply the most magical grandmother you could possibly have and I was utterly devoted to her.

"Her departure has left an irreplaceable chasm in countless lives but, thank God, we are all the richer for the sheer joy of her presence and everything she stood for.

"Above all, she understood the British character and her heart belonged to this ancient land and its equally indomitable and humorous inhabitants, whom she served with panache, style and unswerving dignity for very nearly 80 years."

-- Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales

'She was very, very special indeed'

'She was very, very special indeed'

"We each had an individual and unique relationship with our grandmother -- she was very, very special indeed."

-- Prince Andrew, the Duke of York

'A symbol of ... abiding grace'

'A symbol of ... abiding grace'

"Today, all Canadians join me in expressing sorrow that a symbol to the world of abiding grace, dignity and personal courage has been taken from us. Above all, she will be remembered for her matchless and galvanizing devotion to duty during the darkest hours of World War II, when Britain, Canada and the Commonwealth stood alone against a seemingly invincible tyranny."

-- Jean Chretien, Canadian prime minister

'An exceptional person'

"She was an exceptional person who devoted her life to her family, her nation and the Commonwealth."

-- Don MacKinnon, Commonwealth secretary-general

'Treated people in a friendly way'

"She treated people in a friendly way, with sympathy and interest. Many also in Germany admired her. Along with my compatriots, my thoughts are with you and the whole royal family in these hours."

-- Johannes Rau, German president

'Character shone through'

'Character shone through'

"[The Queen Mother was] a remarkable woman whose personality, fortitude and strength of character shone through in an extraordinary way."

-- Mary McAleese, Irish president

'A pillar of strength'

'A pillar of strength'

"The president and Mrs. Bush are deeply saddened by the death of the Queen Mother. ... She was a pillar of strength and inspiration to many people all over the world."

-- George W. Bush, U.S. president

'A woman of deep faith'

"[The Queen Mother] was a woman of deep faith and deep interest in people. Whenever a person met her, it was almost as if you were the only person who counted at that moment. [It was remarkable that] a woman of such faith and astonishing vitality, in spite of her age, took such an interest in people. I think that throughout her life [she had] a great sense of duty and obligation to her country."

-- Dr. George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury

'She has always been with us'

'She has always been with us'

"Born five months before our federation as a nation, there is a very real way in which we can say that she has always been with us. As the Queen Mother over the last 50 years, she will be remembered with the greatest affection for the wonderful way she combined the performance of her public duties with her joyous humor and irrepressible love of life."

-- Peter Hollingworth, Australian governor-general, royal envoy to Australia

Duchess, children 'saddened'

Duchess, children 'saddened'

"The duchess is deeply saddened, as are both of her children."

-- Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York

'A great and gracious lady'

"The whole nation and beyond will mourn a great and gracious lady. The Queen Mother bore the virtues so beloved by the British people: courage and steadfastness, especially throughout [World War II]."

-- Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, head of the Roman Catholic Church in England

'Courage ... reinforced by boundless charm'

'Courage ... reinforced by boundless charm'

"Smiles and delight, happiness and mischief accompanied her wherever she went.

"Her courage was reinforced by boundless charm, perceptiveness enlivened with a bright and sparkling wit and sympathetic consideration to the needs and feelings of others.

"Mindful of the great love which Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother inspired in us all, we shall ever hold dear her memory."

-- Lord Williams of Mostyn, leader of the House of Lords



 
 
 
 







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