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Princes recall fun of Queen Mother

LONDON, England -- Prince William and Prince Harry have revealed their favourite memories of their great-grandmother, the Queen Mother, whose funeral takes place on Tuesday.

In an interview with the UK's Press Association, the princes told how the 101-year-old had inspired and encouraged them, and made them howl with laughter.

William, 19, said: "She loved a good laugh, even if the joke was about her."

He added: "Anything that was meant to be formal and went wrong, she enjoyed. She would have a good giggle.

Queen Mother
1900~2002

  

"She had such a young sense of humour. Every single thing that went wrong or was funny for any reason, she laughed herself stupid about it -- it kept us all sane."

The teenage princes, who honoured their great-grandmother by walking behind her coffin during Friday's historic ceremonial procession, also spoke of how she had inspired them.

Harry said: "She was determined to do things without help. She always wanted to walk up steps on her own.

"She was amazing. And she was very interested in everything we did, whether it was school or polo or anything."

William added: "I remember her as being a huge inspiration to me, someone to really look up to and admire.

"She was a historic link. I looked up to her because what an achievement it was to live to 101.

"It was a pleasure to sit next to her at lunch. She always had some great war stories and, to hear them from her, it really brought it all to life, something that happened long before we were born."

The princes also told how they have comforted their distraught father, the Prince of Wales who said he had "dreaded" the death of his grandmother.

William said: "They were very close. She gave him a lot of advice and help."

Harry added: "They always joked about everything. They both had the same sense of humour."

William said his fondest memory of the Queen Mother was being with her on her 101st birthday, August 4, 2001.

"Being with her on her 101st birthday was great," he said. "Standing at the gates with your great-grandmother who is 101 years old as her troops go by was quite something."

He added: "My favourite photograph of us together was a picture of me aged about nine or 10 helping the Queen Mother up the steps at Windsor Castle.

"I remember the moment because she said to me: `Keep doing that for people and you will go a long way in life'."

William also taught his great-grandmother some of the mysteries of modern life.

"I was given a mobile phone for Christmas and showed it to her. I invited her to press a few buttons and it kept blinking and flashing at her, until she put it down and said: `I think I'd better leave that to you'."



 
 
 
 






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