The date for Princess Margaret’s funeral has been confirmed as February 15. A private service for family and friends will be held at 3pm in St George’s Chapel, Windsor, where her father, King George VI, was also laid to rest. A memorial service is to take place at a later date, although the details have yet to be announced.
The Royal Family will mark the period of official mourning by adopting dark clothing until the day of the funeral. Royal engagements, however, including the Queen’s official tour of Jamaica, New Zealand and Australia which is scheduled to begin on February 18, will be unaffected.
An official book of condolences is to be available to members of the public at St James's Palace from 9am on Sunday. Members of Margaret’s immediate family, including her children, Lord Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto, gathered at Kensington Palace on Saturday, as the hearse bearing her body made its way to her former home. Draped in the Princess’s personal blue and crimson standard and topped with a wreath of white lilies, the coffin was driven from King Edward VII Hospital in London, where the Princess passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning.
According to a Palace spokesman, it is to remain there for the next few days to allow Royal Family members and the Princess’ close friends “to pay their respects”. It will then be moved to the Queen’s Chapel at St James’s Palace until the day before the funeral.
The death of Princess Margaret will come as a particularly bitter blow to the Queen Mother, who at the age of 101 has outlived her younger child. The royal matriarch was alone at Sandringham, apart from a small entourage of ladies-in-waiting, when news of her daughter's death broke, as the Queen had already returned to Windsor. All the more tragic is the fact that the centenarian had not seen Margaret since the Princess left the Norfolk estate early in January to return to Kensington Palace. The two had, however, stayed in close touch by telephone over the last few weeks.
Following the announcement of the Princess’ demise, the Duke of Edinburgh, who was taking part in an annual shooting party at nearby Wood Farm, immediately rushed to comfort his mother-in-law. Prince Charles, who was staying with friends in Derbyshire, also travelled to Sandringham to be at his grandmother’s side. Royal Protection Officer Sergeant Graham Hazel told reporters: “I’m not sure how long Charles is staying... I have not spoken to the Queen Mother today, but of course she has been informed of what has happened.” It is still not known whether the Queen Mother, who has been suffering from a persistent chesty cold, will be well enough to attend the funeral. A spokesman for the Queen said she would spend Saturday privately at Windsor Castle. Princess Anne, who is in Antarctica on a three-day trip to commemorate Captain Scott's first Antarctic expedition, has been told of her aunt’s death.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Princess Margaret's children, Lady Sarah Chatto and Lord Linley (above), along with other family members, gathered at Kensington Palace in the wake of their mother's death
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Lady Sarah and her brother were at their mother's hospital bedside when she passed away
