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CNN Live At Daybreak

Queen Mother's Funeral Begins Next Hour

Aired April 09, 2002 - 05:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And the Queen Mother's funeral begins next hour in London's Westminster Abbey. First Lady Laura Bush, royalty and leaders from around the world are attending. Of course CNN will have live coverage for you.

And the funeral procession is scheduled to begin in 10 minutes from now. Let's go back to London for the latest on this historic event.

Let's go back to London for the latest on this historic event. Joining us live is Richard Quest. He is outside Westminster Abbey, where the Queen Mother's funeral will be held -- good morning.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.

A sunny day for a sad occasion, as the mourners and dignitaries arrive for the funeral. The bell you can hear -- the tenor (ph) bell of Westminster Abbey -- which will chime 101 times between now and the start of the funeral service; that, of course, being the Queen Mother's age when she passed away.

Here at Westminster Abbey so far this morning we've seen dignitaries, we've seen members of the aristocracy, we've seen close friends and family of the Queen Mother, including her personal staff, including the page that was so famous, people who have served the Queen Mother for up to half a century. And now we're waiting for the dignitaries, the crowned heads of Europe and Britain's royal family.

Moving just into position, one of the regiments that will be taking part in the procession. The Queen Mother's coffin will be moved from Westminster Hall, where it's laid in state for the past several days, here to Westminster Abbey. It's a distance of pretty much no more than 300 yards, but it will be done with all the pomp and ceremony that Britain can muster.

The coffin will be carried on a gun carriage. It will have pallbearers. It will have the First Battalion and the Irish Guards. And it will be proceeded by more than 160 Scottish pipers of the masked (ph) ranks and piped (ph) band.

The Queen Mother loved piped music. And, indeed, when she was (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the Scottish, the royal family was always woken up by a bagpiper playing the bagpipes outside their windows first thing in the morning. The Italian representatives now arriving here at the -- at Westminster Abbey. The dignitaries starting to arrive in larger numbers -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You know, Richard, I heard a report that since the Queen Mother's death, the popularity of the living royals have gone up.

QUEST: Indeed. I mean the way in which they've the held the decorum of the event -- Carol I just want to show you some of the pomp and ceremony that we are seeing, because this is really what today is all about. Just coming over my right shoulder -- you'll see it in just a second or two -- you have members of the Household Guard, the Queen's Regiment. One of the bands that will be playing during this service now marching past Westminster Abbey.

And these are the sights and sounds that the Queen Mother herself had so much of a say in what she wanted. It's her funeral and she had the last word pretty much on what we're going to see and hear today -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well she did a great job. It's sort of like a celebration of her life too. That's nice.

QUEST: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Richard Quest. We'll catch you later.

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