Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Princess Margaret Dead at 71

Aired February 09, 2002 - 09:10   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: British Prime Minister Tony Blair offered his condolences to the royal family today after hearing of Princess Margaret's death. Hundreds of Britons have lined up outside Buckingham Palace to pay their respects, and that's where we find CNN's Richard Quest.

Hello, Richard.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

You know, it'll be the older generation of Britons that'll most mourn the passing of Princess Margaret. They will be the ones that'll remember the princess as she was, the party princess, the beautiful woman who took so much of London society by storm.

This morning in London, many of those people did gather, both at the palace, Buckingham Palace here, and at Kensington Palace, where the princess had her royal apartments and where she lived.

The British prime minister, who is in Africa, Tony Blair, paid his respects, paid tribute to the princess and condolences to the royal family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I know the whole country will be deeply saddened by Princess Margaret's death. She will be remember with a lot of affection. Before she was ill in the last few years, she gave a great deal of service to the country, and our thoughts are obviously with the queen, with the queen mother, and with all the royal family at this difficult time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: The queen mother has been informed of the death, and she is said to be deeply saddened. The queen spent most of the morning here at Buckingham Palace. She's now back at Windsor Castle helping to make arrangements for the funeral.

Finally, Miles, the size and scale of the grief for this death will be nowhere near what it was for Diana, Princess of Wales, but that shouldn't ignore the fact that someone who has been part of British life for 50 or 60 years, a core part of the public life of this nation, has now passed away. And many people will mourn that passing -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Richard Quest at Buckingham Palace. Thank you very much. Princess Margaret, dead at the age of 71.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com