Northern Ireland’s political leaders pay tribute to Queen Mother

Tributes have been paid to the Queen Mother at the Northern Ireland Assembly, which was recalled from their Easter recess as a mark of respect.

The speaker, Lord Alderdice, opened the session and called for a minute’s silence in memory of the Queen Mother, who died at the weekend.

Tributes were then paid by the First and Deputy First Ministers, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble and Mark Durkan who leads the nationalist SDLP.

Speaking in the chamber on Thursday April 4, Mr Durkan said: “The Queen Mother was clearly a remarkable woman of great character and sense of duty who carried out her role with dedication, commitment and great dignity.”

Reverend Ian Paisley spoke on behalf of the Democratic Unionist Party.

Representatives of several other smaller parties also paid tribute to the Queen Mother. However, Sinn Fein members were not present in the Assembly chamber.

Books of condolence have been opened at Belfast City Hall and at Londonderry's Guildhall, Craigavon Civic Centre and Hillsborough Castle, County Down.

On Tuesday, the Queen Mother's coffin arrived at St James's Palace in London after it was escorted from Windsor. The Queen Mother's coffin will remain at the chapel until Friday, when a ceremonial procession involving 1,700 servicemen and women will see it taken the mile to Westminster Hall, where it will lie in state.

(AMcE)