Politicians recalled for royal tributes

Politicians and peers were recalled to Parliament

Welsh MPs and peers have returned to Westminster to pay their respects to the Queen Mother, who died on Saturday.

In the House of Lords, leader Lord Williams of Mostyn paid an emotional tribute to the life and work of the Queen Mother.

At the VE day anniversary celebrations in 1995

Meanwhile, Welsh Assembly Members are preparing for their first recall to Cardiff Bay for a special plenary session to commemorate the Queen Mother on Thursday morning.

Although there have been demands for a recall before, such as during the foot-and-mouth crisis and following the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York, this is the first time the Assembly has been recalled.

In his message of condolence to the Queen in front of a near-capacity House of Lords, Lord Williams remembered the Queen Mother's contagious personality.

"Her courage was reinforced by boundless charm, perceptiveness enlivened with a bright and sparkling wit and sympathetic consideration to the needs and feelings of others," he said.

He also said it was difficult to imagine this country without her, and stressed her importance to the Queen herself.

"We have lost the Queen Mother, but we need to remind ourselves that Her Majesty the Queen has lost the counsel of a Queen and a mother."

Condolence books

During the simultaneous tributes in the House of Commons, leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party Alex Salmond spoke jointly on behalf of Plaid Cymru.

Mr Salmond said the Queen Mother was the one member of the Royal Family who had the real common touch, and said she will "leave an enormous gap in our public life".

The Welsh Assembly has been recalled for the first time

Tony Blair opened the session, with his eulogy to the Queen Mother in the House of Commons on Wednesday morning.

Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy told BBC Wales: "Although it is sad for the family, it is not tragic when you die at 101 after leading an important life.

"People in Wales are conscious this lady united our country in a very special way."

However, many MPs wanted the chance instead to speak on the escalating violence at Israel's West Bank.

Plaid Cymru's Simon Thomas said that was a "more serious matter" than the Queen Mother's death,

Royal role

Welsh involvement in the funeral preparations will continue on Friday as two soldiers from west Wales will form part of the ceremony moving the Queen Mother's coffin to Westminster Hall.

Regimental Sergeant Major Gary Evans and Sergeant Major Anthony Evans are both from Carmarthenshire.

The two men will walk alongside the gun-carriage bearing the coffin to Westminster Hall, where it will lie in state until the funeral on Tuesday.

They are both members of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, which was named by the Queen Mother's late husband George VI in 1947, and takes a leading part in many ceremonies of state.