Royals say farewell to Margaret

The private service at St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle was attended by about 450 of the princess's friends, family and staff.

The Queen Mother managed to be there despite her frail health, arriving at the chapel in a wheelchair through the north nave door that was not visible to the public.

Several thousand people gathered in the streets around Windsor Castle to pay their respects.

'Thoughtful' messages

The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and his sons William and Harry were among the principal mourners.

Others included Princess Margaret's children Lord Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto and their spouses, and her former husband Lord Snowdon.

In a statement released through Kensington Palace Margaret's children thanked members of the public for their "thoughtful" messages of condolence and their kindness.

They said: "These messages and floral tributes have meant a great deal, and they have been deeply appreciated."

More than 30 other members of the Royal Family in attendance included Princess Anne, with her husband and children, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

The princess's former landscape gardener boyfriend Roddy Llewellyn attended, as did celebrities including Dame Judy Dench, Bryan Forbes and his wife Nanette Newman, Dame Cleo Laine and Felicity Kendall.

Low-key service

The order of service, understood to have been chosen by Princess Margaret, began with Psalm 23: The Lord Is My Shepherd, sung by the choir.

The princess's son, Lord Linley, read the Lesson from Romans 8.

The service was conducted by the Dean of Windsor with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Eight soldiers from Margaret's own regiment, Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment, the 1st Battalion Royal Highland Fusiliers, acted as the princess's pallbearers.

The princess was Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment since its inception in 1959.

A piper of the Royal Highland Fusiliers played a lament as the coffin was carried to the waiting hearse outside.

The procession leaving the chapel was led by the head of the Queen's Household, Lord Chamberlain Lord Luce, the Verger and the Dean of Windsor who preceded the bearer party.

Crematorium

Walking immediately behind the coffin were the principal mourners, Lord and Lady Linley, Lady Sarah and Daniel Chatto, followed by the Queen, Prince Philip, and other members of the Princess's family.

The Queen Mother did not join the royal procession as she could not negotiate the steep steps at the chapel's west door. Instead, she left through the north-east door.

The princess's body was taken to Slough Crematorium, eight miles away.

Margaret had said she wanted to be cremated in a simple, private service, at which no friends or family would be present.

Accordingly, the hearse was followed to the crematorium by a car carrying just the Dean of Windsor, the Princess's private secretary, Viscount Ullswater, and a senior representative from the Lord Chamberlain's Office at Buckingham Palace.

The princess's ashes will later be placed in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel.

The 101-year-old Queen Mother made the journey from Sandringham to Windsor by helicopter on Thursday afternoon.

Queen Mother

There had been doubts whether she would be able to make the journey after she fell, cutting her arm.

She had been at Sandringham since before Christmas and has not been seen in public since November after suffering a bad cold and chesty cough.

But she was said to have been in "good heart" and feeling much better after spending the night at her home in Royal Lodge, Windsor Great Park.

Princess Margaret died on Saturday at the age of 71, after suffering a stroke which led to heart problems.