Britain mourns Princess Margaret

LONDON -- Britons lined up at St. James's Palace Sunday to sign condolence books for Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II's vivacious younger sister who died at 71. \nPeople also were encouraged to leave messages on the royal family's Web site in memory of the princess who, in the words of her nephew Prince Charles, "loved life and lived it to the full." \nMany of those paying their respects at the palace said Margaret's independent streak had set her apart from other members of the royal family. \n"She was a colorful character, not much older than myself, added a bit of spice to life with her scandals," said Anthea Mander Lahr, 57. \nMargaret, who had been ill for months, died early Saturday at London's King Edward VII Hospital after suffering a stroke and having heart problems. \nShe was remembered at church services across the country Sunday. \nHer mother, the 101-year-old Queen Mother Elizabeth, prayed with her grandson Prince Charles at a private service in the chapel of the royal family's Sandringham estate in eastern England. She has been fighting a bad cold and has not appeared in public recently. \nWhile Queen Elizabeth remained at Windsor Castle, her husband Prince Philip worshipped at St. Mary Magdalene Church near Sandringham. \nPrime Minister Tony Blair also praised Margaret's commitment to duty. \n"They work…very hard for us, the royal family, and the single common theme that I think runs throughout their lives is this idea that they owe a duty of service to the people they lead," he told Sky News. "I know from the conversations I had with (Margaret) she felt that deeply too." \nMargaret's coffin was taken to her home at Kensington Palace, where Buckingham Palace said it would rest for several days, to permit family and close friends to pay their respects. \nThe princess's death, after several years of poor health, was marked by moments of silence and flags flown at half mast, but there was little of the outpouring of grief that followed the death of Princess Diana in 1997. \n"It is a changed era from when she was young and vital, and I suppose there's not so much interest in royalty today," said John Fellowes, a 66-year-old Australian who stopped to sign a condolence book at St. James's Palace. \nMany Sunday newspapers published special sections paying tribute to Margaret -- most focused on her trouble finding love after she chose as a young woman not to marry an air force captain because he'd been divorced. \nSeveral papers compared the handful of bouquets placed outside Kensington Palace to the thousands left there when Diana died. \nThe royal family began a period of official mourning and canceled social engagements, but the queen is expected to go ahead with official duties before Margaret's funeral Friday, and her visits to Jamaica, New Zealand and Australia later this month are scheduled to go ahead as planned. \nPresident Bush, one of many world leaders to express condolences, praised Margaret as "a proud mother and grandmother." \nMargaret's private funeral will be held Friday at 3 p.m. in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.