Queen heartbreak: royal family funeral risked derailment

The Queen suffered the loss of her younger sister, Princess Margaret, and the Queen Mother in quick succession in 2002. When faced with the prospect of holding a funeral for her mother, Her

Majesty was warned public participation could be minimal due to her relationship with Britons still recovering after the death of Princess Diana nearly five years earlier. Speaking to

Channel 5's documentary 'The Queen's Speeches: In Triumph & Tragedy,' former spin doctor Alastair Campbell admitted the Government had been concerned about the impact

past backlash would have on the Queen Mother's last goodbye. Mr Campbell, who was part of Number 10's media team when both the Princess of Wales and the Queen Mother died, said:

"I can remember at one of my morning meetings, there was a discussion about just how much we thought the public would engage in this." But despite concerns about the public not

wanting to pay tribute to the Queen Mother, hundreds of people headed to London to say goodbye at Westminster Hall. Reacting to the overwhelming response from the British public, the Queen

delivered a rare message to the nation thanking everyone for the "love and respect" they had shown to her late mother in both life and death. Mr Campbell continued: "She

talked about things that were deeply personal but in a way that was designed to reflect and relate to the fact that other people had those feelings at times of death and grieving as well.

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speech was delivered from Windsor Castle, believed to be one of Her Majesty's favourite residences as well as the final home to the Queen Mother. Royal commentator Emily Andrews noted

the location of the filming was in itself a tribute to the late Queen. Ms Andrews said: "It’s filmed at Windsor Castle and the Queen Mum was living at that time at Royal Lodge. "In

fact, in the background of the shot to the left of the Queen is the Long Walk going out of Windsor Castle. If you go straight down the Long Walk, you’d have ended up at the Queen Mother’s

house." READ MORE: PRINCE HARRY REVEALS 'LIFE HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY' AS HE MAKES EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT Speaking from the Chinese dining-room at Buckingham Palace the day

after her return, the Queen was filmed sitting in front of an open window overlooking the Victoria Memorial where thousands had assembled to hear her speech. Former press secretary to the

Queen Dickie Arbiter said: "The idea behind doing it from the Chinese dining room was that it gave access to the mood beyond the walls of the Palace. "There was no separation

between monarch and mourners." And royal commentator Katie Nicholl added: "For a monarch who had seemed remote and distant, and who had risked alienating her subjects, she was

bringing them back in. "The speech was considered a defining moment in the Queen’s reign. Up until that moment, we had never heard the Queen deliver such an emotional and personal

speech."