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.
“There are few things that are emotional to people than the loss of a mother.”
The special 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.”
Similar attention to details had been paid five years earlier when the Queen delivered another message to the nation following growing public dissent in the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death.
Once news of Diana’s tragic accident reached the Royal Family, Prince Charles rushed to Paris where his former wife died.
But the Queen and Prince Philip chose to remain in Balmoral, where they had headed for their annual summer holidays, with their grandsons William and Harry.
The decision to stay in Scotland sparked widespread consternation and anger among the British public, who demanded their Queen return to London to mourn Diana with them.
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.”