THE people of Cornwall have this week been remembering Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

All over the county Union Flags are at half mast as Cornwall joins the rest of the country in a week of national mourning following the Queen Mother's death at Royal Lodge, Windsor, at the age of 101, on Easter Saturday, March 30.

The flags are to be seen on council buildings, including the headquarters of Caradon Council, The Duchy Office based in Liskeard, on church towers, and also in villages.

At St Cleer the local Royal British Legion have draped the Union Flag next to the war memorial – an indication of the deep respect for the woman who as Queen during the Second World War, was an inspiration to everyone.

Accompanying King George VI she travelled to Liskeard by train in 1942 and then by car to Stoke Climsland where she inspected the Home Guard.

Happy visits

But even though there is sadness there has also been much joy in the recollection of the Queen Mother's happy visits to the county, and in particular to South East Cornwall.

In 1950 she came as Queen to the Royal Cornwall Show when it was held at Callington, accompanied by the young Princess Margaret, and again in 1959, as the Queen Mother, when it returned to neighbouring Liskeard. Her third visit to the show was in 1985 at its now permanent home in Wadebridge.

There was also the momentous occasion when she officially opened the Tamar Bridge in April 1962, and in 1967 she paid another visit to Stoke Climsland.

Tributes to the Queen Mother have been pouring in from all over Cornwall. South East Cornwall MP Colin Breed said: 'This is a very sad event for the whole nation. The Queen Mother was an inspirational figure to many, and regardless of generation she continually managed to warm hearts wherever she went. A determined and formidable leader who led the nation through the war into peace, and was the cornerstone of the royal family right up to her death.'

Pelynt's Jim Philp, chair of Cornwall Council said: 'She was a truly remarkable woman who was much loved and respected. She provided a sense of continuity, stability and leadership, and will be greatly missed by both the Royal Family and the whole nation.'

Sir Ray Tindle, proprietor of the Cornish Times in paying tribute, said: 'I am sure all readers will join with this newspaper's executives and staff in expressing our sadness at the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and our gratitude for all that she did for this country, especially during the dark days of the Second World War.'

On Monday Prince Charles, the Duke of Cornwall, paid a moving tribute to his beloved grandmother which spoke not only for himself but for the whole nation. He ended by saying: 'Her departure has left an irreplaceable chasm in countless lives but, thank God, we are all the richer for the sheer joy of her presence'.