Princes recall vivacious, irreverent Queen Mother

LONDON -- As thousands of Britons paid last respects to the Queen Mother Elizabeth, Princes William and Harry recalled their great-grandmother as a vivacious and inspirational figure who loved "a good giggle," often at her own expense, and once left them howling at her impersonation of a satirical hip-hop comedian.

In a rare interview, the two princes provided a vivid glimpse of their relationship with the royal matriarch and unusual insight into the domestic life of Britain's royals.

"She had such a young sense of humor. Every single thing that went wrong or was funny for any reason, she laughed herself stupid about it -- it kept us all sane," 19-year-old William told the Press Association news agency.

The boys remembered how she once astonished them and their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, by mimicking the spoof hip-hop character Ali G at a Christmas lunch. After the Queen Mother finished eating, she thanked her daughter, the queen, by snapping her fingers in imitation of the TV character and blurting his catchphrase, "Respec'."

The Queen Mother was 101 when she died last Saturday. More than 50,000 mourners queued up this weekend on both sides of the River Thames to pay their respects as her coffin lay in state in Westminster Hall. Her funeral is Tuesday at Westminster Abbey.

The teen-age princes spoke at York House, their home in St. James's Palace, moments after returning from marching behind the Queen Mother's coffin in her cortege on Friday.