The text of a statement by Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson on the death of the Queen Mother:

"Since her first trip to Canada in 1939, Canadians have all sensed that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was one of us. Her royal title could not eclipse her enormous warmth, joie de vivre, and good humour. We responded with heartfelt affection and respect. I felt this deeply in the autumn of 2000 when I was honoured to recognize the Queen Mother as a Companion of the Order of Canada.

In Canada, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was a vital presence in many of our institutions and organizations. She was Colonel-in-Chief of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, The Toronto Scottish Regiment, and the Canadian Forces Medical Services.

The Queen Mother was the grand president of the Victorian Order of Nurses in Canada, an honorary member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, and the patron of many national organizations including the Canadian Red Cross Society.

Today, we mourn the passing of the Queen Mother and we celebrate her long and remarkable life. The century of her lifespan was shaken with radical and sometimes violent change, but through every upheaval, she exemplified courageous devotion to duty. Refusing to abandon her compatriots by evacuating to North America during the blitz of World War Two, she inspired not only Great Britain but also its allies.

The death of the Queen Mother marks the end of an era. We offer, at this time, our deepest sympathy to Her Majesty the Queen and to the Royal Family. We join in sorrow our friends throughout the Commonwealth who, like us, will miss the Queen Mother and all that her extraordinary character added to this century and the last."