Funeral Day Newspapers

"Never before, in the long and anguished history of the human race," says the Express, "has anyone been mourned as Diana is today. Never has there been such an aching sense of loss. Never have so many people of every creed, colour and race come together in grief."

The Daily Mail believes the death of the Princess has united the whole nation in a way unmatched in recent history. London is bracing itself for the funeral of the century, according to The Guardian.

The Daily Telegraph believes it is the character, rather than the scale of the grief which has been unique. The Times believes the world has suffered an irreparable loss.

There are many attempts to analyse the personal grief and pain being felt by so many. The Sun notes that people who have never been to church are drawn to prayer. "We should all feel humble in the sight of God," the paper says. "When such an overwhelming blow is struck to the nation's emotions, it is significant that it is to Him that so many people turn."

Yesterday's arrival of the Royal Family among the mourners thronging the streets of London receives widespread admiration. There are particularly warm words for the way Prince William and Prince Harry conducted themselves outside Kensington Palace.

The Telegraph says it produced some of the most heart-rending moments of the week, the boys' maturity profoundly affecting many of those present or watching on television. The paper says yesterday's moving scenes suggested the Royal Family had been successful in their most important task - helping the young princes cope with their loss.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are also praised for their walkabouts yesterday afternoon. "It was potentially one of the most difficult days of the Queen's reign," says the Mail, "but within the space of a few minutes, with the Duke of Edinburgh at her side, she lifted the cloud of tension."

The Independent believes the Royal Family have gone a long way towards recapturing the hearts of the nation. The paper describes how they mixed with mourners, reducing many to tears, as they surveyed the vast carpets of flowers that had been laid the the royal palaces.

Most of the papers print the full text of yesterday's special message to the nation by the Queen, which according to the Telegraph marked a watershed.

The Independent says the Queen was dignified and her words were generous. The Daily Star describes it as an emotional speech in which the Queen opened her heart, though THE GUARDIAN expresses misgivings.

There are also tributes to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who died on Friday, with many references to the friendship and mutual admiration between her and the Princess of Wales.

The Daily Telegraph recalls how the Albanian-born, Catholic nun came to be world-renowned. While on assignment, the late broadcaster, Malcolm Muggeridge, was asked to find "an Indian female, a nun of sorts, someone doing some good works in Calcutta" to feature in a dcoumentary. He found Mother Teresa, then 59, and the resulting film, Something Beautiful for God, made her a household name. The Telegraph says she leaves two saris and the bucket she used for washing.