London ? Britons lined up Sunday at St. James’s Palace to sign condolence books for Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II’s vivacious younger sister who died at age 71.

People also were encouraged to leave messages on the royal family’s Web site in memory of the princess who, in the words of her nephew Prince Charles, “loved life and lived it to the full.”

Flowers are left in tribute to Princess Margaret outside Kensington Palace, her London home. The princess, Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister, died Saturday.

Many of those paying their respects at the palace said Margaret’s independent streak had set her apart from other members of the royal family.

“She was a colorful character, not much older than myself, added a bit of spice to life with her scandals,” said Anthea Mander Lahr, 57.

Margaret, who had been ill for months, died early Saturday at London’s King Edward VII Hospital after suffering a stroke and heart problems.

She was remembered at church services across the country Sunday.

Her mother, the 101-year-old Queen Mother Elizabeth, prayed with her grandson Prince Charles at a private service in the chapel of the royal family’s Sandringham estate in eastern England. She has been fighting a bad cold and has not appeared in public recently.

	www.royal.gov.uk

While Queen Elizabeth remained at Windsor Castle, her husband Prince Philip worshipped at St. Mary Magdalene Church near Sandringham.

Prime Minister Tony Blair also praised Margaret’s commitment to duty.

“They work … very hard for us, the royal family, and the single common theme that I think runs throughout their lives is this idea that they owe a duty of service to the people they lead,” he told Sky News. “I know from the conversations I had with (Margaret) she felt that deeply, too.”

Margaret’s coffin was taken to her home at Kensington Palace, where Buckingham Palace said it would rest for several days, to permit family and close friends to pay their respects.

The princess’s death, after several years of poor health, was marked by moments of silence and flags flown at half-staff, but there was little of the outpouring of grief that followed the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

“It is a changed era from when she was young and vital, and I suppose there’s not so much interest in royalty today,” said John Fellowes, a 66-year-old Australian who stopped to sign a condolence book at St. James’s Palace.

Many Sunday newspapers published special sections paying tribute to Margaret most focused on her trouble finding love after she chose as a young woman not to marry an air force captain because he’d been divorced.

Several papers compared the handful of bouquets placed outside Kensington Palace to the thousands left there when Diana died.

The royal family began a period of official mourning and canceled social engagements, but the queen is expected to go ahead with official duties before Margaret’s funeral on Friday, and her visits to Jamaica, New Zealand and Australia later this month are scheduled to go ahead as planned.

President Bush, one of many world leaders to express condolences, praised Margaret as “a proud mother and grandmother.”

Margaret’s private funeral will be at 3 p.m. Friday in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.