THE Dean of Canterbury has spoken of his personal sense of loss over the Queen Mother's death at a special thanksgiving service in the Cathedral.

During his address, the Very Rev Robert Willis told the congregation of between 500 and 600 people on Sunday: "I know she embodied for me all the best qualities of my parents' generation - a generation which had fought through such difficult times. Somehow she had given us encouragement also. I felt sad that that encouragement was gone. She will be dearly missed."

The service attracted members of Canterbury's civic team, as well as representatives from the Army and from Kent and Canterbury Hospital. Brig Maurice Atherton, the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Kent, also attended in place of the Lord Lieutenant, Allan Willett, who is out of the country.

Cathedral spokesman Chris Robinson said: "We certainly had more people than we usually would at evensong. This was a special service in a number of ways. The hymns were for thanksgiving, and we concluded the service with the National Anthem. The Dean would not normally give an address at evensong."

The second hymn sung was Crimond's The Lord's My Shepherd, which, as the Dean told the congregation, was made popular by the Queen Mother when she chose it for her wedding.

After the service mourners were invited to sign a book of condolence.