People across Oxfordshire have been paying their respects to the Queen Mother, who had strong links with the county.

Worshippers at Easter Morning services remembered her in their prayers, and gave thanks for her long and rich life.

At Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, mourners signed a book of condolence opened by the diocese of Oxford.

The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev Richard Harries, was among the first to offer his sympathies to the Royal Family and to pay tribute to the Queen Mother's enduring charm and sense of duty.

He said: "Millions of people are grateful to the Queen Mother for her warm smile, her dignity and the way she selflessly did her duty. We remember her key role as wife of King George VI, and her long years of service to the country after his sad and early death.

"She was associated with a whole range of causes and in a good number of them she took a keen personal interest. She was much loved, and she will be greatly missed.

"Our sympathy goes out at this time to Her Majesty the Queen, her children, and to all the other members of the Royal Family."

Oxford Diocesan spokesman, the Rev Richard Thomas, said: "She was mentioned in every church in the diocese.

"The whole country will miss her, but in a different way to Princess Diana or Princess Margaret, as she lived a full and rich life. Although there is a sense of loss, there is also a feeling of thanksgiving that she lived as long as she did.

"It was strikingly apposite that she died on Easter Saturday. She was a great Christian and died at a time when the church is giving thanks for Christ's victory over death, which meant we were able to give thanks for her life as part of the service."

Between 12.30pm and 1pm on Easter Sunday, six ringers sounded Old Tom, the bell housed in Tom Tower which overlooks over St Aldates and which forms an imposing entrance to Christ Church.

Old Tom, which weighs seven tons, is second only in size to the bell in Westminster Abbey. It is tolled only on special occasions -- the death of a monarch or a dean of the college. The one exception was last September when it was tolled in memory of the victims of the World Trade Centre terrorist attack in New York.

The Queen Mother was also remembered by the hundreds of people she met during her frequent visits to the county. Among them were the staff and patients at Didcot Community Hospital, who met her during her visit in 1989.

She visited the hospital to show her support for the League of Friends' Golden Jubilee Appeal for a £150,000 extension to the occupational therapy department.

The former head of the physiotherapy department, Mavis Gotch, 73, of Chambrai Close, Appleford, said she would be particularly missed by all those who met her.

She said: "She was wonderful. She walked around and spoke to all the patients. Most were elderly and remembered her from the war, and absolutely loved it.

"She must have made endless Royal visits, but she made people feel it was a pleasure."

The Queen's representative in Oxfordshire, the Lord Lieutenant Hugo Brunner, met her on three occasions, including a private lunch with friends in Oxfordshire.

He said: "She was a great lady. She had tremendous charm but also served her country for many years -- during the Second World War in particular, but also through her work as president and patron of many organisations."

He added: "She had many friends in Oxfordshire. She was easy to talk to, had plenty to say about herself, and was very good company indeed. She was greatly loved by all sorts of people, whether they had met her or not.

"When such a person dies, people will feel very sad, but I think they will also recognise that she had a long and satisfying life.

"It is sad for the Queen who has lost a sister and mother in the matter of a few weeks, and we offer Her Majesty our sympathies."

But he said the summer's Golden Jubilee celebrations would be the perfect opportunity to remember the Queen Mother's life.

He said: "The Queen Mother saw the Queen through her first 50 years, and lived to see her anniversary in February.

"Clearly there will be a pause for reflection and mourning, but then life will continue, and several weeks later we will have the Oxfordshire Jubilee Festival. Her death won't impair the celebrations in the least. She will be drawn into the event through people's memories."

One of her close friends was Henrietta Knight, who trains horses at West Lockinge Farm, near Wantage, close to Lambourn where the Queen Mother's horses are trained.

The Queen Mother's last visit to the county, and one of her last appointments away from the Royal Households, was for the funeral of Miss Knight's mother Hesta Knight, of Lockinge Manor, who died last year, aged 80.

The funeral at Lockinge church was the first non-Royal funeral attended by the Queen Mother for about 50 years.

Miss Knight said: "She was a lovely person. She was a great friend of my mother and at her funeral she walked up the church aisle beside me. It was very moving."

Miss Knight, 55, who trained this year's Cheltenham Tote Gold Cup winner, Best Mate, met the Queen Mother last month at a cocktail party before the races, at her home in the Royal Lodge at Windsor.

She said: "She was quite amazing and, even though she was obviously frail and found it difficult to stand up, she stood and talked to everyone. Her mind was as lively as ever.

"She adored racing and racing people. She loved animals and always used to go and see her horses in Lambourn.

"When my horse won the Gold Cup I rang her up and spoke to her. She followed my horses carefully and always asked about them."

She added: "She was always the warmest of people, who immediately put you at ease and spoke to everyone whether they were high or low up in society. You would never think she had once been Queen as she was so easy-going. She was a wonderful lady."

The former Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Sir Ashley Ponsonby, 81, of Grimsdyke Farm, Woodleys, Woodstock, met the Queen Mother about 12 times before retiring from the position in 1996.

He said: "I don't know anyone who could put you at your ease so much. I first met her at Ascot, and I have never had such an enjoyable conversation with anyone as I had with her.

"Her great appeal was that she was the same as everyone else. She had a great sense of humour and saw the funny side of lots of things.

"She came down to Oxford quite a lot, and had a great affection for it, particularly the colleges."

Among her links with the county were her ties to Oxford University, particularly All Souls College, and Queen's College, where she was Patroness.

A spokesman said the university was now in a period of official mourning.

She said: "She has been an active supporter of the work of the university for many years, and we will mourn her passing."

Representatives from the colleges will be attending a commemorative service, which is to be held either at Christ Church Cathedral or at St Mary's Church.

The Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Keith Mitchell, said: "She was a terrific, larger than life, lady.

"She had 101 good years. She went through the War, supported her husband in a job he didn't expect, and provided a marvellous example of service.

"I'm sure people in Oxfordshire will be greatly saddened. She had lots of friends and contacts here.

"She was a great fan of horse racing and people in many stables in the south of the county had lots of affection for her."

He added: "My thoughts are primarily with the Queen, her children and grandchildren, who will miss her desperately."