Queen Mum won 'respec' of Princes

Fans of Ali G will be impressed. The Queen Mum, it has emerged, did a wicked impression of him.

Prince William and Prince Harry have recalled how their great-grandmother impersonated the Jewish comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's Ali G, a white man pretending to be a black gangsta.

The fictional Ali G resides in Staines, southwest London, and is the star of his own television show, which has screened in New Zealand.

Baron Cohen's character has achieved cult status in Britain and is the subject of a new movie, Ali G Indahouse.

William and Harry gave a rare interview on Friday at their home in St James's Palace after returning from their sombre march behind the Queen Mother's coffin.

William recalled the day his great-grandmother learned how to mimic Ali G's now-famous snap of the fingers followed by a heavily accented "Respec".

"It was two or three Christmases ago [at Sandringham], and we were sitting down watching Ali G on TV," said William, 19.

"We were laughing when she came in. She couldn't understand what was going on, so we explained to her what he was doing.

"She saw Ali G click his fingers and say 'Respec', and Harry and I showed her what to do.

"She loved it, and after three goes she had it.

"Later that day, we were all in the dining room, having Christmas lunch, when she tried it out."

Harry, 17, said: "It was at the end of the meal, and she stood up and said: 'Darling, lunch was marvellous - respec', and clicked her fingers."

The family burst out laughing.

William said: "She had such a young sense of humour. Every single thing that went wrong or was funny for any reason, she laughed herself stupid about it - it kept us all sane.

"She was a historic link. I look up to her because what an achievement it was to live to 101 ...

"She always had some great war stories and, to hear them from her, it really brought it all to life."

Harry commented: "She was determined to do things without help. She always wanted to walk up steps on her own."

William remembered lunch with his great-grandmother last September - the first day he went to St Andrews University in Scotland.

"As she said goodbye, she said: 'Any good parties, invite me down'," William recalled. "I said yes, but there was no way. I knew ... she would dance me under the table."

- INDEPENDENT

Feature: The Queen Mother 1900-2002