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A song with a mountain theme set the tone for the special memorial service for New Zealand's greatest climber.
Chorister Nick Madden took centre stage at the Royal tribute, singing How Beautiful the Mountains.
"I remember when I first arrived, sitting in my stall and looking up every day and seeing his (Sir Ed's) banner there, and a Kiwi on top of his helmet - (I was) very proud," says Madden.
Thousands turned out on Wednesday night's special Royal memorial service for Sir Ed near London.
The service for Sir Ed is held at St George's Chapel in Windsor
Castle.
The chapel took on a Kiwi flavour for the special service for
the Queen to say thanks for the life of Sir Edmund.
The Queen requested that the service be held in the chapel as Sir Ed was one of only 24 Noble Knights of the Garter. The Noble Knights are chosen by the Queen and share a bond in a special year, 1953, the year when Sir Ed conquered Everest and Princess Elizabeth became Queen.
The Queen has invited members of Sir Edmund's family to the service, along with a long list of dignitaries including Prime Minister Helen Clark, Knights of the Garter and other members of the Royal family.
Among those attending will be Sir David Attenborough, actor Sir Ian McKellan and Lady Pippa Blake as well as British based Kiwis Hayley Westenra and former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick.
The Royal family had been criticised for not attending Sir Ed's funeral. However, royal watchers say they were never likely to go.
"With all due respect Sir Edmund was not a head of state, but he was a great explorer and a great member of the Commonwealth," says Dickie Arbiter, a former royal spokesman.
And it appears that even within the stiff protocol that surrounds her Majesty, the Queen and Sir Ed did share something of a bond.
"The Queen doesn't actually have a special relationship with
anybody apart from the family. She has a very cordial relationship,
there are people she has a slightly more cordial relationship than
others and Sir Edmund Hillary was one of those," says
Arbiter.
LIVE STREAM: Click
here to watch Sir Edmund Hillary's Royal memorial from Windsor from
11pm on Wednesday. Video also available after the
service.
The service will also be broadcast LIVE on TV ONE from
10.55pm on Wednesday.
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