Hillary Clinton fondly recalls time spent with Queen Elizabeth II

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday described the Queen Elizabeth II she knew, calling her "an engaging and lively conversationalist."

The queen died last week at the age of 96.

Speaking of her on CNN's "State of the Union," Clinton added: "She asked great questions. She was interested in what was going on in the United States, elsewhere in the world."

Clinton also said she appreciated the queen's warmth and sense of humor and fondly recalled time spent on a royal yacht with her during commemorations for the 50th anniversary of D-Day in 1994. Clinton's husband, Bill Clinton, was one of 13 presidents with whom the queen met during her long reign, starting with President Harry S. Truman.

The former first lady also said that she admired the queen's dedication to her obligations.

"I admired her devotion to duty and her sense of obligation to the people of her nation," she said, "and she was never wavering from what she said when she first became a very young queen."

Host Dana Bash asked Clinton if the two had ever discussed what it was like to be a female leader in a world full of so many male presidents and prime ministers.

"I can't say that I talked at any length," she said. "Sometimes there would be, you know, a wry exchange about how, as a woman leader, you always had to have your hair done. Of course, she always looked perfect, unlike some of us. She had a sense of style that really stayed with her."