Queen Elizabeth II death: World leaders react
LONDON — World leaders and royals offered tributes to Queen Elizabeth II, after Britain’s longest-serving monarch died Thursday at age 96.
The queen died “peacefully” at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the British royal family said.
She was last photographed on Tuesday during the appointment of Liz Truss as prime minister of the United Kingdom.
Truss, former British prime ministers and other current and former world leaders who served during Elizabeth II’s 70-year-reign paid tribute to the queen, who was the world’s second-longest reigning monarch of all time.
Britain’s King Charles III
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” Elizabeth’s son and the new British king said in a statement.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss
“Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built,” Truss said. “Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her.”
“Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed,” she continued. “She was the very spirit of Great Britain – and that spirit will endure. She has been our longest-ever reigning monarch.”
U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era,” the Bidens said in a statement. “In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.”
They continued: “In the years ahead, we look forward to continuing a close friendship with The King and The Queen Consort. Today, the thoughts and prayers of people all across the United States are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
“It was with the heaviest of hearts that we learned of the passing of Canada’s longest-reigning Sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” Trudeau wrote in a tweet. “She was a constant presence in our lives – and her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country’s history.”
“As we look back at her life and her reign that spanned so many decades, Canadians will always remember and cherish Her Majesty’s wisdom, compassion, and warmth. Our thoughts are with the members of the Royal Family during this most difficult time.”
French President Emmanuel Macron
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II embodied the British…