Hannah Tomes Hannah Tomes

Queen Elizabeth II: in tributes

Credit: Buckingham Palace

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died this afternoon at Balmoral, the royal family confirmed. The gravity of the news has been felt across the world, with leaders offering words of sympathy – and reflecting on a reign that spanned 70 years.

The first of the tributes came from her son Charles – the new King. He wrote, in a statement released by Buckingham Palace:

‘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. 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. 

‘During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.’

Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was installed in her position by the Queen on Tuesday, spoke outside Downing Street this afternoon. She said:

‘We are all devastated by the news we have just heard from Balmoral. The death of Her Majesty the Queen is a huge shock to the nation and to the world. Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her. She ascended the throne just after the Second World War. Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed. She was the very spirit of Great Britain – and that spirit will endure. She has been our longest-ever reigning monarch. It is an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years.’

She seemed so timeless and so wonderful that I am afraid we had come to believe, like children, that she would just go on and on.

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