World leaders and dignitaries have paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who died yesterday at age 96.
Tomorrow, Saturday, will see senior members of the UK Parliament take the oath to King Charles III from 14:00.
The world leaders, including Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, honoured her deep sense of duty and her resilience, as well as the Queen’s sense of humour and kindness.
In a statement, the President acknowledged the Queen’s contributions to the transformation of the Commonwealth of Nations.
“As Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, she superintended over the dramatic transformation of the Union and steered it to pay greater attention to our shared values and better governance. She was the rock that kept the organisation sturdy and true to its positive beliefs.”
More Read
“We shall miss her inspiring presence, her calm, her steadiness, and, above all, her great love and belief in the higher purpose of the Commonwealth of Nations, and in its capacity to be a force for good in our world,” said the President describing the Queen as a “cherished and revered monarch” who will be sorely missed.
The President has directed that all official flags in the nation fly at half-mast for seven (7) days, as from today, Friday, 9th September, to mark her passing.
The Queen died at Balmoral, aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.
Her family gathered at her Scottish estate after concerns grew about her health earlier on yesterday, Thursday, September 8, 2022.
Ex-President John Dramani Mahama in a post on Facebook wrote it is “Sad to hear the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. She carried her royal duties with grace, poise & dignity. An icon of pride not only to the British people but the Commonwealth. Our hearts go out to King Charles III and the Royal Family. May God grant her peaceful repose.
France’s Emmanuel Macron led the tributes, remembering “a kind-hearted queen” who was “a friend of France”.
And former US President Barack Obama said the Queen had “captivated the world” with a “reign defined by grace, elegance and a tireless work ethic”.
“Time and again, we were struck by her warmth, the way she put people at ease, and how she brought her considerable humour and charm to moments of great pomp and circumstance,” Mr Obama, who met the Queen on several occasions, said in a statement.
Current US President Joe Biden – who first met Her Majesty 40 years ago – described her as “more than a monarch – she defined an era”.
Remembering his visit to the UK in 2021 as president, Mr Biden said “she charmed us with her wit, moved us with her kindness, and generously shared with us her wisdom”.
Speaking outside Downing Street yesterday, the UK Prime Minister Liz Truss said Queen Elizabeth left a “great legacy”.
She reflected on being appointed as PM by the Queen on Tuesday, paying tribute to the monarch’s dedication and commitment to her constitutional duties.
In the difficult days ahead we will come together with our friends across the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the world to celebrate her extraordinary lifetime of service”, UK Prime Minister said.
The Queen ruled for longer than any other monarch in British history. She carried out hundreds of official engagements annually – with more than 400 in some years.
These included hosting heads of state in the UK, opening new sessions of Parliament, presenting citizens with awards and attending official ceremonies such as Trooping the Colour, her official birthday parade.
She also travelled more widely than any other monarch – visiting more than 120 countries – and was patron of more than 600 charities and organisations.
UK MPs will have an opportunity to pay tribute to the Queen in the House of Commons today.
They will sit from midday in a session that’s due to last until 22:00.
There’ll also be a rare Saturday sitting this weekend, where senior MPs will take the oath to King Charles III from 14:00.
Afterwards tributes will continue again until 22:00.
The Queen married Prince Philip in 1947, and he accompanied her for almost her entire reign, until his death in April 2021.
Shortly before their wedding, Prince Philip wrote to the Queen Mother saying he had “fallen in love completely and unreservedly” with the then Princess Elizabeth, who was five years younger.
It was a partnership that would last nearly eight decades.
At a speech given at a celebration to mark the couple’s golden wedding anniversary, the Queen paid tribute to her husband, the longest-serving royal consort in British history.
“He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments, but he has quite simply been my strength and stay all these years,” she said.
Prince Philip believed his job, as he told his biographer, was “to ensure the Queen can reign”.
Among the international figures paying tributes to Queen Elizabeth II, is UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
He says Queen Elizabeth II was “widely admired for her grace, dignity, and dedication around the world”.
“She was a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change”, Guterres added, saying “the world will long remember her devotion and leadership.
Donald Trump said he would “never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humour”.
“What a grand and beautiful lady she was – there was nobody like her!” the former president wrote on his online platform, Truth Social.
And another former president, George W Bush, reflected fondly on the time he spent having tea with Her Majesty and her corgis, describing her “great intellect, charm and wit”.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky shared his “deep sadness”.
On behalf of the people, we extend sincere condolences to the Royal Family, the entire United Kingdom and the Commonwealth over this irreparable loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg echoed President Zelensky’s words.
“Over more than 70 years, she exemplified selfless leadership and public service. My deepest condolences to the Royal Family, to our Nato allies the United Kingdom and Canada, and to the people of the Commonwealth”.
The next few days will see preparations for the Queen’s funeral and the transition to the reign of King Charles III.
Today is likely to see a gun salute, with King Charles and Queen Camilla returning to London and the new King holding his first audience with the new Prime Minister Liz Truss.
An address to the nation is expected from King Charles. The Accession Council, the ceremonial gathering for the official proclamation of the new King, is expected to be held tomorrow Saturday.
The choreography of these national events, alongside the public mourning, will begin to be unfurled.
Actress Dame Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar for playing the monarch in the 2006 film The Queen, wrote that she was “proud to be an Elizabethan”, and that Elizabeth II was “the epitome of nobility”.
The film’s writer Peter Morgan went on to create Netflix’s royal drama The Crown, which has been dramatising the story of her reign.
He said in a statement to US website Deadline that his show is “a love letter to her” and “I expect we will stop filming out of respect”.
Other tributes have been paid by cultural figures including composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote that the Queen had “been the constant anchor of not just Britain and her beloved Commonwealth, but an inspiration to the world for her lifetime of service”.
Actor Stephen Fry summed up the reactions of many on hearing the news.
In Canada, where Queen Elizabeth was head of state – has seen 12 prime ministers during her reign.
An emotional Justin Trudeau said she had “an obvious deep and abiding love for Canadians”.
“In a complicated world, her steady grace and resolve brought comfort to us all,” the prime minister said, adding that he would miss their “chats” where she was “thoughtful, wise, curious, helpful, funny and so much more”.
“She was one of my favourite people in the world, and I will miss her so,” he said, holding back tears.
Flags have been lowered to half-mast around the world – including at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Queen’s “empathy and ability to connect with every passing generation, while remaining rooted in the tradition that truly mattered to her, was an example of true leadership”.
King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands – who is Queen Elizabeth’s fifth cousin – said he and Queen Maxima remembered the “steadfast and wise” monarch with “deep respect and great affection”.
Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, also a distant relative to Her Majesty, said: “She has always been dear to my family and a precious link in our shared family history.”
And Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde said she was “an extraordinary personality… who, throughout her reign, showed dignity, courage and devotion”.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz paid tribute to the Queen’s “wonderful humour” and said in a statement that “her commitment to German-British reconciliation after the horrors of World War Two will remain unforgotten”.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled his “memorable meetings” with the monarch during two UK visits.
“I will never forget her warmth and kindness,” he tweeted. “During one of the meetings, she showed me the handkerchief Mahatma Gandhi gifted her on her wedding. I will always cherish that gesture.”
‘A reassuring presence’
As monarch for seven decades, Queen Elizabeth lived through times of extraordinary change, and this was reflected in several tributes.
As Barack Obama noted, she lived “through periods of prosperity and stagnation – from the Moon landing to the fall of the Berlin Wall”.
Irish President Michael D Higgins honoured the Queen’s “extraordinary sense of duty”, which he said would “hold a unique place in British history”.
“Her reign of 70 years encompassed periods of enormous change, during which she represented a remarkable source of reassurance to the British people,” he said in a lengthy statement.
Ireland’s Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, spoke of her reign as one of “historic duration” and described the Queen’s passing as “the end of an era”.
“Her dedication to duty and public service were self-evident and her wisdom and experience truly unique,” Mr Martin said in a statement. He also recalled her “many gracious gestures and warm remarks” during a state visit to Ireland in 2011.
António Guterres, the UN’s secretary-general, said Queen Elizabeth was “a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change, including the decolonisation of Africa and Asia and the evolution of the Commonwealth”.
In a statement, he paid tribute to “her unwavering, lifelong dedication to serving her people. The world will long remember her devotion and leadership”.
Queen Elizabeth visited Australia – another Commonwealth nation where she was head of state – 16 times, the only reigning monarch to head down under.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese noted that many had never known a world without her.
“Though the noise and tumult of the years, she embodied and exhibited a timeless decency and an enduring calm,” he said in a statement.
“She celebrated our good times, she stood with us in the bad. Happy and glorious, but steadfast too.”
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, said she was woken to the news of the monarch’s death by a police officer shining a torch into her bedroom at 04:50 to wake her up.
“She was extraordinary… The last days of the Queen’s life captures who she was in so many ways, working to the very end on behalf of the people she loved,” Ms Ardern said.
Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, also acknowledged the enormous change the Queen saw throughout her reign, but said that throughout this, she “remained an icon of stable, responsible leadership and a beacon of morality, humanity and patriotism”.
While the Queen did not visit Israel, Princes Charles, Edward, William and the late Prince Philip – whose mother is buried in Jerusalem – did.
“Queen Elizabeth was a historic figure: she lived history, she made history, and with her passing, she leaves a magnificent, inspirational legacy,” President Herzog wrote.
King Abdullah II of Jordan said his country “mourns the passing of an iconic leader”. He said the Queen, who visited Jordan in 1984, was “a beacon of wisdom and principled leadership… a partner for Jordan and a dear family friend”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who met the Queen several times and once reportedly kept her waiting for 14 minutes, sent his “deepest condolences” to King Charles III.
“The most important events in the recent history of the United Kingdom are inextricably linked with the name of Her Majesty,” Mr Putin wrote in a statement. “For many decades, Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage.”
Russia currently has heavy economic sanctions imposed on it by Western nations, including the UK, because of its invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted that it was with “deep sadness” that he learned of “this irreparable loss”.
African leaders also shared tributes for Queen Elizabeth – who knew many of them well and, as the head of the Commonwealth, was sympathetic to their cause.
Kenyan President-elect William Ruto praised her “historic legacy” and said Kenyans would “miss the cordial ties she enjoyed with Kenya”.
Kenya was a very special place for the Queen – for a start, it was where she became monarch. The young princess, then just 25 years old, was on holiday there when her father, King George VI, died in his sleep in 1952.
President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, which is one of the newest nations to join the Commonwealth, said: “The Queen was a great friend of Africa and Africa showed her affection in return.”
And Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo tweeted that his country had fond memories of the two visits the Queen made, remarking on “her friendliness, elegance, style and sheer joy she brought to the performance of her duties”.
Her first trip to Ghana, a former British colony that became independent in 1957, was controversial and there were concerns for the monarch’s safety. Five days earlier, bombs had gone off in the capital, Accra, but the Queen was not deterred, in part because she had already cancelled a previous visit when she became pregnant with Prince Andrew.
