Queen Elizabeth II passes away at 96; tributes pour in

Dozens of Gibraltar residents queued on Friday to sign a book of condolence after the death of Queen Elizabeth and leave flowers at the official residence of the governor of the British territory that is known as The Rock. (Reuters)

. Former President Pratibha D. Patil expressed 'great sadness' on the passing ofQueenElizabeth-II -- "a stalwart of our times", here on Friday. "TheQueenprovided inspiring leadership to her nation and the British people. She was the first British Monarch who had the admiration of people all over the world, especially the Commonwealth," said Patil. (IANS)

. The Premier League, the top division of English soccer, has postponed its next round of fixtures to mourn theQueen, it said on Friday.

. Japan mournedQueenElizabeth's death on Friday, with the emperor hailing her "many achievements" and the prime minister calling her passing a loss for the entire world.

"I express my heartfelt respect and gratitude to thequeenfor the many achievements and contributions she has made," Emperor Naruhito said in a statement issued by the Imperial Household Agency.

. The Grand Duke of Luxembourg paid tribute to Britain's lateQueenElizabeth II on Friday and thanked her family for having protected his during its World War II exile. (AFP)

. The Russian people had "great respect" forQueenElizabeth II, her "wisdom and authority," the Kremlin said on Friday.

"Such qualities are in very short supply on the international stage at the moment," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a conference call.

. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin condoled the demise of Queen Elizabeth II and said on Friday that she will be long remembered for her dignity, decency in public life and her unwavering commitment. He said he was deeply pained over the demise of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom.

"After a reign spanning seven decades, 15 Prime Ministers and several major turning points in modern history, the second Elizabethan era has come to an end," the Chief Minister said in his tweet. Posting her photograph, he said "Queen Elizabeth II will be long remembered for her dignity, decency in public life and her unwavering commitment."

. Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church said on Friday that Queen Elizabeth II was a symbol of historic traditions for the whole of Europe.

In a statement on the website of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that the queen was "an example of the highest culture."

. Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Friday mourned the demise of Britain's longest serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, at the age 96.

In a letter to the queen's son, His Majesty Charles III, the elderly Buddhist monk expressed his deep sadness and offered heartfelt condolences to him, the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom.

"I remember seeing photographs of her coronation in magazines when I was young in Tibet," His Holiness wrote. "Her reign, as Britain's longest serving monarch, represented celebration, inspiration and a reassuring sense of continuity for so many people alive today.

"Your mother lived a meaningful life with dignity, grace, a strong sense of service and a warm heart, qualities we all should treasure."

The letter concluded with the monk offering his prayers and good wishes.

. British railway and postal workers, at the forefront of sector-wide strikes over a cost-of-living crisis, have halted upcoming walkouts following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Communication Workers Union had planned to continue a 48-hour stoppage Friday but this has been called off "out of respect for" the queen, CWU general secretary Dave Ward said in a statement late Thursday.

The RMT rail union said it was suspending walkouts planned the next week and the TSSA transport union has called off its September strikes.

. Queen Elizabeth was "a towering icon of selfless service", Kenya's outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta said Friday, in a statement expressing his "deep sense of loss" at her passing.

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a towering icon of selfless service to humanity and a key figurehead of not only the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations where Kenya is a distinguished member but the entire world," he said.

. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has paid his tribute to Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday aged 96.

Amitabh took to his blog and wrote: ".. and as we live another day, the life of another has ended .. the Queen, has passed away .. the Queen of England .. and a host of moments and memories go along with her and her presence."

. Personalities such as Helen Mirren, Mick Jagger, Ozzy Osbourne and Paul McCartney have mourned the death of Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday aged 96.

Mick Jagger, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2003, shared his remembrance.

"For my whole life Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II has always been there. In my childhood I can recall watching her wedding highlights on TV. I remember her as a beautiful young lady, to the much beloved grandmother of the nation. My deepest sympathies are with the Royal family," Jagger wrote.

Veteran actress Helen Mirren, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in The Queen in 2006, expressed her love for the queen.

"I am proud to be an Elizabethan. We mourn a woman, who, with or without the crown, was the epitome of nobility," she wrote.

Ozzy Osbourne tweeted: "I mourn with my country the passing of our greatest Queen. With a heavy heart I say it is devastating the thought of England without Queen Elizabeth II."

Paul McCartney, also no stranger in his admiration for the queen, wrote: "God bless Queen Elizabeth II / May she rest in peace / Long live The King."

. Mumbai’s famed dabbawalas on Friday said they were grieving with the royal family and people all over the world after the demise of Queen Elizabeth II. The dabbawalas operate a globally renowned lunchbox delivery and return system that supplies hot lunches from homes and restaurants to people at work.

"On behalf of all the dabbawalas of Mumbai, I pay my heartfelt condolences to the royal family,” said Raghunath Medge, an office bearer of the Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association.

Dabbawalas were unknown to the world but became famous due to Queen Elizabeth and the royal family, he said. Medge and another association office-bearer Sopan Mare attended the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles in April 2005. Recalling his eight-day visit to London for the royal wedding, Medge said they had breakfast with Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family at Windsor Castle.

. Hours after Queen Elizabeth II's death at the age of 96 was announced, Elton John, who enjoyed the closest relationship with the Royal Family of any music artiste, paid tribute at his concert in Toronto.

"We have the saddest news about the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth," he said.

"She was an inspiring person to be around -- I've been around her and she was fantastic. She led the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace, decency and a genuine care and warmth.

"I'm 75 -- she's been with me all my life and I feel very sad that she won't be with me anymore. But I'm glad she's at peace, and I'm glad she's at rest, and she deserves it because she's worked bloody hard," he continued as the audience cheered, reports Variety .

"I send my love to her family and her loved ones. She will be missed, but her spirit lives on and we celebrate her life tonight with music -- okay?"

. China's President Xi Jinping has sent condolences to British King Charles III over the death of Queen Elizabeth, Chinese state media reported on Friday.

. The Toronto film festival began in somber mood Thursday as theaters dimmed their lights for the passing of Queen Elizabeth II before a Netflix drama about Syrian refugees launched North America's largest movie gathering.

The Princess of Wales and Royal Alexandra theaters -- both festival venues named for members of Britain's royal family -- switched off their marquee signs as news spread of the death of the Commonwealth monarch.

"As we gather to celebrate the power of film to move us and to illuminate our world, I want to acknowledge the passing today of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II," said festival head Cameron Bailey.

"Our thoughts go out to everyone here and around the world mourning her loss."

. The death of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is a "great loss" for the entire world, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday, expressing his "deep sorrow."

"The death of the queen, who led Britain through turbulent times in the world, is a great loss not only for the British people but also the international community," he told reporters.

Kishida praised the queen's "extremely important role in world peace and stability," saying she "contributed greatly to the strengthening of Japan-UK relations."

News of her death, he added, left him "feeling deep sorrow".

"The Japanese government offers sincere condolences to the British monarchy, the British government and the British people."

. Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland on Friday offered tributes to Queen Elizabeth II, who died the previous day aged 96, describing her an extraordinary person who lived an extraordinary life and her devotion to duty was only matched by her skill as Head of the Commonwealth of Nations.

In a tribute, Scotland said: "It is with the greatest sorrow and sadness that we mourn the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. After a long life of faith, duty and service, a great light has gone out."

"Her Majesty was an extraordinary person, who lived an extraordinary life: a constant presence and example for each of us, guiding and serving us all for as long as any of us can remember.

"Throughout her reign, and seven decades of extraordinary change and challenge, Her Majesty was the epitome of duty, stability, wisdom and grace."

. Roger Federer hailed Queen Elizabeth II for her "elegance" and "grace" as the world of sport stopped to pay tribute to the British monarch who passed away on Thursday at the age of 96.

"Her elegance, grace and loyalty to her duty will live on in history. I would like to send my thoughts and condolences to the entire Royal Family and Great Britain," Federer said.

Fellow tennis legend and two-time Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal tweeted his "most respectful, sincere and deepest condolences".

Brazilian football great Pele was among other sports stars who paid tribute.

"I have been a great admirer of Queen Elizabeth II since the first time I saw her in person, in 1968, when she came to Brazil to witness our love for football and experienced the magic of a packed Maracana," he tweeted.

. Many Hong Kongers took to social media on Friday to mourn Queen Elizabeth II, a woman affectionately nicknamed "boss lady" among older residents in a city that was one of Britain's last colonies.

Elizabeth visited Hong Kong twice during her reign, while her son -- now King Charles III -- was present for the handover to China in 1997.

. King Charles III was on Friday due to address his new subjects, as Britain was plunged into mourning by the death of queen Elizabeth II, ending a history making 70-year reign.

Charles, 73, became monarch immediately after the death of his mother at her Scottish Highland retreat on Thursday, sparking tributes at home and abroad.

He is due to return to London from Balmoral, where the 96-year-old queen died "peacefully" after a year-long period of ill health and decline.

Details of his inaugural address, set to be pre-recorded, were not immediately released by the palace, but are part of 10 days of detailed pre-prepared plans honed over decades.

. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters she was awoken a little before 5 am by a police officer shining a torch into her bedroom to tell her the news of Queen Elizabeth II's death.

Under New Zealand's constitutional arrangements, the queen was also New Zealand's monarch and head of state.

“The last days of the queen's life captures who she was in so many ways,” Ardern said. “Working until the very end on behalf of the people she loved.”

Ardern said the queen was an extraordinary woman who she'd remember for her laughter. Ardern said that like many other people, she was feeling not only deep sadness but also deep gratitude.

“Here is a woman who gave her life, utterly, to the service of others. And regardless of what anyone thinks of the role of monarchies around the world, there is undeniably, I think here, a display of someone who gave everything on behalf of her people, and her people included the people of Aotearoa New Zealand.”

. Australia's prime minister Anthony Albanese -- an avowed republican -- on Friday paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II's "timeless decency" and said her death marked the "end of an era."

"Australian hearts go out to the people of the United Kingdom who mourn today, knowing they will feel they have lost part of what makes their nation whole," Albanese said.

He praised "an historic reign and a long life devoted to duty, family, faith and service."

Queen Elizabeth was the only reigning UK monarch to have visited Australia as head of state.

"It was clear Her Majesty held a special place in her heart for Australia," said Albanese, recognising "the special place she held in ours."

"Today marks the end of an era, the close of the second Elizabethan age."

. US President Joe Biden paid tribute Thursday to Britain's late Queen Elizabeth II as a "stateswoman of unmatched dignity," and said he looked forward to working with her son King Charles, noting their already "close friendship."

"Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States," Biden and US First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement.

"She helped make our relationship special," he said.

Biden said he first met the queen in 1982 when he was a US senator and last saw her in June 2021 during his first foreign trip as president -- the 14th American president she had met.

. Former US president Barack Obama hailed the reign of Queen Elizabeth II after her death on Thursday, and marked the monarch's "legacy of tireless, dignified public service."

"Michelle and I were lucky enough to come to know Her Majesty, and she meant a great deal to us," Obama said in a statement.

He said she made "the role of Queen her own -- with a reign defined by grace, elegance, and a tireless work ethic, defying the odds and expectations placed on women of her generation."

. Britain's former prime minister, Theresa May, paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth on Thursday, saying it was the honour of her life to have served the monarch as the country's leader.

"Her Majesty witnessed tremendous change, moving adroitly with the times but always providing stability and reassurance. She was our constant throughout this great Elizabethan era," May said in a statement posted on Twitter.

. Germany on Thursday hailed Queen Elizabeth II as a "symbol of reconciliation" after two world wars.

"Her commitment to German-British reconciliation after the horrors of World War II will remain unforgotten," said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Separately, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the queen's state visit in 1965 to post-war Germany was an "invaluably important signal of reconciliation after two devastating world wars".

. President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday hailed Queen Elizabeth II as "a friend of France... who has left her mark on her country and her century forever", following the announcement of her death.

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II embodied the British nation's continuity and unity for over 70 years," he tweeted.

"I remember her as a friend of France, a kind-hearted queen who has left her mark on her country and her century forever."

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy said the queen "was the symbol of the unfailing friendship between our two countries and of the values on which it is based".

. Pakistan President Arif Alvi, head of state of the second most populous country in the commonwealth of former British colonies, hailed Queen Elizabeth II as a "great and beneficent ruler" following her death Thursday.

Her departure has left an immense vacuum, he said, adding she "would be remembered in golden words in the annals of world history".

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also sent his "heartfelt condolences".

. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday that the country felt a deep and personal sense of loss at the passing of Queen Elizabeth, paying his tribute to the monarch.

"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," Johnson said.

"Wave after wave of grief is rolling across the world, from Balmoral — where our thoughts are with all the Royal Family — and breaking far beyond this country and throughout that great Commonwealth of nations that she so cherished and which cherished her in return."

. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday expressed his "deepest condolences" over the death of Queen Elizabeth II, hailing her leadership through seven decades.

"Deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Over more than 70 years, she exemplified selfless leadership and public service," Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.

. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi offered his condolences Thursday on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, saying the "beloved" monarch represented the UK and the Commonwealth with "balance and wisdom".

"She guaranteed stability in moments of crisis and kept alive the value of tradition in a society in constant and profound evolution. Her spirit of service, her dedication... the deep dignity with which she held office for such a long time have been a constant source of admiration for generations," he said in a statement.

. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid expressed his condolences upon the death of Queen Elizabeth on Thursday.

"On behalf of the Government and people of Israel, I send my condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She leaves behind an unparalleled legacy of leadership and service. May her memory be for a blessing," Lapid said on Twitter.

. President Michael D. Higgins called Queen Elizabeth II "a remarkable friend of Ireland" who had "great impact on the bonds of mutual understanding between our two peoples", following her death on Thursday.

"As we offer our condolences to all our neighbours in the United Kingdom, following the loss of a remarkable friend of Ireland, we remember the role Queen Elizabeth played in celebrating the warm and enduring friendship" between both countries, he said in a statement.

. French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement on Twitter that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has embodied the British nation’s continuity and unity for over 70 years.

"I remember her as a friend of France, a kind-hearted queen who has left a lasting impression on her country and her century," Macron said.

Queen Elizabeth II passes away at 96; tributes pour in

King Charles will be officially proclaimed Britain's new monarch at a meeting of the Accession Council at St James's Palace on Saturday, Buckingham Palace said.

Premier League postpones next round of fixtures to mourn Queen

Japan emperor hails Queen Elizabeth's 'many achievements'

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