'The very spirit of Britain': UK PM Liz Truss pays tribute to the late queen

Describing the queen as a personal inspiration, Truss praised her devotion to duty as an example to all

Britain's newly-elected Prime Minister Liz Truss has paid tribute to the Queen as the rock on which modern Britain was built, soon after Buckingham Palace announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland.

Truss, who had been anointed by the 96-year-old monarch just days before on Tuesday at Balmoral Castle, stepped out at 10 Downing Street in London on Thursday to reflect upon the legacy of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. She described her as a champion of the Commonwealth and a source of stability and strength over the course of 70 years of her reign.

“She was the very spirit of Great Britain – and that spirit will endure,” said Truss.

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“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 said.

“She has been our longest-ever reigning monarch. It is an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years. Her life of service stretched beyond most of our living memories. In return, she was loved and admired by the people in the United Kingdom and all around the world,” she added.

Describing her as a personal inspiration, Truss praised her devotion to duty as an example to all and recalled her own first and last meeting as Prime Minister.

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“Earlier this week, at 96, she remained determined to carry out her duties as she appointed me as her 15th Prime Minister. Throughout her life, she has visited more than 100 countries and she has touched the lives of millions around the world,” she said.

Looking ahead to the future, she added: “It is a day of great loss, but Queen Elizabeth II leaves a great legacy.

“Today the Crown passes – as it is has done for more than a thousand years – to our new monarch, our new head of state: His Majesty King Charles III. With the King’s family, we mourn the loss of his mother… And with the passing of the second Elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country, exactly as Her Majesty would have wished – by saying the words… God save the King.”

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The Leader of the Opposition, Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer, also paid tribute to a “remarkable sovereign”.

“Queen Elizabeth II created a special, personal relationship with us all. A relationship based on service and devotion to her country,” said Starmer.

“Nobody under the age of 70 has known anything other than Queen Elizabeth II on the throne. For the vast majority of us, the late Queen has been simply the Queen. The only Queen. Above all else, our Queen,” he said.