Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led Australian tributes to Queen Elizabeth II, saying she’ll be remembered as a wise and enduring presence after passing away peacefully at her Balmoral home in Scotland.
“Her Majesty celebrated our good times and she stood with us during trials and hardships. Happy and glorious, but steadfast too,” he said.
“This time of mourning will pass, but the deep respect and warm regard which Australians have always held for Her Majesty will never fade.”
Governor-General David Hurley said Australians should take inspiration from the Queen’s contribution.
“She was a truly remarkable person,” he said.
Both the PM and the Governor-General are expected to travel to London for the Queen’s funeral.
On a rainy London night, thousands have gathered outside Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle to lay floral tributes.
Flags are flying at half mast and portraits of the Queen have been posted on billboard screens in Piccadilly Circus and the Canary Wharf financial district.
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss who was only appointed by the Queen in a meeting at her Balmoral home on Tuesday, said the country was devastated by the death of the monarch calling her “the rock on which modern Britain was built.”
“Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth 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 ended on words no British leader has said for 70 years: “God save the King.”
Her predecessor, Boris Johnson called it “our country’s saddest day.”
US President Joe Biden said Queen Elizabeth “defined an era and will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world”.
Past presidents Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W Bush and Jimmy Carter also paid tribute.
French President Emmanuel Macron said: “I retain the memory of a friend of France, a queen of hearts who marked as never before her country and her century.”
Pope Francis told King Charles that he is praying for “eternal rest” for the Queen.
Even Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences.
He wrote to the King: “The most important events in the recent history of the United Kingdom are inextricably linked with the name of Her Majesty. For many decades, Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage.”
