Former prime minister and monarchist Tony Abbott has paid tribute to the Queen, honouring Her Majesy as an ‘exemplar of duty, honour and faithfulness’.
Mr Abbott posted the touching statement on social media in the hours after Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 early Friday morning.
‘My whole life, she said, shall be dedicated to your service, and Her Majesty the Queen of England was entirely true to that pledge,’ Mr Abbott wrote.
‘We have lost an exemplar of duty, honour and faithfulness but deep thanks for her life should mingle with numbness and sadness at this loss.
‘Nine tenths of the world’s people have known no other Queen. We can but hope the world might see her like again but none of us ever will.’
Monarchist Tony Abbott in a post to social media wrote: ‘We have lost an exemplar of duty, honour and faithfulness but deep thanks for her life should mingle with numbness and sadness at this loss’
Tony Abbott: ‘It is so typical of this remarkable woman that she was discharging her duty till her last day on this earth. ‘I’m sure God has saved this Queen and long live the King’
Mr Abbott said, as prime minister, he always was conscious of his duty to her as a sovereign said the crown ‘lent a touch of dignity to our robust public life’.
‘It is so typical of this remarkable woman that she was discharging her duty ’till her last day on this earth,’ he wrote.
‘I’m sure God has saved this Queen and long live the King.’
Charles, the former Prince of Wales, is now King Charles III, as the world grieves his mother.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman released a statement at 3.30am AEST confirming her passing, saying: ‘The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.’
Britain and her Commonwealth realms will now enter into a ten-day period of mourning.
Australian monarchist, Philip Benwell, in the wake of the Queen’s passing threw his support behind the new King, saying Charles had ‘trained his whole life’ to take the reigns of the royal family.
‘Australia, the Commonwealth of Nations and indeed the whole world will now deeply mourn the longest-serving, oldest and most revered monarch of modern times,’ Mr Benwell said in a statement.
The Australian Monarchist League has released a statement throwing their full support behind the now King of England, Charles (right), saying he has ‘trained his whole life’ to take the reigns of the royal family, in the wake of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II
Philip Benwell, national chair of the Australian Monarchist League, said, ‘Australians can take comfort in the knowledge that their new King will unequivocally continue the longstanding traditions, dutiful service and vital constitutional role which epitomised our late Queen’
‘As the only Sovereign the majority of Australians have ever known, Her Majesty The Queen visited this country on 16 occasions and served as Queen of Australia for 70 years and 215 days.
‘The Queen’s selfless sense of service, her warm character, devotion to her family, and endearing smile will remain in the hearts of Australians for generations.’
Founded in 1993, the Australian Monarchist League is an incorporated nonprofit organisation based in Sydney, which says it promotes and educates people on the Australian Constitution and monarchy.
‘Like the Queen, her son and heir Charles has served Australians selflessly, dutifully and with distinction, visiting Australia on 16 occasions himself, including a part of his education at Geelong Grammar,’ Mr Benwell said.
‘Australia’s new King, who has trained for this role his entire life, was heir apparent for 70 years – the longest in Australian history.
‘Australians can take comfort in the knowledge that their new King will unequivocally continue the longstanding traditions, dutiful service and vital constitutional role which epitomised our late Queen.
‘Therefore, may we state that ancient chant which has echoed throughout the world for over a millennium: “The Queen is dead, long live the King!”‘
A Buckingham Palace spokesman released a statement at 3.30am AEDT confirming the Queen’s passing saying, ‘The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow’
The Queen’s coffin will be moved to London on the royal train before she lies in state in Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament for four days where hundreds of thousands of people will be able to pay their respects.
The state funeral is expected take place at Westminster Abbey in central London on Monday, September 19, which will be attended by her family as well as 2,000 heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, European royals and key figures from public life around the globe.
Charles, who will reign as King Charles III, today said: ‘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.’