World leaders mourn Britain’s ‘beloved icon’, says Zelensky

Queen Elizabeth, the UK’s longest-reigning monarch and the nation’s icon for seven decades, has died at the age of 96, plunging the world into sadness.

Thursday, Buckingham Palace announced that Her Majesty passed away peacefully at her Balmoral residence accompanied by her family, including her son Charles and grandson William.

Britain and her Commonwealth states will observe a ten-day period of mourning following the death of the Queen, during which millions of her subjects in the UK and abroad will come to grips with her loss.

Here are the tributes paid to Her Majesty by international leaders upon her passing…

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY

We learned of the demise of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with profound sorrow. We send our deepest condolences to the @RoyalFamily, the entire United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth for this irreparable loss on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. Our prayers and thoughts are with you.

On the demise of Her Majesty, tributes from international leaders have poured in from around the globe.

Two days ago, the Queen posed for a photograph in the drawing room at Balmoral, just prior to her meeting with Ms. Truss, whom she appointed Prime Minister on Tuesday.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, led the tributes to Her Majesty and the “irreparable loss.”

US PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND HIS WIFE JILL

Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unparalleled dignity and steadfastness who contributed to the uniqueness of our relationship.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA

We learned of the loss of Canada’s longest-reigning monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with the heaviest of hearts. She was a constant presence in our lives, and her contributions to Canadians will forever be an integral part of our nation’s history.

FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II exemplified the continuity and cohesion of the British nation for almost seventy years. I remember her as a friend of France, a gracious queen who made an indelible mark on her nation and her century.’

Friday, June 11, 2021: Queen Elizabeth II and French President Emmanuel Macron talk at the Eden Project at the G7 conference in Cornwall.

French President Emmanuel Macron commended Queen Elizabeth for embodying the continuity and solidarity of the British country for over seventy years.

President Justin Trudeau of Canada praised Her Majesty’s’service to Canadians,’ which will long be a significant part of our nation’s history.

POPE FRANCIS

Pope Francis offered his condolences to Queen Elizabeth II’s family and her successor, King Charles, on Thursday, expressing his sincere sorrow at her passing.

I freely join all those who grieve her loss in praying for the late Queen’s everlasting peace and paying respect to her life of selfless service to the nation and the Commonwealth.

U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES

As the longest-lived and longest-reigning Head of State of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II was universally admired for her grace, dignity, and devotion. She was a reassuring presence during decades of profound upheaval, such as the decolonization of Africa and Asia and the evolution of the Commonwealth.

“Queen Elizabeth II was a staunch supporter of the United Nations, and she visited our headquarters in New York twice, more than fifty years apart. She was devoted to numerous charity and environmental organizations and addressed delegates at the COP26 climate negotiations in Glasgow with passion.

I’d like to honor Queen Elizabeth II for her unwavering, lifetime commitment to serving her people. The world will never forget her leadership and devotion.

NARENDRA MODI, PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA

Queen Elizabeth II will be recognized as a pillar of our era. She presented her nation and people with a dynamic example of leadership. In public life, she personified decorum and decency. Distressed by her passing. In this time of sorrow, my thoughts are with her family and the people of Britain.

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE

‘(Our) emotions and thoughts go out to the members of the Queen’s family, and to the citizens of the United Kingdom… Our relationship with the people of the United Kingdom has become stronger and stronger, as stated by the president himself.

13 June 2021 photograph of Queen Elizabeth II with US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill in the Grand Corridor of Windsor Castle.

U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL

70 long years, from the end of World War II to the beginning of the 21st century, across 15 Prime Ministers, through tremendous successes and huge challenges, the Queen’s steady leadership protected the country she cherished. Despite spending nearly three-quarters of a century as one of the world’s most renowned and admired individuals, the Queen ensured that her reign was never truly about herself, neither her fame, sentiments, or personal wants or needs. She led historic organizations into the twenty-first century utilizing timeless characteristics such as duty, dignity, and sacrifice. She provided our current world with a much-needed living master class.

EUROPEAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT CHARLES MICHEL

Our sympathies are with the royal family and all those who mourn the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in the United Kingdom and around the world. Through her service and dedication, she never failed to demonstrate the significance of enduring ideals in the contemporary world.

EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL

The amazing reign of Queen Elizabeth II oversaw significant events of the 20th and 21st centuries. The EU recognizes her particular contribution to the promotion of peace and reconciliation. While her passing will be felt globally, our immediate thoughts are with her family and the people of the United Kingdom.’

Charles Michel, president of the European Council, praised Her Majesty’s consistent ability to “teach us the relevance of enduring principles in a modern society.”

DUTCH KING WILLEM-ALEXANDER

We remember Queen Elizabeth II with profound reverence and affection. She devoted her lengthy life to helping the British people; she was steadfast and sage. We feel a deep connection with the United Kingdom and its royal family, and we share their grief at this time.’

THE ROYAL HOUSE OF NORWAY

The Royal Family is extremely sorry to learn of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

GERMAN PRESIDENT FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER

Queen Elizabeth II is a century-defining figure. She has witnessed and recorded modern history.

GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER ANNALENA BAERBOCK

She was a source of courage and confidence to her nation for nearly a century. After the horrors of World War II, Germany will be eternally thankful to her for reaching out to us for reconciliation.

Early in June, Her Majesty stands on the Buckingham Palace balcony on the last day of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

MARIO DRAGHI, PRIME MINISTER OF ITALY

Queen Elizabeth has been a significant figure in world history for the past seven decades. She represented the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth with equilibrium, sagacity, respect for institutions, and a commitment to democracy. She has been the most adored emblem of her nation and has attracted respect, affection, and positive feelings worldwide. She ensured stability in times of crisis and preserved the significance of tradition in a nation undergoing profound and continual change.

Her spirit of service, devotion to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, and the deep dignity with which she has held office for so long have been an unending source of admiration for countless generations.

PETR FIALA, PRIME MINISTER OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

I am extremely grieved by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. Sincere sympathies are extended to the Royal family, the British people, and the citizens of the Commonwealth.

POLISH PRESIDENT ANDRZEJ DUDA

My sincerest sympathies to the Royal Family and the entire British people on the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She has been the personification of everything that makes Britain genuinely Great for decades. She will be missed and remembered throughout Poland and the world.’

Above left, the then-Princess Elizabeth poses in a ballet costume in 1932, and above right, she makes her first Christmas broadcast in 1952. She reigned for seventy years over the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES VICE PRESIDENT SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM

“We join the world in mourning the demise of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, a global icon who embodied the highest ideals of her nation and people.” Her extraordinary lifetime of service and devotion to the United Kingdom is unequaled in our contemporary era.’

CHIEF MINISTER OF GIBRALTAR FABIAN PICARDO

“The People of Gibraltar will mourn Her Majesty as a monarch who reigned wisely and with unparalleled devotion during our post-war integration into the British family of countries,”

The people and government of Gibraltar declare their allegiance to the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and His Majesty The King.

HOUSE OF COMMONS SPEAKER LINDSAY HOYLE

“For all of us, the Queen has been a constant presence in our lives, as familiar as a family member, yet one who has exerted a calming and steadying impact on our nation.” The majority of us have never experienced her absence. Her passing is a tragedy not only for the Royal family, but for all of us.’

FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER JOHN MAJOR

“We have all lost someone very dear to us, and as we grieve, we should be thankful that we were afforded such an exemplary example of service and leadership for so many years,”