Official reactions have rained since the announcement of the death of Elizabeth II, Thursday, September 8, especially across the Channel. “The death of my beloved mother (..) is a moment of great sadness”said Charles, now king, in a communicated. “I know that this death will be felt deeply in the country”he added. “It is a day of deep mourning”reacted Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister of the country, calling on the country to support “Charles III” in a press release. At the same time, Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, spoke of“a deeply sad moment for the UK”in a press release.
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In France, President Emmanuel Macron was among the first to speak, on Twitternoting that the queen “embodied the continuity and unity of the British nation for over 70 years”. “I keep the memory of a friend of France, a queen of hearts who forever marked her country and her century”he added. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy for his part estimated, in a press release, that Elizabeth II “was the symbol of the unfailing friendship between our two countries, and of the values on which it is based”.
In Europe, Irish President Michael D. Higgins hailed “a remarkable friend of Ireland”. “As we offer our condolences to all of our neighbors in the UK, on the death of a remarkable friend from Ireland, we are reminded of Queen Elizabeth’s role in the long friendship” between the two countries with a tormented history, said the president. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed in a communicated the “longest-serving head of state and one of the most respected personalities in the world”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also transmitted via Twitter his “condolences” to the people and the British crown, sending “our thoughts and prayers”.
Several sovereigns also paid tribute to Elizabeth II, including the King of Spain, Felipe VI, that she had “writing” and “shaped the most relevant chapters of the history of our world during the last seven decades”in a telegram addressed to King Charles III.
Russian President Vladimir Putin for his part saluted the memory of Queen Elizabeth II. “For many decades, Elizabeth II rightly enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as an authority on the world stage”according to a statement issued by the Kremlin.
Flags at half mast in the United States
The announcement of the death of Elizabeth II moved elsewhere in the world. The queen was a “constant presence” in the lives of Canadians and “will forever remain an important part of our country’s history.”said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterressaid to himself “sad at the death” of Elizabeth II and hailed “his leadership”qualifying the sovereign as “good friend of the UN” and believing that the world “will remember his devotion for years”. In a statement issued a little later, the Pope said “saddened” news.
In the United States, Joe Biden greeted Elizabeth II “a stateswoman of incomparable dignity and constancy”saying in a statement that the late queen was “more than a monarch. She embodied an era”. The American president has also announced that the flags will be at half mast in the country for the funeral of the monarch. Former US President Donald Trump, for his part, hailed the“extraordinary legacy of peace and prosperity” left by Queen Elizabeth II in the UK.