The world reacts to the death of the Queen

The nation’s new King has described the death of the Queen, who he called his “beloved Mother”, as the “greatest sadness” for his family.

His words came soon after Buckingham Palace confirmed Elizabeth II, 96, the nation’s longest-reigning monarch, died “peacefully” on Thursday afternoon.

World leaders, former prime ministers, the church and famous faces from arts and culture all tonight shared their memories of the monarch, here are some of their tributes.

Boris Johnson, former prime minister

“She seemed so timeless and so wonderful that I am afraid we had come to believe, like children, that she would just go on and on,” he said.

“Wave after wave of grief is rolling across the world, from Balmoral – where our thoughts are with all the royal family – and breaking far beyond this country and throughout that great commonwealth of nations that she so cherished and which cherished her in return.”

Sir Tony Blair, former prime minister

He said the Queen had been on “sparkling form” when he last saw her a few months ago.

“The Queen has been part of my life for all of my life,” he said.

“From the moment I waved my little flag as I watched her, as a child, be driven through the streets of Durham, to the honour of being her prime minister, to my last meeting with her and then lunching with her at Windsor Castle for the Garter ceremony just a few months ago, she has been an enduring presence of strength and stability.

“At that lunch, we sat next to each other and she was on sparkling form as we talked – warm, gracious, humorous and spirited.

Justin Welby, The Archbishop of Canterbury

“As we grieve together, we know that, in losing our beloved Queen, we have lost the person whose steadfast loyalty, service and humility has helped us make sense of who we are through decades of extraordinary change in our world, nation and society,” he said.

“The late Queen leaves behind a truly extraordinary legacy: one that is found in almost every corner of our national life, as well as the lives of so many nations around the world, and especially in the Commonwealth.

“It was my great privilege to meet her late Majesty on many occasions. Her clarity of thinking, capacity for careful listening, inquiring mind, humour, remarkable memory and extraordinary kindness invariably left me conscious of the blessing that she has been to us all.”

The Royal British Legion

The charity, which the Queen served as patron of since 1952, issued a statement recording its “deepest sorrow”.

The statement continued: “We are immensely thankful for Her Majesty’s faithful service, and we join the entire Armed Forces community in mourning the loss of its Commander-in-Chief.

“The Queen’s unwavering dedication to the British Armed Forces will be greatly missed. Our sincere condolences are with the Royal Family at this time.”

Joe Biden, US President, and Jill Biden, First Lady

They said in a Whitehouse Statement that she was “more than a monarch” and that she “defined an era”.

“In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her.

“An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.”

Richard Moore, head of MI6

He paid tribute to the Queen’s “candour, wit and burning sense of duty”, describing her as “the longest-running reader of intelligence reports”.

“On behalf of the officers of the Secret Intelligence Service, I offer my deepest sympathy and condolences to the royal family,” he said in his statement.

“Her Majesty The Queen’s long record of public service is unparalleled in our nation’s history. She was a source of stability, good judgement and wisdom to the United Kingdom for almost seven decades, and shepherded us through the profoundest of global changes and challenges over that period. We owe a deep debt of gratitude for her unwavering devotion to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

“Fifteen chiefs of SIS held office during her long reign. Each of us were honoured to oversee the provision of intelligence to the longest running reader of intelligence reports. In my meetings with The Queen, I was always struck by her candour, wit and burning sense of duty.”

Sir Elton John

The musician described the Queen as an “inspiring presence” and said he would “miss her dearly”.

“Along with the rest of the nation, I am deeply saddened to hear the news of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s passing,” Sir Elton wrote.

“She was an inspiring presence to be around, and lead the country through some of our greatest, and darkest, moments with grace, decency and a genuine caring warmth.

“Queen Elizabeth has been a huge part of my life from childhood to this day, and I will miss her dearly.”

Dame Helen Mirren

The actor who portrayed the Queen on the silver screen and on the stage, described the monarch as the “epitome of nobility”.

“I am proud to be an Elizabethan. We mourn a woman, who, with or without the crown, was the epitome of nobility,” she said in a post on Instagram.”

“I am proud to be an Elizabethan. We mourn a woman, who, with or without the crown, was the epitome of nobility.”

Paddington Bear

The official account of Paddington Bear also tweeted its respects to the Queen.

“Thank you Ma’am, for everything,” the account wrote.

The pair recently appeared in a comical sketch together as part of celebrations for the monarch’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The video showed them sharing tea and marmalade sandwiches in Buckingham Palace.