Britain’s new king Charles III led the tributes to his mother after Buckingham Palace announced Queen Elizabeth had died peacefully earlier this afternoon.
In a statement shortly after the announcement of her death, King Charles said: “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and much-beloved mother.
“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country and by countless people around the world.”
PM Liz Truss led the political tributes, describing the Queen as “a rock on which modern Britain was built”, while Labour leader Keir Starmer said of the monarch “Above the clashes of politics, she stood not for what the nation fought over, but what it agreed upon. “
Foreign leaders too were quick to pay tribute to Britain’s longest-serving head of state.
US president Joe Biden in a joint statement with his Jill said: "She was more than a monarch. She defined an era.
“She was the first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection.
“Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special."
French president Emmanuel Macron said the Queen had embodied Britain’s continuity and unity for over 70 years.
“I remember her as a friend of France, a kind-hearted queen who has left a lasting impression on her country and her century,"
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, meanwhile, described the Queen as "one of his favourite people in the world".
“She was a constant presence in our lives – and her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country's history. I will miss her so.”