Mike Tindall took to social media and shared an emotional, paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. Mike's wife, Zara, travelled to Balmoral to be with the Royal Family.
Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall all made the trip to the Scottish estate to pay their respects to their late grandmother. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral, aged 96, leaving the UK in a period of official mourning.
As Mike Tindall is married to Zara, a granddaughter of the former monarch, he has had the chance to meet the Queen, and called her "an amazing woman", reports the Mirror. He broke his silence on her passing with a simple yet moving image posted to social media.
The former rugby player reposted a photo which shows the Sydney Opera House, with the Queen's image on it. The photo was originally published by The Sydney Morning Herald following the news of the Queen's passing.
The post was captioned: "We are well-used to seeing the Sydney Opera House illuminated to mark significant events, but tonight’s image is above and beyond. The sails have been illuminated to pay respect to the late Queen Elizabeth II." Mike shared the photo on his Instagram stories, adding a red heart to the post.
During an interview with The Telegraph last year, Mr Tindall - who married the late monarch's granddaughter in 2011 - praised the Queen, describing her as "an amazing woman".
He said: "I can only say how kind they’ve been to me, and how welcoming they’ve been to me since joining the family. And how they’ve made my family welcome. I’ve always felt part of it and I think that’s down to what an amazing woman the Queen is. They’re a fantastic family."
Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle yesterday afternoon. Buckingham Palace made the announcement at 6.30pm, stating: "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."
King Charles and his wife Camilla, now Queen Consort, travelled to London this morning. The late Queen's son was greeted by crowds outside Buckingham Palace ahead of a televised address to a nation mourning the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth after seven decades on the throne.
Charles and Camilla then looked at flowers and messages left outside the famous black railings, before heading into the palace where the flag of the British sovereign was flown overhead. Buckingham Palace said there would be a period of mourning to be observed by members of the family and the royal household until a week after the funeral, the date of which has not yet been confirmed but is expected in about 10 days' time.
Charles will officially be proclaimed king on Saturday at a meeting of the Accession Council held at St James's Palace followed by proclamations across the nation.
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