Related video: Queen mourns her late husband, Prince Philip, in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in April 2021
Liz Truss, Sir Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson have all paid heartfelt tributes as Britain was plunged into mourning over the death of the Queen, Britain’s longest-serving monarch, who has died at the age of 96.
She reigned for almost seven decades between 1952 and 2022, overseeing huge political and cultural changes in the national life, from the end of the era of colonial rule to Brexit.
Her son, the Prince of Wales, automatically succeeds her as King Charles III, taking her place in ruling over the UK and more than a dozen Commonwealth nations, a role for which he has spent a lifetime in preparation.
Liz Truss, who became prime minister after an audience with the Queen at Balmoral on Tuesday, hailed the “rock of modern Britain” in a speech in Downing Street four hours after the death.
Former prime ministers, other political party leaders, heads of state and celebrities all joined in paying lavish tribute to the Queen.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the nation mourned the passing of “a remarkable sovereign” and that King Charles III would uphold her values.
Earlier on Thursday, the Queen’s children and grandchildren headed to Balmoral, her home in the Scottish Highlands, to be at her side.
