The Latest Breaking News from Nelson Mandela

The former Labour Prime Minister and Chancellor Gordon Brown reflects on the Queen's astonishing connection to the British public - and his personal memories of her

King Charles III had an infamous encounter with the Spice Girls back in 1997 - with one of them calling him 'very sexy' - and he sent a letter to Geri when she left the group

President Nelson Mandela never forgot the Queen’s refusal to travel to South Africa during the apartheid years – despite the differing views of her Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher – which would have given the country’s racist policies tacit approval

South African president was the one world leader who could dispense with formality with Elizabeth II

To carry on his mother’s work and confront the legacy of colonialism will require unique skills

Elizabeth II maintained special ties with Britain’s former colonies and the members of the Commonwealth states in Africa. From the beginning of her reign in Kenya to her memorable meetings with Kwame Nkrumah and Nelson Mandela, the Queen had a long-standing relationship with the African continent.

Barack Obama had attended Nelson Mandela’s funeral with George Bush and Bill Clinton

(This September 10 story corrects second paragraph to make clear date of Mandela's first visit to Buckingham Palace was 1996, not 1995)

He told hosts Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty: “She was extraordinary and it wasn't simply because she was the Queen, I think it was the nature of her personality."

From becoming head of the Commonwealth of Nations in 1952 to witnessing the independence of many African countries, Queen Elizabeth II watched a century of history unfold. RFI looks at some of the key moments in the late monarch’s relationship with the African continent.

The late Queen Elizabeth ll of England dominates today's newspapers worldwide, with editors reaching for muted superlatives to honour an admired, admirable stateswoman.