Britain’s ‘saddest day’: tributes to Queen pour in

King Charles III has led tributes to his “beloved mother”, describing her passing as a “moment of great sadness” for him and his family that would be “deeply felt” around the world.

Liz Truss said Queen Elizabeth II was “the rock on which modern Britain was built”. Britain “is the great country it is today because of her”, the new prime minister continued in a statement from Downing Street.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said the country would “always treasure Queen Elizabeth II’s life of service and devotion to our nation and the Commonwealth”. House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said Her Majesty had “exercised a calm and steadying influence over our country”.

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Boris Johnson said that the passing yesterday of “Elizabeth the Great” marked Britain’s “saddest day” and that “wave after wave of grief is rolling across the world”.

“In the hearts of every one of us there is an ache at the passing of the Queen, a deep and personal sense of loss,” added the former Tory leader in his tribute to the monarch, who accepted his resignation as PM on Tuesday.

That sentiment was echoed by the “spiritual leader to the Church of England of which the monarch is supreme governor”, the BBC reported. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby expressed his “profound sadness” and said his “prayers are with the King and the Royal Family”.

Leaders from across the world joined in paying tribute to the monarch and her “remarkable reign”, said Sky News. Emmanuel Macron recalled “a kind-hearted Queen” who was “a friend of France”. Joe Biden described her as “more than a monarch”, saying she “defined an era”.

Canada’s Justin Trudeau said that “in a complicated world, her steady grace and resolve brought comfort to us all”.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Queen's “empathy and ability to connect with every passing generation, while remaining rooted in the tradition that truly mattered to her, was an example of true leadership”.

China’s Xi Jinping said “her passing is a great loss to the British people”, while India’s PM Narendra Modi tweeted that he would “never forget her warmth and kindness”.