Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch and one of the world’s most recognizable and most portrayed figures in modern times, died on Thursday at age 96.
After 70 years of rule, Elizabeth died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the Royal Family announced. She will be succeeded by firstborn son Charles.
Earlier, the Palace said that Elizabeth was under medical supervision, as doctors were “concerned for Her Majesty’s health.” The announcement came after the monarch canceled a meeting of her Privy Council the day prior and was told to rest.
Charles made a statement following the announcement of his mother’s death, noting it was “a moment of great sadness for me and all members of my family.”
His statement continued, “I know the loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” adding that the Royal Family takes comfort knowing Elizabeth was “so widely held.”
Outpourings of respect and statements paying tribute came flooding in on Thursday.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.
It continued, “In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.
“She was the first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection—whether they heard her on the radio as a young princess speaking to the children of the United Kingdom, or gathered around their televisions for her coronation, or watched her final Christmas speech or her Platinum Jubilee on their phones. And she, in turn, dedicated her whole life to their service.
“Supported by her beloved Prince Philip for 73 years, Queen Elizabeth II led always with grace, an unwavering commitment to duty, and the incomparable power of her example. She endured the dangers and deprivations of a world war alongside the British people and rallied them during the devastation of a global pandemic to look to better days ahead. Through her dedication to her patronages and charities, she supported causes that uplifted people and expanded opportunity. By showing friendship and respect to newly independent nations around the world, she elevated the cause of liberty and fostered enduring bonds that helped strengthen the Commonwealth, which she loved so deeply, into a community to promote peace and shared values.
“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.
“We first met the Queen in 1982, traveling to the UK as part of a Senate delegation. And we were honored that she extended her hospitality to us in June 2021 during our first overseas trip as President and First Lady, where she charmed us with her wit, moved us with her kindness, and generously shared with us her wisdom. All told, she met 14 American presidents. She helped Americans commemorate both the anniversary of the founding of Jamestown and the bicentennial of our independence. And she stood in solidarity with the United States during our darkest days after 9/11, when she poignantly reminded us that “Grief is the price we pay for love.”
I”n the years ahead, we look forward to continuing a close friendship with The King and The Queen Consort. Today, the thoughts and prayers of people all across the United States are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief. We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, who are not only mourning their Queen, but their dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world.”
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Helen Mirren said, “I’m mourning, along with the rest of my country, the passing of a great Queen. I’m proud to call myself of the Elizabethan age. If there was a definition of nobility, Elizabeth Windsor embodied it.”
BAFTA also released a statement, highlighting the Queen’s support for the U.K.’s creative industries through her various patronages, including through the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, the Royal Variety Charity and the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. “We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen, whose close association with the Academy spanned 50 years.
The statement continued, “Over the years, The Queen has visited countless film and television organizations, supporting their efforts by highlighting the work they do. The official opening of BAFTA’s new headquarters at 195 Piccadilly, in March 1976, was conducted by The Queen and attended by past Presidents of the organiation, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Earl Mountbatten of Burma and HRH Princess Anne, who was President at the time. On the occasion of the official opening, the Society of Film and Television Arts was renamed the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Five decades on, 195 Piccadilly remains BAFTA’s iconic London home and is at the heart of the Academy’s charitable activity.
“The Queen played a significant role in one of the most ambitious overseas initiatives the Academy has ever undertaken, when in 1990, the Library of Congress in Washington invited BAFTA to organize a joint Festival of British Film and Television. The Academy organized a major British cultural program in 1991 for the first state visit to Washington by The Queen and The Duke since 1976. The Queen supported numerous events within the festival, including the Great British Picture Show at the Library of Congress, at which over 100 feature films were screened within a week. The Queen also attended a BAFTA lunch at The Jefferson Building, together with The Duke, which included a presentation of a British Academy Special Award to actress Angela Lansbury by Sir Richard Attenborough.
“In 1996, when the Academy celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special event at 195 Piccadilly, The Queen and The Duke attended this milestone in the organization’s history and to mark the occasion there were presentations of a Lifetime Achievement Award to cinematographer Freddie Young and the BAFTA Fellowship to Dame Maggie Smith.
“The Queen received her own BAFTA on 4 April 2013, the occasion of a reception for the British film industry hosted by Her Majesty at Windsor Castle. An honorary British Academy Special Award was presented by Sir Kenneth Branagh in recognition of The Queen’s outstanding patronage of the film and television industries. The Queen occupies a unique place in the Academy’s history and will be missed enormously.”
Sir Roger Deakins expressed his sadness over the loss of the queen, writing in a statement to THR, “One of my first childhood memories was seeing her coronation. We got a black and white television just for the occasion. She’s been such a force in history and was an extraordinary woman. It’s a sad day.”
Read on to see what else Hollywood stars and public figures are saying about Queen Elizabeth II.
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