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Yesterday, shortly before midnight AEST, Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, passed away in her residence at Balmoral Castle.

According to the ABC, the Queen’s family members travelled to be with her as “her doctors [said] they were concerned for her health.” At 3:30 AM (AEST), the Royal Family announced on Twitter that she had “died peacefully at Balmoral”.

The Queen’s death ends a seventy-year reign, beginning in 1952, making her the longest-serving monarch in the United Kingdom’s history.

Tributes to the Queen

Tributes quickly flowed in, attesting to the widespread inspiration and impact that the Queen has had on so many people.

His Majesty King Charles III made the following public statement:

“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Soverign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.

During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”

The new UK Prime Minister Liz Truss called Queen Elizabeth the “rock on which modern Britain was built”.

First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, wrote that the Queen’s passing was a “profoundly sad moment for the UK, the Commonwealth and the world”.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the Queen for serving the nation with “unrivalled grace, dignity and purpose”.

Statements of condolence and tribute also flowed in from around the world, with the President of the United States and his wife, Jill Biden, saying that the Queen “was more than a monarch. She defined an era”.

Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also released their own words following the news.

New South Wales’ Premier Dominic Perrottet also released a beautifully written tribute to Her Majesty on behalf of the citizens of his state. He praised her “lifetime of public duty to the Crown, the Commonwealth, and to millions of people across the globe”.

Pope Francis extended his condolences to King Charles III in a telegram, noting the late Queen’s “example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ and her firm hope in His promises”:

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore — a former British colony and current member of the Commonwealth — announced that state flags at all government buildings would be flown at half-mast on the day of her funeral as a mark of respect.