Tributes were quick to pour in following the news that Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 early Thursday followingnoon, hours following her doctors announced a deterioration in her condition. health.
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“It is with heavy hearts that we have learned of the passing of Canada’s longest serving sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter. noon during a press conference.
The Prime Minister called the Queen a “constant presence” in the lives of Canadians, she who will remain an “important part of our history”.
“She had an obvious and deep affection for all Canadians. She served us with strength and courage for 70 years,” he said at a press briefing, with tears in his eyes.
“She was one of my favorite people in the world, and I will miss her immensely,” added Mr. Trudeau, addressing his thoughts to the members of the royal family.
The Queen’s representative in Canada, Governor General Mary Simon, recalled that she was “the only queen we have known” for many Canadians.
“Her Majesty the Queen was compassionate, dedicated, humble, caring and thoughtful all at once. Nothing was more important to her than serving her people, and she inspired so many with her devotion to the Crown.
Note that 12 Canadian Prime Ministers and 13 Governors General have succeeded each other during the reign of the Sovereign.
“Queen Elizabeth II has lived a life of history and duty. She was also a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. My thoughts go out today to his family who lost a true pillar in their lives,” wrote New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh, one of the first to react.
Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet also paid tribute to the late monarch.
“In the name of all the elected officials, teams and members of the Bloc Québécois, I extend to the people of England and to the family of Her Majesty Elizabeth II our most sincere condolences. She will have been at the heart of a century of trouble with the desire to be a positive force there, ”he said.
The interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Candice Bergen, also expressed her condolences to the royal family.
“As a proud Commonwealth country, it is with unspeakable sadness that we mourn the loss of our oldest sovereign. Her Majesty’s sense of duty to Canada was both deeply embedded and demonstrated in her actions,” she said in a statement.
She also highlighted the monarch’s role in Canadian history.
“She has not only witnessed our historic evolution as a modern, confident and self-confident nation – she has been an active part of it.”
Quebec pays tribute to him
The Prime Minister of Quebec François Legault has meanwhile decided to put his campaign on hold for the remainder of the day Thursday and postponed its scheduled announcements.
“She reigned over her country for almost 70 years, she was a woman who had a sense of public duty, she supported her people in times that were hard,” he said during a point of hurry.
As head of government, Mr. Legault must address the leaders of the other parties to indicate that there will be no electoral display.
The President of the National Assembly, François Paradis, announced the immediate half-masting of the Quebec flag on the tower of the Parliament Building until the day of the funeral.
Liberal leader Dominique Anglade argued that the sovereign was a significant figure in history.
«[Elle] dedicated his life to public service. She will have gone through several pivotal moments of our time, always with great dignity. All my thoughts are with his family and the British people,” she said on Twitter.
“I think this is very sad news for everyone, it’s also historic. […] She was a woman who was calm and moderate,” said Conservative leader Éric Duhaime, shortly following his speech to members of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.
The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, contented himself with offering his condolences at the end of a meeting with the Union of agricultural producers (UPA), but decided to continue the campaign.
“Beyond our political opinions, the fact remains that a death in a family and on a human level is a time when we must offer our sympathies and our condolences. He is someone who has marked England and the rest of the world, ”he said.
“Queen Elizabeth II will have marked her era. I would like to offer my condolences and wish a peaceful mourning to his loved ones, ”reacted the solidarity leader, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
“I will remember from Her Majesty all the devotion, self-sacrifice and righteousness with which this great lady discharged her royal duties during the longest reign in the history of the British monarchy”, advanced in a brief communicated the Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec, J. Michel Doyon.
Many reactions around the world
The world joined Thursday in the mourning of the British following the death of Elizabeth II, “a queen of hearts” whose “dignity” and “unalterable sense of duty” sparked a shower of unanimous tributes.
Addressing “their thoughts” to the royal family and its people, heads of state or government said they were personally affected by the death of the sovereign who, in 70 years of reign, has met almost all the major leaders of the planet. .
A minute of silence at the UN, flags at half mast on the Capitol, but also in the Sultanate of Oman, days of mourning in Brazil or Jordan, marks of respect have multiplied in the four corners of the globe.
“Grace”, “dignity”, “sense of duty”
Joe Biden hailed “a stateswoman of incomparable dignity and steadfastness”. Elizabeth II was “more than a monarch. She embodied an era,” added the American president, who last saw her in June 2021.
His reign is defined by “grace, elegance and an unalterable sense of duty”, added Barack Obama.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also noted Elizabeth II’s “grace, dignity and devotion”.
“There are no words to pay tribute, even partially, to the paramount importance of this queen, to her sense of duty, to her moral integrity, to her devotion and to her dignity”, according to the former chancellor German Angela Merkel.
Consensus
Rarely, the death of Elizabeth II brought even the worst enemies to terms with it.
“For many decades, Elizabeth II rightly enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Expressing his “deep sadness”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lamented “an irreparable loss”.
In the United States, former Republican President Donald Trump agreed with Democrats Joe Biden and Barack Obama, praising a sovereign who, according to him, leaves “an extraordinary legacy of peace and prosperity”.
«Amie»
“I keep the memory of a friend of France, a queen of hearts who forever marked her country and her century,” reacted French President Emmanuel Macron.
She was also “a remarkable friend of Ireland”, according to its president Michael D. Higgins, but also “a constant presence” in the lives of Canadians who “will always cherish her”, according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“Sadness”
“Deeply saddened”, Pope Francis said he was praying for Elizabeth II and Charles III.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of the sovereign.
In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said he was “pained by his disappearance”. The Argentine government has expressed its “sorrow”.
Historical
The King of the Belgians Philippe and his wife paid tribute on Thursday to “an exceptional monarch who has deeply marked history” with her “out of the ordinary personality”.
King Felipe VI of Spain even judged that she had “written the most relevant chapters in history” over the past seven decades.
Queen Elizabeth II symbolized “reconciliation” with Germany, helping to “heal the wounds” of the Second World War, underlined in particular the German head of state Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
His death leaves a huge void, the memory of which “will remain etched in letters of gold in the annals of world history”, for the President of Pakistan Arif Alvi.
“His life and his legacy will be remembered around the world,” said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“Model”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed Elizabeth II as “a model of continuity”, “whose calm and dedication gave strength to many”.
“Throughout her rich career, she has been a source of inspiration and nobility,” added the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid judged that this “exceptional figure” “symbolized devotion and love for his homeland”.
Souvenirs
From Joe Biden who first met her in 1982, to Angela Merkel who spoke of the “honor of receiving her” one last time at the end of her term last year, several personalities shared their memories of the queen, including in unexpected enclosures.
The footballer Pelé thus revealed to be a “great admirer” of the sovereign since her stay in Brazil in 1968, where she had attended a match in the crowded Maracana stadium.
“We will always remember her fondly, especially as she lived here when she was a little princess,” Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela also tweeted.
‘A great loss’ for Canada, says Harper
Former Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper calls the Queen’s death a “great loss” for the country.
Of his many meetings with Queen Elizabeth II, Stephen Harper has only good memories. “She was always warm, knowledgeable and engaging,” the ex-prime minister said on Twitter.
“She loved Canada with all her heart and was truly one of us. […] The queen was a powerful symbol of continuity, stability and progress,” he added.