Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Britian’s longest serving monarch, passed away peacefully at her home at Scotland on Sep 8.
She was 96.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign 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,” said the new King, her eldest son Charles in a statement.
Source: The Royal Family Facebook
Her near-seven decade tenure as head of state saw sweeping changes: from the transition from empire to Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War, to Brexit.
15 prime ministers served under her, starting from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss. She held weekly audiences with her prime minister throughout her reign.
PM Lee pays tribute
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also offered his condolences to the British people in a Facebook post on Sep 9.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty was the very heart and soul of the United Kingdom,” he wrote.
“Her Majesty’s reign saw one of the longest periods of peace and prosperity in the history of the United Kingdom. Throughout her life, she steadfastly served the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. She performed her duties with devotion, grace, and humility. Her contributions to the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and indeed to the world will be recorded in history, and she
PM Lee added: “Her Majesty also left a significant mark on Singapore’s history and our longstanding close relations with the United Kingdom.”
Queen Elizabeth visited Singapore three times – in 1972, 1989 and 2006.
In 2014 during Singapore’s first ever state visit to the UK by then-President Tony Tan, Queen Elizabeth spoke of the rich historical ties between the two nations.
“As well as a common heritage, our countries share a wealth of common interests. As two of the leading financial services centres in the world, we are significant investors in each other’s countries… Underpinning all this is a shared belief in openness and free trade, and a world founded on justice, fairness and international law. Mr. President, your visit is an opportunity to celebrate the links between our two countries, developed over almost two centuries,” she said.
Cover photo credit: PM Lee and HM Queen Elizabeth Facebook