‘More than a monarch’: leaders from around world pay tribute to Queen

From the United States to Russia and China, heads of state issued at times emotional tributes to the Queen, underlining her standing and status on the global stage.

President Joe Biden described her as “more than a monarch” who defined an era. Mr Biden was one of 13 US presidents to meet the Queen during her 70-year reign which saw her visit more than 100 countries.

He visited the British Embassy in Washington last night with First Lady Jill Biden to sign a book of condolence and ordered all US flags, including at the White House, to be flown at half mast until the Queen’s state funeral.

He recalled his last visit to the UK in 2021, saying: “She charmed us with her wit, moved us with her kindness, and generously shared with us her wisdom.”

The president added: “Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock of the Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special.”

Former presidents also paid tribute with Barack Obama describing her as a “beacon of hope and stability for the people of the United Kingdom”. He added: “Time and again, we were struck by her warmth, the way she put people at ease, and how she brought her considerable humour and charm to moments of great pomp and circumstance.”

Donald Trump said he would “never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humour”, while George W Bush praised her “great intellect, charm and wit”.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered an emotional televised tribute to the Queen, who was the country’s head of state, recalling his first meeting with her as a child when his father was prime minister.

Holding back tears, he said: “In a complicated world, her steady grace and resolve brought comfort to us all”, adding that he would miss their “chats” where she was “thoughtful, wise, curious, helpful, funny and so much more”.

“She was one of my favourite people in the world, and I will miss her so,” he said. France’s President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that the Queen “embodied the British nation’s continuity and unity for over 70 years”.

“I remember her as a friend of France, a kind-hearted Queen who has left a lasting impression on her country and her century.”

In Australia, where the death of the Queen may lead to renewed push for constitutional changes in a country where the British monarch is still the ceremonial head of state, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described her as “a rare and reassuring constant amidst rapid change”.

He added: “Through the noise and turbulence of the years, she embodied and exhibited a timeless decency and an enduring calm.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences to the British royal family, noting in a statement that she was the first British monarch to visit China in 1986. He said: “Her death is a great loss to the British people.” And while Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and the 2018 Salisbury poisoning of the spy Sergei Skripal have placed a great strain on relations between the UK and Kremlin in recent years, leader Vladimir Putin, now an international pariah, sent his “deepest condolences” to the new King.

“The most important events in the recent history of the United Kingdom are inextricably linked with the name of Her Majesty. For many decades, Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage,” Mr Putin said.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted that it was with “deep sadness” that he learned of “this irreparable loss”.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hailed the Queen as an extraordinary woman who she would remember for her laughter. She said: “The last days of the Queen’s life captures who she was in so many ways — working until the very end on behalf of the people she loved.”

European Union flags were lowered to half-mast and Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, sent a letter to King Charles which read: “Her reign defined the history of your nation and our continent. She symbolised the best of the United Kingdom, its people and its values.”