Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, public figures from around the world have paid tribute to the late monarch, as members of the public gather and lay flowers outside of Buckingham Palace.
King Charles III released a statement shortly after the death was confirmed. It read:
'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 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.
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 evening the news broke, the homepage of Archewell, the organisation run by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, changed to a simple black page with the words, 'In Loving Memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II'.
Prince William and Kate Middleton released the following statement on Saturday 10 September:
PM Liz Truss has paid tribute to the Queen
The newly-appointed Prime Minister, Liz Truss, delivered a statement from Downing Street in the wake of the news. Addressing the nations, Truss said:
'We are all devastated by the news we have just heard from Balmoral. The death of Her Majesty the Queen is a huge shock to the nation and to the world.
'Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country is is today because of her.
'She ascended the throne just after the Second World War. She championed the development of the commonwealth, to a family of 56 nations spanning every continent of the world.
'Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed.
'She was the very sprit of Great Britain, and that spirit will endure. She has been our longest ever reigning monarch. It's an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years.
'Her life of service stretched beyond most of our living memories. In return, she was loved and admired by the people in the United Kingdom and all around the world.
'She has been a personal inspiration to me and to many Britons. Her devotion to duty is an example to us all.
'Earlier this week at 96, she remained determined to carry out her duties as she appointed me as her 25th Prime Minister.
'Throughout her life she has visited more than 100 countries and she has touched the lives of millions around the world.
'In the difficult days ahead we will come together with our friends across the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the world to celebrate her extraordinary lifetime of service.
'It is a day of great loss, but Queen Elizabeth II leaves a great legacy. Today the crown passes, as it has done for more than 1,000 years to our new monarch, our new head of state, His Majesty, King Charles III.
'With the King's family, we mourn the loss of his mother, and as we mourn, we must come together a a people to support him to help him bear the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all.'
'We offer him our loyalty and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much to so many for so long.
'And with the passing of the second Elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country, exactly as Her majesty would have wished, by saying the words: "God save the King."'
How have other politicians and world leaders paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II?
On Instagram, Barack Obama, shared a post which said: 'Michelle and I were lucky enough to come to know Her Majesty, and she meant a great deal to us. Back when we were just beginning to navigate life as President and First Lady, she welcomed us to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity. Time and again, we were struck by her warmth, the way she put people at ease, and how she brought her considerable humor and charm to moments of great pomp and circumstance.'
Leader of the Opposition, Keir Starmer, posted a tribute on Twitter. 'Today, we mourn the passing of a remarkable sovereign,' Starmer wrote. 'We will always treasure Queen Elizabeth II's life of service and devotion to our nation and the Commonwealth; our longest-serving monarch.'
Former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, also took to Twitter to share a lengthy statement in which he described Queen Elizabeth II as 'so wonderful' and 'a bright and shining light'. He added - 'we had come to believe, like children, that she would just go on and on'.
How have celebrities paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II?
Many national treasures have also shared their thoughts and tributes since Her Majesty passed. In a moving post, Sir Elton John praised Her Majesty's 'grace, decency and genuine caring warmth'. He continued, 'Queen Elizabeth has been a huge part of my childhood to this day, and I will miss her dearly.'
Sir David Attenborough said the monarch had an 'extraordinary ability to put you at you at ease.' He said in a statement to Press Association, 'If there was a technical hitch, she wanted to know what it was, and if it had a funny side, she was quick to see the joke.'
'Yet not for one second could you forget that you were in the presence of someone who had willingly accepted enormous responsibility and dedicated her life to serving the nation – that you were, in short, in the presence of royalty. The whole nation is bereaved.'
Others, including Dame Helen Mirren, The Lionesses, Nicola Adams, Victoria Beckham, and even Paddington Bear - who appeared with The Queen in a sketch for the Jubilee - have shared touching messages in response to the news.
Some celebrities have chosen to pay their respects in other ways. Harry Styles paid tribute to the Queen during his concert in Madison Square Garden, New York. The One Direction star asked the crowd to join him in a round of applause for her '70 years of service.'
