“He led the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace and decency and genuine care,” John said. “I’m 75 and she’s been with me all my life and I feel very sad that she’s not going to be with me anymore, but I’m glad she’s at peace,” he said. “I’m glad he’s resting and he deserves it. Work hard.” The singer-songwriter then performed his 1974 track “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” John was knighted by the Queen in 1998, a year after the death of his friend Princess Diana. Prince Charles also made the musician and charity patron a Companion of the Order last year. John’s concert was the second of two nights at Toronto’s Rogers Center and part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, billed as his final tour.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS: — Prince Charles became king soon after his mother’s death — Will Charles be loved by his subjects, as his mother was? — Elizabeth was the only monarch most people in Britain ever knew — Her death is being mourned by British politicians from across the political spectrum — Fifteen prime ministers served during Elizabeth’s seven decades on the throne — Here is the order of succession after Charles became king — Milestones in the life of Queen Elizabeth II
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol tweeted his condolences on the death of Queen Elizabeth II. “He had a strong belief in the cause of human freedom and left great legacies of dignity,” he said. He wrote that her kind heart and good deeds will remain in people’s memories.
The foreign minister of Myanmar’s Government of National Unity, an underground parallel government leading the fight for democracy in Myanmar against its military-led government, posted her condolences on Twitter. “I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. On behalf of @NUGMyanmar and the people of Myanmar, I extend our deepest condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the UK and Commonwealth,” Zin Mar Aung wrote. Myanmar, then called Burma, gained independence from British colonial rule in 1948.
CANBERRA, Australia — Malcolm Turnbull, the leader of a failed campaign to replace the British monarch with an Australian president as Australia’s head of state and who later became prime minister, came close to tears Friday as he paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. Turnbull was president of the Australian Republican Movement in 1999 when Australians voted in a referendum against the nation becoming a democracy, severing its constitutional ties to the Queen. He was Prime Minister between 2015 and 2018, during which the Queen gave him a photo of her with her husband Prince Philip. Turnbull’s voice shook as he recalled looking at the photo on Thursday night before he and his wife Lucy Turnbull went to bed with a sense of dread over news from Buckingham Palace about the Queen’s ill health. “I took out the portrait of the Queen and put it up and we just thought, ‘What an amazing life. What amazing leadership,” Turnbull told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “It is the end of an era and let’s hope that the future, after the Queen’s death, will be one where we have leadership as committed and selfless as she has shown,” Turnbull added. —— DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The king and crown prince of Saudi Arabia have expressed their condolences over the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. Statements broadcast early Friday on Saudi state media quoted King Salman as saying that Queen Elizabeth was “a model of leadership that will be immortalized in history.” He added: “We recall with appreciation the efforts of the deceased to consolidate the relations of friendship and cooperation between our two friendly countries, as well as the high international position enjoyed by Her Majesty during the decades during which she ascended the throne of your friendly country .” His young son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, offered similar condolences, saying the queen was “an example of wisdom, love and peace”. He added: “The world remembers today the great impact and actions she had throughout her reign.”
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Queen Elizabeth was “the very heart and soul of the United Kingdom” and that her death was deeply mourned by everyone in the city-state. “She performed her duties with dedication, grace and humility. Her contributions to the UK, the Commonwealth and indeed the world will go down in history and she will always be fondly remembered as a great world leader,” Lee said in a Facebook post. The post included a photo of Lee shaking hands with the Queen in 2018 during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London. Lee’s office said in a statement to local media that state flags at all government buildings will be flown at half-staff on the day of the funeral as a mark of respect. Parliament will also observe a minute’s silence at the start of Monday’s session. ___ TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his condolences on the death of Queen Elizabeth II through his official Twitter account, in both Japanese and English. “On the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I offer my deepest condolences to the Royal Family, the Government and the people of the United Kingdom,” he said. “The loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a great loss not only to the British people but also to the international community. Japan’s thoughts are with the United Kingdom as the British people overcome this profound sadness.” ——— KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said Malaysia, a former colony before its independence from Britain in 1957, extended its sincere condolences to the Queen’s family and the people of the United Kingdom. “Her Majesty was a towering figure and lived a life of dedication and service to the people of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth,” he wrote on Facebook.
NEW YORK — The U.S. Tennis Association observed a moment of silence before Thursday night’s first U.S. Open women’s semifinal match — a straight sets win by Ons Jabeur over Caroline Garcia. “We would like to pause to remember Queen Elizabeth II,” the stadium announcer said. “Our thoughts are with the people of the United Kingdom today. Remember to join us in a moment of silence.” —— WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters she was awakened shortly before 5 a.m. by a police officer who shone a torch into her bedroom to tell her the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death. Under New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements, the Queen was also New Zealand’s monarch and head of state. “The last days of the Queen’s life capture who she was in many ways,” Ardern said. “Working to the end on behalf of the people he loved.” Ardern said the Queen was an extraordinary woman who would be remembered for her laughter. Ardern said that like many people, she felt not only deep sadness but also deep gratitude. “Here is a woman who gave her life, completely, in the service of others. And regardless of what anyone thinks about the role of monarchies around the world, there is undeniably, I think, a demonstration of someone who gave everything on behalf of her people, and her people included the people of Aotearoa New Zealand.” Ardern said New Zealand had entered into a period of official mourning and would hold a memorial service after the official funeral in Britain. —— ABUJA, Nigeria — President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed “immense sadness” over the death of Queen Elizabeth II. “Her late Majesty was the only British sovereign known to 90% of our population,” the Nigerian leader said, describing the late queen’s reign as “unique and wonderful”. “The history of modern Nigeria will never be complete without a chapter on Queen Elizabeth II, a towering world figure and an extraordinary leader. She dedicated her life to making her nation, the Commonwealth and the whole world a better place,” Buhari added. Nigeria gained independence from the British in 1960, four years after the late Queen’s official visit to the West African nation. When Elizabeth last visited in 2003, she spoke of Nigeria’s critical role in the Commonwealth and applauded the country for its “leading role in the new partnership for Africa’s development”. ——— SAO PAULO — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has decreed three days of national mourning in the South American nation for the death of Queen Elizabeth II. He also said on Twitter that Elizabeth “wasn’t the Queen just for the British. she was a queen for all of us.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the death of Queen Elizabeth II is a time of mourning for people in Britain, across the Commonwealth and around the world. In a statement, he said she is the only reigning monarch most Australians have known and the only one to ever visit their country. “And over a remarkable seven decades, Her Majesty has been a rare and reassuring constant amid rapid change,” he said. “Through the noise and turmoil of the years, he embodied and displayed a timeless grace and an enduring calm.” The British monarch is Australia’s official head of state, although these days the role is seen as mostly ceremonial.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden went to the British embassy on Thursday to express his condolences over the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The American leader sat in a…
