“Papua New Guineans from the mountains, valleys and coasts rose this morning to the news that our Queen has been laid to rest by God,” Prime Minister James Marape said in his country. “She was the anchor of our Commonwealth and for PNG we lovingly call her the Queen Mother,” he said. Queen Elizabeth touched many lives in many places. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, like so many who knew and admired her, cited her “grace, dignity and dedication”, describing her as a “reassuring presence for decades of sweeping change”. In Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari said “the history of modern Nigeria will never be complete without a chapter on Queen Elizabeth II, a towering world figure and an extraordinary leader.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke of his “deep sadness” at the news, saying the UK and Commonwealth had suffered an “irreparable loss”. There were also messages, from nations that, to put it mildly, do not share Britain’s strong social and democratic values. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, contacted King Charles to “wish you courage and resilience”. President Xi Jinping of China expressed his “sincere sympathies to the British government and people”. But it was the comments of those who had spent time with the late queen that cut through the diplomatic white noise. Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany, said: “Her commitment to German-British reconciliation after the horrors of the Second World War will be unforgettable. She will be missed, not just her great sense of humor.” Queen Elizabeth II was a monarch who kept her own counsel in public, but revealed a quick, sometimes mischievous wit in private. Diligent and obedient, but also kind and compassionate. The very embodiment of keeping calm and carrying on. Our Queen. But also the Queen. A reassuring beacon of continuity and stability for people across the planet. When Mr. Trudeau remarked that “he was one of my favorite people in the world and I will miss him dearly,” he spoke for all of us.
