WASHINGTON – The death of Queen Elizabeth II Thursday afternoon drew immediate reaction from U.S. leaders.
President Joe Biden cancelled planned remarks on the new COVID-19 vaccine, which had been scheduled for 1:45 p.m. Thursday.
He issued a proclamation ordering that all American flags on U.S. government buildings, at military installations and on naval vessels are to be flown at half-staff until sunset on the day of the queen’s burial. The president also released this statement:
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era.
“In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.
“She was the first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection – whether they heard her on the radio as a young princess speaking to the children of the United Kingdom, or gathered around their televisions for her coronation, or watched her final Christmas speech or her Platinum Jubilee on their phones. And she, in turn, dedicated her whole life to their service.
“Supported by her beloved Prince Philip for 73 years, Queen Elizabeth II led always with grace, an unwavering commitment to duty, and the incomparable power of her example. She endured the dangers and deprivations of a world war alongside the British people and rallied them during the devastation of a global pandemic to look to better days ahead. Through her dedication to her patronages and charities, she supported causes that uplifted people and expanded opportunity. By showing friendship and respect to newly independent nations around the world, she elevated the cause of liberty and fostered enduring bonds that helped strengthen the Commonwealth, which she loved so deeply, into a community to promote peace and shared values.
“Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special.
“We first met the Queen in 1982, traveling to the UK as part of a Senate delegation. And we were honored that she extended her hospitality to us in June 2021 during our first overseas trip as President and First Lady, where she charmed us with her wit, moved us with her kindness, and generously shared with us her wisdom. All told, she met 14 American presidents. She helped Americans commemorate both the anniversary of the founding of Jamestown and the bicentennial of our independence. And she stood in solidarity with the United States during our darkest days after 9/11, when she poignantly reminded us that “Grief is the price we pay for love.”
“In the years ahead, we look forward to continuing a close friendship with The King and The Queen Consort. Today, the thoughts and prayers of people all across the United States are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief. We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, who are not only mourning their Queen, but their dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world.”
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, issued a statement saying “Americans join the people of the United Kingdom in mourning the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II.”
“Over her seven decades on the throne, Her Majesty was a pillar of leadership in the global arena and a devoted friend of freedom,” the speaker continued. “On behalf of the United States Congress, I extend our deepest and most sincere condolences to the Royal Family during this sad time.
“Queen Elizabeth embodied the highest spirit of civic duty: earning the reverence of her people and the respect of the world. Her Majesty capably shepherded the United Kingdom through great turbulence and transition. As the Head of the Commonwealth, she helped advance a new global order of security, prosperity and peace. She took an important step toward hope and healing in 2011, when she made history as the first British monarch to visit Ireland in a century. Under history’s brightest spotlight, Queen Elizabeth offered a masterclass in grace and strength, power and poise. Her extraordinary life and leadership will continue to inspire young women and girls in public service, now and for generations to come.
“Personally, it was an honor to be on the floor of the House during her historic address to the Congress in 1991 and to welcome her as Speaker on her important visit to the United States in 2007, which deepened the special relationship between our nations,” Pelosi said. “May it be a comfort to her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and the entire Royal Family that Americans join them in prayer at this sad time.”
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, also issued a statement:
“Today all Americans stand with our great friends across the Atlantic in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“Elaine and I extend our deepest sympathies to the Royal Family and to the many millions of people across the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and the entire world who have drawn reassurance and inspiration from her historic reign, sterling character, and shining example.
“For 70 long years, from the aftermath of World War II well into the 21st century, across 15 different Prime Ministers, through great triumphs and great challenges, the Queen’s steady leadership safeguarded the land she loved. Despite spending nearly three quarters of a century as one of the most famous and admired individuals on the planet, the Queen made sure her reign was never really about herself — not her fame, not her feelings, not her personal wants or needs. She guided venerable institutions through modern times using timeless virtues like duty, dignity, and sacrifice. She offered our contemporary world a living master class it needed badly.
“The decades of Her Majesty’s reign saw an intense deepening of the special relationship and close bond between the United States and the United Kingdom. The Queen who met sitting President Harry S. Truman as a 25-year-old princess and met a dozen more of our Presidents during her reign presided over an historic strengthening of our nations’ alliance that has changed the course of world history for the better.
“The British people’s loss is the entire world’s loss. We Americans join our friends in prayer, in grief, and in gratitude for such a remarkable leader and such a successful reign.” McConnell said.
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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement that “Marylanders join the nation and the world in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – an iconic and beloved leader whose long life of service commands immeasurable respect and admiration. She touched many lives, and many hearts too.”
“The Queen took great care over the last seven decades to deepen the meaning of the special relationship between the United States and Great Britain,” the governor said. “Maryland was proud to welcome Her Majesty during her first state visit to our country in 1957, and again during her last state visit here in 2007. The First Lady and I send our condolences to the Royal Family and to the British people.”
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Shortly after the official announcement of the queen’s death, people began placing flowers on the grounds of the British Embassy in Washington.
The embassy posted a sign saying that its condolence book would be open Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and at the same times on following days.
Capital News Service reporters Courtney Cohn and Maxine Friedman contributed to this report.
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