She was on the British throne for more than 70 years, experienced wars, crises and scandals. On Thursday evening presenter Huw Edwards announced BBC News the news of the Queen’s death. The station then played the national anthem.
In their own country, the newspapers mourn. So he mourns Guardians to the “ultimate matriarch who wielded her power quietly and artfully”. Queen Elizabeth II used a woman’s rare trick: exert profound influence without triggering a backlash. “She didn’t so much normalize the notion of a woman in power, but largely made the nation forget that, while retaining the ability to freeze grown men with a look.” In one
further comment fears Britain is facing a split. “The death of Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral comes as a prepared but shocked nation. It is important that troubled politicians and injured civil society deal with this event as calmly and sensitively as possible because this event is politically and constitutionally still will linger for years.”
The cover is the most impressive Time Magazine, on which stands a 42-year-old Elizabeth II in a dark blue admiral’s coat, a hint of a smile on her face, without the pose or fanfare of a queen – and in that simplicity she looks all the more regal. The motif was often referred to as “timeless”. The picture was taken by British fashion, portrait and war photographer Sir Cecil Beaton. Beaton, who died in 1980, wanted the Queen to be “strong, clear and courageous” in a series of shots.
Photographer Queen Elizabeth II wanted to portray “strong, clear and courageous” in this 1968 image.
(Photo: Cecil Beaton/TIME)
The British Times complains: “Our debt to her is priceless”. The Queen has been Britain’s rock in times of triumph, tragedy and crisis.
With “Elizabeth II, a sovereign goes down in history” says goodbye Le Monde by the British monarch. “The shock of Elizabeth II’s passing will be felt around the world, and particularly in the fifteen states of which she was sovereign, as another sign of the end of an era. For Brits, the dreaded event also raises fears of a loss of prestige in a Time when the country is struggling with a serious social and economic crisis.”
Commented with clear words against the new king La Republica the Queen’s death: “When the trumpets stop and the carriages are parked again in the gardens of the royal palaces, the real collective reflection begins. In theory, a new king will lead the people, an old, gruff and dispassionate figure who – and that is important – by a new queen, accompanied by ex-concubine Camilla, whose promotion was not universally accepted by a people who would have so much preferred Diana at Charles’s side.The real protagonists of the new phase of the monarchy and those who will decide what end it will take, the subjects will be.”
Especially for successor King Charles III. it should be difficult, writes the Spanish El Mundo: “It is difficult to grasp the historical dimension of such a gigantic figure as Elizabeth II. (…) It was her personal prestige that sustained the crown as scandals shook her own family, particularly the allegations of sexual abuse of a Minors against her son Prince Andrew.(…) It is now the time of her patient son Charles who will ascend to the throne at the age of 73. Let’s hope his mother’s example will help him lead the United Kingdom in this stormy 21st century with the same certainty and certainty. After all, that is the task of the monarchy in our time: it should offer an institutional security that remains unaffected by the uncertain ups and downs of history.”
The Norwegian newspaper Aften post writes: “The story of Queen Elizabeth is more than just the narrative of a country. It is about how a person can carry national traditions and symbols within themselves as a person. No one has stood in the unforgiving limelight as long and as steadfastly as her. The face and the figure of the queen, the colorful costumes and hats, the little bag on her arm, is known in all corners of the world. She was probably the most famous person on the planet. No one was a global symbol of devotion in the same way as she to dignity, duty and vocation. That is why she was loved and admired all over the world.”
In the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf it says: “With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, an era has come to an end. For many Britons, the monarch was a rock in the surf, a factor for stability in troubled times. The longer she sat on the throne, the more became she also became an icon worldwide. (…) Now all eyes are on her son Charles, the 73-year-old had been behind the scenes all his life. He now has to follow in big footsteps.”
And the Belgian The standard writes: “Queen Elizabeth became Queen when Winston Churchill, Harry Truman and Joseph Stalin ruled the world and her country was still a global empire dominating much of Africa. The message with which she ascended the throne was simple and clear – and perhaps that is why it is so appealing. She spoke of her lifelong duty to serve the people. The world has changed so much since then, but her message of duty has never seemed to get old and has enchanted generations of Brits. Whenever the Queen has one With the streets of London packed with hundreds of thousands of people and folk festivals held across the country, many non-Brits will admit to regularly being carried away by the aura of a queen who even Netflix considers a global star became.”
the Washington Post writes: “To break her reign down to statistics would miss her greater contribution to British society and our cultural consciousness. Steady, like her ubiquitous profile on stamps and coins, the Queen embodied British self-restraint. (…) While others in the royal family felt vocal about her private life and opinions – including on matters of government – she put the monarchy before the monarch, prioritizing duty over personal and family interests.(…) Ultimately, her practiced impartiality was an asset that enabled her to concede to inspire nationalism without partisanship. Her commitment to serving the people was commendable – all the more so for the length of her reign and the leadership she offered in divisive times. The Queen’s popularity and longevity have acted as a unifying force even after the Brexit sever Britain’s ties to Europe and the ties that hold the individual countries of the United Kingdom together have also been loosened. The monarchy – and Britain – could change dramatically without the Queen.”