'Long live the King': Liz Truss says Queen Elizabeth was 'rock' of modern Britain who was 'loved around the world'

8 September 2022, 19:25 | Updated: 8 September 2022, 20:24

PM’s statement on the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

Liz Truss has said Queen Elizabeth II was the "rock" of modern Britain who was 'loved and admired around the world'.

The Prime Minister, dressed in black, addressed the nation outside No 10.

She said: "We are all devastated by the news that we have just heard from Balmoral.

"The death of Her Majesty the Queen is a huge shock to the nation and to the world."

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Liz Truss said: "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."

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II dies aged 96, Buckingham Palace confirms

"Earlier this week at 96, she remained determined to carry out her duties as she appointed me as her 15th Prime Minister," said Ms Truss.

"Throughout her life she's visited more than 100 countries and she's 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."

Liz Truss also said: "Today the crown passes, as it has done for more than 1,000 years, to our new monarch, to our new head of state, His Majesty King Charles III."

She said the country would now support the King.

"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'."

Other political leaders have paid tribute to the Queen.

Sir Keir Starmer said the Queen "created a special, personal relationship with us all" based on "service and devotion to her country".

"Nobody under the age of 70 has known anything other than Queen Elizabeth II on the throne," he told broadcasters.

"For the vast majority of us, the late Queen has been simply the Queen."

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: "The death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth is a profoundly sad moment for the UK, the Commonwealth and the world.

"Her life was one of extraordinary dedication and service. On behalf of the people of Scotland, I convey my deepest condolences to The King and the Royal Family."

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Wales' First Minister has paid tribute to the Queen and her "long and exceptional life".

Delivering his statement on the steps of the Welsh Government buildings in Cathays Park, Cardiff, following the death of the Queen, Mark Drakeford said: "It is with great sadness that we learn today of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

"She has been the only monarch that most of us remember and today the country feels an immense loss.

"Throughout her long and exceptional life, as our longest-reigning monarch, Her Majesty firmly upheld the values and traditions of the British monarchy.

"On behalf of the Welsh Government and people in all parts of Wales I offer our deepest condolences to all her Majesty's children and their families on this sad occasion.

"She will be sorely missed by the many organisations in Wales she championed and supported, over so many decades, as patron or president."