Reactions to the Queen’s Death

The British flag was lowered to half-mast at Buckingham Palace at the time the death of Queen Elizabeth II was announced, a queen that will remain a symbol for the whole world.

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Corina Cristea, 09.09.2022, 14:00

The news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, at the age of 96 and at the end of a 70-year reign, has saddened the entire world. “The end of an era” – this is how the passing of the longest-serving monarch of Great Britain is described. Elisabeth became Queen in 1952, aged 25, following the death of her father, King George VI. The Prime Minister of Great Britain at the time was Winston Churchill, and the Soviet Union was still led by Joseph Stalin. During her reign – one of the longest in European history – the Queen met 13 of the 14 American presidents who were her contemporaries and witnessed events that marked the history of her country and of mankind, from the moment of the moon landing and the end of the Cold War, to the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the exit of Great Britain from the EU.

“Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign” said the new British Prime Minister, Liz Truss, who was sworn in by the former sovereign just a few days ago. Heads of state and government and personalities from around the world mourned the Queens death and evoked her personality. The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, showed that the Queen was extremely admired for the grace, dignity and devotion shown to the world.

Reactions also came from the United States, Britains closest partner. The White House said that “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.” Also, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, wrote that “our thoughts are with the royal family and all those who mourn Queen Elizabeth II in the UK and worldwide”.

Romania joins the British people and the British Royal Family in mourning the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the authorities in Bucharest say. In his message of condolences, President Klaus Iohannis emphasized that the reign of Queen Elizabeth II represents an exceptional symbol of loyalty and commitment to the public service. And the press office of the Custodian of the Crown of Romania said that that Her Majesty, Margareta, and His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, together with the entire royal family, learned with great pain the news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The special connection between the kings of Romania and those of Great Britain began almost a century ago, the grandmother of Queen Marie of Romania being Queen Victoria of Great Britain. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the former sovereign of Romania, Mihai I were third-degree cousins. At the same time, King Mihai of Romania and the Prince Consort Philip, who was married to Queen Elizabeth for 74 years, were cousins, born on the same day.

The Queens eldest son, who has now automatically become King Charles III, fell in love with Transylvania on his first visit to Romania in 1998. Since then, he has constantly returned to Romania, where he owns around 10 properties, the most famous being at Viscri, the Transylvanian village that has become famous throughout Europe thanks to him. The area has acquired a fantastic tourist potential, especially after the release, in 2011, of the documentary Wild Carpathia, in which, the then Crown Prince Charles is a true ambassador of Romania. (LS)