Messages of condolences continued to pour in on Friday as a period of national mourning began in the UK following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The 96-year-old monarch, whose reign lasted for seven decades, “died peacefully” on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish residence Balmoral.
In a speech to the citizens of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, French President Emmanuel Macron said the late Queen’s “wisdom and empathy” has helped all to “steer a path through the historic ups and downs” in the past 7o years, and “with her passing, we all feel an emptiness.”
Macron paid tribute to her strength and courage to “uphold from one century to the next, the values of freedom and tenacity,” saying, “To you, she was your Queen. To us, she was The Queen. To us all, she would be with us forever.”…