Death of Elizabeth II: Commonwealth countries also mourn the Queen
In Australia, bouquets of flowers and messages of condolence were laid outside Government House in Sydney on September 8, 2022. via REUTERS - STRINGER
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10 mins
The queen's subjects go well beyond the United Kingdom.
Leaders of Commonwealth nations around the world have also hailed the dignity of Queen Elizabeth II.
The sovereign has gone through history, and with them their history.
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After her accession to the throne in 1952, the Queen took over as head of the Commonwealth, a group of former territories of the British Empire that spans six continents.
Many of the bloc's 56 member countries achieved independence under his rule, as decolonization movements gained ground in Africa and Asia, including in some nations with painful memories of colonial rule.
At her death, the queen was still considered the head of state of fifteen kingdoms, namely: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom.
Emotion for Justin Trudeau
Queen of Canada, Elizabeth II visited Canada no less than 22 times where she felt at home, recalls
our correspondent in Quebec,
Pascale Guéricolas
.
All day Thursday, Canadian elected officials testified to the memories they have of the Queen, and in the first place Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“
I will miss his conversations very much
,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an emotional statement.
It must be said that Justin Trudeau knew Elizabeth II as a child, when he accompanied his father on an official visit to London.
Pierre-Elliott Trudeau then ruled Canada.
It was with the heaviest of hearts that we learned of the passing of Canada's longest-reigning Sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
She was a constant presence in our lives – and her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country's history.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 8, 2022
The Prime Minister recalled the constitutional links between the Queen of England and Canada and this constitutional monarchy.
“
She was our queen for almost half of Canada's existence and she had a clear and deep affection for all Canadians
,” he pointed out.
► To read also: Elizabeth II, privileged witness to the end of the British Empire and African independence
On the political and ceremonial level, King Charles thus becomes King of Canada, and Parliament will soon swear allegiance to him.
While some Canadians still define themselves as royalists, a good proportion of others, particularly in Quebec, want to turn their backs on a system they consider outdated.
Changing the Constitution however seems almost impossible.
We would indeed have to obtain the approval of all the provinces whose populations have divergent views on this question.
The very Republican Anthony Albanese hails
the Queen's "
timeless decency "
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a staunch Republican, on Friday paid tribute to the "
timeless decency
" of Queen Elizabeth II and said her death marked the "
end of an era
".
“
Australian hearts go out to the people of the United Kingdom who mourn today, knowing that they will feel they have lost part of what holds their nation together
,” said Anthony Albanese.
He hailed "
a historic reign and a long life devoted to duty, family, faith and service
".
"
It was clear that Her Majesty had a special place in her heart for Australia
," said Anthony Albanese, grateful "
the special place it occupied in ours
".
Australia was a British colony for over 100 years.
The country gained
de facto
independence in 1901, but never became a full republic.
In 1999, Australians voted narrowly against impeachment of the Queen, amid controversy over whether her replacement would be chosen by Members of Parliament, not the public.
Polls taken before the death of Elizabeth II showed that most Australians were in favor of establishing a republic, but there is little agreement on how the head of state should be chosen.
However, the issue has been reignited since Anthony Albanese was elected prime minister earlier this year.
He quickly appointed the country's first "minister of the republic" and suggested that another referendum could be held in the future.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she learned of the Queen's death when a "
police officer shone a torch in my bedroom at around ten to five this morning
".
She had read the announcement of the queen's poor health before going to bed, she said.
"When the torch entered my room, I immediately knew what it meant
," she continued.
“
I am deeply sad.
»
► To read also: Death of Elizabeth II: the long and not so quiet reign of a popular queen
In India, ambivalent tributes
India does not seem shaken by the death of the monarch, but the press largely returns to Elizabeth's strong relationship with India, in particular her three visits where she was welcomed with fervor, reports
our correspondent in Bangalore
Côme Bastin
.
During the last one, in 1997, she had broken a taboo by addressing the "
difficult episodes of colonization
".
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "
pained by the disappearance
" of Queen Elizabeth II.
The British sovereign has been "
an inspirational guide to her nation and her people
", said Narendra Modi as she offered her condolences to the royal family and the British people.
Narendra Modi paid tribute to him with an anecdote.
In 1947, for his marriage to Philip Mountbatten, Gandhi did not know what to give because he had taken a vow to renounce all possession.
The Father of the Indian nation had then made use of his talents as a weaver and embroidered a handkerchief bearing the inscription “Victory to India”, only a few weeks after Independence.
A gift perceived as somewhat inappropriate in London.
Rahul Gandhi, figure of the Congress party, the party of decolonization, also paid tribute to the queen.
The death of Elizabeth II actually takes place in an atmosphere of growing anti-colonialism in India.
The day before his death, Narendra Modi welcomed the unbolting of a statue of George V and the renaming of the English avenue Rajpath (Avenue of Kings) recently renovated at great expense in the capital.
The head of the big bank Kotak Mahindra welcomed a few days earlier the fact that India's GDP now exceeded that of the former colonial power.
Still, the Indians make the distinction between the history of the British Empire and the queen, perceived as a friend.
Some on social networks nevertheless point out that it is paradoxical to pay tribute
to her when she has long slowed down decolonization.
Arif Alvi, President of Pakistan, the second most populous country in the Commonwealth after India, hailed the memory of "
a great and benevolent leader
".
“
His death leaves a huge void, the memory of which will remain etched in letters of gold in the annals of world history
,” he added.
Elizabeth II had visited Pakistan twice, in 1961 and 1997, when the country was celebrating 50 years of independence from the British Indian Empire.
Britain is Pakistan's largest economic partner, and home to one of its largest diasporas.
Maldives President Mohamed Ibrahim Solih said the Queen was a "
shining example of public service, resilience and dedication to her country
".
“
A great friend of Africa who loved her in return
”
Gabon and Togo, which joined the Commonwealth only three months ago, paid tribute to the memory of Elizabeth II.
Gabonese President Ali Bongo sent in a tweet his "
sincere condolences to the British people, to [his] friend His Majesty King Charles III and to all his family
".
He praised "
a great friend of Africa who loved her back
", adding "
tonight the Commonwealth family mourns Queen Elizabeth II
".
Tonight, the big #Commonwealth family, of which #Gabon is a part, is in mourning.
Queen Elizabeth II was a great friend of Africa who loved her in return.
My sincere condolences to the British people, to my friend His Majesty King Charles III and to all his family.
— Ali Bongo Ondimba (@PresidentABO) September 8, 2022
Her Togolese counterpart Faure Gnassingbé, described “
a sadness that extends to the entire planet, as the sovereign embodied a universal figure of friendship between peoples
”.
His country is also a member of the international organization, the Cameroonian Paul Biya had been received at Buckingham palace by the queen in 2004. He said "
to bow before the memory of this illustrious sovereign, particularly respected abroad
" .
Congolese Félix Tshisekedi described "
an immense loss
".
English-speaking countries like Kenya obviously reacted.
Elected just a few days ago, the new president-elect, William Ruto hailed his “
admirable leadership within the Commonwealth for seven decades
”.
"
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a huge icon of selfless service to humanity and a vital figurehead not only to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, of which Kenya is a prominent member, but also to the whole world
," said for his part declared the outgoing president, Uhuru Kenyatta.
He said he "
received the sad news (...) with great sorrow and a deep sense of loss
", recalling the close ties that the former British colony had with the Queen.
Elizabeth II, then a princess, was visiting Kenya in February 1952 when she learned of her father's death.
Kenya was the first leg of the Commonwealth tour she had undertaken with her husband, Prince Philip, in place of her ailing father.
They had just spent the night at Treetops, a nature-watching lodge perched atop a giant fig tree in Aberdare National Park in central Kenya when Elizabeth learned she was becoming queen.
A stay that made the reputation of the hotel.
The hotel is world famous.
I saw many tourists passing by, who stopped there just for this reason during their trip to Africa, some did not even spend the night there but came to see the place where Elizabeth became queen in 1952.
In Kenya, a hotel that has become famous
Albane Thirouard
The queen had long denounced apartheid in South Africa, where she had refused to go for more than 40 years.
On Thursday evening, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke of an "
extraordinary personality
" whose "
commitment and dedication remain an example
".
He recalled their last meeting, in 2018, when they looked at letters from Nelson Mandela sent to the queen.
Zimbabwe's president, who stepped down from the Commonwealth in 2003 after it was suspended over human rights concerns and decades of frosty relations with the former colony, offered his condolences to Britain.
“
May she rest in peace
,” wrote Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera wrote on Facebook: "
We mourn the passing of a great monarch
", expressing his "
deepest condolences
", noting that Queen Elizabeth also served as Queen of Malawi between 1964 and 1966. "
For us, as a nation, its inimitable legacy as a friend to Malawi will forever be etched in our hearts and indelibly marked in the pages of our history.
»
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Twitter said she was "
deeply saddened
" by the death of Queen Elizabeth II, adding that "
the whole world will remember the Queen as a pillar of strength, peace , unity and stability
”.
We join HE the President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, in mourning the passing of Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II.
Revered Monarch and loving personality.
A unifying force across the Commonwealth and the world.
Our hearts go out to the Royal Family and the British people.
pic.twitter.com/b2QrNRR2PL
— Official - Tanzania High Commission London (@BaloziLondon) September 8, 2022
Among the inhabitants also, the death of the queen does not leave insensitive, as in Gambia.
I feel bad because in spite of all that is said and the negatives she remains the leader of the commonwealth we belong to who has given so much to The Gambia however one looks at it .
Report in a business district a few kilometers from the capital
Milan Berckmans
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