World mourns Queen Elizabeth II

People from all over the globe paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving British monarch, who passed away on Thursday at age 96.

Floral tributes have been laid by thousands of mourners that gathered outside the gates of Buckingham Palace, to bid farewell to the Queen, who was crowned when Winston Churchill was prime minister and remained a constant reference point in 70 years of history.

Union jacks on royal buildings are flying at half-mast. Several notes were left at the gates, including one which read: “We had you for longer than we deserved you”.

In Malta, the British High Commission in Ta' Xbiex is flying the flag at half-mast and has opened a condolences book.

A floral arrangement was put on the doorknob of Villa Guardamangia in Pietà along with a picture of the a young Queen and Prince Philip taken in the same residence when they lived there.

The 18th century Maltese country summer house served as the only permanent residence outside of the United Kingdom for the Queen, where she lived as a princess with her husband between 1949 and 1951. It was purchased by the Maltese government and entrusted to Heritage Malta in June 2020.

Queen Elizabeth spoke fondly of her time in Malta, describing it as "the happiest days of my life".

The world joins in mourning

Portraits of the Queen were posted on billboard screens in central London’s Piccadilly Circus and Canary Wharf’s financial district, but also in New York’s Times Square.

Flowers were also laid outside the British Consulate General in New York.

The United States flag in Washington was also lowered to half-staff, with President Joe Biden saying that the Queen’s legacy “will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world".

In Berlin, flowers and candles were laid outside the British Embassy, while in Venice "God Save the Queen", the British national anthem, was played outside the Italian city's Festival Buildings.

In Paris, the Eiffel Tower went dark at the stroke of midnight in a tribute to the Queen. In Brazil, the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking Rio de Janeiro was lit up in the red, blue and white of the United Kingdom's flag, while Australia announced plans to illuminate the sails of the Sydney Opera House.

At the US Open in New York, tennis fans and players held a moment of silence before the start of the women's semi-final match. In New Zealand, members of the armed forces performed a ceremonial Maori haka at the War Memorial in Auckland.

German toy maker Playmobil on twitter saluted the Queen with a black and white figurine and the words "rest in peace".

Rest in Peace 🖤 Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022 pic.twitter.com/eou217S8SZ

— PLAYMOBIL (@playmobil) September 8, 2022

Up next for the royal family

King Charles III and his wife and Queen Consort Camilla, stayed at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday night but will be in London on Friday, where the king will be having an audience with the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss.

The King is also likely to meet the Earl Marshal, the person in charge of the accession and the funeral of the Queen, in order to approve the schedule for the upcoming days.

According to media reports, the British government will most likely confirm a national mourning of 12 days, leading up to the funeral – which will be a public holiday. The mourning for the members of the royal family and royal households is expected to last a month.

The King will be also delivering a pre-recorded televised address early in the evening.

At midday, bells will toll in tribute to the Queen at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral and Windsor Castle. Gun salutes of 96 rounds to mark each year of her life will be fired in Hyde Park and elsewhere at 1pm.