Australia reacts to the death of Queen Elizabeth II as King Charles III becomes monarch – latest updates

Key events

The Australian Monarchist League has just spoken to the ABC and has issued a public statement mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II.

It said her death marks the “close of the second Elizabethan era and heralds a new chapter in world history”.

The League said in a statement that King Charles would “unequivocally continue the longstanding traditions, dutiful service and vital constitutional role which epitomised our late Queen”.

Philip Benwell, national chair, said:

Australia, the Commonwealth of Nations and indeed the whole world will now deeply mourn the longest-serving, oldest and most revered monarch of modern times.

As the only Sovereign the majority of Australians have ever known, Her Majesty The Queen visited this country on 16 occasions and served as Queen of Australia for seventy years and 215 days.

The Queen’s selfless sense of service, her warm character, devotion to her family, and endearing smile will remain in the hearts of Australians for generations.

Memories of the Queen greeting Australian school children, adorned in the symbol of the wattle, and recognising the service of our armed forces on royal visits will be treasured for years to come.

Like the Queen, her son and heir Charles has served Australians selflessly, dutifully and with distinction, visiting Australia on 16 occasions himself, including a part of his education at Geelong Grammar.

Australia’s new King, who has trained for this role his entire life, was heir apparent for seventy years – the longest in Australian history.

Australians can take comfort in the knowledge that their new King will unequivocally continue the longstanding traditions, dutiful service and vital constitutional role which epitomised our late Queen.

Therefore, may we state that ancient chant which has echoed throughout the world for over a millennium: “The Queen is dead, long live the King!”

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In this file photo taken on October 29, 2011 Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (R) and Prince Philip wave goodbye as they board their flight at Perth International Airport following their 10-day visit to Australia. – Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history and an icon instantly recognisable to billions of people around the world, has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace said on September 8, 2022. Her eldest son, Charles, 73, succeeds as king immediately, according to centuries of protocol, beginning a new, less certain chapter for the royal family after the queen’s record-breaking 70-year reign. Photograph: Lincoln Baker/Photo by Lincoln BAKER / POOL / AFP

I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

I know all Queenslanders will join me in extending our sincerest condolences to the Royal Family at this time. pic.twitter.com/avJSRuVIHS

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 8, 2022

Amy Remeikis

Amy Remeikis

Australian parliament suspended for 15 days after Queen’s death

The moment Buckingham Palace notified the governor general of the death of the Queen, a plan which has been worked on for years was put in place.

This plan has been passed from governor general to governor general, prime minister to prime minister, guided by the Palace, with exact details on what is to happen over the next 15 days.

The flags are already at half mast. Parliament is suspended for 15 days – so the sitting planned for next week is suspended.

The prime minister and cabinet website and the governor general website will switch to obituary format, and will contain information on events planned for Australia.

For the next fortnight, there will be condolence books at Parliament House, Government House and the PM&C website.

This evening at dusk, there will be a gun salute, with one shot for every year of the queen’s life, with a 10-second interval between each.

That’s the first day. There will be plenty more in the days that follow.

Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Government House in Melbourne, during her tour of Australia in March 1954.
Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Government House in Melbourne, during her tour of Australia in March 1954. Photograph: Fox Photos/Getty Images

Albanese says Queen had ‘special place in our hearts’, will travel to London in coming days

Albanese says Queen Elizabeth II was a “wise and enduring presence” in Australia’s national life. She consulted with 16 separate prime ministers and 16 governors-general served in her name, Albanese says, and the Queen visited every corner of “our vast continent”.

Her words were a source of comfort and solace for millions of Australians, he said.

Travelling to every state and territory across our vast continent. Her first visit with Philip began on February 3, 1954, just eight months after her coronation. It was the biggest single event that got organised in Australia. And it remains a defining moment in our nation’s history. Some seven million Australians, or 70% of our population at the time, turned out to catch a glimpse of the young Queen passing by. Queen Elizabeth II was a wise and enduring presence in our national life. 16 prime ministers consulted with her. And 16 governors-general served in her name. Throughout her reign, Queen Elizabeth II showed a deep affection for our country. As she said at the Sydney Opera House in the year 2000, “Since I first stepped shore here, I have felt part of this rugged, honest, creative land. I have shared in the joys and the sorrow, the challenges that have shaped this country’s history.” Her Majesty celebrated our good times, and she stood with us during trials and hardships. Happy and glorious, but steadfast, too. In particular, we recall the sympathy and personal kindness she extended to Australians afflicted by tragedy and disaster. From floods and bushfires, to wars and a pandemic. Her words and presence were a source of comfort, hope and solace for millions of Australians.

Albanese says he will travel with the governor-general to London in coming days to convey the “sorrow of Australians” and give the nation’s best wishes to the King and the Queen consort.

Queen Elizabeth II has been a wise and encouraging guide, always wanting the best for our nation and greeting each change with understanding, good grace and an abiding faith in the Australian people’s judgement. From her first trip here, it was clear Her Majesty had a special place in our hearts, and we, in hers. In the coming days, the Governor-General and I will be heading to London where we will meet the King. We will convey the sorrow of Australians, as well as our best wishes to him and the Queen Consort as he takes on his duties as sovereign. Over the next 48 hours, more details will be shared about the arrangements for the Queen’s funeral and memorial.

Albanese addresses nation after Queen Elizabeth II

The prime minister Anthony Albanese is addressing the nation about the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

He said it is a loss that is “felt deeply in Australia”. The Queen was a rare and reassuring constant in a period of massive change, he said, and was the only monarch to visit Australia, which she did 16 separate times.

There is comfort to be found in Her Majesty’s own words. “Grief is the price we pay for love.”

This is a loss we feel deeply in Australia. Queen Elizabeth II is the only reigning monarch most of us have known, and the only one to ever visit Australia. Over the course of a remarkable seven decades, Her Majesty was a rare and reassuring constant amidst rapid change. Through the noise and turbulence of the years, she embodies and exhibited a timeless decency and enduring calm. Her

Majesty served our nation and the Commonwealth for 70 years. She is the longest reigning monarch in British history. And remarkably, the second longest reigning monarch of a sovereign state in world history. Her life of faithful service will be remembered for centuries to come. From the moment the young princess

became Queen, Her Majesty’s dedication to duty and service over self were the hallmarks of her reign. Performing her duty with fidelity, integrity and respect for everyone she met. We saw those qualities each time she visited our shores, and she graced us on 16 occasions during her reign.

Australia enters period of official mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, parliament sitting cancelled

Maddie Thomas

Maddie Thomas

The prime minister Anthony Albanese is in parliament house. The flag at parliament is flying at half mast. Australia has entered a period of official mourning for Queen Elizabeth II.

Condolence books will be opened at parliament as well as at government house in Yarralumla. There will also be condolence books available virtually on the prime minister’s website.

Tomorrow, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at parliament house with the prime minister, the opposition leader, the governor-general and other politicians.

Sittings at parliament were expected to resume from Monday, but, due to the Queen’s passing, it will not sit next week. Parliament will therefore not resume until October. That’s when condolence. motions will be held.

Floral tributes can be brought to parliament house but the royal family has asked that Australians consider instead making a donation to charity.

Queen Elizabeth II meets flag-waving school children on arrival at Brisbane on 9 March 1977, during her Silver Jubilee tour of Australia.
Queen Elizabeth II meets flag-waving school children on arrival at Brisbane on 9 March 1977, during her Silver Jubilee tour of Australia. Photograph: PA

The Australian Republic Movement has offered its sympathies to the royal family and thanked Queen Elizabeth II for her service.

Chair Peter FitzSimons said Queen Elizabeth “respected the self-determination of the Australian people” and said it was “unlikely we will ever see a Monarch as respected or admired by the Australian people again”.

Here is the Republic Movement’s statement in full:

The Australian Republic Movement recognises and pays due respect to the significant contribution made by Queen Elizabeth II over more than seven decades as Head of State to Australia and 14 other nations, and expresses its condolences to the Royal Family.

Many Australians have known no other Head of State – the length of her reign was unrivalled. As monarch, Queen Elizabeth was a patron of more than 600 organisations and served them admirably. She rose to become a respected representative of Britain and the Commonwealth.

Queen Elizabeth respected the self-determination of the Australian people. During her reign the Australia Act 1986 was passed eliminating many of the remaining opportunities for UK interference in Australian government. Appeals from Australian courts to British courts were abolished.

The Queen backed the right of Australians to become a fully independent nation during the referendum on an Australian republic in 1999, saying that she has “always made it clear that the future of the Monarchy in Australia is an issue for the Australian people and them alone to decide, by democratic and constitutional means.”

Chair of the Australian Republic Movement Peter FitzSimons AM expressed his sympathies and gratitude on behalf of the Movement.

“We are deeply saddened by the news of Queen Elizabeth’s passing and express deep gratitude and thanks for her service to the Commonwealth.

“During her reign, Australia has grown into a mature and independent nation. It is unlikely we will ever see a Monarch as respected or admired by the Australian people again” Mr FitzSimons said.

We are deeply saddened by the news of Queen Elizabeth’s passing and express deep gratitude and thanks for her service to the Commonwealth. pic.twitter.com/zesYdxx6zp

— Australian Republic Movement (@AusRepublic) September 8, 2022

The opposition leader Peter Dutton has praised the life of Queen Elizabeth II, saying there had been no more dignified monarch, dutiful leader, or more decent human in modern history.

Dutton described her life as “extraordinary” and her reign “extraordinary”.

Never in modern history has there been a more dignified monarch, a more dutiful leader, or a more decent human than Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

An extraordinary life which touched so many has sadly come to an end.

The last page has been inked on an exceptional reign.

She was our Sovereign.

As she was for other nations of the Commonwealth spread across the world’s continents and oceans.

A Monarch who ruled with an empathetic heart and wisdom both innate and gained from almost a century of life and experience.

Her Majesty was gentle, kind, and much-loved.

Following her Coronation on the 2nd of June 1953, our Queen said:

“I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine. Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.”

Not only did our Queen earn our trust, she also won our admiration.

In serving the people, the people marvelled at her unflagging service.

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Queen Elizabeth II chats with jockeys Ron Quinton and Hilton Cope before the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick race course near Sydney, during her tour of Australia, 1st April 1970. Photograph: Keystone/Getty Images

Albanese to address the nation shortly

Maddie Thomas

Maddie Thomas

We are waiting for the prime minister to address the nation shortly. He is at Parliament House.

The Governor General is in Adelaide but will be making his way to Parliament House to make a statement this evening.

Governor-general remembers Queen Elizabeth II as ‘truly remarkable person’

The governor-general David Hurley has released an initial statement on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

He described the Queen as a “truly remarkable person”, who lived a life of dignity and compassion. She worked tirelessly and selflessly, he said, and showed an unwavering commitment to the people she served.

The governor-general will make a further statement later this morning before addressing the nation at 6.55pm tonight.

I join with all Australians in mourning Her Majesty The Queen’s passing and in remembering her lifetime of tireless service. She was a truly remarkable person.

When I reflect on my own memories – she was my Queen for my whole life – I think of Her Majesty’s dignity and her compassion. Her dedication and tireless work ethic. And her selflessness and unwavering commitment to the people that she served. To us.

Her death will sadden all Australians and will be felt around the world.”

As we mourn, we should also take inspiration from and give thanks for the remarkable contribution Her Majesty has made.

New Zealand prime minister says her nation is waking with ‘great sadness’

New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern has spoken publicly about the death of Queen Elizabeth II. She described her death as an “enormous loss” and said the Queen’s final days demonstrated her character perfectly, working until the very end for her people.

It is with great sadness that New Zealand wakes to the news of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. I know I speak for all New Zealanders in conveying our deepest sympathy to members of the Royal Family and condolences to King Charles III on behalf of the government in New Zealand for this enormous lost. The last days of the Queen’s life captures who she was in so many ways, working till the very end on behalf of the people she loved. And that is why I am sure we will receive the news of her passing with both emotions of deep sadness but also gratitude for a life that was utterly and completely devoted to the service of others.

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Queen Elizabeth II, wearing a cloak of brown kiwi feathers, with Maori warriors at Rugby Park, Gisborne, in February 1977 when she and the Duke of Edinburgh received a New Zealand Maori welcome at the opening of the Royal New Zealand Polynesian Festival. The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon, Buckingham Palace has announced. Photograph: PA
Queen Elizabeth II greets Jacinda Ardern during the Commonwealth heads of government meeting at Buckingham Palace on 19 April 2018 in London.
Queen Elizabeth II greets Jacinda Ardern during the Commonwealth heads of government meeting at Buckingham Palace on 19 April 2018 in London. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet says ‘Queen Elizabeth II reigned with “dignity, courage, and commitment’

The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, has offered his condolences to the royal family. He says the Queen had been an inspiration to the people of NSW, visiting 12 times. Queen Elizabeth II reigned with “dignity, courage, and commitment”, during her seven decades, Perrottet said.

On behalf of the people of New South Wales, I extend my deepest sympathies to all members of the Royal family, following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who has passed away at the age of 96.

Today we reflect on the remarkable life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The young Princess Elizabeth became Queen of England at the age of 25 after the death of her adored father, King George VI, in 1952. Her Coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953.

Her official title was Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.

Queen Elizabeth II went on to become the longest-reigning British monarch, Australian sovereign and leader of the Commonwealth of Nations, which she navigated for seven decades – with dignity, courage and commitment.

She has been an inspiration to the global community and here in New South Wales, visiting our State 12 times.

As the first reigning monarch to visit our nation, Queen Elizabeth set foot for the first time on Australian soil in 1954 at Farm Cove in Sydney Harbour where an unprecedented crowd of more than one million people greeted her.

The public’s overwhelming jubilation and enthusiasm at seeing the young monarch was the beginning of the state’s long-held joy in her frequent visits.

Her Late Majesty will forever be connected to pivotal moments in our State’s history. She officially opened the Parliament of New South Wales in 1954, Sydney Opera House in 1973, Parramatta Stadium in 1986, and Darling Harbour in 1988.

She also visited NSW regional areas including Newcastle, Lismore, Orange, Dubbo, Armidale, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga, drawing huge crowds of well-wishers.

While we mourn her passing, it is the occasion for the people of NSW to offer thanks for a lifetime of public duty to the Crown, the Commonwealth, and to millions of people across the globe.

More information on how NSW will pay tribute and observances will be provided later today at nsw.gov.au

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh on the steps of the veranda at O’Shannassy Chalet, Warburton in March 1954, where they enjoyed a weekend of privacy during their Australian tour.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh on the steps of the veranda at O’Shannassy Chalet, Warburton in March 1954, where they enjoyed a weekend of privacy during their Australian tour. Photograph: PA

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Anthony Albanese pays tribute to a ‘long life devoted to duty’

Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese has released an early morning statement about the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

He said her death was a loss that “we all feel, for few have known a world without Queen Elizabeth II”. He described Her Majesty as a “rare and reassuring constant amidst rapid change”.

Here’s the prime minister’s statement in full:

With the passing of Queen Elizabeth the Second, an historic reign and a long life devoted to duty, family, faith and service has come to an end.

The Government and the people of Australia offer our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, who are grieving for a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother—the person whom for so long was their greatest inner strength.

Australian hearts go out to the people of the United Kingdom who mourn today, knowing they will feel they have lost part of what makes their nation whole.

There is comfort to be found in Her Majesty’s own words: “Grief is the price we pay for love.”

This is a loss we all feel, for few have known a world without Queen Elizabeth II. In her seven remarkable decades on the throne, Her Majesty was a rare and reassuring constant amidst rapid change. Through the noise and tumult of the years, she embodied and exhibited a timeless decency and an enduring calm.

From the moment the young princess became Queen, shouldering the mighty weight of the institution into which she was born, Her Majesty made dedication to duty and service above self the hallmark of her reign.

She celebrated our good times, she stood with us in the bad. Happy and glorious but steadfast too. In particular, we recall the sympathy and personal kindness she extended to Australians afflicted by tragedy and disaster.

Throughout it all, she was a monarch who let her humanity show, performing her duty with fidelity, integrity and humour. In this, she was supported so long and so lovingly by the late Prince Philip, her “strength and stay” for 73 years.

From her famous first trip to Australia, the only reigning sovereign to ever visit, it was clear Her Majesty held a special place in her heart for Australia.

Fifteen more tours before cheering crowds in every part of our country confirmed the special place she held in ours.

As monarch for more than half the life of our Federation, the relationship between Australia and Britain matured and evolved throughout Her Majesty’s reign.

The Queen greeted each and every change with understanding, good grace and an abiding faith in the Australian people’s good judgment.

This was the deft and diplomatic way she bound the diversity of the modern Commonwealth, nations around the world who will mourn her passing.

Today marks the end of an era, the close of the second Elizabethan age. This time of mourning will pass but the deep respect and warm regard in which Australians always held Her Majesty will never fade.

May she rest in eternal peace.

Good morning.

Australia is waking up to the news that Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, has died at the age of 96.

Prince Charles, 73, is now king, and the Duchess of Cornwall is now Queen Consort.

The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022

The news will send shockwaves across the world, including in Australia, where condolences have already begun to flow.

We’ll keep you across all the reaction from Australia in this live blog. Stick with us.

source: theguardian.com