The passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second will bring deep sadness to the people of the United Kingdom, to our fellow Australians and to countless admirers of Her Majesty around the world.
Amidst our grief, the people of Australia offer our gratitude for a remarkable life lived in service of faith and duty.
We recognise this will be a time of profound personal loss for the Royal Family, who are mourning a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Over the course of her reign, The Queen visited our shores on 16 occasions, traveling to every state and territory across our vast continent. Her affection for this country and our people was lasting, real and returned many times over. In particular, we recall the sympathy and personal kindness she extended to Australians afflicted by tragedy and disaster.
Her Majesty The Queen was also Head of the Commonwealth, and today we join together with the extended Commonwealth family of nations in sorrow and mourning for her loss.
At this time, on behalf of all Australians, I send my deepest condolences to our new King and the Royal Family. Like his mother before him, The King has a deep and lasting connection to Australia, a love of our beautiful country and a deep affection for our people.
In the coming weeks, we will commemorate our late Queen with every state honour.
I hope all Australians who wish to pay their respects can participate in the gatherings, commemorations and tributes that will be held, as well as share their own reflections and memories.
