The Eiffel Tower extinguished its lights at the strike of midnight on Friday (September 9) in tribute to Queen Elizabeth as Parisians recalled a British monarch who anchored her country through upheaval with poise and grace for longer than many have lived.
Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, the nation’s figurehead and a towering presence on the world stage for seven decades, died peacefully at her home in Scotland on Thursday (September 8) aged 96.
News that the queen’s health was deteriorating emerged shortly after midday on Thursday when her doctors said she was under medical supervision, prompting her family to rush to Scotland to be by her side.
The queen, whose husband died last year, had been suffering from what Buckingham Palace had called “episodic mobility problems” since the end of last year, forcing her to withdraw from nearly all her public engagements.
Her last official duty came only on Tuesday (September 6), when she appointed Truss prime minister – the 15th of her reign.
Britain will now go through 10 days of official mourning.
(Reuters)
