“She was one of my favourite people in the world, and I will miss her so,” he said, holding back tears.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said “It is with sadness that I learned of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing today. My deepest condolences to the Royal Family, and the people and government of the United Kingdom our friends and allies.”
Flags have been lowered to half-mast around the world – including at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Queen’s “empathy and ability to connect with every passing generation, while remaining rooted in the tradition that truly mattered to her, was an example of true leadership”.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, now the world’s only reigning female monarch, wrote to King Charles to express her condolences.
“She was a towering figure among the European monarchs and great inspiration to us all,” she wrote.
She called the Queen’s 70-year reign in difficult and positive times an “unprecedented and remarkable achievement”.
King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands – who is Queen Elizabeth’s fifth cousin – said he and Queen Maxima remembered the “steadfast and wise” monarch with “deep respect and great affection”.
Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, also a distant relative to Her Majesty, said: “She has always been dear to my family and a precious link in our shared family history.”
And Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde said she was “an extraordinary personality… who, throughout her reign, showed dignity, courage and devotion”.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz paid tribute to the Queen’s “wonderful humour” and said in a statement that “her commitment to German-British reconciliation after the horrors of World War Two will remain unforgotten”.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’s President Ersin Tatar said “It is with great sorrow and sadness that I have learned of the passing away of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, British people & the Commonwealth.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled his “memorable meetings” with the monarch during two UK visits.
“I will never forget her warmth and kindness,” he tweeted. “During one of the meetings, she showed me the handkerchief Mahatma Gandhi gifted her on her wedding. I will always cherish that gesture.”
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent their condolences, with the king describing her as “a role model for leadership that will be immortalised in history”.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his “deep sorrow”. “The death of the queen, who led Britain through turbulent times in the world, is a great loss not only for the British people but also the international community,” he told reporters.
Irish President Michael D Higgins honoured the Queen’s “extraordinary sense of duty”, which he said would “hold a unique place in British history”.
“Her reign of 70 years encompassed periods of enormous change, during which she represented a remarkable source of reassurance to the British people,” he said in a lengthy statement.
Queen Elizabeth visited Australia – another Commonwealth nation where she was head of state – 16 times, the only reigning monarch to head down under.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese noted that many had never known a world without her.
“Though the noise and tumult of the years, she embodied and exhibited a timeless decency and an enduring calm,” he said in a statement.
“She celebrated our good times, she stood with us in the bad. Happy and glorious, but steadfast too.”
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, said she was woken to the news of the monarch’s death by a police officer shining a torch into her bedroom at 04:50 to wake her up.
“She was extraordinary… The last days of the Queen’s life captures who she was in so many ways, working to the very end on behalf of the people she loved,” Ms Ardern said.
