Queen Elizabeth II visited 117 countries, ruled over 32 of them and oversaw the end of an empire that once covered a quarter of the globe, so it's little surprise that her passing and funeral have prompted an international outpouring almost without comparison. Arguably the most famous person on Earth, the Queen's reign emerged from the ashes of the Second World War and endured seven decades of unprecedented global change, but she remained an unfaltering figurehead for continuity both at home and abroad. Here's the world reacted to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen visited Canada 27 times during her reign – more than any other nation – and was so fond of the country that she would sometimes stop off there on the way to or from other commitments. The Queen was Canada's head of state and, on her death, her personal royal cypher was projected onto the parliament building's Freedom Tower amidst a sea of royal blue. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau laid flowers at a nearby memorial with his son Hadrien, and offered an emotional tribute: "She was a constant presence in our lives – and her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country's history."
A fluent French speaker who paid the country six state visits and many more non-state ones through her life and reign, the Queen was fond of France, and her death has provoked a remarkable outpouring of grief across the Channel. No foreign sovereign in history entered the Élysée Palace so often and now the Union Flag stands symbolically on the palace porch, while Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo switched off the lights on the Eiffel Tower to honour her. The Queen met with each of the last 10 French presidents, and Emmanuel Macron offered a stirring tribute: "To you, she was your Queen. To us, she was The Queen. She will be with all of us forever."
News of the Queen's death has resonated across the pond too. Flags over the White House and Capitol Hill were lowered to half-mast and the Empire State Building lit up in purple and silver, while billboards bore tributes at baseball games and at the US Open. The Queen met with 13 of the last 14 presidents, and former office-holders Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump all shared glowing testimonials, while incumbent Joe Biden said that Her Majesty was "more than a monarch, she defined an era".
One of a smattering of countries the Queen never visited during her reign, Israel nevertheless put together a visually spectacular tribute to Her Majesty. The perfectly rectangular façade of Tel Aviv City Hall lit up with a fluorescent Union Flag, while the Israeli and British flags fluttered side by side as projections on the walls of Jerusalem's Old City. The Queen's reign began just four years after the nation of Israel was founded, and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid paid tribute with a traditional Jewish phrase of commemoration: "May her memory be for a blessing."
Another Commonwealth country, New Zealand hosted Her Majesty for her first Christmas as Queen back in 1953, and over the next half-century she returned to the country nine more times. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a one-off public holiday on 26 September to mark her passing, and paid tribute to her "lifetime of service" and "enormous contribution to New Zealand". Soldiers in Wellington fired a 96-gun salute in her honour, while a group of New Zealand Defence Force trainees performed a ceremonial haka outside Auckland Museum the day after her death, flags flying at half-mast behind them.
The Queen enjoyed a status that transcended politics, and rows of EU flags flew at half-mast outside the EU headquarters in Brussels. European ministers observed a minute's silence in her memory and Belgian royals and politicians wrote touching messages in a condolences book at the British Embassy. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the Queen's "courage and devotion", European Council President Charles Michel said she "showed us the importance of lasting values" and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola singled out her "unbreakable commitment to service and duty".
It's no mean feat to project a rectangular flag onto a 2,717-foot (828m) skyscraper, but the UAE managed it. The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, sparkled with an elongated Union Jack flag that faded in and out to reveal a portrait of the Queen. Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed, called Her Majesty "a close friend of the UAE, and a beloved and respected leader whose long reign was characterised by dignity, compassion and a tireless commitment to serving her country".
The Second World War dominated the Queen's teenage years – and its aftermath the early part of her reign. In an eloquent tribute German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made special mention of her "commitment to German-British reconciliation after the horrors of the Second World War, which will never be forgotten". President Frank-Walter Steinmeier echoed his sentiment, remarking that she "helped heal the wounds of war", singling out her hugely symbolic state visit to Germany in 1965. In Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate was illuminated with the Union Flag, and flowers were laid outside the British Embassy.
The communist Caribbean nation of Cuba is not known for its close ties to the British royal family, but the government in Havana marked the Queen's passing by flying flags at half-mast on all government buildings and declaring an official day of mourning. Though the Queen herself never set foot on the island, the-then Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) paid Cuba a historic four-day visit in 2019 – a landmark step in thawing British-Cuban relations.
Brazil hosted one of the Queen's most memorable foreign trips: a 1968 tour on which she attended a football match, met with legendary striker Pelé and rolled along Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach in an open-top Rolls-Royce. To mark her death, Rio's famous Christ the Redeemer statue has been lit up in red, white and blue, shining over the city from the peak of Corcovado Mountain, while President Jair Bolsonaro declared three days of official mourning. He tweeted that she was "a queen not just to Britons, but to all of us".
The largest nation in the Commonwealth, modern India has had an occasionally uneasy relationship with the British crown, but the country observed a national day of mourning on 12 September while flags flew at half-mast everywhere from the Presidential Palace to Delhi's historic Red Fort. Bollywood celebrities lined up to post tributes, including Anushka Sharma, Shilpa Shetty and Kareena Kapoor Khan. "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered as a stalwart of our times," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "She provided inspiring leadership to her nation and people. She personified dignity and decency in public life. Pained by her demise."
The Norwegian state broadcaster suspended normal programming when news of the Queen's death broke, while flags were flown at half-mast outside the royal palace. A visit to Aberdeen by Norway's Crown Prince and Princess was swiftly cancelled, and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre praised the Queen in a statement for "representing continuity and unity". Norwegian King Harald V also expressed his sadness, as did former prime minister-turned-NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Check out these amazing royal residences you can actually visit
The Queen's first official foreign trip was to South Africa in 1947, and the then-princess celebrated her 21st birthday in the country in the company of her parents. For almost the first decade of her reign South Africa was still part of the British Empire, and locally her death has received mixed reactions, but President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement that her "commitment and dedication during her 70 years on the throne remains a noble and virtuous example to the entire world".
Queen Elizabeth had a kindred spirit in the late King Bhumibol the Great of Thailand, as they both reigned for more than seven decades and sit second and third respectively on the list of all-time longest-serving heads of state. The two monarchs were reportedly on warm terms until his death in 2016, and the Thai government flew the national flag at half-mast for three days to mark the Queen's. Acting Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan commented that Her Majesty's "compassion and dedication" would "always be remembered".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken frequently of the friendship between the UK and Ukraine in recent months, as his country fights to repel the Russian invasion, and offered the British people his sympathy in a televised address. "On behalf of the Ukrainian people, we extend sincere condolences...for this irreparable loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you." Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko was among those seen laying flowers outside the British embassy in Kyiv, and the pile quickly grew.
When the Queen visited Singapore in 1972 a rare orchid in the city's Botanic Gardens was named in her honour, and a swaying sprig of Dendrobium Elizabeth now sits on display in the British High Commissioner's residence, alongside a condolences book. "It's a majestic, robust and resilient plant," National Orchid Garden curator Whang Lay Keng told AFP, "like how Queen Elizabeth carried herself." The Singaporean government pledged to fly flags at half-mast on the day of the Queen's funeral, and held a minute's silence in parliament the Monday following her death.
Politically, relations between China and the West are not presently at their warmest, but Chinese President Xi Jinping sent his "deepest condolences" to the UK and its people following the Queen's death, noting that she was the first British monarch ever to visit China and had done much to foster close ties. In Hong Kong, a British territory until 1997, the Queen's image was projected onto the wall of the British Consulate, and mourners gathered to leave a small mountain of flowers on the street outside.
Fiji only gained independence from the UK in 1970, so there are plenty of locals alive today who remember the Queen from her 18 years as their sovereign as well as her six stays on the island. "Fijian hearts are heavy this morning," tweeted Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, "We will always treasure the joy of her visits to Fiji along with every moment that her grace, courage and wisdom were a comfort and inspiration to our people, even a world away." Portraits, flowers and children's drawings were left outside the British High Commission in Suva, and flags were lowered to half-mast.
Of all the countries the Queen visited during her life and reign, Malta has a credible claim to being her favourite. She and Prince Philip lived on the island as newlyweds between 1949 and 1951 – widely considered two of the happiest years of their lives – attending dances, playing polo and driving around the countryside in a Morris Minor. The couple spent their 60th wedding anniversary there in 2007, and the Queen chose Malta for her final foreign foray in 2015. Flowers have been laid at her former home the Villa Guardamangia, the only place the Queen ever lived outside the UK, amid tributes from the president and prime minister.
Thousands of miles away from London, a special screening of the funeral was held at the UK Embassy in Kathmandu, and prayers were offered at a monastery where monks chanted Buddhist mantras. Nepal was not a part of the British Empire, however, the Ghurkas are a proud part of the UK military thanks to a 200-year-old agreement so there's a lot of affection for the British monarchy in the country. "With the demise of the Queen, Britain has lost its devoted and kind parent and Nepal has lost an old friend and well-wisher," Nepal's President Bidhya Devi Bhandari said.
In a touching tribute, named Travelling to the Stars, a light projection was created by Swiss light artist Gerry Hofstetter in partnership with the British embassy in Berne. An almost mile-long (1.6km) projection beamed five-and-a-half miles (9km) across the Swiss Alps onto billowing clouds, backlit by a full moon. Images shown included a close up of the late Queen smiling as well as a moving image of her and Prince Philip holding hands.
A Commonwealth country where the British monarch is still head of state, Australia did more than any other non-UK nation to mark the Queen's passing. Her image was promptly projected onto the iconic curves of the Sydney Opera House, while bouquets were left at the gates of government buildings across the land. A day after her death cannons in Canberra fired a 96-gun salute – one shot for each year of her life. A public holiday will be held as a national day of mourning on 22 September, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese publicly lamented "a deep loss for Australians".
Now see these amazing pictures of the Queen on royal trips abroad over the years