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British Prime Minister Liz Truss delivered an address marking the death of Queen Elizabeth II and called for Britons to support their new king, Charles III, on Thursday.
“Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built,” said Truss, paying tribute to her life and long service as monarch.
Truss delivered the speech at 7 p.m. local time in London, with the backdrop of 10 Downing Street. “We are all devastated by the news we have just heard from Balmoral,” she began. “The death of Her Majesty the Queen is a huge shock to the nation and to the world.”
The queen had served for 70 years, seven months and two days on the throne, the longest-serving monarch in Britain’s history, part of a line stretching back for over 1,100 years.
“She ascended the throne just after the Second World War, she championed the development of the Commonwealth — from a small group of seven countries to a family of 56 nations spanning every continent of the world,” said Truss. Along with being Britain’s monarch, the queen had been the head of state of 31 nations and was monarch of 14 other states at the time of her passing.
“She was the very spirit of Great Britain and that spirit will endure,” said Truss, who was only appointed prime minister by the queen two days prior, after the former won the Conservative Party leadership election to succeed Boris Johnson.
