Showbiz World Mourns Queen Elizabeth
The world of showbiz has come out in full strength to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II, whose 70-year-reign spanned more than a dozen presidencies and enormous global and diplomatic change.
Leading the pack of celebrities, British singer, pianist, and composer, Sir Elton Hercules John CH (CBE), said the Queen had been “a huge part of my life from childhood to this day, and I will miss her dearly”.
Dame Helen Mirren, who portrayed the Queen on the silver screen and on the stage, described the monarch as the “epitome of nobility”.
The UK newspapers carry portraits of the Queen, tributes and special editions as the front pages make the end of her long rule. “Our beloved Queen is dead”, said the Express, while the Mirror said; “Thank you”.
Similarly, Philip Rossiter, one of the first members of the public to sign the book, said he had turned out in deference to “my head of state”, and respect for Queen Elizabeth as a public servant himself.
“I think she was the consummate public servant,” he said. “She served the country, the Commonwealth, and the world.”
Also paying her respects was Michelle Hogan, who was visiting Wellington from Auckland, and said the Queen’s death marked the end of an era. “I just feel like writing that it’s awful, isn’t it?”, Hogan said, adding; “It’s a bloody sad day.”
David Hibberd, who moved to New Zealand from England 11 years ago, said he had turned out to leave his condolences because he loves the royal family.
“The news was a shock this morning,” he said. “It was really hard to take, and I just wanted to come down and pay my respects for her service of being the Queen for 70 years.”
Even diehard anti-colonialists such as Indian MP Shashi Tharoor moved to pay tribute to the late Queen.
“An era in history has ended today. It had to happen one day but it is still hard to escape a sense of disbelief. RIP Queen Elizabeth,” he said.
On his part, English musician and actor, Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner CBE, popularly known as Sting, admitted he had a “quiet cry” following the death of the Queen, as more celebrities paid tribute to her reign and legacy.
The 71-year-old former Police frontman, who performed at the Queen’s 92nd birthday party concert in 2018, posted a short tribute on Twitter, saying; “I had a quiet weep for the Queen, I am sad for my country and what it has lost.”
He signed it off as “Sting CBE”, a reference to the honour of Commander of the British Empire given him by the Queen in 2003.
Also, in his own online tribute, posted to Instagram, music mogul, Simon Cowell said the Queen was a monarch who “managed to balance great leadership, tradition and progression”.
“I’m incredibly sad to hear of the passing of the Queen”, he wrote, adding; “With incredible strength, she was someone who loved her country and was able to lead with so much love. I feel very lucky that in my lifetime we have had a Monarch who managed to balance great leadership, tradition and progression.”
Rolling Stones star, Mick Jagger, who reflected on how the Queen had “always been there” throughout his life as he recalled watching key moments, said; “I remember her as a beautiful young lady, to the much-beloved grandmother of the nation. My deepest sympathies are with the royal family.”
James Bond star, Daniel Craig, who has been known to be on Her Majesty’s secret service, said the Queen leaves “an incomparable legacy and will be profoundly missed”.
Craig, who also acted with the Queen in a spoof sequence for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012, said in a statement to the PA news agency; “I, like so many, was deeply saddened by the news today and my thoughts are with the royal family, those she loved and all those who loved her.” – The Guardian reports
