King Charles III made his first statement on Thursday after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died in Scotland at the age of 96.
“The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” the King said. “We deeply mourn the death of a beloved sovereign and a much-loved mother.”
“I know his loss will be deeply felt across the country, across the Commonwealth realms and by countless people around the world,” the statement said.
“During this period of grief and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held,” the king said.
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-serving monarch, Canada’s head of state and a rock of stability for much of a turbulent century, died on Thursday after 70 years on the throne.