HRH Queen Elizabeth II

Those are my sentiments exactly Bob. It wasn't a role she chose for herself, she just had it thrust upon her, but she brought a great deal of professionalism to it.

Although not particularly a royalist myself I thought she was a great woman and I've nothing but respect and admiration for her.

There always has to be someone swimming against the tide!

Our discourse, if not our knowledge, is enriched by it.

Geoffrey Stirling

I was personally saddened by the passing of Queen Elizabeth, too, mostly because she was such a steady presence. Things change all around us, all the time, but Elizabeth kept on keeping on, and she always presented quite a human face to the world. It should also be remembered that like her father she was not born to rule, but did so without complaint and always served the Crown.

The last queen of the UK who ruled was Victoria. Elizabeth II reigned but never ruled. She never publicly expressed a personal political opinion.

If you have an issue with something that the UK has done over the last 70 years, blame the government of the day. They made those decisions, not the Queen.

This is the time to celebrate the life of a remarkable woman who has devoted her life to the service of her peoples across the globe during her seventy years reign. Consistently a force for good and for unity.

A significant majority of the British people are saddened by her loss, grateful for her reign, and support the monarchy. HM (not HRH) Queen Elizabeth II has been a constant in the lives of many of us in a way that few others could have been, supported through many years by her beloved consort. The baton now passes to the capable hands of His Majesty King Charles III, whose message to the Kingdom and Commonwealth and tribute to his mother during the memorial service yesterday paid tribute far more eloquently than I could.

I suggest that those who scoff and carp and attempt to make political points, and the Queen was always above politics and fulfilled her role as a constitutional monarch to perfection, should pause to reflect that many are grieving her passing and try to understand.

I am a proud monarchist and am convinced that having a national figurehead who stands outside the political fray as a unifying force and works tirelessly for good is a far better model than a head of state who although elected is, by the very nature of politics, loathed by almost half the population.
Whether it is a President who holds nominal power or one who combines the functions of head of state and head of government the point remains valid.

In the British case, it is not the Monarch's powers that are important on a day-to-day basis, as they are used by convention under the advice of his/her government, it is the fact that these powers are not held by the politicians and can in extremis be used to prevent dictatorship.

A life of duty done, may God bless her, and may she rest in peace. I look back over the long life of Elizabeth (La Reine, Notre Duc) with pride and gratitude. As the second Elizabethan era comes to an end, I look forward to the reign of King Charles III with confidence.

The Queen is dead LONG LIVE THE KING!

Hear hear!

From all I've read she was no stuffy aristocrat. A true lady who had class, dignity and a sense of humor.

I don't regard myself as an ardent royalist, but I had a great deal of respect and admiration for her. She will be greatly missed.

I'm not remotely a royalist, there's no way I'd stand overnight to see her coffin but I think the British people did very well considering some of the other characters who have been heads of state in various countries and turned out to be tyrants, and still do so. Queen Elizabeth had a very strong sense of duty, she was also a genuine committed Christian but with empathy for people of all faiths and none. One thing of note is that, some months after 9/11, the Queen went to visit Scunthorpe, a steelmaking town somewhat a butt of jokes, and visited a mosque there. Imagine what that meant to an isolated Muslim community who thought they were being blamed for atrocities carried out by others.