A photograph of 27-year-old Elizabeth taken during her coronation in 1953 made it to the front pages of several British newspapers. Copyright POOL/AFP/File Ben Stansall
Stunning photographs of Queen Elizabeth II filled the front pages of mourning British newspapers on Friday, showing her journey from coronation to matriarchy of the nation.
A photograph of the 27-year-old Elizabeth, taken at her coronation in 1953, full of regal splendor, clutching the Orb of the Sovereign and the Scepter in the vaulted walls of Westminster Abbey, was on the front pages of The Times, Guardian, Daily Star and Independent.
The Sun, Daily Telegraph, Daily Express and Daily Mirror instead opted for images of the silver-haired monarchy as it neared the end of its record 70-year reign.
The Telegraph published a quote from the Queen about the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. “Sorrow is the price we pay for love,” it said.
Most tabloids celebrated the event with subdued black-and-white front-page stripes, although the Sun newspaper painted its headline royal purple above the “We Loved You, Ma’am” headline.
— Rest in peace, ma’am. The sun and our readers loved you. We are proud that you were our queen, ”the message says.
The Daily Express ran the headline “Our beloved queen is dead”, while the Daily Mirror simply wrote “Thank you”.
“Our hearts are broken,” read the headline of the Daily Mail.
“How to choose words? Our grief is a hundred different emotions, and it’s hard to capture them all, ”said the intro on the front page.
“When ‘God Save the Queen’ was broadcast on radio and television, when we heard that our beloved monarch had died, the nation’s heart broke,” the message said.
– ‘Long live the king’ –
It is not surprising that this story filled the inside pages of souvenir publications, and in most cases at least 20 pages were devoted to seismic events.
“The lights went out in our lives. The day that Britain and most of the world feared has arrived. She’s gone,” The Sun wrote in an editorial.
“The mother of our people. The most famous, most beloved, most respected woman on Earth. Foundation of Britain.
“It’s just hard to imagine British life without her presence,” he added. “The new world will seem strange.”
In her obituary, The Times called Elizabeth “the woman who saved the monarchy”.
“It is because of her dedication and seriousness of purpose that an institution that at times seemed outdated and out of line with the values of modern society is still relevant and popular today.”
In the left-wing Guardian, columnist Jonathan Friedland wrote that her death marked the beginning of a “new future”.
“The only element in our collective life that has consistently and reliably remained the same… is gone.”
Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph paid tribute to Elizabeth’s “lifetime service”.
“She was more than just a distant matriarchal symbol of statehood; she was our constant companion and guide, keeping calm even in the most turbulent times.
“The second age of Elizabeth is drawing to a close. Long live King Charles III!
