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Singapore

'Great world leader': PM Lee pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II after her death

State flags at all government buildings in Singapore will be flown at half-mast on the day of the funeral as a mark of respect.

'Great world leader': PM Lee pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II after her death

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Britain's Queen Elizabeth in the Blue Drawing Room during a drinks reception before The Queen's Dinner during The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Buckingham Palace in London on Apr 19, 2018. (Photo: AFP/Victoria Jones)

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II following her death on Thursday (Sep 8), saying that she will always be remembered fondly as a great world leader.

Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at her home in Scotland on Thursday, aged 96. 

In a Facebook post, Mr Lee said he was "deeply saddened" by her death, adding that the queen left a significant mark on Singapore's history and its longstanding close relations with the United Kingdom.

"Her contributions to the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and indeed to the world will be recorded in history, and she will always be remembered fondly as a great world leader."

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a separate statement that state flags at all government buildings will be flown at half-mast on the day of the funeral as a mark of respect. 

Parliament will also observe a minute of silence at the beginning of its sitting on Monday.

"On behalf of all Singaporeans, the Prime Minister expresses his deepest condolences and sympathies to His Majesty King Charles III and all members of the Royal family, Prime Minister Elizabeth Truss and the British people, and the peoples of the Commonwealth countries," PMO added.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong signs the condolence book for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Eden Hall, the official residence of the British High Commissioner to the Republic of Singapore, Kara Owen, on Sep 9, 2022. (Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information)

"Her passing is greatly mourned by everyone in Singapore," Mr Lee said.

The queen visited Singapore in March 2006 with her husband Prince Philip after they were in Melbourne for the opening of the Commonwealth Games that year. Prior to that, they visited Singapore in 1989 and 1972.

Queen Elizabeth II looks at a lion dance performance in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore on Oct 10, 1989. (Photo: AFP/Toru Yamanaka)
Queen Elizabeth II chats with former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew when he paid a courtesy call on her at the Istana on Oct 9, 1989. (Photo: AFP/Toru Yamanaka)
Queen Elizabeth II serves a sepak takraw player with a rattan ball during her tour around a housing estate in Singapore, Mar 17, 2006. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)
Queen Elizabeth II, holds a shovel after planting a tree at a housing estate in Singapore, on Mar 17, 2006. (Photo: AFP/Pool/Huang Zhi Ming)
Queen Elizabeth II shares a toast with former president S R Nathan during a state banquet at the Istana in Singapore, on Mar 17, 2006. (Photo: AFP/Pool/Jonathan Drake)

Mr Lee said the queen was the "very heart and soul" of the UK, adding that her reign saw one of the longest periods of peace and prosperity in the history of her country.

"Throughout her life, she steadfastly served the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. She performed her duties with devotion, grace, and humility," he added.

A boy with flowers arrives outside the British High Commission gate to mourn the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in Singapore on Sep 9, 2022. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)
Messages with flowers laid outside the British High Commission gate to mourn the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in Singapore on Sep 9, 2022. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)

In a letter of condolence to King Charles, President Halimah Yacob said that the queen "was, and will forever continue to be, a wellspring of strength and inspiration not just for the British people but also for the people in the Commonwealth and beyond".

"She will be fondly remembered for dedicating her life to service during her long reign, overseeing a period of remarkable evolution in British society and the United Kingdom’s role in the world.  Her passing is an enormous loss to us all," Madam Halimah wrote.

Source: CNA/lk(mi)

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