'This is one of the saddest and most momentous turning points in the history of the United Kingdom'
Piers Morgan delivered a poignant tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II following the sad announcement of her death this afternoon at Balmoral.
Presenting his Talk TV show, Piers Morgan Uncensored, the host described Queen Elizabeth II as a "remarkable little lady" as he praised her for her "dignity, duty, stoicism and that famous stiff upper lip". In a long video message he said that part of everyone in Britain had died with her.
He said : "While this is one of the saddest and most momentous turning points in the history of the United Kingdom, there's nobody in this country or the world who hasn't lived the majority of their lives under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. For 70 years she has served this country with outstandingly dedicated duty.
"I struggle to even imagine a Britain without this Queen. But with great sadness we now have to imagine it because the moment we've all been dreading has finally come.
"And tonight everything changes. Her death is an enormous blow not just to the British people but to our national psyche.
https://twitter.com/PiersUncensored/status/1567938113191690246
"For people around the world who don't fully understand our deep affinity with this Queen, it's as simple as this: Our monarch and Her Majesty are the very essence of being British. As Abraham Lincoln, apple pie and the constitution are to being American, so the royal family is to Great Britain.
"More than an institution, it's an identity, it's who we are. It's the Magna Carta, the Palace of Westminster, the battle of Waterloo. It's Austen, Dickens, Shakespeare, the Beatles. It's crushing the Nazis, it's Churchill and the Blitz spirit."
He went on to say that "history is unfolding before our eyes," adding: "Whatever it was she was there, with dignity duty stoicism and that famous stiff upper lip. Her last act this week was to appoint our new Prime Minister remarkably staggeringly she was dutiful until the very, very end."
Morgan finished: "She was our greatest export, our greatest leader, the greatest of Britains. When her Majesty The Queen died this afternoon in Balmoral a little piece of all of us in Britain died with her."
Britain's longest-serving monarch died peacefully at Balmoral, with all her children by her side.
A statement sent out at 18.30 read that the King and The Queen Consort will remain in Scotland this evening and will return to London tomorrow.
Announcing Her Majesty's passing, a post from the Royal Family's official Twitter account said: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
"The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."
King Charles III sent out his own personal tribute shortly after.
Operation London Bridge is now underway, beginning a 10-day mourning period leading up to the Queen's funeral and Charles ascension to the throne.
Preparation for the handling of the passing of a head of state, particularly when it comes to notifying key public figures and the public, is carefully planned in advance.
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