Queen Elizabeth II dies

Statement by the Tánaiste on the death of Queen Elizabeth

I pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth on her passing which marks the end of an incredible epoch in British history. As Head of State she helped usher in a new era of hope and reconciliation between our two countries, opening a new chapter in relations between Ireland and the UK.  

Her life was devoted to public service, and her dedication to her work, to her people and to her country, over seven decades of extraordinary and sometimes difficult change, won respect and admiration all around the world.

From our perspective, she will always be remembered as the first British monarch to visit an independent Ireland, a visit which was a watershed moment on the long road to reconciliation. Symbolism matters, and the visit showed that it is possible to move beyond a painful history, and use our shared experiences to build a new future in a spirit of hope and forgiveness.

From a British perspective, she was their longest-reigning monarch, and a much-loved and respected head of State. When born, she was third in line to the throne, but found herself a Queen at just 25 years of age.

Her life was one of ongoing dedication, of service to her people, and to the Commonwealth which flourished under her watch. Her workload was the stuff of legend - as late as Wednesday evening, she was scheduled to meet with her Privy Council to discuss affairs of State. 

From the start of her reign she travelled far and wide, visiting countries inside and outside the Commonwealth; countries with good relations with the UK, and those with more troubled ones. 

Ireland has had a complex and deeply troubled relationship with the British monarchy over many centuries. Queen Elizabeth will be remembered as someone who built bridges between Ireland and the UK, and restored connections between our nations.

I was honoured to briefly meet Queen Elizabeth, and the Duke of Edinburgh, during their visit to Ireland in my capacity as Minister for Tourism. I will always recall her warmth, her grace, and most especially her humour. This was a mission that mattered precisely because the history between our two countries had been so difficult for so long. In the past, the British monarchy had been a symbol of all that was wrong in that relationship. She transformed it into a symbol of reconciliation. 

We didn’t realise it at the time, but her visit to Ireland was a new beginning in relations between Ireland and the UK. I remember vividly the surprise and delight of hearing a British monarch speaking Irish at a State occasion, the smile on her face as she met Irish citizens, and her now legendary visit to the English Market in Cork. 

May she Rest in Peace, and may her successors help to continue the long and ongoing work of reconciliation between Ireland and the UK.

He's King as soon as The Queen died. The Coronation is just a cermenonial tying up of the loose ends.

You're giving me the itch to play Crusader Kings.

Charles going with King Charles III

im sure it’s sad for her family like any other bereaved family, rip. The death of the Queen of England has no effect on me personally except for the non stop media coverage that we’ll have to endure. I think with her, the need for the monarchy of England also passes into history, they really are unnecessary and irrelevant now.

I've never had anything personal against the queen or individual members of the royal family for that matter.

It's just royalty and monarchy as concepts are absurd in the 21st century.

Can't say I'm fussed either way, but I do find the history of the British Royal family fascinating in it's various guises down through the centuries in many ways even more so than Irish history ....would watch any movie of documentary on it, 'a man for all seasons' one of my favourite all time films

Or should I say monarchy, there have been many different reigning families

There will be an official coronation, definitely. Maybe next spring/summer.

Lady Colin Campbell put up a youtube video in which she alluded to bone cancer and mentioned the time of her death. The video was posted an hour before the media announced the death of the Queen.

It was an equally absurd concept in the 20th and 19th especially after the American and French revolutions.

She was 96. When I read Wikipedia articles of people who lived to such an age, rarely is an exact cause of death given, which implies that when you get to that age, you pretty much just die of being that old. OK, I'm sure there's always a technical reason for exactly why a person dies, but at that point age is absolutely the overwhelming factor. Whether an exact cause of death will be released, I don't know. I should think the Royal family would want to portray her death as graceful and peaceful as possible, which in my mind disclosing the nitty gritty of it doesn't achieve.

Rest in peace, Your Majesty.

It was surreal to hear Prince Charles referred to as His Majesty The King. As they say “The Queen is dead. Long live The King”

It's certainly a shame that quite a portion of Irish people won't show even a speck of the dignity that Queen Elizabeth showed throughout her life, and especially on that trip to Ireland in 2011. Whatever your views on the UK and the monarchy, I think her lifetime of public service deserves a lot of respect.

For some perspective, the Sex pistols "God save the Queen" was released in 1977.

"Her Majesty" by the Beatles was on the Abbey road album in 1969.

The Queen today was the same Queen as when those songs were written. You have to respect the longevity on some level.

It’s a sad indictment on people, really. Forcing themselves to have this ambivalence and hostility.

Yeah, the BBC presenters weren't wearing black on a whim. They knowingly spun out the whole afternoon pretending they didn't know she was dead.