Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed the words Queen Elizabeth II used more than 20 years ago to comfort New York following the September 11 terrorist attacks as he paid tribute on Friday to the British monarch following her death.
There is comfort to be found in her majesty’s own words, ‘grief is the price we pay for love,’” Albanese said in an early morning televised address. “This is a loss we feel deeply in Australia. Queen Elizabeth II is the only reigning monarch most of us have known and the only one to ever visit Australia.”
Albanese noted the Queen had visited Australia 16 times during her reign, traveling to every state and territory in the country.
CNN spoke with some of the Australians who showed up to sign a condolence book at a church in Sydney.
Dozens were waiting at any one time and the line extended out the door of the church.
Chase Griffiths, who served in the Australian navy for more than seven years, said “hearing the news this morning was quite devastating.”
“It can’t be denied that there’s some kind of sentiment toward the Queen,” regardless of people’s feelings on the monarchy itself, he said, referring to a long-running debate over whether the country should become a republic.
Oliver Addis said the Queen was somebody “who put others before herself, fundamentally. She put her job as the Queen, and all that that represented, ahead of her personal wishes.”
“I think the trouble with our leaders today is so many of them put themselves and their personal wishes ahead of those of the nation,” he said.
“I take my hat off to her.”
Kylie Riddle said she planned to write “God Bless the Queen” in the condolence book, adding that the Queen will “be missed.”
She’s always been part of Australia,” Riddle said.
