‘An island of stability’: Foreign newspapers pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

The death of Queen Elizabeth II’s made front-page headlines around the world on Friday, with the longest-reigning UK monarch praised for being an “island of stability”.

The sovereign died at Balmoral, her Scottish residence, on Thursday at the age of 96, following months of speculation about her health.

On Friday, newspapers across the globe poured out their grief, commending her warmth and lifetime of public service.

Given her prominence on the international stage, even unlikely publications such as specialist sports paper in Italy, Corriere dello Sport – Stadio, paying tribute to the 96-year-old on its front page.

In France, the typically anti-monarchist Libération newspaper reported that her passing had “sent a shockwave round the world”.

“Can she really depart so suddenly, an island of stability in a world in which everything seems to be changing too quickly?” its editorial asked.

Other French outlets were similarly saddened by the Queen’s death. While Le Figaro ran a headline wishing her “adieu”, Le Parisien’s read: “We loved her so much”.

Elsewhere in Europe, the Spanish daily El País said the monarch’s 70-year reign was typified by a “neutrality” which had “guaranteed the continuity of the British crown”, while the Italian Corriere della Sera described her as the “Forever Queen”.

Meanwhile, the German Westfälische Nachrichten newspaper said the Queen knew how to approach people “with friendliness and devotion”.

It also alluded to her visit to Germany in 1965, which was widely considered a magnanimous act of post-war reconciliation.

The liberal Japanese Asahi newspaper also carried several pieces, including one headlined “Wound of the war, deep pain of the heart”, about the Queen’s interactions with Japan’s imperial family on the subject of the Second World War.

The Queen’s 70-year reign was also celebrated in the US for the continuity it embodied in a changing world.

“The queen’s most obvious achievement was to provide an element of continuity in a world that is in a fever of change,” an article in Bloomberg said.

Her “natural royal dignity” was celebrated by The New York Times, one of whose columnists wrote: “It is hard to name any reigning royal in the world who still personifies that power, and none who do it as graciously and convincingly as Queen Elizabeth did.”

Newspapers in Commonwealth countries also sung the monarch’s praises, with The Australian saying hers was a life “devoted to service”.