COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio governor Mike DeWine orders flags across the Buckeye State lowered in honor of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
A statement from the Governor’s Office said, “In accordance with the orders issued by the President of the United States of America and in remembrance of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Governor DeWine has ordered that the flags of the United States and the State of Ohio be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout the State of Ohio until sunset on the day of interment.”
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace made the announcement earlier today, saying, “She died peacefully at Balmoral.”
Embed from Getty ImagesKing Charles III issued his first public statement since ascending the throne.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms, and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”
Her Majesty was the longest reigning British monarch in the nation’s history.
Embed from Getty ImagesU.S. President Joe Biden said regarding the Queen’s passing, “In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity. She was the first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection—whether they heard her on the radio as a young princess speaking to the children of the United Kingdom, or gathered around their televisions for her coronation, or watched her final Christmas speech or her Platinum Jubilee on their phones. And she, in turn, dedicated her whole life to their service.”
Earlier today, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi ordered the lowering of flags at the United States Capitol.
House Majority Leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer, said, “Today, Americans join in sending the condolences of our whole nation to His Majesty the King, to the Royal Family, and to the people of the United Kingdom, Canada, and the whole Commonwealth of Nations, whom she led with steadfastness and grace for seven decades.”
Funeral arraignments for the Queen have yet to be released. Today begins a ten-day period of mourning for the United Kingdom.