President Marcos, other Filipinos mourn queen’s passing

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos joined world leaders yesterday in mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, whose reign of 70 years was the longest among English monarchs, saying the world has lost “a true figure of majesty.”

“It is with profound sadness that we receive the news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Balmoral Castle yesterday (Thursday) evening,” Marcos wrote on Facebook.

The President headed to the official residence of UK Ambassador Laure Beaufils in Makati to sign a condolence book after attending an event in San Pedro, Laguna.

Beaufils posted photos of the President signing the condolence book with his family on Twitter.

Marcos was accompanied by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and sons Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro and Simon, and cousin Speaker Martin Romualdez.

In a Facebook post earlier in the day, the 64-year-old Marcos said Queen Elizabeth “exemplified to the world a true monarch’s great dignity, commitment to duty and devotion to all those in her realm.”

“The world has lost a true figure of majesty in what she demonstrated throughout her life and throughout her reign as Queen,” he said.

“We, together with many Filipinos living and working in England, though not subjects of the Queen, have found ourselves having developed a great sense of affection for her as a Queen, as mother and as a grandmother,” the Chief Executive said.

In July last year, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch lauded Filipino nurses employed by Britain’s National Health Service, whom she said “bring exceptional care and comfort to their patients” during the pandemic.

In her message to former president Rodrigo Duterte on the celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and UK, the Queen said: “I wanted to express my sincerest gratitude for their work, especially in response to the coronavirus.”

There are around 190,000 Filipinos in the UK, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Considered the most recognized woman in the world, Queen Elizabeth II assumed the British throne at 25 following the death of her father, King George VI, in 1952.

The British embassy in Manila has opened a condolence book at its gates at 120 Upper McKinley Road, Taguig City. The book of condolence is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday through Friday. – Sheila Crisostomo, Paolo Romero, Robertzon Ramirez, Michael Punongbayan