YEKATERINBURG, September 10. /TASS/. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II showed sincere interest in Russia during her visit in 1994, Naina Yeltsina, widow of Russia's first president Boris Yeltsin, said, according to the press service of the Yeltsin Center.

"The Queen demonstrated her kindness and friendliness towards her interlocutors, as well as her sincere interest in our country. <...> Queen Elizabeth II gave me a touching gift: a box with the seeds of plants from her garden, <...> the seeds have taken root in our soil, plants from the Queen's garden have grown and now live in my garden and it seems symbolic. The box the queen gave me is now in the museum of Russia's first president in Yekaterinburg," Yeltsina said, adding that she first met Elizabeth II during her visit to Russia in 1994. In her opinion, the visit was a symbolic gesture that demonstrated Britain's "readiness for equal interaction" with Russia.

According to Yeltsin, Elizabeth II has remained a moral compass for her subjects throughout the years of her reign, a model of profound decency and devotion to her country.

Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96 in Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday. She was the longest-ruling monarch in British history — her reign lasted 70 years and seven months. Her eldest son, 73-year-old Charles, became the new monarch, and he will officially reign under the title of His Majesty King Charles III.