LONDON, September 9. /TASS/. Britain’s King Charles III has paid tribute to late Queen Elizabeth II’s years of service and said his mother was an inspiration and example to him.
"I pay tribute to my Mother's memory and I honour her life of service. I know that her death brings great sadness to so many of you and I share that sense of loss, beyond measure, with you all," the king said in his first televised address to the nation. "That was more than a promise: it was a profound personal commitment which defined her whole life. She made sacrifices for duty. Her dedication and devotion as Sovereign never waivered, through times of change and progress, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sadness and loss."
"Throughout her life, Her Majesty The Queen - my beloved Mother - was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example," King Charles III said.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, the world's longest-serving monarch, died at the age of 96 in Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday afternoon. Charles, 73, Prince of Wales - the eldest son of late Queen Elizabeth II - has become the new king of the United Kingdom. He will officially reign under the title of His Majesty King Charles III. The Queen's funeral will take place 10 days after her death.