Elton John, Helen Mirren, Sushmita Sen and many others react to death of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died at the age of 96 on Thursday. Tributes began pouring in soon after the tragic news broke and celebrities took to social media to pay homage to the beloved queen. Elton John and Dame Helen Mirren were among the first ones to pay their tributes.

Singer Elton John, a longtime friend of the late queen, wrote, ‘Along with the rest of the nation, I am deeply saddened to hear the news of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s passing. She was an inspiring presence to be around, and led the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace, decency and a genuine caring warmth. Queen Elizabeth has been a huge part of my life from childhood to this day, and I will miss her dearly.’

Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in 2006 film ‘The Queen’, expressed her pride in playing her on the big screen. ‘I am proud to be an Elizabethan. We mourn a woman, who, with or without the crown, was the epitome of nobility,’ she wrote.

‘James Bond’ actor Daniel Craig, Beatles Musician Paul McCartney were among others to pay homage.

Bollywood stars like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sushmita Sen, and others also expressed grief and called it ‘end of an era.’

Sushmita, former Miss Universe, took to social media and wrote, ‘What an incredible & truly celebrated life!!! She loved colors & lived every shade of it, in a single lifetime…The very embodiment of QUEEN!!! Rest in peace Queen Elizabeth ll #BritainsLongestReigningMonarch #GodSpeed #DuggaDugga."

Riteish wrote, ‘End of an era!! Through the toughest times she never let go of her dignity. Today is indeed a sad day, condolences to the family and the people of UK. #QueenElizabethII.’

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