President Michael D Higgins leads tributes to Queen Elizabeth II

President Michael D Higgins leads tributes to Queen Elizabeth II following her death this afternoon.

President Michael D Higgins leads tributes to Queen Elizabeth following her death this afternoon, aged 96. 

Following the announcement from Buckingham Palace earlier that The Queen had passed away, President Higgins said in a statement that "it is with profound regret and deep personal sadness that I have learnt of the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II". 

President Higgins offered his "heartfelt condolences to His Majesty King Charles and to the Royal family", "on behalf of the people of Ireland". He recalled the "exceptional hospitality" extended to himself and his wife Sabina during their four day state visit to Britain in 2014. He also spoke of "how much she enjoyed her own historic state visit to Ireland in 2011, the first such visit by a British Monarch since Irish independence began". 

He finished by saying "as we offer our condolences to our neighbours in the United Kingdom, we remember the role Queen Elizabeth played in celebrating the warm and enduring friendship and her great impact on the bonds of mutual understanding between our two peoples". She will be greatly missed". 

"Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis".