Australia reacts to death of Queen Elizabeth II: parliament to be suspended for 15 days; Greens call for republic – live | The Queen

Stephanie Convery

‘As long as she wasn’t in pain – that’s my wish for her’

Two teenage boys, who I’m not convinced have given me their real names, chat to me while they’re waiting for a tram in Melbourne.

One says:

For us in Australia it doesn’t really have much of an effect, maybe if you were in England it would have a bit more of an effect.

Two New Zealanders, Rosemary and David, are having breakfast in Royal Arcade. Rosemary says:

It was sad, she’s been part of our lives.

David, however, says:

I’m indifferent.

Rosemary is a monarchist but David is a republican.

Asked if anything stood out about the Queen to them, David says:

Watching The Crown, I felt like it was quite a good history. I learnt more about her life through The Crown, more than what we saw … Charles is the interesting one though. King Charles sounds like a spaniel to me.

Maya, at Flinders St station, said:

She had a long and busy life. As long as she wasn’t in pain – that’s my wish for her.

She worked hard every day — I don’t think the young ones will do this. It’s a different kind of work ethic.

Maya says it must have been hard “to always be pleasant every day”.

Maddie Thomas

Queen Elizabeth II ‘was a true servant leader’, says Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison says he is feeling “sorrowful” and “thankful” after hearing the news that the Queen has died. He praised her humility and kindness that made him feel warm and welcome in her presence.

Morrison said that the Queen seemed to be in good health when he and his wife Jenny met her in June last year as Covid restrictions were beginning to ease in the UK and was struck by her “keen interest in the details of people’s lives”. He spoke to Channel Nine just now:

When we met last time, it was at Windsor Castle, which was amazing, and there she was asking about the mice plague in NSW. That was her. She was interested in the people that she served and she did see her role as a service. She was a true servant leader.

At the same visit, Scott Morrison remembered giving the Queen a biography of champion Australian thoroughbred Winx, after John Howard told him “She loves horses, just talk about horses”.

Natasha May

‘I personally love that we’re part of the monarchy’

Our reporter Natasha May is still on the streets of Sydney.

She has spoken with two Catholic nuns, Teresa and Agnes Vo, who had only just heard the news of Queen Elizabeth’s passing.

The Catholic nuns praise the Queen as an “amazing leader”.

She really has offered her whole whole life – around 70 years.

We pray for her.

Ingrid Braithwaite, out with baby William in rainy Sydney, only has praise for Queen Elizabeth and the monarchy:

She’s been incredible, such an inspiration for so many of us. It’s such sad news and my thoughts are with her family.

Asked if she believes the monarch’s death means Australia should become a republic, Braithwaite said:

I personally love that we’re part of the monarchy.

Australian reactions to the Queen’s death began about 6am, as most of us were still sleeping. Her passing has prompted an outpouring of grief and shock, with tributes from the prime minister, governor general, opposition leader, and other leading Australians.

If you’re just tuning in, here were the most powerful moments:

• The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the Queen had a “special place in our hearts” and had been a “wise and enduring presence” in Australia’s national life. Albanese said Queen Elizabeth II had been a “wise and encouraging guide, always wanting the best for our nation and greeting each change with understanding, good grace and an abiding faith in the Australian people’s judgement. From her first trip here, it was clear Her Majesty had a special place in our hearts, and we, in hers.” Albanese will travel to the UK in four days’ time.

• The governor general, David Hurley, reflected on the Queen’s “dignity and her compassion” and her dedication and work ethic. “Her death will sadden all Australians and be felt around the world. As we mourn, we should also take inspiration and give thanks to the remarkable contribution Her Majesty has made.”

• Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd, both republicans, offered words of sympathy and condolences for the loss. Turnbull said the Queen had “inspired the whole world and was a calm and gracious presence”. Rudd said Republicans and Monarchists alike had a “deep and abiding respect” for the Queen, not just because of her longevity, but because she was a good person.

• The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said there had never been a “more dignified monarch, a more dutiful leader, or a more decent human than Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”. “An extraordinary life which touched so many has sadly come to an end,” he said.

• Tony Abbott, a monarchist, said the world has lost “an exemplar of duty, honour and faithfulness”. He said “deep thanks for her life should mingle with numbness and sadness at this loss”. “The Queen is dead. Long live the King,” he said.

Tamsin Rose

Plans under way for Opera House to feature in memorials to the Queen

The Sydney Opera House and New South Wales’ Parliament House are likely to feature in public memorials to the Queen.

The premier, Dominic Perrottet, on Friday morning said work was being done “with protocol” since early in the morning to plan a fitting tribute.

He said:

We’ve been doing that since the early hours of the morning and obviously the usual area that comes up immediately is the Opera House and we’re working very closely with protocol to go through all of those issues.

We’ll be doing everything we can to obviously pay tribute to a giant of history and somebody who has changed the world for the better.

He told 2GB that details would be announced over the course of the day.

Katharine Murphy

Mourners and media converge on Buckingham Palace

It’s just after midnight in London.

People are still streaming in to Buckingham Palace to pay their respects. Some people are in full evening dress.

Wine is being drunk from the bottle. There’s a substantial police presence but the mood is somewhere between Skyfire (Canberra folks will get that reference) and funereal.

People are clustering around the proclamation on the front fence and spilling back up the forecourt. Lots of Londoners but also a big international contingent, as you’d expect.

There’s already a substantial number of floral tributes tied to the fence. Local TV crews are swarming through the crowd looking for vox pops. The media have set up en masse for live coverage.

Greens leader Adam Bandt has called for Australia to become a republic in the wake of the Queen’s death.

Now, Australia must move forward. We need Treaty with First Nations people, and we need to become a Republic.

Natasha May

‘She was the people’s queen’, says former NSW premier Mike Baird

Taking a quick coffee break, this reporter ran into former NSW premier Mike Baird in line for his.

It’s an incredibly sad day not just for the UK but the world … Queen Elizabeth was an incredible leader. She had great passion for many causes but ultimately, for the people.

I think she was the people’s queen. Like everyone else in Australia today, I feel incredibly sad.

Probably the most enduring memory was 1988, the bicentennial. It felt that when the Queen came, the significance of 200 years was really palpable.

Of Charles taking over, Baird said:

He’s a wonderful man and I think he’ll be a great king.