Maldives president hails Queen Elizabeth as 'shining example of public service'
President Solih said it was with great sorrow that he learnt of the passing of Elizabeth.
Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Thursday hailed Britain's late Queen Elizabeth as a shining example of public service.
Queen Elizabeth, Britain's longest-reigning monarch and the nation's figurehead for seven decades, has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday.
Following the announcement, President Solih said it was with great sorrow that he learnt of the passing of Elizabeth.
"The Queen was a shining example of public service, resilience and devotion to one’s country and the greater community of nations," the president's tweet read.
"The people of Maldives join me in offering our sincere condolences to His Majesty the King and members of the Royal Family and the people of the UK and the Commonwealth in this time of national mourning."
Her eldest son Charles, 73, automatically becomes king of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Her family had rushed to be by her side at her Scottish home, Balmoral Castle, after doctors expressed concern about her health. She had been suffering from what Buckingham Palace has called "episodic mobility problems" since the end of last year, forcing her to withdraw from nearly all her public engagements.
Queen Elizabeth II, who was also the world's oldest and longest-serving head of state, came to the throne following the death of her father King George VI on Feb. 6, 1952, when she was just 25.
