SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth with a wreath-laying ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra on Saturday.
Albanese, Governor General David Hurley and other dignitaries proceeded through parliament to the Queen’s Terrace, where they laid floral wreaths at the foot of a bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth.
The queen, who died on Thursday aged 96, unveiled the bronze statue of herself on the terrace in 1988, while visiting Australia to open the nation’s new parliament house.
The British monarch is the head of state in Australia, among 14 realms outside the United Kingdom, although the role is largely ceremonial.
There has been an outpouring of tributes in Australia since the death of the Queen, who was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and the nation’s figurehead for seven decades.
As a mark of respect, the Australian flag is flying at half-mast and on Friday a 96-gun salute — one round for each year of the Queen’s life – took place at Parliament House’s forecourt.
Albanese, who has spoken in support of moving toward a republic, on Friday expressed condolences on the Queen’s death.
“Today’s a day for one issue and one issue only, which is to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II,” he said.
Queen Elizabeth regularly visited Australia during her reign, making 16 visits, with the first in 1954 and the last in 2011.
(Reporting by Samuel McKeith, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
