Tributes aplenty as sports world mourns Queen Elizabeth’s death
The world is in deep mourning on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, whose death Thursday afternoon in her Balmoral Castle in Scotland poured immense tributes from everywhere.
An ever-present figure in every sporting event, the beloved royal was a fixture both in and out of the Commonwealth, as her seven-decade reign scored countless sporting moments that will live on forever. As a classic example, “God Save the Queen” was belted out by the supporters in home matches.
During her reign, she was the lone person to open two Olympic Games, first in Montreal in 1976, and ten years ago in London, which was viral for her cameo appearance with James Bond that was kept secret even the rest of the Royal Family.
Most of the national teams representing the four home nations of the United Kingdom have their social media decked in black and white as a sign of mourning, as she hold numerous patronages in various sporting bodies. As the head of state of the Commowealth, she is the patron of the namesake Games that were recently celebrated in Birmingham last August.
Apart from that, clubs accross the UK have also offered their condolences the moment her demise was announced, in a rare display of solidarity for the departed queen who had been beloved by almost all. The football matches involving British sides have observed a moment of silence.
England’s football teams have bore witness to their triumphs during her time on the British throne, in which both the men and women have lifted major trophies at their Wembley home. Her grandson, the Duke of Cambridge, serves as the president of The Football Association.
Just two months ago, the Queen hailed the Lionesses’ home triumph at the record-breaking UEFA Women’s Euros, which was one of the last major events that were celebrated in her reign.
In Milan, Great Britain’s basketball team had a moment of silence prior to their final game against hosts Italy before wrapping up their EuroBasket campaign.
