Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves during his first interview since the passing of the Queen Elizabeth II expressed deep sadness at her passing, while expressing condolences on behalf of the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Prime Minister Gonsalves was at the time speaking at the opening ceremony for the newly completed Long Line Road in North Leeward.
“I want, on behalf of the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and on my own personal behalf and that of my family, to express profound condolences on the passing of her majesty Queen Elizabeth, who is head of state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. She is succeeded by his majesty King Charles and her majesty has had a remarkable reign, the longest in British history, one of the longest ever in the whole world, and she was a woman with character, and she was an outstanding queen for the British people and she represented stability for them, continuity for them,” Gonsalves said.
Prime Minister Gonsalves said he has been in contact with SVG’s High Commissioner in London, and the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to SVG. The Prime Minister said that St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be represented at the Queen’s funeral.
The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force is observing ten (10) days of mourning as a mark of respect for the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday, September 8, 2022, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of ninety-six (96), after serving for seventy (70) years.
As a mark of respect, during the ten days of mourning, flags will be flown at half-mast at all Police Stations and all Government Buildings throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines.