Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and offered his deepest condolences to the Royal Family. 

Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96, peacefully at her Balmoral home, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Speaking this morning, Mr Albanese said her death is a loss “we feel deeply in Australia”.

“Queen Elizabeth II is the only reigning monarch most of us have known, and the only one to ever visit Australia,” he said.

“Over the course of a remarkable seven decades, Her Majesty was a rare and reassuring constant amidst rapid change.

“Through the noise and turbulence of the years, she embodies and exhibited a timeless decency and enduring calm.”

He said there’s comfort to be found in Queen Elizabeth II’s own words: “Grief is the price we pay for love.”

Press PLAY below to hear his speech in full