Presidents Muhammadu Buhari, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders have felicitated with Queen Elizabeth II on her 70th year on the throne.
Buhari described her as a loyal, patriotic, and compassionate leader who worked for the people, not as a ruler but as a friend and compatriot.
He noted that “Queen Elizabeth II is the first British monarch to reach seven decades on the throne.”
He said: “People never lose trust in Queen Elizabeth II. Their firm belief is that she always has the potential to deliver, especially during troubled times.
”It is confirmation of the fact that Queen Elizabeth always acts and delivers according to people’s expectations.
“In her lonely journey on the throne, and so recently having lost her husband and principal supporter Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, I and all our citizens wish her many more years as Queen of England and Head of the Commonwealth, in excellent condition of health”
On his part, U.S. President, Joe Biden said: “Jill and I wish Your Majesty a joyful Platinum Jubilee celebration.
“On behalf of the United States, congratulations to Queen Elizabeth II on an unprecedented 70 years of service to the UK and Commonwealth and thank you for your friendship to the American people”.
Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron of France gave Queen Elizabeth a horse belonging to the French Republican Guard to mark her jubilee, describing the monarch as the “golden thread” that had bound France and Britain during her 70-year reign.
Macron later paid tribute to the queen during a flame rekindling ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe monument, where he laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier in the presence of Britain’s ambassador to France, Menna Rawlings.
Elizabeth is known for her love of horses. Fabuleu de Maucour, the seven-year-old grey gelding gifted by Macron, escorted the president down the Champs Elysees in Paris last month as part of an official ceremony, Macron’s office said.
Britain kicked off four days of pageantry and parties on Thursday to celebrate Elizabeth’s rule.
Macron paid tribute to the queen for having provided an element of stability amid times of war and profound changes in society.
“You are the golden thread that binds our two countries, the proof of the unwavering friendship between our two countries and our nations,” Macron said.
Macron has been one of the harshest critics of Britain’s decision-making after its vote to leave the European Union, but the president expressed his admiration for a queen who took to the throne less than a decade after World War Two ended.
