‘Our hearts are broken’: Historic first pages mark Queen’s death

The death of Queen Elizabeth II tops all UK national newspapers on Friday morning.

The Queen, who was the UK’s longest-serving monarch, is remembered for her unwavering commitment to her role and her lifelong devotion to the crown.

Here is an overview of these first historical pages.

The temperature is one outlet that uses a famous photo of Cecil Beaton that marked the coronation of the 27-year-old monarch in 1953 to honor his passing, along with a caption: ‘A life in service’.

The star of the day uses the same image, with the title: “”You have done your duty, ma’am. “”

The Independent and The Guardian Splash around with this famous photo too, although none of the papers include a quote, just the Queen’s date of birth and death – 1926 to 2022.

The I also goes for the same photo, but has a more informative front page with a breakdown of the day’s four key details. She explains that the monarch died at Balmoral in the afternoon, and that the country risks entering 10 days of mourning. The Queen’s successor, King Charles III, will also deliver a speech on Friday.

The daily mail opts for an image of the Queen from 1952, when she was still Princess Elizabeth, the first heir to the throne. She is depicted without the crown jewels, but with a smaller crown and ornate decorative jewels. Its front page carries a quote from its columnist Sarah Vine: “Our hearts are broken.

The subway one the front page includes another photo from the same occasion, except that in this one the Queen smiles slightly as she looks over her shoulder. It bears the dates of his life, from 1926 to 2022.

The Financial Times used a more candid image than its competitors, opting for a photo of the Queen in her finery, leaning out of a car, smiling, with her full title in its headline – ‘Queen Elizabeth II, 1926-2022’.

The sun uses a more modern, but still formal, portrait of the Queen for its first page, displayed in black and white, with a purple flagpole, while choosing another image of the late monarch in her youth for its last page. On the front, it is accompanied by the title: “We loved you Madame”.

Below is a caption recalling that she was Britain’s longest-serving monarch and concluding: “We are proud that you were our queen.”

The daily express uses the same photo of the queen from the modern era, accompanying the caption: “Our beloved queen is dead.”

The daily record chooses an image of the monarch in profile, in her best attire on a special occasion, while smiling. He forgoes a title altogether, writing simply: “Queen Elizabeth II: 1926 – 2022”.

The mirror also uses an image of the queen in profile, but this time she has a darker expression. This photo is just accompanied by the title: “Thank you”.

The Daily Telegraph opts for the same black and white image of the Queen that the Royal Family released to announce her death.

The newspaper attaches a quote from a speech the monarch shared when sending her condolences to the United States about 9/11: “Grief is the price we pay for love.”

Regional newspapers across the country also acknowledged the historic occasion, although some used less formal imagery to mark his death.

Scottish newspaper The Herald, however, chose a formal image showing the Queen in her finery as she stood in the Highlands.

Far from the British press, newspapers around the world paid tribute to the late monarch.

The New York Times, the New Yorker and Time magazine all gave their first pages to the Queen.

Italian Corriere della Sera also honored the queen, as did the French newspapers Release and Time, alongside the German newspaper Image.