'A life in service': The newspaper front pages pay tribute to the Queen

Tributes to the Queen have covered the front and back pages of the nation's newspapers.

The 96-year-old monarch, who reigned for a record 70 years, passed away "peacefully" on Thursday afternoon at Balmoral.

Friday's newspapers all devoted their front pages to her death - and her amazing life as head of the royal family.

Several papers splashed with an image of the Queen at her coronation in June 1953.

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Read more: The Queen's 70 years of service in pictures

Among them was The Guardian, which published the image without a headline, instead using some text which reads: “Queen Elizabeth II 1926 – 2022”.

Inside the paper, columnist Jonathan Freedland writes her death heralds not just the end of the Elizabethan age, but the start of “a new future”.

He wrote: “There will be a different head on the coin, different words for the national anthem.

“The one element in our collective life that was consistently, reliably the same… has gone.”

The Times carries the same image, with the headline: "A life in service".

In its obituary, the paper described the Queen as “the woman who saved the monarchy in this country”.

Watch: Tributes flood in from around the world after Queen dies

It continued: "It is thanks to her dedication and seriousness of purpose that an institution that has at times seemed outdated and out of keeping with the values of contemporary society still has a relevance and popularity today.”

The coronation image also appears on The Independent, while an editorial uses the Queen's own words about Diana, Princess of Wales: “(We now have) a chance to show to the whole world the British nation united in grief and respect.

“Thank God for someone who made many, many people happy.”

Metro's front page shows a picture of the monarch in her younger years, while a tribute inside calls her "the rock of our nation". City AM's front page reads: "Thank you, Ma'am".

Read more: What happens next following the Queen's death?

The Sun‘s tribute runs across both front and back pages, with a statement from her son, now King Charles III, who called her "my beloved mother".

On the front, the newspaper says: “We loved you Ma’am.

“Rest in peace… The Sun and our readers loved you. We are proud you were our Queen.”

The Daily Telegraph used a picture of the Queen in her later years alongside the message she gave to New York after the September 11 attacks: “Grief is the price we pay for love.”

In an editorial, the paper said: “She was more than just a distant, matriarchal symbol of nationhood; she was our constant companion and guide, reassuringly composed even in the most turbulent of times.”

The front page of the Daily Express reads: “Our beloved Queen is dead.”

Columnist Leo McKinstry called the Queen “a shining light for humanity”.

He continued: “At the news of her loss, a wave of sorrow has swept across not just her beloved kingdom but also the whole world."

The Daily Mail mourned the Queen’s death with the headline: “Our hearts are broken.”

Columnist Sarah Vine wrote: “Our grief is a hundred different emotions, all of them hard to grasp.”

The Daily Mirror opts for the simple message "Thank you" on its front page, while an editorial called the Queen “one of the most remarkable ever to grace the pages of our history”.

The Financial Times used a photo of the Queen Below attending the state opening of Parliament in 1971, and called her death a “watershed moment in the life of the nation”.

The i reported that the Queen’s son and successor, King Charles III, is set to address the nation as the country enters 10 days of mourning.

The paper said “more than half a million” Britons are expected to visit the Queen’s coffin as it lies in state at Westminster Hall before a state funeral is held at Westminster Abbey.

Read more: What royal line of succession looks like after Queen's death

The Daily Star paid tribute with the front page headline: “You did your duty, Ma’am”.

An editorial from the paper added: “The Queen’s death leaves a huge hole in the nation’s heart.

“She brought unparalleled grace and dignity to the role."

Watch: The Queen's major milestones